client: Windows 7 Utlimate RTMserver: SBS2003 SP1 (as domain controller)net use LPT3 \\servername\hpprompts for username and user passwordno valid AD or local user/passwd combo worksreturns "access is denied" and "system error 5"Windows XP clients have no problem with this nor do they ask for credentialsAny solution or thoughts?

This issue occurs if the printer driver that is stored in SBS2003 is not applied to the Windows 7 system. In this case the Windows 7 computers may not be allowed to access the printing port. I suggest that you install the printer driver that is compatible for Windows 7 on all Windows 7 clients, and then try the command. I just think that you would like to deploy the printer to Windows 7 clients. Is that correct? If so, we need a Windows 7 compatible driver pack and the driver must be designed for enterprise environment. If we cannot store such driver in the driver storage on the server computer, we cannot realize the deployment. The only workaround is manually install link to the printer and install drivers on Windows 7 clients. In this case please refer the following steps. 1. Click Start, click Control Panel and double click Devices and Printers.2. Click Add a Printer. 3. Select "Add a local printer". 4. Select "Create a new port". Choose "Local Port" as the type of the port. 5. In the box "Enter a port name", type the address as the following format. \\[IP address of the host computer]\[The Share Name of the printer] Then click Next. 6. Choose the correct driver in the driver list. If no available driver, click the button Windows Update, wait for the process finishes and then look for the driver again.7. Finish the installation.Arthur Xie - MSFT

I had basically done the steps you outlined, except that I did not use the IP address of the server and did not do the "Windows Update" during the driver setup. I have now removed my previous printer instance and exactly recreated using your steps.The same error remains. password is invalid system error 5 has occurred access is deniedPrinting from within Windows 7 worked, and still works, correctly. NET USE LPT3 ... still does not. We have an application that uses the LPT# print method that simply does not print now.

More information. This is really interesting.The original command generates the errors:net use lpt3 \\servername\sharenameHowever, the following works correctly:net use lpt2 \\servername\sharenameFor some reason the problem is with LPT3 but not LPT2.Any ideas?

Does the computer have physical LPT3 port? If so we cannot remap the printer to LPT3 port. Another possible cause is the anti-virus or firewall. I suggest that you temporary disable them and then check the result again.Arthur Xie - MSFT

Computer does not have any physical parallel ports.With antivirus & firewall off the result is the same: lpt2 can be mapped, lpt3 cannot

having exacty the same problemi need to map this into windows, and put a "dummy" printer driver that is compatible with the terminal server i am connecting to so that the printer is created on the terminal session.running windows 7, and on all other (including vista) seems to work fine!!!please advice if you have found any solutions to this.

AHA... follow similar instructions as per yours. Tried on LPT2 and it works. Lpt1 and lpt3 failed... weirrrrrrrrddddddddddddddddddthanks

I have not found a solution. One would hope that MS takes this as a serious real world implementation problem with Win7, but there does not seem to be an answer here.

If u have a physical port Lpt1 , try disable it on device manager, and then try the command. It worked for me, this is in Win7good luck I

If u have a physical port Lpt1 , try disable it on device manager, and then try the command. It worked for me, this is in Win7 good luck I Bingo! Correct answer. I just had this problem and was solved with this response. Thank you.

Do you have any physical LPT ports the Windows XP computer? If so, please disable them. That should resolve this issue. If it does not help, please let us know how does it work if you manually run the “net use” command to map LPT 2. Arthur Xie - MSFT

I have a similar problem to the one here. I have an old Progress Database application that prints via LPT1 and LPT2, both of which do not work under Windows 7. I have the printers mapped as follows net use lpt1 \\server\printer but when I print nothing happens. I have tried to copy a text file to the printer and also access is denided. I checked the Device manager and can see no Ports listed, even after show hidden devices was turned on. Any further ideas? Thanks Murray

In the XP environment this pattern occurred when the current user had Limited Access Rights. We were able to cure it by making the user a local Administrator on the computer in question. Don't know if it will work for Windows 7 or not.

In our case, there were actually enabled physical ports at LPT3 and LPT1, but not LPT2, so LPT2 worked and the other two did not.

Yup, disabling LPT1 made the net use command complete successfully. Just another case of MS making changes to how things work without considering the real world. What made mine more confusing was when I tried the net use on another W7 machine, it worked. That was because there was no physical parallel printer port ! GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRr!!!!!

I have a 32bit Win7 laptop and I'm trying to use an application that still prints to LPT? ports. I've been into the device manager and disabled the one LPT port (LPT1 in this case) and I'm able to use the 'net use LPT? \\server\printer' command without error. However, when I try to print I get an error from the application and if I go to a command prompt and type 'dir > lpt1:' I get the message 'access denied' Any help will be greatly appreciated. David

Update I just found out that this is in some way permission related because as a 'user' with 'user' privileges I get the 'access is denied' error and when I do all of the same things as an 'administrator' it prints perfectly. I can't give 'users' administrative privileges I just need to know how to give them adequate access to the LPT? ports. David

Thank you !!! my problem was solved !!!

I missed this question somehow, probably because my issue turned out to be an actual physical port conflict. Anyway, if you are using AD on the network you should be able to put the users into the Print Operators group and get rid of the access denied if from that source (assuming no physical port conflict, of course).Mike Chern