Printing to File

I need to print a cd image to file. I am using a program called DiscusLE. When I click on print I get the printing dialog box (duh). I can check the "print to file" box, but I don't know how to set a folder as default the the file will print to. I can never find the prn file. Can anyone tell me how to select a default folder for these files? Thank you - JackCoke

 

I just did a search for your software. If I'm wrong, please correct me, but this is the printing software that goes with a disk duplicator. The pdf manual that I read said that the .prn file was saved to the highest level of your C drive. So if you are saving the file with a .prn extension, a search for "filename.prn" should show you where your file is.
If you are actually trying to save an actual disk image as a .prn file, this may be your problem. The .prn's are supposed to be for the image to be printed on the disk, and not the actual disk images themselves.

 

Hi, not so much to answer your problem but I wanted to find out what you were tryin to do with printing the contents of a CD to a file process. Are you trying to catalog the contents of a CD/Drive/Folder? If so I use a freeware called LS List File Generator, it lets you create the contents of a Drive/Folder in .txt and .html formats with some additional cool options to. If that was indeed what you were trying to accomplish you could check out that program. This is the download link. (I didn't see it on MajorGeeks but SnapFiles is a pretty decent d/l site too.)

 

My bad. I am using one program to create a label for a CD, not try to image the disk itself. I can never find the .prn file, even using search, after I have printed to file. I am indeed using a CD autoloader. Thank you for your help.

 

First of all I wanted to show you the technical info I gathered to inform you more about the .PRN file extension:

When you print to a file the program outputs whatever it would have sent to the printer you have attached to your computer to a file instead. The idea is that later you might want to send this file to a similar printer on a different computer. So, the main use for a .PRN file is to copy it to a printer in order to get the output. You can open a .PRN file in any text editor but what you'll likely see is your text surrounded by a whole bunch of "junk" which represents all the various printer codes necessary to set margins, special spacing, graphics, etc., etc.

Various programs use this extension; too many to list individually. Take clues from the location of the file as a possible pointer to exactly which program is producing the file. The file's date and time can also help if you know which programs you were running when the file was written.

So you are using a program to create labels to stick on the CDs, am I correct so far? and the label creating program outputs a .prn file or you actually save it as a .prn file but you are not able to locate the file, is that the issue? How are you saving it? Save as...and specify a location on the disk?
If I missed anything or on the right track let me know....

 

I am designing a label in one program, and using an autoloader to print directly onto a CD in another program, hence the need to print to file in the first place. About half of the time, I can't find the .prn file. It seems to me that if I if I name the file c:filename, it either goes to the last place I was looking in explorer, or just disappears. I was hoping there was a registry setting or something that could be modified so that everytime I print to file it would go into the same folder. In Office programs, after selecting the print to file box, another dialog box pops up asking where the file should be stored. This would be a fine option as well. Thanks again for helping me with this frustrating issue.

 

Do you name the file and the location yourself? Interesting that it doesn't give you a 'save a..' option. When you are defining the location you didn't say C:filename right? I mean, the proper path for a file on the root of drive C should be: C:\filename assuming you had a typo on your previous post, the only other thing that comes to my mind is the file name, if it is using the DOS naming convention 8.3 (8-digit name, 3-digit extension) and you used a name longer than 8 characters ...?
I am sorry I am not too familiar with the program, I suggest you check for the program updates and FAQs section on the program developer's site might be more helpful.
Repost if you can think of anything else that might help me understand...