Printing on an Old Network Printer in Windows 7 x64 Without 64-Bit Drivers

I had an old Canon LBP-1120 printer shared on a computer running Windows XP on my home network. I wanted to print to it from my laptop running Windows 7 x64, but this proved to be a challenging task. Finding 64-bit drivers for this older printer model under Windows 7 was nearly impossible—the manufacturers never released them and certainly won’t now.

I managed to solve the problem, so I’m documenting the solution here for future reference.

After researching various forums, I found several potential solutions. One approach I came across was this article, but it required setting up a shared folder on the server and using a script to feed PDF files to the printer—not an elegant solution. A better approach turned out to be this one, which used PostScript emulation. However, that article focused on Mac printing and used an “Apple LaserWriter 16/600 PS” driver that I couldn’t find. I had to adapt the solution using an alternative driver that works in both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows versions. Here’s the corrected step-by-step guide:

On the Computer with Windows XP (Server):

1. Download and Install Ghostscript
Download Ghostscript, a PostScript printer emulator. Install it to the folder “C:\gs” (or another location of your choice). Note the subfolder name created during installation—in my case it was “gs8.64”. You’ll need this name in the configuration file below.

2. Download and Install RedMon
Download RedMon, the Redirection Port Monitor. Unzip it to “C:\gs\RedMon” and run setup.exe.

3. Create the Configuration File
Create a file named C:\gs\canon.rsp with the following content:

-IC:\\gs\\gs8.64\\lib;C:\\gs\\fonts
-sDEVICE=mswinpr2
-dNOPAUSE
-dSAFER
-sPAPERSIZE=a4
-sOutputFile="%printer%Canon LBP-1120"

Important: Replace the printer name (in bold) with your actual printer name. The name must match exactly, or you’ll get a printer selection dialog each time you print.

4. Set Up a Virtual Printer

• Open the “Add Printer” wizard and click “Next”.
• Select “Local printer attached to this computer” and click “Next”.
• Choose “Create a new port” and select “Redirected Port” as the port type, then click “Next”.
• Leave the port name as “RPT1:” and click “OK”.
• Select the HP Universal PostScript Print Driver (32-bit version) as the printer driver. Install the driver, which will create a new virtual printer. During setup, specify RPT1: (Redirected Port) as the port.
• Give your virtual printer a name (e.g., “Canon”).
• Share the printer using the same name you assigned.

5. Configure the Virtual Printer

• Open the properties of the newly installed virtual printer.
• Go to the “Ports” tab and select the “RPT1:” port we created.
• Click the “Configure Port” button. In the “Redirect this port to the program” field, enter: C:\gs\gs8.64\bin\gswin32c.exe
• In the “Arguments for this program are:” field, enter the path to the configuration file (note the space and hyphen at the end): @C:\gs\canon.rsp –
• In the “Output” section, select “Copy temporary file to printer” and choose your physical printer (Canon LBP-1120) from the list.
• Check the “Hidden” option at the bottom so no windows appear during network printing, then click “OK”.

On the Computer with Windows 7 x64 (or Windows 8):

6. Install the Network Printer
Install the network printer normally, but use the HP Universal PostScript Print Driver (64-bit version). Run the installer and set up the network printer.

Troubleshooting:
Error 0x0000011b: “Windows cannot connect to the printer”
If you encounter this error, this guide may help resolve it.