Solved How can I create a USB Virtual Printer Port

[broiyan]

My USB printer driver did not automatically become installed. I had to use "Add Printer" and since the only ports available locally were COM and LPT which I have reason to believe will not work, I created a "Local Port" and called it MyLocalPort. I proceeded to install the driver. After waiting many minutes for the search for drivers, the list appeared and mine was not on the list so I browsed to my driver's .INF file to proceed with the installation.

Then I tested the setup. The printer test page did not appear. However, the print queue is empty so I guess it went somewhere and got lost.

Looking in Printer Preferences I can see that I am using the Local Port named MyLocalPort but there is nothing to configure.

If Windows does not recognize my USB printer (Fuji Xerox DocuPrint P205b) and automatically create a Virtual Printer Port, how do I create a USB Virtual Printer Port (such as USB001) so that I can select that port from the Printer Preferences to replace MyLocalPort?

I know that a USB virtual printer port is what normally appears when the driver is properly installed and working because I have installed this driver/printer combination on many Win7 machines but I have never been able to get it working on Win7 inside a VirtualBox on Ubuntu.

 

[broiyan]

First be sure to have installed the Oracle Extension for VirtualBox.

You have to go to the Virtual Box "Machine", "Settings", "USB" dialog. In there, enable the checkbox for USB 2.0 EHCI Controller.

Create a USB Filter specific to the printer by simply selecting the printer from the list of USB devices.

Then when you go to "Add a Printer" the Port "USB001 Virtual Printer Port" will appear.