Figuring which printer name corresponds to which device ID

Question

My goal is to open a printer connected via USB using the CreateFile (and then issue some WriteFiles and ReadFiles).

If the pri

Answer 1

Try this ... let me know if this helps ...

    static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        ManagementObjectSearcher s = new ManagementObjectSearcher(@"Select * From Win32_PnPEntity");
        foreach (ManagementObject device in s.Get())
        {
            // Try Name, Caption and/or Description (they seem to be same most of the time).
            string Name = (string)device.GetPropertyValue("Name");

            // >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Query String ...
            if (Name == "O2Micro Integrated MMC/SD controller")
            {
                /*
                 class Win32_PnPEntity : CIM_LogicalDevice
                {
                  uint16   Availability;
                  string   Caption;
                  string   ClassGuid;
                  string   CompatibleID[];
                  uint32   ConfigManagerErrorCode;
                  boolean  ConfigManagerUserConfig;
                  string   CreationClassName;
                  string   Description;
                  string   DeviceID;
                  boolean  ErrorCleared;
                  string   ErrorDescription;
                  string   HardwareID[];
                  datetime InstallDate;
                  uint32   LastErrorCode;
                  string   Manufacturer;
                  string   Name;
                  string   PNPDeviceID;
                  uint16   PowerManagementCapabilities[];
                  boolean  PowerManagementSupported;
                  string   Service;
                  string   Status;
                  uint16   StatusInfo;
                  string   SystemCreationClassName;
                  string   SystemName;
                };
                */

                try
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("Name         : {0}", Name);
                    Console.WriteLine("DeviceID     : {0}", device.GetPropertyValue("DeviceID"));
                    Console.WriteLine("PNPDeviceID  : {0}", device.GetPropertyValue("PNPDeviceID"));
                    Console.WriteLine("ClassGuid    : {0}", device.GetPropertyValue("ClassGuid"));
                    Console.WriteLine("HardwareID   :\n{0}", JoinStrings(device.GetPropertyValue("HardwareID") as string[]));
                    Console.WriteLine("CompatibleID :\n{0}", JoinStrings(device.GetPropertyValue("CompatibleID") as string[]));
                }
                catch (Exception e)
                {
                    Console.WriteLine("ERROR: {0}", e.Message);
                }
            }
        }
    }

    static string JoinStrings(string[] sarray)
    {
        StringBuilder b = new StringBuilder();
        if (sarray != null)
        {
            foreach (string s in sarray)
                b.Append("        '" + s + "'\n");
        }
        return b.ToString();
    }

Don't have a USB printer to test against, but this provides the information you are looking for (including for USB devices)...

Description  : O2Micro Integrated MMC/SD controller
DeviceID     : PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221&SUBSYS_04931028&REV_05\4&26B31A7F&0&00E5
PNPDeviceID  : PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221&SUBSYS_04931028&REV_05\4&26B31A7F&0&00E5
ClassGuid    : {4d36e97b-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}
HardwareID   :
        'PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221&SUBSYS_04931028&REV_05'
        'PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221&SUBSYS_04931028'
        'PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221&CC_080501'
        'PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221&CC_0805'

CompatibleID :         'PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221&REV_05'
        'PCI\VEN_1217&DEV_8221'
        'PCI\VEN_1217&CC_080501'
        'PCI\VEN_1217&CC_0805'
        'PCI\VEN_1217'
        'PCI\CC_080501'
        'PCI\CC_0805'

Also, for a URI, change the '\'s to '#'s in the URI you are intending of building.

so ..

usb\vid_0a5f&pid_0027\46a072900549\{28d78fad-5a12-11d1-ae5b-0000f803a8c2}

becomes

usb#vid_0a5f&pid_0027#46a072900549#{28d78fad-5a12-11d1-ae5b-0000f803a8c2}

====

As GSerg pointed out that Win32_Printer Class helps with the above code, but doesn't provide the device id.

But if I use Win32_Printer class and print out the "PortName" property, that, for the printers I have installed gives be a port/filename that I can use with CreateFile() and open the device.

e.g.:

Name         : Microsoft XPS Document Writer
Description  :
DeviceID     : Microsoft XPS Document Writer
PNPDeviceID  :
PortName  : XPSPort:


Name         : Fax
Description  :
DeviceID     : Fax
PNPDeviceID  :
PortName  : SHRFAX:

Here, writing to "XPSPORT:" or "SHRFAX:" sends data to the printer. What does this do for your USB printer?