Printer DLL problem

Question

My computers run Win 10 Pro. We print large files all duplexed and some are landscape, others are portrait. Because we don't want to sit at the computer for hours waiting for it to spool large files we use a print spooler that sends all the selected files to the MS Print Spool.

Almost 15 years ago we discovered that then Modern printers were unable to distinguish between portrait and landscape when duplexed and get the flip correct. For a long time we thought it was the fault of printer companies but we discovered that all printers suffered the same problem- Xerox, HP, all of them until we tried an HP 8150 which worked brilliantly. We have used HP8150s ever since with no flip problems. Of course we have to use old drivers for the machines too. Problem is they are getting very old now, over 25-30 years old and break too often so we need a newer printer. The question is how to solve the flip problem.

In 2011 I had a long exchange with a Xerox engineer who found the problem. Essentially, MS changed a DLL and that removed the capability of printers to distinguish between landscape and portrait when duplexing. Here is what he said:

"Thank you for sending us the HP monolithic (not universal) driver. It has been analyzed and here’s the result. Re: HP LaserJet 8150 PCL 6  driver. The Monolithic driver does NOT use the Microsoft Core driver files (UNIDRV.DLL for the PCL drivers and PPSCRIPT5.DLL for PostScript drivers). Monolithic drivers are all based on files/code that are totally written and controlled by the vendor. So.. it’s entirely possible this specific “HP LaserJet 8150 PCL 6” driver could do this. HP Universal Printer Driver uses the Microsoft Core driver files just like the Xerox NextGen drivers use. The customer should determine if the real HP Universal Print Driver behaves the same as the “HP LaserJet 8150 PCL 6” driver.”"

My question to you is why has MS not fixed this obvious problem? You printer drivers worked perfectly through the 80s and 90s, then you changed the DLL and now each time you change page orientation while duplexing you have to go into the driver and change that. Is there a simple work-around?

Thank you,

Rob Mouat

Cornell Publications

Answer 1

Of course they should, or at least return the old dlls they used before so effectively!

Answer 2

I think micfrosoft engineers  should  recreate new dlls which should differentiate display settings