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1.34. Guide: KESI Virtual Printer Information & Troubleshooting (Win)

Applies to Versions: Kurzweil 3000 Windows

Note: Read here if you are looking for an equivalent feature in K3000 Mac.

Note: For versions of Kurzweil 3000 prior to version 13, Kurzweil 3000 (Win) Professional Color or Professional Black & White are required in order to use the Virtual Printer.

Quick Links:

Guide to updating / patching Kurzweil 3000

General Virtual Printer Information

Tips for Troubleshooting the KESI Virtual Printer

 

General Virtual Printer Information:

KESI Virtual Printer Overview

The KESI Virtual Printer is a print driver, once installed it will be listed in your Windows Devices and Printers area. Instead of printing to paper, it "prints" to Kurzweil and creates a Kurzweil 3000 image file, which can then be read and/or saved as a Kurzweil file. The primary reason to use the virtual printer is in order to open files that are not a supported file type in Kurzweil 3000.

To use the KESI Virtual Printer, you must print from an application outside of Kurzweil, and that application must have a Print function.

Notes:

Using The KESI Virtual Printer

The KESI Virtual Printer is an invaluable tool for quickly generating a Kurzweil document from from another application, for example Microsoft Word.

To bring in an image document from another application:

  1. Open the application you would like to print from.

    Ensure that the application has a Print command.

  2. Once you select the print option from your application next make sure to select the KESI Virtual Printer as your printer from the Print Setup, Print Properties or Print Name list - these are the common options that usually appear after you use the Print function, these allow you to select a printer.

  3. If your document contains color, and you are on a version older than K3000 v15 you will need to enable color. To do this click Properties or Printer Properties, then click the Paper/Quality tab and verify "Color" is selected.

    If you cannot access the Paper/Quality tab from your application, try using the procedure detailed in Reproducing Color in Documents Opened with the KESI Virtual Printer.

  4. Click Print.

    Kurzweil 3000 launches, if it isn't already running, and opens the file.

  5. It's recommended to save the document before making changes to the document, this will enable full Kurzweil 3000 editing features. When you save, make sure to save it with the .kes file type which should be the default choice.

 

Reproducing Color in Documents Opened with the KESI Virtual Printer

In versions older than v15, the KESI Virtual Printer creates documents in black and white, even when they contain color. However, you can set the KESI Virtual Printer to reproduce documents in color as a default setting if needed.

Note: This procedure is not required if you wish to manually control this setting or have K3000 v15 and higher. Starting with K3000 v15, the virtual printer is already set to color. For older versions, during the print process you can instead simply choose the color option from the Printer Properties option; which is available from within the Print dialog box when you are printing from within your chosen application.

To set the Virtual Printer for color reproduction:

  1. Open Devices and Printers, from your start menu or from the Settings/Control panel area.

  2. In the Devices and Printers window, select the KESI Virtual Printer icon.

  3. Right-click on the KESI Virtual Printer icon and choose Printing Preferences.

  4. In the Printing Preferences dialog box, click the Paper/Quality tab.

  5. In the Color area, of the Paper/Quality tab page, choose Color, and click OK.

  6. Click OK to close the Properties dialog box. Then close the Control Panel if it is still open.Printing from other applications using the KESI Virtual Printer

Printing from other applications using the KESI Virtual Printer

The KESI Virtual Printer is an invaluable tool for quickly generating content from another application into a Kurzweil image document. The advantage to using the virtual printer is that you can bring unsupported file types into Kurzweil.

To print a file from another application:

  1. Open the application you wish to make a Kurzweil file from and check that the application has a Print command. Please note that some file types or programs may not allow you to print or may limit printing, if you find that to be the case please contact the publisher of said file or program.

  2. After selecting print from your application, next select the KESI Virtual Printer from the Print Setup, Print Properties or Print Name list; these options or similar usually appear for the purpose of selecting a printer, it may be seen a drop-down list.

  3. If your document contains color, and you are using a version older than v15 and want to reproduce it, click Properties or Printer Properties, click the Paper/Quality tab, and then select Color. Note: K3000 V15 and higher should automatically use color when using the virtual printer.

    If you cannot access the Paper/Quality tab from your application, try using the procedure detailed in Reproducing Color in Documents Opened with the Virtual Printer in order to change your default kesi printer option to print in color.

  4. Click Print, the print job will start to process.

    Kurzweil 3000 should open after a short time if it isn't already running, the file will then start processing in Kurzweil page by page until finished.

  5. Before editing your document printed with the virtual printer, it is recommended to save the document after it finishes processing to the .kes format, which is the default save option. This will allow you to use all the Kurzweil 3000 features that are available with image document types.


Setting Up the Kurzweil 3000 USB Virtual Printer (Discontinued)

To use this feature with the Kurzweil 3000 USB version, you must first install it from the KESIVP-Installer (for computers running 32-bit versions of Windows) or KESIVP64-Installer (for computers running 64-bit versions of Windows). Both installers are in the top level of the Kurzweil 3000 USB device folder. NOTE: You must have the Kurzweil 3000 USB version of the software open in order to use the Virtual Printer. Please also note that the Kurzweil 3000 USB product has been discontinued and is no longer supported.

How to make a Virtual Printer Installer

Starting with version 13 of the Kurzweil 3000 software, a separate installer is no longer included to install the virtual printer, it should however install automatically with the product. If for some reason it does not, it is suggested to make an installer of the virtual printer using the below command:

From a command line, navigate to where the setup file is located and enter : setup.exe /a

Where setup.exe is the main installer file for Kurzweil 3000; this will perform an administrative install that will allow you to create a virtual printer installer. You would then use the files created to either install the virtual printer manually, or via a deployment process.

Please make sure that all folders in the extracted package are in the same root folder as the msi file, this should allow proper installation.

If making and running the installer does not add the printer to your list, please refer to the Advanced Troubleshooting - Recommended for IT professionals guide for more troubleshooting suggestions.

Tips for Troubleshooting the KESI Virtual Printer:

Note: It may be possible to apply the below troubleshooting steps to legacy versions of Kurzweil 3000 such as v12 or below, however success is not guaranteed or supported for legacy versions. If you are using a legacy version of Kurzweil 3000, it is advised that you upgrade to the latest version. For upgrade options, please contact Kurzweil sales or our Customer Service team.

Note: It is recommended to fully update the installed version of Kurzweil before troubleshooting, please review the Guide to updating / patching Kurzweil 3000 if you are unsure how to update your Kurzweil product before proceeding.

The KESI Virtual Printer is failing to print an image over to Kurzweil

These malfunctions are often caused by using incorrect settings in your KESI Virtual Printer Properties.

1. Verify your version of Kurzweil 3000 is updated.

2. Restart your computer to ensure that Kurzweil 3000 is closed and your KESI Virtual Printer job queue is cleared.

3. Review/change your KESI Virtual Printer Properties.

To start step 3, open your Devices and Printers from your Windows Start menu or Settings/Control Panel. You will see a list of printers. Double-click your KESI Virtual Printer. This will open a KESI Virtual Printer window. In this window, click Printer -> Properties. This will open your KESI Virtual Printer Properties window.

4. Verify / change your settings under the KESI Virtual Printer Properties so they are correct. Use Apply and OK if you make any changes once you are done. Refer to the below images for the proper settings:

Below is an image of the KESI Virtual Printer Properties settings that have the correct settings you will need to use. If your settings are different, please try changing them to match.

KESI Virtual Printer Property Settings

1) Sharing

Verify that "Do not share this printer" is marked.

2) Ports

You want to verify that your KESI Virtual Printer is assigned to KESI Virtual Printer port. If this is not the case, you will want to Add a new Local Port and assign the KESI Virtual Printer to that port:

  1. In the Ports tab, click "Add Port..." -> select Local Port on the list of Available port types -> click "New Port..." -> enter the port name "Kurzweil" (without the quotes) and click OK -> Close.
  2. If you receive an error that you are not able to create a port, try creating a port with the name "Nul:", a guide for this is here.
  3. In the Ports tab, verify that your newly created Local Port is selected and click the Apply button to assign the KESI Virtual Printer to that port.

Also verify that "Enable printer pooling" is unchecked.

3) Advanced

Verify that "Always available" and "Print directly to the printer" are both marked.

4) Device Settings

Select "Application" in the settings tree -> click the "Setup..." button. Verify that "Kurzweil 3000" is your Default Application and Color Reduction is set to "Fast"

5. Launch Kurzweil 3000 and then minimize the program.

6. Launch a word processing program that has a Print function, such as Wordpad. In Wordpad (or another word processor), type out some random text. Print (Ctrl + P) your open document as a test, selecting your KESI Virtual Printer as your printer. Your document should print over to Kurzweil and be available for reading.

If after verifying above the virtual printer is still not working, please refer to the Advanced Troubleshooting - Recommended for IT professionals guide.

I registered Kurzweil 3000 and now my KESI Virtual Printer is missing. Why?

Most likely you are on a version of Kurzweil that is v12 or older and have registered Kurzweil 3000 as the LearnStation version. LearnStations cannot use the KESI Virtual Printer and lose access to it, please re-register with a Kurzweil 3000 Professional Color or Professional Black and White serial number to resolve.

Please note: Starting with v13 all versions are professional color so this information does not apply to newer versions, instead refer to here for additional troubleshooting if your VP is missing.

You can verify which version of Kurzweil 3000 you have registered by clicking Help -> About Kurzweil 3000 from the Kurzweil menu, this screen would list your version number and the K3000 edition, i.e K3000 v12.01 Color Professional.

Does Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh have a KESI Virtual Printer?

Kurzweil 3000 for Macintosh does not need the KESI Virtual Printer. Mac computers have a print as PDF function. Using this option, you should have a choice to "Open as PDF in Kurzweil 3000", which would function similarly to the KESI virtual printer, allowing you to view any printable doc directly in K3000 Mac.

Error Message, "Printing to the KESI Virtual Printer is not an option"

You cannot virtually print to the virtual printer if trying to print directly from Kurzweil. The Virtual printer must be used outside of Kurzweil from another application.

Please open your document in another application (like Microsoft Word), you can then either virtually print the file and it will open with Kurzweil. Alternatively, you can simply open the file directly in Kurzweil if it is a supported file type by using the File> Open option within the Kurzweil menu options.

How to install the KESI Virtual Printer if not listed in the Windows printer list

If you have version 13 or higher of Kurzweil 3000, first try making an installer:

Please refer to this link - How to make a KESI Virtual Printer installer

To install the KESI Virtual Printer x64 version for K3000 v12 and older:

64 bit KESI Virtual Printer Download *If on Windows Vista and higher, it's recommended to right click the x64_VP_setup.exe file and select "Run as Administrator" to insure a proper install, you will likely need to do this from your downloads folder after the file is finished downloading.

To install the KESI Virtual Printer x86 version for K3000 v12 and older:

32 bit Virtual Printer Download *If on Windows Vista and higher, it's recommended to right click the WinXP_setup.exe file and select "Run as Administrator" to insure a proper install, you will likely need to do this from your downloads folder after the file is finished downloading.

 

Advanced Troubleshooting - Recommended for IT professionals

The virtual printer should install with the Kurzweil install.

If this is not happening, it's usually something to do with how it was installed, a conflict on the machine, or a policy not allowing the Kurzweil installer to install the printer properly.

Please review our deployment guides for the version being installed (if the software was deployed):

Deployment guide for v15

Deployment guide for v14

Deployment guide for v13

If deployed properly, the Kesi VP should install with Kurzweil, reviewing the above may help if the software was deployed initially. There are some cases where even upon proper deployment, the Virtual Printer may not be available on client machines, please refer to the instructions for manually installing the virtual printer below for those instances.

Manually installing the Kesi Virtual Printer:

Windows x64 steps:

1. Go to Devices and Printers > Add a Printer

2. Add a Local Printer

3. Select "Use an existing port" > Select the Kesi Virtual printer port which should be present from the install. If the port is not listed, create a new port instead.

4. On the next screen, select "Have Disk" on the "Install the Printer Driver" screen, then select "Browse"

5. Navigate to: C:\Program Files\Kurzweil Educational Systems\Common Files\KESIPrnt\x64

6. Select the KESIVPX64.INF file and click "Open", then click OK on the next screen.

7. Click Next to finish the install, then reboot the machine in question.

8. The Kesi Virtual printer should now be in your printer list.

Windows x86 steps:

1. Navigate to : C:\Program Files\Kurzweil Educational Systems\Common Files\

2. Fin the file listed as KesiPrntInstall.

3. Right click KesiPrntInstall and select "Run as Administrator"

4. It's going to prompt you for the source directory, click browse and navigate to C:\Program Files\Kurzweil Educational Systems\Common Files\KesiPrnt  - Select this folder and click OK.

5. Click Install.

6. Reboot your computer when the process is complete.

7. You should now have the Kesi Virtual Printer in your printer list.

If the Virtual printer still does not work (present but does not print to Kurzweil), check over the settings referenced here:

The KESI Virtual Printer is not printing to Kurzweil

After verifying the above settings, if you find that it is still failing to print to Kurzweil, try assigning it to a special port that may be more compatible with your network environment, please see below:

Creating/assigning a Nul: virtual port (this port may already exist, sometimes used by Office):

  1. Open Devices and Printers.
  2. Right-click on the Kesi Virtual Printer and select "Printer Properties".
  3. Click the "Ports" tab and then click "Add Port".
  4. Select "Local Port" and then "New Port"
  5. Type the port name Nul: and then click OK. (If the port already exists you will get an error stating that here, back out at this point and instead assign the Kesi Virtual Printer to whatever is using the nul: port, even if it is already in use as multiple printers can use the same port)
  6. Next, click Apply and then close the window.
  7. Reboot your system and try printing again.

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