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    How to add/remove a temporary PDF printer each time my application creates the PDF?

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    This article applies only to novaPDF. If you don't have it yet, you must download it first.

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    Feb 22, 2019
    novaPDF SDK
    We strive to keep our articles as accurate as possible. If you notice any inconsistencies or outdated info please let us know.
    Hide novaPDF printer in the list of Printers when printing via novaPDF SDK.
    By default when integrating novaPDF SDK with your application, you will print via the COM to a novaPDF Printer installed and showing in the list of Printers for the user. However, we offer a way to avoid displaying to the end user any printers in the list of Printers, thus if you do not wish a novaPDF printer visible in the Printers list, you could use this approach:
    When running the novapk.exe silent installer, add next command line parameter: /DoNotAddPrinter
    That means that only novaPDF printer driver and the COM are installed, but no printer is added in the Printers list.
    In your application code, after creating the COM object, instead of calling the Initialize method to pass the license key, call the RegisterLicenseKey method. This method should be called only once.
    And when you want to use novaPDF to convert to PDF:
    • first call AddNovaPrinter to add a temporary printer
    • set the printer options using the SetOptionXYZ methods
    • print a document, or several documents to generate PDF files
    • delete the temporary printer with DeleteNovaPrinter
    You may call the AddNovaPrinter and DeleteNovaPrinter several times, the only restriction is to call it in pair so you do not leave unused printers in the printers list.
    When deleting a printer it might occur for jobs that are not all processed to remain in the printer queue. If you wish to have those PDF files generated, it is better to wait for the PDF to be finished before deleting the printer. We recommended to use the event methods we provide (see help file on How to use events).

    Network printing

    If you wish to install novaPDF printer on a server and share it in the network, then a printer has to be added at installation time on the server. This solution works on client computers by adding a printer connection to the printer on server instead of adding a local printer.
    So in this situation these are the changes:
    • the silent installer must be run on the server normally, installing a printer there (do not use the /DoNotAddPrinter parameter in this case)
    • the application code is the same, only the printer name must contain the server path, like this: \\

    Restrictions

    On some operating systems you need administrative rights to add/delete a printer. Below you can see a list of operating systems supported by novaPDF, and what type of user accounts are working:
    Windows 2000
    Administrator - working
    Power user - working
    User - working
    Windows 2003 X64
    Administrator - working
    Power user - Not working
    User - Not working
    Windows XP X64
    Administrator - Working
    Power user - Now working
    User - Not working
    Windows 2008 X64
    Administrator - Working
    Power User - Not working
    User - Not working
    Windows Vista X64
    Administrator - Working
    Power user - Working
    User - Working
    Windows 7 X64
    Administrator - Working
    Power user - Working
    User - Working
    Windows XP 32 bit
    Administrator - Working
    Power user - Not working
    User - Not working
    Windows 2003 32 bit
    Administrator - working
    Power user - Not working
    User - Not working
    Windows 2008 32 bit
    Administrator - Working
    Power user - Not working
    User - Not working
    Windows Vista 32 bit
    Administrator - Working
    Power user - Working
    User - Working
    Windows 7 32 bit
    Administrator - Working
    Power user - Working
    User - Working