C# Signature:

[DllImport("winspool.drv", CharSet=CharSet.Auto, SetLastError=true)]
static extern int GetPrinterDriver(IntPtr hPrinter, string pEnvironment, uint Level, IntPtr pDriverInfo, uint cbBuf, out uint pcbNeeded);

VB Signature:

User-Defined Types:

DRIVER_INFO_1

DRIVER_INFO_2

DRIVER_INFO_3

DRIVER_INFO_4

DRIVER_INFO_5

DRIVER_INFO_6

DRIVER_INFO_8

Notes:

As always, only do SetLastError=true if you actually intend to call GetLastError.

Tips & Tricks:

Please add some!

Sample Code:

    [DllImport("winspool.drv", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
    public static extern int GetPrinterDriver(IntPtr hPrinter, string pEnvironment, uint Level, IntPtr pDriverInfo,
    int cbBuf, out int pcbNeeded);

    /// <summary>
    /// The .NET definition of the win32 DRIVER_INFO_8 structure.
    /// </summary>
    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet = CharSet.Unicode)]
    internal class DRIVER_INFO_8
    {
    public uint cVersion;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pName;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pEnvironment;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pDriverPath;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pDataFile;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pConfigFile;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pHelpFile;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pDependentFiles;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pMonitorName;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pDefaultDataType;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszzPreviousNames;
    public ComTypes.FILETIME ftDriverDate;
    public UInt64 dwlDriverVersion;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszMfgName;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszOEMUrl;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszHardwareID;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszProvider;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszPrintProcessor;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszVendorSetup;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszzColorProfiles;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszInfPath;
    public uint dwPrinterDriverAttributes;
    [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPTStr)]
    public string pszzCoreDriverDependencies;
    public ComTypes.FILETIME ftMinInboxDriverVerDate;
    public UInt64 dwlMinInboxDriverVerVersion;
    }

    /// <summary>
    /// This returns the data type to use so that we can just throw bytes at the printer. Recent printer drivers use
    /// the XPS driver model and require the data type to be XPS_PASS. For older drivers the data type needs to be
    /// RAW.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="printerHandle">The handle to a printer, returned by OpenPrinter.</param>
    /// <param name="dataType">The returned data type, XPS_PASS or RAW.</param>
    /// <returns>true if successful, otherwise false.</returns>
    private static bool GetDataType(IntPtr printerHandle, out string dataType)
    {
        IntPtr driverInfo = new IntPtr(0);
        int needed;
        DRIVER_INFO_8 driverInfo8;

        dataType = null;
        // The first call to GetPrinterDriver is just to get the buffer length required
        if (NativeMethods.GetPrinterDriver(printerHandle, null, 8, driverInfo, 0, out needed) != 0)
        {
        // There's something wrong if the above call doesn't fail with a zero length buffer
        return false;
        }

        if (Marshal.GetLastWin32Error() != 122) // ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_BUFFER
        {
        return false;
        }

        try
        {
        driverInfo = Marshal.AllocHGlobal(needed);
        if (NativeMethods.GetPrinterDriver(printerHandle, null, 8, driverInfo, needed, out needed) == 0)
        {
            return false;
        }

        driverInfo8 = (DRIVER_INFO_8)Marshal.PtrToStructure(driverInfo, typeof(DRIVER_INFO_8));
        dataType = (driverInfo8.dwPrinterDriverAttributes & 2) == 2 ? "XPS_PASS" : "RAW"; // 2 = PRINTER_DRIVER_XPS
        return true;
        }
        finally
        {
        Marshal.FreeHGlobal(driverInfo);
        }
    }

Alternative Managed API:

Do you know one? Please contribute it!

Please edit this page!

Do you have...

• helpful tips or sample code to share for using this API in managed code?
• corrections to the existing content?
• variations of the signature you want to share?
• additional languages you want to include?

Select "Edit This Page" on the right hand toolbar and edit it! Or add new pages containing supporting types needed for this API (structures, delegates, and more).