c# - Is there a possibility to differ virtual printer from physical one?

Question

I have a list of all printers available in WinXP. I need the code (ideally .NET) to filter out all the virtual printers from this list. Is it possible to do? I analyzed all the properties of Win32_Printer wmi class but can't see any suitable one.

Answer 1

I don't think it's possible, at least with any certainty. The whole point of a virtual printer is to imitate a real one as closely as possible, so any differences you can identify are basically just bugs in the virtual printer.

That said, you can make some guesses based on the PortName. Just for a couple of examples, a PortName that includes an IP address or starts with "USB" is likely to refer to a physical connection.