create a virtual lpt to print from DOS app

[Mike Brearley]

I'm tying to setup an application for my father so he can use it on his
Windows XP computer. The only problem I have is that I need an lpt1 port to
be able to print to. His printer is USB and I know that if I had an lpt1
port, I could simply share his printer out and map it to lpt1 using net use,
however, the application requires that a physical lpt1 exist before it'll
even consider the mapping that was created.

Is there any tool out there that can create a virtual lpt1 on the computer
that appears to be physical?

--
Mike

Posted as-is. Any spelling and/or grammar mistakes are a direct result of a
communication glitch between my brain and my fingers which may or may not be
directly related to a lack of caffeine intake.

 

[db]

I don't know if you are
simply asking the impossible,

So I googled "usb to lpt" and
found one page that might provide
an idea:

http://www.decompile.com/dataflex/tips/usb_printer.htm

What Dos program you are trying
to keep alive in this day of age?

You might be easier running older
software on motherboards that
have a physical lpt..

ps: I like your caveat..
I'm tying to setup an application for my father so he can use it on his
Windows XP computer. The only problem I have is that I need an lpt1 port to
be able to print to. His printer is USB and I know that if I had an lpt1
port, I could simply share his printer out and map it to lpt1 using net use,
however, the application requires that a physical lpt1 exist before it'll
even consider the mapping that was created.

Is there any tool out there that can create a virtual lpt1 on the computer
that appears to be physical?

--
Mike

Posted as-is. Any spelling and/or grammar mistakes are a direct result of a
communication glitch between my brain and my fingers which may or may not be
directly related to a lack of caffeine intake.

 

[db]

I was re thinking of this
and wondered if installing an lpt port
via add hardware might be enough to
fool that dos program.

Granted the port
will not work, but it might be
enough for the dos program
to recognize the hardware and
you would be able to use your
remapping program...


I don't know if you are
simply asking the impossible,

So I googled "usb to lpt" and
found one page that might provide
an idea:

http://www.decompile.com/dataflex/tips/usb_printer.htm

What Dos program you are trying
to keep alive in this day of age?

You might be easier running older
software on motherboards that
have a physical lpt..

ps: I like your caveat..
I'm tying to setup an application for my father so he can use it on his
Windows XP computer. The only problem I have is that I need an lpt1 port to
be able to print to. His printer is USB and I know that if I had an lpt1
port, I could simply share his printer out and map it to lpt1 using net use,
however, the application requires that a physical lpt1 exist before it'll
even consider the mapping that was created.

Is there any tool out there that can create a virtual lpt1 on the computer
that appears to be physical?

--
Mike

Posted as-is. Any spelling and/or grammar mistakes are a direct result of a
communication glitch between my brain and my fingers which may or may not be
directly related to a lack of caffeine intake.

 

[DandyDon]

Try using Microsoft Virtual Machine 2004. It's a free download from
Microsoft.com. It allows DOS programs to run on an XP machine.

 

[Davide Guolo]

Mike,

I'm tying to setup an application for my father so he can use it on his
Windows XP computer. The only problem I have is that I need an lpt1 port
to be able to print to.

Printfil can capture the LPT output and forward it to the USB printer for
most of the DOS applications out there, even if no LPT ports are physically
installed on the machine.

You can try it yourself by downloading the free trial version you can find
at http://www.printfil.com

Kind regards,
Davide Guolo
aSwIt s.r.l.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Printfil - Windows Printing System for Applications
http://www.printfil.com
Odbc4All - Connection to ODBC Data Sources for any Application
http://www.aswit.com/odbc4all
@Kill - Batch Close Windows Applications - Freeware
http://www.aswit.com/akill
--------------------------------------------------------------

 

[Mike Brearley]

The problem is, I don't have a physical LPT1 port, so VMWare won't recognize
it and capture it. Even if I add one through add hardware and set an IRQ
and I/O address, VMWare still knows it's a fake port and won't capture it.
That program would probably work fine otherwise.

Thanks...

--
Mike

Posted as-is. Any spelling and/or grammar mistakes are a direct result of a
communication glitch between my brain and my fingers which may or may not be
directly related to a lack of caffeine intake.

 

[Mike Brearley]

Tried it but I still have the same issue as with VMWare... without a
physical LPT1 port, it won't capture LPT1.

--
Mike

Posted as-is. Any spelling and/or grammar mistakes are a direct result of a
communication glitch between my brain and my fingers which may or may not be
directly related to a lack of caffeine intake.

 

[Mike Brearley]

I had already tried the first suggestion you had, was hoping it'd work, but even after doing that, VMWare won't capture the port, it starts it as disconnected meaning nothing will make it through to XP to see the redirected lpt1. :-(

I then tried your second suggestion and thought it had a really good chance at working, but VMWare knew it wasn't a real port and still disconnected the lpt1 when starting the session (same issue with Microsoft Virtual PC)

Thanks for trying. What I've done right now is haviing my dad us the new computer to create the file, save it to a floppy, then take it downstairs to the old computer, load up the file and print it. He's OK with that, he's just glad it's working again. The program he's using is cadkey and he doesn't like anything other than the dos version of it which doesn't work at all in XP and even in Windows 9x has to restart the computer inot DOS mode.

--
Mike

Posted as-is. Any spelling and/or grammar mistakes are a direct result of a communication glitch between my brain and my fingers which may or may not be directly related to a lack of caffeine intake.


I was re thinking of this
and wondered if installing an lpt port
via add hardware might be enough to
fool that dos program.

Granted the port
will not work, but it might be
enough for the dos program
to recognize the hardware and
you would be able to use your
remapping program...


I don't know if you are
simply asking the impossible,

So I googled "usb to lpt" and
found one page that might provide
an idea:

http://www.decompile.com/dataflex/tips/usb_printer.htm

What Dos program you are trying
to keep alive in this day of age?

You might be easier running older
software on motherboards that
have a physical lpt..

ps: I like your caveat..
I'm tying to setup an application for my father so he can use it on his
Windows XP computer. The only problem I have is that I need an lpt1 port to
be able to print to. His printer is USB and I know that if I had an lpt1
port, I could simply share his printer out and map it to lpt1 using net use,
however, the application requires that a physical lpt1 exist before it'll
even consider the mapping that was created.

Is there any tool out there that can create a virtual lpt1 on the computer
that appears to be physical?

--
Mike

Posted as-is. Any spelling and/or grammar mistakes are a direct result of a
communication glitch between my brain and my fingers which may or may not be
directly related to a lack of caffeine intake.

 

[John John]

Get a PCI LPT port card.

John