OT Computer Help Please

[rtbarton]

We currently run our database under DOS and have just upgraded to XP. The database runs fine but the DOS program won't recognise the USB port.

Is there any way I can redirect LPT2 (which doesn't exist physically) to the USB printer.

The database will only recognise LPT1...4 and COM1..4

Or will the answer be to fit another parallel port?

[Paul Humphreys]

Fit another parallel port as some older printers do not like working thro a usb lead. But you can get a parallel to usb converter.

Paul

[rtbarton]

Fit another parallel port as some older printers do not like working thro a usb lead. But you can get a parallel to usb converter.

Paul

Thanks Paul. The problem is with the DOS program not being able to recognise the USB port. I was wondering if it was possible to redirect the logical port LPT2: to the physical USB port as the new printers are USB

I've told the spares sec. to get another LPT port, but I was wondering if there was a more elegant method.

[RRX]

This should work,

Share the printer on the pc

then go start, run and type

net use lpt1 \\{nameofyourpc}\{nameofprintershare}

then install a copy of the usb printer on lpt1

i think thats how i normally get round the issue but not had to do it for a while

[rtbarton]

This should work,

Share the printer on the pc

then go start, run and type

net use lpt1 \\{nameofyourpc}\{nameofprintershare}

then install a copy of the usb printer on lpt1

i think thats how i normally get round the issue but not had to do it for a while

OK - but LPT1: is used for one printer (labels) and the other printer (USB) for invoices, we need to specify the invoice prinetr as LPT2:

[RRX]

type lpt2 then

[steve_a]

get rid of the dos program? What is the program, I might be able to help in converting it to something a bit less antique. It's asking for issues really still using a DOS program at this stage, you might find the bugger stops running on Vista or even a processor change, a lot of dos programs were written in Assembly and life has moved on a lot since then.

you might find the net use trick (neat by the way) doesn't work as it could be doing a lot of low level stuff to access the printer?

[rtbarton]

get rid of the dos program? What is the program, I might be able to help in converting it to something a bit less antique. It's asking for issues really still using a DOS program at this stage, you might find the bugger stops running on Vista or even a processor change, a lot of dos programs were written in Assembly and life has moved on a lot since then.

you might find the net use trick (neat by the way) doesn't work as it could be doing a lot of low level stuff to access the printer?

Hi Steve,

I agree with waht you say, but I was presented with a fate accompli.

The DOS program is DataEase which is excellent for our application.

We have "upgraded" to the Windows version which is carp, to use on the XP machine. The spares sec wants to use the DOS version on the XP machine until we get the Windows version running (don't know why) but we're having issues with the printer. We will have further issues when we use the Windows version as it looks like we can't allocate specific printers to individaul reports.

I wondered about using another database and have looked at several, one wouldn't even right justify numbers!! There's a lot of carp out there!

If I had my way we'd have a dedicated machine for the database running MSDOS and nothing else.

[rtbarton]

We installed an LPT2 port, this was a fancy thing with a driver CD and DOS still didn't recognose it, although XP did.

I have found this little program though DOS Print Utlilty.

Basically you have to configure your DOS pogram to print to a file, as soon as this utlilty sees the file it prints it to a Windows printer. You can specify upto 4 channels.

Next question - can I supress the form feed when XP finishes printing the print queue?