Re: Printing to USB port instead of LPT1


"Chris Hogg" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:6bq4o39d8veqvju36r0jjvug4t7lrmu2ea@xxxxxxxxxx
I have a 16-bit DOS programme that I wrote many years ago using MS
QuickBasic, and that I use only occasionally. It outputs to a printer
using the LPRINT command, which according to the 'Help' file sends
data to LPT1. This worked perfectly satisfactorily on my old computer
(running Win-ME), which had the printer connected to the parallel
port, LPT1, as was standard for many years.

But my new computer (running Win-XP), doesn't have a parallel port and
the printer (same printer, HP Deskjet 5550) is now connected to a USB
port, and my programme refuses to print. If I go into 'Printers and
Faxes', select my printer and click on the 'Ports' tab, it tells me
that documents will print to the first free checked port and that this
is the USB virtual printer port, which is what I would expect.

So why isn't the print data from my programme being routed to the USB
port? WORD and HTML documents and JPG images all print perfectly
normally, as I would expect. I've tried 'Enable Printer Pooling' and
checking the LPT1 box in addition to the USB printer port above, but
that doesn't help. Is there anything under the 'Advanced' tab for my
printer properties that I should be checking, or any other system
tweaks I could try?

Might the problem be that the QuickBasic LPRINT command sends data
directly to LPT1, by-passing any Windows settings? If I try to run a
simple 1-line programme such as LPRINT "this is a printer test",
QuickBasic throws up an error 'Device Fault'. Is there a solution
other than getting a more up-to-date version of QuickBasic (mine is
Version 4, mid 1980's or thereabouts!), or a parallel printer card
configured as LPT1, neither of which I am keen to do?


--

Run your program (notice the American spelling!) and then check for an output file. What has it done? Spooled it to some Windows-recognized device? At all events, if you run a Search using "all files" created on today's date, it should show up.

From there you can trace back.

If you end up finding that you've created a print-file that just sits there (probably awaiting some event that isn't happening), well, that's a great point to recommence from.

Ed

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Printing to USB port instead of LPT1
    ... port, LPT1, as was standard for many years. ... is now connected to a USB ... Might the problem be that the QuickBasic LPRINT command sends data ...
    (uk.comp.misc)
  • Re: How to test the LPT printer port?
    ... My Laserjet IIP Plus printer stopped working on this computer suddenly ... *I have deleted and restarted to reestablish the LPT1 port from device ... *I have toggled all the port settings, one at a time, and restarted. ...
    (alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt)
  • Re: Update: How to test the LPT printer port?
    ... Would LPT1 fail alone or would the serial ports or other devices go ... *I have toggled all the port settings, one at a time, and restarted. ... Can you test and repair a connection like that, ... itself its pretty easy to test and repair if you can solder. ...
    (alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt)
  • Re: Redirecting lpt1 output to an installed printer
    ... to the lpt1 port. ... I am doing now is to redirect the output using the "net use" ... If there's a recognized printer on that port, ... which I do via a "net use LPT1" command inside a batch file. ...
    (microsoft.public.vb.general.discussion)
  • Update: How to test the LPT printer port?
    ... My Laserjet IIP Plus printer stopped working on this computer suddenly ... *I have deleted and restarted to reestablish the LPT1 port from device ... *I have toggled all the port settings, one at a time, and restarted. ... Can you test and repair a connection like that, or is it not worth the ...
    (alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt)
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