Question

DosBox Printing to Network printer via LPT port

Asked by: beatified

First of all I am aware that DosBox is intended for gaming but it is the only program that will allow 16 bit apps in a 64 bit enviornment.

I am trying to make DosBox print to an lpt port in windows 7 64 bit. I found a version of DosBox that is supposed to allow you to do this but cant get it to work.

This is a version of DosBox thats supposed to enable LPT ports
http://home.arcor.de/h-a-l-9000/

And then I read this and it seems that you need a driver to support LPT
http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=19764

And this is the link to the porttalk software
http://www.beyondlogic.org/porttalk/porttalk.htm

Thanks for your help,
Stuart

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Asked On
2009-09-08 at 17:10:08ID24716708
Tags

DosBox

,

Printing

,

Network Printer

,

LPT

Topics

Windows 64-bit

,

MS DOS

,

Miscellaneous Networking

Participating Experts
2
Points
0
Comments
6

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Answers

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2009-09-10 at 14:48:15ID: 25304859

I have used DosBox myself but don't have a 64 bit machine here to try it out on at the moment.  What does spring to mind though is an "easier" solution.  Install VMWARE Server or Virtual PC and setup a Windows 98 "DOS" or whatever ... with VMWARE I know you can map a virtual parallel port on a VM to either a 'real' parallel port or a file.  I have used this to connect to a file called "Lpt3" where lpt3 is mapped using net use to a networked printer OK.... and you can also specify file as \\server\printshare.

 Bit convoluted but it works... just about (though i does seem to need the parallel port disconnecting to trigger the print to close ... this may be better when an app opens and closes the port properly?)

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2009-09-10 at 14:49:01ID: 25304868

Would probably be OK with Window 2000 or XP as the guest OS too I guess..

 

by: beatifiedPosted on 2009-09-10 at 14:55:56ID: 25304931

Thanks for the suggestion. I have been trying to accomplish this with VPC since it is free. Appearently the only free ver of VM is the player which means I wont be able to create my DOS VM with out the full version.

Right now I cannot use VPC since it requires Hardware virtualization on the CPU which my current test pc doesn't have but the one I will use in the future will.

Do you have any experiences with VPC?

 

by: dragon-itPosted on 2009-09-10 at 22:38:51ID: 25306907

I have used PC but vmware I like better... though trying out HyperV now too.
  VMWARE server is free btw... just after  bought vmware workstation licenses!  That will happily run on XP etc.

 

by: beatifiedPosted on 2009-09-16 at 11:21:46ID: 25348495

I figured it out.
This requires...
A Hardware Virtualizing CPU (Virtual PC 2007 refuses to run with out it.) To see if you have a Hardware Virtualizing CPU download this program and run it. Just a side note I understand that sometimes Virtualizing is a bios option. (http://www.grc.com/securable.htm)
Windows 7 64 bit (I think XP Mode is only supported by certian versions of Windows 7)
Downloading Virtual PC 2007
Downloading 32 bit XP Mode for Virtual PC

Does not require...
DOSBox

Ok heres how I did it.
1. Install Windows 7 64 bit (in my case it was Ultimate I think Pro and Enterprise are also supposed to work)
2. Download Virtual PC 2007 64 bit (Link http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx)
3. Download Windows XP Mode 32 bit (Link http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx)
3. Install Virtual PC 2007 64 bit.
4. Install Windows XP Mode 32 bit.
5. Install your 16 bit App into XP Mode.
6. Install your printer into Windows XP Mode and test it.
7. Setup Printer pooling or the net use command to make your 16 bit app able to print. (Haven't tested Net Use but it should work.)
8. Test your 16 bit app in the XP Mode VM to make sure printing is working.
9. If everything work as expected then move on.
10. Create a shortcut for your 16 bit app.
11. Right click that Shortcut and Cut it.
12. Right click the "All Programs" text in the start menu of XP Mode VM Click "open all users".
13. Open the "Programs" folder. And paste the Shortcut into it.
14. With the XP Mode VM still open watch your Windows 7 Desktop you should see it flicker once, although it might take a few seconds or maybe even a minute or 2 I'm guessing on a slow computer.
15. After you see the flicker Click on start on the Windows 7 Machine.
16. Go to "Programs"
17. Click on "Virtual PC"
18. You should now see a folder labeled XP Mode Programs. Or something like that not exactly sure.
19. Click on your 16 bit app shortcut.
20. It will want to shut down your XP Mode VM go ahead and do that.
21. After a little waiting it should finally start your 16 bit app in Windows 7.
22. Finally test printing to verify it all worked.

Hope this helps some people in the future I know I was so releived when I figured this out.

 

by: SilverHandCZPosted on 2011-02-01 at 13:40:53ID: 34766017

Hello, the Accepted solution is nice and may work but it is so complicated
1. Download  http://ykhwong.x-y.net/xe/?module=file&act=procFileDownload&file_srl=325&sid=44d849c45c69312619ad1786301dea34
This is DOSBox SVN build which supports printing.

2. Unzip it into some dir on HDD. Right-click EXE file use PROPERTIES and disable protection. I suggest u make it on all DLL files!
3. IMPORTANT!!! Copy roman.ttf from subdir /FONTS in DOSBOX root directory, directly to DOSBOX root directory. !IMPORTANT! Without it the prints will be blank!!!!!
4. Edit file "dosbox.conf" located in DOSBOX root dir us follows:
    a) Find [printer] section and change "printer=true", "printoutput=printer", multipage=true
    b) Find [parallel] section and change "parallel1=printer". This means if you use "dir > lpt1", it will be redirected. If you want to use other LPT just change "parallelX=printer" where X is 1 or 2 or 3
5. Now start DOSBOX.

When you use "dir > lpt1" and after it press "CTRL+F2" the standard windows dialog "Printer selection" will appear, where you can select any installed printer in windows and DOSBOX will send the print to this selected printer. I am using it too on Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit. And works great. Just do not miss any of the steps above.

Silver

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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