DOS program on virtual xp print lpt1

I have a new machine with Windows 7 and an old dos program (dBase) and an parallel port receipt printer (generic). I have everything up and running on Virtual XP, so I can print from, say, notepad to the printer. Fine. An interesting thing is that if I bring up the printer status bar ("See what's printing") both in Windows 7 and Virtual XP, I see the data pass from the XP status bar to the Windows 7 status bar. Interesting, but if I print from my DOS dBase app., I see nothing pop up in the XP window. My question is thus:

1.) can DOS programs print to an LPT1 printer port in Virtual XP?
2.) if so, how?
2.) and, if not, is there some sort of Virtual Windows 2000, and will that work?

Thank you for reading my request, and, if possible, for replying.

That is a possibility. Is there a way to install DOS without a floppy drive (and the discs)?

Thank you, Lemur.

With these bootable images, do I simply enter Virtual PC and choose to install DOS? I can't find any clear (to me) explanation of the process.

I do note that several seemingly reputable sites have executable files to install DOS. Do you know anything about them?

I just noticed the question you asked me earlier: Yes I do have an actual parallel port that does work. I wasn't able to pass data from my DOS program in Virtual PC to the printer. As I mentioned above (in more detail) notepad in Virtual PC does go to LPT1 and I get a print out.

Also, just to ask again, does (Virtual) XP allow DOS to print to LPT1?

Again, thank you.

Fascinating thread!

This might help >>>
http://geekswithblogs.net/dtotzke/articles/26204.aspx

In order to print from DOS in an offline environment like the stores, you will need to do a couple of things.

1) Install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter
a) In Control Panel, double click on Add Hardware.
b) Click Next
c) When the scan finishes, select "Yes, I have already connected the hardware"
d) Click Next
e) Scroll to the bottom of the list and select "Add a new hardware device"
Click Next
f) Select "Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)"
g) Click Next
h) Select "Network Adapters"
i) Click Next
j) Select "Microsoft" under the Manufacturer list.
k) Select "Microsoft Loopback Adapter" in the Network Adapter list.
l) Click Next
m) Click Next
n) Click Finish

2) Configure the Adapter
a) The loopback adapter is a virtual network adapter and can be configured the same as a regular network card.
b) Set the adapter to have a static IP address such as 192.168.1.1/ 255.255.255.0

3) Share the printer.
a) I recommend you use a share name that you will remember. I used “Printer” in the new machines that are already deployed.

4) Capture the printer port.
a) NET USE LPT1: \\[Computer Name]\Printer /PERSISTENT:YES

Networked printer also =
If it's running in DOS on Windows you can simply do:
NET USE LPT1: \\machine_name\PrinterShareName /PERSISTENT:YES

neo101 said:

Fascinating thread!

Hi there. Well, yes, I guess this could be fascinating.

The reality is that, like a lot of small business, I have an application, a POS system, that works really well and which I wrote--it fits our needs exactly--BUT it's written on dBase IV and I don't want to have to rewrite and retest everything.

Often enough, computing gets ahead of people's day to day needs (look at word processors).

That's my excuse.

neo101 said:

1) Install the Microsoft Loopback Adapter....

Thank you for this, neo101.

Does you suggestion imply a network printer? If so, and if all else fails, I suppose I could get a new printer and make it a network printer. Still, as I indicated in my first post, I don't see Virtual XP passing a print-out from DOS to Windows 7. I'm almost wondering if the right thing would be to install a virtual Windows 2000, which I know does work with DOS, and see if that will pass the data to Windows 7.

And then there's another question. Which operating system should have the drivers? The virtual OS, Windows 7, or both? Then, what about antivirus? Both OSs?

Crazy.