LPT1

[ctaylor]

Does anyone know how to force a single parallel port to appear as LPT3, LPT4, LPT5, etc? I am trying to force a JetDirect port to appear as LPT1, but cannot do so while there is physically an LPT1 installed on the PC

[ctaylor]

this would be renaming LPT1 within Win9x

[toms111]

I assume that you are using Win98 and trying to print to a network printer from a dos application that can only print to LPT1. If that is not the case, let me know.
The only way I have found to do this, will require the use of a second computer on your network. Since your printer is connected via Jet Direct to your Network, I assume this will not be a problem. It is a little weird, but it works very well and the user of the second computer will not suffer any performance degradation

I know this is a somewhat long answer, but it does work. The problem is that windows does not allow you to capture (for dos) a Jet Direct port installed on one computer but it does allow you to capture any shared port on another computer on the network. (This makes an argument in favor of only installing Jet Direct ports on a server and requiring all client’s to share the network printer on the server but that is a different discussion.)


1. On one of the other computers on your network, set up the same printer using Jet Direct software.

2. Make sure that computer number 2 is set up to share printers. For example, assume that computer no 2 is named "BABA" on the network.

3. Set up that computer to share the printer. For example set it to share with a share name of "HPLJX".

4. Go back to computer no. 1 and open your printer folder. Select add a printer, chose network printer, select the shared printer \\baba\HPLJX and fully install it on you computer, giving it a different name. For example if your existing install of the same printer (the one that uses the Jet Direct port on your computer) is named "HP Laser Jet 5", name the second install "HP Laser Jet 5 on BABA" During this install, you need to set up to capture the port LPT1 with the network path \\baba\HPLJX. This can be done by answering yes to the question, Do you print with Dos programs or by selecting capture printer port from the detail tab and manually typing in the name \\baba\HPLJX. Set it to re-capture when you start up. Do not make this your default printer. When you print from Windows applications, you can continue to use you original install of the printer.

[ctaylor]

You guessed right on many counts:

1. I am trying to allow printing from Symantics old, DOS based "Q&A" database which will only allow printing from LPT1.

2. The HP JetDirect device is connected directly to the print server

3. Q&A is so primitive that it will not allow a UNC naming convention to be used within the program. I can however, use the O/S to capture a UNC path to "LPT1"

4. Unfortunately, the JetDirect device in question has one IP address (UNC path), yet three hardware addresses (one for each parallel port on the back of the device).

5. It appears that I can rename one of these hardware addresses to "LPT1" once I rename the actual "LPT1" built into the system board. I am guessing that once this is done I will be able to use the JetDirect software to call this hardware address "LPT1" without the conflict that occurs from the existing "LPT1" on the system board..

6. Don't even ask why we are using such primitive, unstable, and arcane software such as Q&A. I have absolutely no choice in this regard.

Any other approaches or thoughts would be appreciated. I figure there has to be a way to rename LPT1 to LPT5 (or some other number). I have done this with COM ports before, but it has been such a long time that I have forgotten the details of which I/O port to assign to the hardware to get the O/S to change the number.

- Chris

[toms111]

I need some more info:

Do you mean that you are using an external HP 3 port print server (by that I mean a small box with an Ethernet port and three parallel ports)?

I stand by my original answer. If you can install the printer on another computer using the jet direct software, you can share the printer (using windows printer sharing) from Computer 2. If you can share the printer from Computer 2, you can capture it from computer 1 to LPT1.

Do you need to use the LPT port on computer 1 for anything? If you don't, disable it in the bios but I don't think that is your problem.

I also don't think that windows will allow you to rename a single LPT port as anything other than LPT1. If you add an LPT card with a different i/o address, windows will give you lpt1 and Lpt2. But changing the i/o address on one LPT will not make it lpt2 or lpt3.

I suspect you are confusing the fact that you can't capture your properly installed Jet direct printer to LPT1 with what you assume is a conflict with the built in LPT1. From my experience, this is not the problem. In my view, windows does not allow you to capture a Jet Direct port installed on one computer to LPT1 or LPT2 or any other LPT.

I also have a needed DOS application that will only print to LPT1. I had some problems setting it up to print to a HP LJ5 with a built in Jet Direct card. By setting the printer up on another computer using the Jet Direct software, and sharing the printer from this computer, I can capture it as LPT1 from computer 1. Computer 1 has a built in LPT1 that does not conflict.

What happens is that dos print jobs from Computer 1 spool first to Computer 2 then go to the printer. Dos applications have very simple print files so this happens very quick.

The one thing I can't tell you is weather it would cause any problems if I had another printer connected directly to Computer 1. I don't think it would because I am fairly sure that the capture of LPT 1 only kicks in for DOS apps, but does nothing for normal windows apps.


[This message has been edited by toms111 (edited 05-24-2000).]