# Redirecting old DOS program to USB printer



## Peachykeen (May 20, 2001)

I have an old DOS program I've tried to use with DOSBox, the NETUSE LPT1 command and PrintFil, but I can't quite get it to print like it's supposed to.

The program downloads 3 fonts to the printer before it starts each job, which is basically a database merging program. The program prints personalized books, and every other page is already printed so I HAVE to have these fonts.

So far, I've just used the closest font I could find and retyped the pages I need to print. That's getting old.

Is there any way I could get someone to change the command to send the job to a USB port instead of LPT1? Am I oversimplifying this? I'm obviously not a programmer.  This program was created with a compiler, and that's about all I know know about it.

Thanks so much for any help!


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

What printer are you using? You may have better luck with a good laser printer that supports both PCL and PS or maybe with a much older printer similar to what it was designed to be used with. The switching from a parallel port to USB as the destination is not likely the issue.


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## Peachykeen (May 20, 2001)

I'm using an OKI C610 laser printer which supports PCL and PS (although I don't know the difference).
The printer I used to use with this program is a now unworking HPIIP+. (I even bought another one on eBay that I can't get to work either, but it's not the program, it's the printer itself.)
As I mentioned, I've tried DOSBox with PrintFil and almost got the results I need, but the fonts don't seem to be downloading to the printer.
My 15-year-old Windows XP laptop with the LPT port died in the middle of all my attempts to figure this out, but I do still have an XP desktop I might be able to use that I think I can run as 32-bit as required by this ancient program and by-pass DOSBox and PrintFil.
As you can see, I have several issues I'm dealing with, but I think if I can just get the program to send the fonts to my OKI via USB, I'd be back in business.
Thanks so much for your reply!


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

It's possible that DOSBox is getting in the way. I'd try a 32-bit operating system without using an emulator. You don't necessarily need to go back to Windows XP, although maybe that's what it'll take, Windows Vista all the way through to Windows 10 are also available in 32-bit versions.


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## Peachykeen (May 20, 2001)

I'll research how to get my XP computer to run in 32-bit.
Thanks so much!


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## Triple6 (Dec 26, 2002)

Almost all Windows XP installations were 32-bit, there was a special 64-bit version of XP but almost no one used it.


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## Peachykeen (May 20, 2001)

In thinking back over what I've tried in the past, I remember now that I was running the program on the original XP computer which has since died, but the program which sends built-in fonts to the printer wasn't sending the fonts to my new USB printer. It was at that point I was directed to use DOSBOX and Printfil.

Printfil ALMOST worked, but the fonts from the program were still not being sent to the printer.

I revised the autoexec.bat file in an attempt to replace the LPT1 command line with USB, but I know enough to be dangerous.
I would love to find someone who could rewrite the font-sending part of the program or whatever it takes to make this work right. I think the program was written with a compiler, but that's all I was told about it.

Thanks again for any input!


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