Re:

[jr_fox@xxxxxxxxxx]

Alan Heubert wrote:

> Is anyone aware of a way in Windows 98 to redirect output from
> one LPT: port to another?

I don't have a real answer for you (yet), just some half-baked
ideas. There were some DOS util.s like this one (LPTflip and
another one whose name escapes me just now), from collections
like PC Mag.s DOS Power Tools book + diskette. I could probably
dig these out of storage. The first question is whether they
would do anything under W98 -- it might not allow for that. If
they could have any effect, you might have to boot up (in DOS
mode), possibly using the W98 emergency boot disk rather than
booting real DOS from Diskette, because you have to be able to
access your FAT-32 partitions.

> Here's my problem: The parallel port on my (out of warrany)
> notebook computer is broken, and Dell would charge over $300 to
> fix it. A cheaper solution would be to hook up to my computer a
> USB hub that I happen to own. The hub has got a parallel port
> on it, which installs with the name "LPTUSB1".  In theory it
> will support DOS applications. The only problem is that XyWrite
> (and all other DOS applications that I'm aware of) won't let
> you specify a printer port like "LPTUSB1": They expect names
> like LPT1: or LPT2:. If, though, I could get Windows to
> automatically redirect all output from LPT1: to LPTUSB1, I'd be
> in business.

That non-standard name could be another big fly in the ointment.
I don't know if it's possible -- or desirable -- to hack Reserved
device names, and have it be accepted by the system.

> Or, does anyone know of a USB hub that's got a parallel port on
> it, and which it names LPT2:?

Quite possible. I haven't taken a serious look at USB or USB
hardware in a good while, because they are slow connections and
OS/2 (my primary OS) has had limited support for them. I don't
think NT supported it either, and that's the only Win I run
here. Anyway, I may have a chance to revisit this subject at
Comdex in another week or so. The major USB h/w vendors have
been exhibiting at the show in recent years. Are you in a big
hurry on this ?

Jordan