DOS App printing problems with Win95

LPT1 in Bios is configured with irq7 & 378 I/O.
My epson stylus 900 printer is installed and prints windows app. but not the Dos app(fox pro)
looking under device mangager, i see lpt1 (epson) configured properly, i also see another entry, lpt (based on memeory, not at the unit now) which shows as not configured properly. I can't print from edit or do a copy con lpt1: or prn: either.
i removed epson printer to configure the lpt1 for DOS and was not successful .
BIOS has additional settings for lpt port. do i need to mess with those or what ? am sure is a win configuration.
i researched the web and did a duxcw search under "dos applications printing" but didn't find much.
Please help . any comments appreciated,
TIA and BTW great virus alerts
-benni

1. RE: DOS App printing problems with Win95
lbyard Jul-30-01 09:53 PM
In response to message 0

Delete all the printer drivers in the Device Manager, all printers in Start, Setting, Printer, and reinstall the Epson printer. Boot to the DOS prompt (press F8 or hold Ctrl just before Windows starts to boot and select DOS from the resulting menu). From the DOS prompt what does…
C:\>type autoexec.bat>lpt1:
Produce?
What version of Windows do you have installed?
Larry

2. RE: DOS App printing problems with Win95
mac Jul-30-01 10:00 PM
In response to message 1

thnx that was quick, am not at the station. will do later today.
let's say i cant' print for DOS, what would be the fix ?
i believe its' win 95 SE .
my other question is, is McAfee anti-virus capable of being configured to update data files daily (i only use norton AV) thanks again. (lemme know if i should post this in specific board)
thanks again

3. RE: DOS App printing problems with Win95
lbyard Jul-31-01 03:29 PM
In response to message 2

Let's say we find-out if it can print from DOS first, as that is the first logical troubleshooting step. My general printer troubleshooting procedure is at http://duxcw.com/digest/Howto/troubleshoot/print/index.html. I don't know about updating McAfee daily and automatically. I don't do it anywhere near that often, but I do update it when there is a major threat. Larry

4. Epson 900 & DOS application print in Win 95
mac Aug-03-01 06:28 AM
In response to message 3

Thanks again for your input!
A few things i learned from this job.
1- copy con lpt1: doesn't send end-of-page to printer . does it ? so you need to send it a few times to get a page of prints.
My original problem was that a DOS application wasn't printing thru windows. I needed a Standard DOS port instead of a print port provided by epson device driver. But..
Hard disk crashed on me in the middle of this job, i got the VFAT on the blue screen error (either FAT table / or partition data was lost).
I think FAT was gone, since i booted to A: then
could access the c:\ drive. anyway i copied files onto another hard disk and reinstalled w95 over. I was so lucky it was back up in no time!
Device manager previously, and still didn't give me a clean lpt1 listing , i think epson 900 device driver had taken it over, and it reported
epson (lpt1) or something close to it.
so espon provided me with a trick/script to switch lpt1 back to it's normal setup . so my DOS application could function.
Sorry for the lengthy discussion, but here's it
hope it may help others....
Thank you for taking the time to contact Epson. It is my pleasure to
respond to your inquiry.
The symptoms described are almost always caused by a break in
communication between the printer and the computer while printing.
Make sure you have a direct connection between the printer and your PC
and follow the step by step instructions below to change it to a
Standard Printer Port:

Windows 95 - VERSION A
1. Click on 'Start' 'Settings' 'Control Panel'.
2. Double-click the 'System' icon.
3. Click on the 'Device Manager' tab.
4. Double-click on 'Ports (COM & LPT)'.
5. Click on the 'ECP or Epson Printer Port (LPTx)' to highlight it.
6. Click on 'Properties'.
7. Click on the 'Driver' Tab and then click on the 'Change Driver'.
8. Select 'Show All Devices'.
9. Under the 'Manufacturer' section, select 'Standard Port Types'.
10. Under the 'Models' section, select 'Printer Port'.
11. Click on 'Okay' or 'Close' until you all the open windows are
closed.
12. Reboot Computer if not prompted to do so by Windows.
Windows 95 - VERSION B
1. Click on 'Start' 'Settings' 'Control Panel'.
2. Double-click the 'System' icon.
3. Click on the 'Device Manager' tab.
4. Double-click on 'Ports (COM & LPT)'.
5. Click on the 'ECP or Epson Printer Port (LPTx)' to highlight it.
6. Click on 'Properties'.
7. Click on the 'Driver' Tab and then click on the 'Update Driver'
button.
8. This should bring up the 'Update Device Driver Wizard'.
9. Select 'No, select driver from list'.
10. Click on 'Next'.
11. Click on 'Show All Hardware'.
12. Under the 'Manufacturer' section, select 'Standard Port Types'.
13. Under the 'Models' section, select 'Printer Port'.
14. Click on 'Finish'. Click on 'Okay' or 'Close' until you all the open
windows are closed. Reboot Computer if not prompted to do so by Windows.

5. RE: Epson 900 & DOS application print in Win 95
lbyard Aug-06-01 04:18 PM
In response to message 4

True; I simply hit the form-feed on the printer. There is a way to send the printer the form-feed, but I don’t recall off-hand what the control key combination is and how to stick it in a file. I am sure future readers will be most grateful for the time you spent to provide this valuable information. Larry

6. New! DOS application print in Win 95 peer2peer!
mac Aug-06-01 04:40 PM
In response to message 5

One last comment and a new question.
If you are a technician, and already know how to fly thru a complicated case, make sure you take some time and on the paper carefully examine the requirements of every step. For example, for this project, when the hard disk crashed, I believe i had to have the license for win95 already installed on the system for a installation over a hard disk with lost FAT table, Otherwise, my efforts would not be fruitful. When working for others, they need to know of that. Otherwise your efforts will not be paid for.
Also, after i was done on this project, the customer tried to find me the next day, they still had a problem (new one). Their other PC, didn't print direct to local port. (this is an antique shop BTW and they have two pcs peer'd with 95 OS)

I spent another hour trying to troubleshoot the DOS based foxpro software setting to get the printer to go and it was intermittent.
Then i had to take off to small claims court! 'cause i was taking a client to small claims court.
Anyway, after i get back from court, i go to the shop, and guess what a customer had walked in and suggested them to change the printer cable.
Yes somehow, the printer cable had gone bad & for the quick hour i was there , i wouldn't have guessed that. i believe i would have spent another day on this matter before arriving at that conclusion.
One thing that threw me off, was somehow one peer couldn't print to another peer's shared printer.
Now, the new question i have is , when setting peer's printers, is it enough that the peer printer is the default printer, or somehow capturing lpt1: is needed thru DOS ?
I would think setting default printer would take care of it. however, after i spent so much time configuring this matter, it would work the next day.
Hardware was old and sometimes that makes it a headache, i was lucky someone off the street suggested printer cable to be replaced though!
So, i guess i would watch out for things a bit more carefully . I was a bit rusty on this project, as i am getting back to picking up some clients. But I am sure pushing 40 years old has to do with it too.
Take care and great job folks.