Parallel port printing problem

[Laura Hudson]

Please can you share the log file and settings file (VBox.log and .vbox file)
Also describe your setup.

Anshul Makkar

I have a windows 7 host with windows xp sp3 guest. My end goal is to get a parallel security dongle from a very old application to work with virtualbox. But, I thought I would start with printing.

What other information do you need about my set up?

Thank you,
-Laura

[anshul makkar]

Thanks for pointing it out..

Some branch mismatch, need to port the changes to different branch.

Will port the changes and let you know the revision soon.

Thanks
Anshul Makkar

[Laura Hudson]

Thank you, Anshul =)

[david prince]

hi,

i joined this forum in frustration JUST to post this message, this is my first use of virtual box, and i have hit a wall already.

i have been waiting for virtual box to work with the parallel port for ages, i have just installed new full release version VirtualBox-4.2.2-81494-Win, using it inside windows 7 32bit for XP SP3 guest OS.

what in the name of ?!XX is vboxmanage and why would i need to start messing about with it? in SETTINGS in the virtual box manager i see SERIAL PORTS and can alter them, how come no parallel ports? is parallel port printing a supported 'out the box' feature or an alpha test/feature for experts only?

when i try to print in the XP guest OS with the parallel port driver for my printer seemingly installed ok, it just doesn't work and says nothing or gives me an 'out of paper' error.

i have no idea if it is:

a) meant to work out the box and it's just my system?
b) i am meant to learn how to operate vboxmanage (can't find it anywhere on the guest)?
c) maybe it is totally bugged in this version and i need to wait for a fix?

there seems no recent info on this anywhere but this thread (in the beta section)

sorry to grumble, i DO appreciate this is free software, and it seems to be working great apart from the printing (which is ironically the only reason i want to use it

[FrodoHobbits]

vboxmanage is accessed from the Host PC via the Command Prompt, you need to be in the correct directory to use this command i.e.
C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox

[david prince]

thanks for the tip FrodoHobbits, i was looking on the guest OS!

my main problem is still that i don't know if i am meant to be messing around with vboxmanage, or if it will even work at all in light of what anshul said "Some branch mismatch, need to port the changes to different branch. "

cheers.

[Laura Hudson]

thanks for the tip FrodoHobbits, i was looking on the guest OS!

my main problem is still that i don't know if i am meant to be messing around with vboxmanage, or if it will even work at all in light of what anshul said "Some branch mismatch, need to port the changes to different branch. "

cheers.

David,
I'm in your shoes as well. I think we have to wait for a fix. I am checking every day! Hang in there.

-Laura

[anshul makkar]

4.2.4 released. It contains the fix.

Let me know if you face any issues.

Thanks
Anshul Makkar

[david prince]

sorry, it does not work for me with 4.2.4 . i am trying to get a driver for an optical disc printer working (primera inscripta), maybe there is some difference.

i tried 1st without changing any settings, then:

vboxmanage modifyvm "XP SP3" --lptmode1 LPT1
vBoxManage modifyvm "XP SP3" --lpt1 0x378 1
and
vBoxManage modifyvm "XP SP3" --lpt1 0x378 5
and
vBoxManage modifyvm "XP SP3" --lpt1 0x378 7

interrupts are off in the control panel settings, i tried ECP, Standard and Bi-Directional Parallel Port modes in my BIOS. no error messages other than things just don't work. just get 'printing' and nothing happens.

this is giving me bad flashbacks to the old days of 'plug and pray'. i am going to have to give up, i really hope in the future virtual box gets full support for parallel port including being able to set it up and get feedback without having to resort to the command line... its just not cool unless you are into linux

[michaln]

i am going to have to give up, i really hope in the future virtual box gets full support for parallel port including being able to set it up and get feedback without having to resort to the command line... its just not cool unless you are into linux

The problem is that a) hardly any parallel hardware is available anymore, and b) what little is left is increasingly weird and unlikely to work in a VM without major tweaking.

In the old days, by far the #1 use of a parallel port was printing, but nowadays it's the opposite - the printers moved on long ago, it's only the oddball devices that are left.

[Laura Hudson]

well the good news is that with 4.2.4 i no longer get the out of paper error. the bad news is that i no longer get any error at all. it just doesn't do anything.

I can see that my guest windows xp has figured out that my host windows 7 is using lpt3, which is good news, i think.

The bad news is that if I can't even get this to print on a basic printer, I am certainly not going to waste my time trying to get the parallel security dongle to work for my legacy app.

I'm not sure what to try now. Help?

[ulogic]

Printing with 4.2.4 is working for me in an XP guest on a Windows 7 x64 host. The host machine BIOS is set for a standard parallel port, not EPP or ECP on address 0x378. I have the interrupt enabled on the LPT port in the host OS. The guest OS is using LPT1 also on address 0x378 on IRQ7.

[anshul makkar]

Laura, please share the log file (VBox.log).

[Laura Hudson]

My parallel port is located on a pci card, not built into the motherboard. I am unable to tweak the settings on either the guest or host LPT port settings. The option to change the resources are greyed out.

my host windows 7 is using i/o range e400-e807 and e480-487
my guest windows xp is using 0378-037f and 0778-077f and irq 7

I tried to specify to the guest to use e400 with the vboxmanage command but it didn't help. Ideas?

[victorbf]

Laura
I have the same problem, parallel port in pci card, and a software with parallel bag.
I need read this key for run the software "industrial ifix 3.5" but i don't know how configure the virtual box or if it's a problem with the software.
You solve?
Thank's