virtualbox.org

hello,

since hours i tried neerly everything - no chance.

Host: Win7 - 64 bit (actuel)
guest: vista 32 bit (actual)

when i try to install a printer, the installation aborts with: 0x00000002 "cannot install printer"

the printer is a old hp draftmaster plotter which only works at com1
the printer driver is the "winlineNT" plotter driver, also old. but it works in a vista32 environment.

VM settings "serial ports":
Serial Port: activated
Port-No: Com1, IRQ4 , 0x3F8
Port-Modus: host-interface (I tried also host-pipe, also not running)
produce pipe : not activated
port/file-path: COM1: (i also tried COM1 with : also not running)

I always get 0x00000002 when I try to install my winline-plotter-driver at com1.

any ideas ?

thanks a lot for help!

rainer

You first need to understand the difference between a simulation (the VM) and reality.

You have a really old serial printer. Ok. I very much doubt that it can only work with COM1 (and not COM2 etc), but that isn't important, so leave it aside.

You have added a COM1 to your VMs specification, that's ok too. This ensures that the guest will see a printer on COM1.

So much for the simulated parts.

The only question which arises is, is this printer on the hosts real COM1? E.g. if the host RS232 port is a USB device then it almost certainly does not call itself COM1. Whatever it does call itself, that's what you need to put in the "Host port/file path" field. Best use UNC naming, e.g. if it's COM4 then call it "\\?\com4", as that avoids certain limitations on legacy comm port numbering.

Just to reiterate: whatever the simulated port calls itself on the guest side has got nothing whatever to do with what physical port you select on the host side.

it is a real com1 !

in the meantime i got it!

first i tried to install the driver from a shared folder "outside" the WM. there i got the 0x00000002.
then i tried to copy the driver "into" the VM (i took the desktop) -> the 0x0000002 disappeard.
but it was also not possible to install the driver: vista tells me: " the kernel is not able ..."

so i stopped work in vista and I setup another VM using XPprof 32 bit incl registration.
here everything is working fine, it was possible to install the plotter driver.

I use the same mashine setting in XPprof as in vista - i dont know why the plotter driver is not running in vista - maybe a prob within vista.

for me thats ok to use XP when i need the plotter.

thanks for your help.

regards rainer