virtualbox.org

FINALLY, thanks to VirtualBox, got a Windows XP VHD / VM working.
BUT, the whole point of doing this was to be able to use XP drivers to print on an older, but good, laser printer.
Last drivers made for this printer where for XP, thus the need to use XP for printing.

Any ideas for printing with this printer – using the XP drivers in my XP VM??
Tried enabling Bridged Adapter, but VM just can’t detect / find printer.
And not sure if “sharing” is going to use the XP drivers in the XP VM.
The universal divers for Win 8.1 are likely the cause of printer problems – so don’t want to use those.
Thanks

You're a little bit light on the details. Wwhat kind of printer is this? Is it a network printer? A USB printer? Brand and model please. Exactly. Plus if the printer was equipped with add-ons (network options, etc).

The printer, HP LaserJet 5L, is plugged into a single PC via older printer cable into LPT1 Printer Port -- not USB, no add-ons.
Not a network printer, though in its properties, I do have both Share this printer and Render print jobs checked.
Should XP (as guest) have detected the printer when I first ran the XP VHD guest -- the XP OOBE?
Thanks

I'm not sure how your host can share a printer it doesn't recognize. XP would have to own the printer, perhaps via direct LPTx access: see FAQ: Enabling and Configuring Parallel (LPTx) Ports.

Again, you're short on the details and long on the assumptions and steps to make this work. Remember, you're describing the situation to people that are thousands of kilometers away from your PC and your printer. We're deaf and blind, so you need to accurately portray the situation. Here's what you could have said (from the things I gathered from your two posts, correct me if I'm wrong):

I have an HP LaserJet 5L printer, that can connect via a parallel port in a PC that is running Windows 8.1. I believe that the printer drivers for Win 8.1 are causing problems, that's why I'm thinking of using a Win XP VM, which has appropriate drivers for my printer. What is the best course of action? Any suggestions?

Now, from the HP support page (http://h20564.www2.hp.com/hpsc/doc/publ ... -c03365145), I gathered the following, as far as the support under 8.1 goes:

1. There is no native printer driver support. They mention Windows Update.
2. Direct quote: "Parallel and Serial ports are not supported in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. A USB converter or optional network accessory is needed to print/install drivers."

The last one was actually news to me! That might actually complicate things a little bit. It would seem that your printer's only means of connecting to a computer is (right now) via the parallel port (at least that's what HP says). If Windows 8.1 does NOT support parallel ports, then you would need to get either a USB-to-LPT1 adapter or a network accessory, to get the printer connected to the computer. Unless you already have one and you didn't to mention it.

But at other posts I've found that LPT is indeed supported. You could tell if you could go to the Device Manager. http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... 168?auth=1 , see the answer from Eliyas Yakub [MSFT] at the end of the page.

Having said that, I went in my Win 8.1 VM, Devices and Printers, Add a printer, The printer that I want isn't listed, Use an existing port, Windows Update. After about 10-15 minutes the list of the printers was updated and the HP LaserJet 5L was listed. I installed the printer driver and it seemed to have all the features of the printer as available.

Is this something that you've already tried? It would be far, far better if you could get native support instead of hacking your way through a VM. Note that I still haven't gotten around the trouble to make an LPT work in a VM. You don't want me to

mpack wrote:I'm not sure how your host can share a printer it doesn't recognize. XP would have to own the printer, perhaps via direct LPTx access: see FAQ: Enabling and Configuring Parallel (LPTx) Ports[.

The host recognizes the printer just fine, but the "universal" drivers provided by HP (for its legacy printers) are known to have issues. Thanks for the link. Will check.

Used the advice in that article to try various settings and used batch file code below to create an LPT1 port in XP guest.
But furthest a test page would get is an out of paper error -- which was more recognition of printer than previous.
But this would be iffy, like that article suggested.

socratis wrote:"Parallel and Serial ports are not supported in Windows 8 or Windows 8.1. A USB converter or optional network accessory is needed to print/install drivers."[/i][/list]
The last one was actually news to me!
.... seemed to have all the features of the printer as available.
Is this something that you've already tried? It would be far, far better if you could get native support instead of hacking your way through a VM. Note that I still haven't gotten around the trouble to make an LPT work in a VM. You don't want me to

Yes, news to me as well. I have no idea what they are referring to.
And yes, have tried the drivers that are supposed to make the printer functional, and appear to have most features that I remember having back in the XP days; But printer still does not print right -- no dark crisp fine print -- since going to Windows 7, and then 8.1.

Many thanks all -- for your great research / trying to help -- but I think it is time to retire this old printer... despite the new / full toner cartridges.

At least I've got a good XP VM if ever need one

It could just be badly worded, and mean that HP printer drivers no longer support parallel and serial options on Win8.0 or later. It certainly would be ludicrous to suggest that the OS itself no longer supports those interfaces, especially serial, which still has a huge market of a near infinite number of devices using it.