why not boot into real dos from a floppy

Because my boss is a sucker and want to see it working within XP 🙁

Digging in the forum, I've found something about ntdelay... I'll check it on monday. I'll check VMWare with FreeDOS, but I don't know if VMWare would grant direct access to hardware.

there is a patched dosbox (look at h-a-ls page). should work as wel

I'll try DOSBox, but I have a question. Is there any option to ensure that fixed point math and float point math are as accurate as in a real processor? I've read a post about some float point problems, and the program needs to calculate structures.

You surely won't get any guarantees about that.
Use the dynamic core if possible, this will give the full 80bit precision.

I was just messing with another parallel port program today. I think you should take a look-see at Userport, which you can get here, among other places.

Didn't have too much luck with it myself, unfortunately, but perhaps you shall fare better.

Tested with ntdelay. Doesn't work.

I think userport is only for Windows apps, but I'll try, too.

The dongle is gone (at least until next monday), so I won't try nothing until then.

OK, today I've tried h-a-l's dosbox. No problems. Now I'm awaiting to see if calculations are performed properly (I don't know if the program needs a coprocessor or not).

Thanks to DOSBox Team, h-a-l and all of you!

many computer came with pre-installed computer image using generic drivers. that mean the same image is deployed on many different computer model,
chipset and motherboard using generic drivers. I can make my DOS lpt dongle work on any of my 3 differents HP computers now. Here how i diagnose the
problem and found my solution... First i have backup the actual XP installation using ghost. I tried to determine if it was the bios or any other
hardware compatibility issue by installing DOS on this computer. i have install the software and start it... validation trough the dongle LPT1
work perfectly. Starting from there i know its an windows XP drivers and configuration problem... instead of using the xp image that came with
the computer when we received it.... i have install a new xp installation from scratch... an original not the cd or dvd that come with the HP
computers but a real xp cd or dvd. after the installation of xp i have install the dos application and make a try and it work! as a precaution
i did all xp update from sp1 to sp2 and i have done also another new installation from scratch and upgrade it from sp1 to sp3 via windows update
ant the dos software can still work perfectly! since there i have never used any pre-install xp that came with the new computer anymore....
those generic drivers that are use seems to cause problem!!!

Zup wrote:

I need to get working an old DOS application in Windows XP. It works (more or less, I've got some problems with graphics mode), […]
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I need to get working an old DOS application in Windows XP. It works (more or less, I've got some problems with graphics mode), but the application needs to find a LPT dongle.

The problem is that the application reports that it is unable to connect to dongle. The dongle is a Microphar one (no drivers for any Windows). The hardware is a Toshiba Tecram A7, with Windows XP Pro SP2.

I've tried with Bi-Directional and ECP settings for the port, using port 378 and IRQ 7.

I guess that NTVDM don't allow the DOS program to connect directly (or at least transparently) to the LPT port.

Any idea? Would VMWare od a patched edition of DOSbox help with this?

We can help you with dongle issues.
http://dongle-emulator.net/

are you using vmware?

well like i wrote before brand name computer and laptop come with pre installed windows that contains generic drivers so the same image copy of windows can be used on many different computers. i suggest you to get an original xp cd or dvd not a restoration disk that came with the computer.... restoration disk contain generics drivers and the same image is used to be deploy on many differents computer...

start a brand new installation of xp on the laptop format the disk whipe out the partition where xp is installed. after xp is installed you do not have to do all update or install any device drivers to see if your application is working or not. i have tried like you before playing with the bios setting of the lpt mode and nothing work till i installed xp from scratch!

this will be a quick test... installing xp takes around 15 minutes after u have backup your previous installation and backup up your data!

you can also make another partition on the hard drive and make it a primary partition to avoid backing up your old xp installation with drivers and then install xp on this new partition for test. this partition must be a primary partition and set to active partition to make it bootable.

the solution is to do a brand new fresh installation of xp regardless if its sp1 sp2 or sp3

Hi Zup.
Myself Ferry from United States, Just read your query and the problem you are facing along with the connectivity of Dongle. As you dont have any drivers of dongle installed on Windows xp, I would like to suggest you for a dongle driver on internet and install it windows xp and than try to access LPT port through DOS prompt.
Thanks for your post and stay connect.

i just forgot to tell you about a driver for your dongle.... its not necessary because its for a dos application... installing a windows drivers for your dongle won't help. i have many lpt dongle installed over each other in a cascade for dos application and no windows drivers are necessary.

thanks!

what the fucking fuck.