trouble printing in clipper when using freedos

[kayeng]

Hi there! Apologies if this is not the right forum to post my problem.

I have a desktop computer with a motherboard that has a built-in parallel port. When I boot into FreeDOS and run an old Clipper program, the program can print just fine, without editing any system files. It just works.

I have another desktop computer in which the parallel port is an expansion, not built-in with the motherboard. Upon printing using Clipper program, I get:
Error: Term/0
Quit / Retry
Something like that. It cannot print.

I wonder if this is the answer:

http://help.fdos.org/en/hhstndrd/base/printer.htm

If it is, please help. I don't quite get it.

Other info that may or may not be relevant:
-- I believe the installed freedos is 1.0 , not the latest.
-- When running the Clipper program in Windows 7 via command prompt, I can print. However, I had to go to Control panel, View devices and printers, right-click the printer (epson LX310) , Printer properties, Ports tab, Enable bidirectional support and enable printer pooling, checked LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3. That made it possible for me to print in Clipper program. Before doing all of that, I get an error like it cannot communicate with the printer.

Summary: Parallel port is only an expansion. Using Clipper in Windows 7 command prompt, it can print. Using Clipper in FreeDOS, I get Error: Term/0

Thank you so much!

 

[xwb]

Is it the first or 2nd time printing?

Does your program close the printer port after use? If it was left open, it might be a reason for the error.

Reboot FreeDoS and then try printing from your modified program - does that work? If it does, then the problem is your program not closing the printer. You need something like

SET PRINTER OFF
SET CONSOLE ON
DEVICE TO SCREEN
SET PRINTER TO

No - that isn't incomplete - that is how you close the printer - set it to nothing. It is almost 25 years since I've played with this. There may be another reason but this is the most common one.

 

[xwb]

Alternatively, you could try the CA forum

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?pid=288

 

[kayeng]

Thank you xwb.

Before I try your suggestion, I need to ask: Is it possible that Clipper can print on the other computer running a stand-alone FreeDOS operating system (not on virtual drive) because FreeDOS or Clipper detects the printer as LPT1?

...while in the other computer, FreeDOS or Clipper sees the printer as LPT3, and therefore I get the "Error: Term/0" ?

The reason I say LPT3 is because this was the default port when I viewed:
Control panel --> View devices and printers --> right-click the printer (epson LX310) --> Printer properties --> Ports tab
....in Windows 7.

 

[xwb]

Don't really know the answer to that one. All I remember is the end sequence when closing printers because it took me two weeks to figure it out in the days before you could just look up something on the internet. When I first saw it, I thought it was a Friday night printer run where they forgot what to set the printer to. Took a while to figure out that that was what you were supposed to do.