Use serial port (COM) as LPT1

I have a device that needs to be plugged in to LPT1 to run a legacy software.

I am trying to find a workaround to get it running in a latptop (without parallel port, obviously). I have HL-340 USB-to-Serial cable plugged in and running, but Windows XP uses it as COM3.

Is there a way to use an arbitrary serial port as LPT1?

edwinbs

Posted 2011-03-18T14:07:46.143

Reputation: 103

I'm assuming you mean a copy-protection dongle. It's very unlikely that you'll be able to get that to work through a serial to parallel convert much less one of those plus a USB to serial converter. – Paused until further notice. – 2011-03-18T14:46:23.693

It's very unlikely that anything using parallel port which is not a printer would work well on windows xp. As a last possible alternative, try getting a USB to parralel port cable. – AndrejaKo – 2011-03-18T16:18:57.353

Check if there is a port replicator or dock for your laptop. Sometimes they have real serial and parallel ports. – LawrenceC – 2013-08-28T20:15:12.250

Answers

That'll be the MODE command (took me a while to recall that from my DOS days).

C:\> MODE LPT1=COM3

You can also use the MODE command to set up the baud rate of the serial connection:

C:\> MODE COM3:9600,N,8,1

This page has all the usages of the MODE command.

Majenko

Posted 2011-03-18T14:07:46.143

Reputation: 29 007

Thanks,@MattJenkins, this would probably work for printers, but as @DennisWilliamson pointed out, my device can't work using this. – edwinbs – 2011-03-19T00:58:13.980

If your system has a PCMCIA or PC Card Express slot, they make parallel adapters for these slots.

LawrenceC

Posted 2011-03-18T14:07:46.143

Reputation: 63 487