Use serial port (COM) as LPT1

Question

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?

Solution

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.

Comments

[Dennis Williamson]

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.

[user3660103]

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.

[LawrenceC]

Check if there is a port replicator or dock for your laptop. Sometimes they have real serial and parallel ports.

[edwinbs]

Thanks,@MattJenkins, this would probably work for printers, but as @DennisWilliamson pointed out, my device can't work using this.