We have a Windows program that prints through DOS to an Okidata ML395 dot-matrix printer (Epson LP emulation) on LPT1. An Okidata laser printer, using a Windows driver, was connected to a second LPT board.
After the computer was hit by lightning, we started using an identical computer (except for the second LPT board). The Okidata printed fast. Since we didn’t know the laster printer had also been hit by lightning, we installed the printer driver for the laser onto this computer using LPT1, setting the default printer to the Okidata 395, which immediately started printing slow, despite efforts to fix the problem.
The repaired computer was returned with a mirror copy of the original hard drive on the new drive. All settings shouldhave been the same. However, that computer also prints slow to the 395, even though the new second printer–an HP inkjet–is installed on the second LPT port.
We have tried everything: uninstalling and reinstalling the Okidata 395 driver, removing the LPT port, changing settings on the Okidata 395 driver, using different drivers, setting ECP in BIOS, etc.
We can set this program (via the registry) to use the Windows driver, which speeds things up, but the result is the printer doesn’t recognize the size of the paper, the proper form tear-off, and the top-of-form command which resets the paper to the top of form.
We can set almost all of these parameters in the Windows driver, but the top-of-form command must be passed via a code. Since this printer prints receipts for customers, it becomes an aggravation to have to manually return the paper to top-of-form.
Neither Okidata, the software company, nor Microsoft’s web site has an answer. The problem seems to revolve aroundhow a Windows program prints through DOS–and what driver it is using when it does this, as well as can any parameters be set in the system to make the driver print faster?