win98 v4.10.1998; printing problem Microline / Okidata ML380

[who44]

Configuration:
1. Windows 98 (first edition) v.4.10.1998 - 64MB RAM
2. Printer Okidata ML380 connected by centronics cable to PC.
3. Accounting Program  - based upon PC/MS-DOS - running in MSDOS box of windows98.

Problem:
When output has to be printed from the Accounting Program, the printer starts printing, however non-recognizable characters are printed by the printer.

It is not possible to get readable characters on paper when printing from a win98 application or by the print command from MSDOS box.

What did I do to isolate the problem:

Printer:
1. Printer selftest: printing of ASCII characters (OK), printing of running ASCII characters (OK). All output of selftest is OK.

Windows98 on PC (the PC with printing problem)
2. removing the printer driver and installing the OKIDATA ML380 printer driver as well as the Epson LQ-2550 printer driver. The Okidata ML380 emulates the LQ-2550. This did not solve the problem.

3. Printing a Testpage after installation of the printer drivers was selected. The printer starts printing, text is not recognizable. This indicates a problem.

Windows98SE on Laptop (laptop no printing problem)
3. a laptop running Windows 98 (SE): installed the Okidata ML380 as well as the LQ-2550 drivers from windows98SE CD-ROM via Configuration / Add Printer procedure. The Okidata ML380 printer was connected to this laptop via the same printer cable. The Printer OKIdata / Microline ML380 prints the output correctly.

4. same as 2. but via the laptop windows 98SE: Testpage windows98 is printed correctly.

5. The printer port assignment is: LPT1


Conclusion:
1. the printer ML380 is OK
2. the printer cable is OK
3. the OKIdata printer driver is OK
4. the Epson LQ-2550 printer driver is OK
5. win98SE (without the accounting program) works OK with printer

the problem is isolated to the PC running win98 v.4.10.1998 ===========================================
6. win98 on PC with accounting progrma does not work OK with printer
===========================================

There is no program documentation of the Accounting Program.

The Accounting Program is started from the Desktop of windows 98, refering to
a bath program xyz.bat. This program starts and operates correctly with all data entered. The data is saved in multiple files, which are related to each other via the Accounting Program. Incorperated in the Accounting Program is the Printing Function. Just pressing <P> should provide the output listing of the selected report
on the printer. There are no hidden parms / values to influence the printer settings from the program.

What might be the cause of this problem, what could I try to solve the problem ?
Tips/advise welcome.

Thanks,

[Computer_Commando]

Very complete description!  I suspect Win98SE drivers you are using are not supported by Win98, 1st edition.  I have seen this driver issue before.  Win98SE is, in many respects, quite a bit different from Win98, 1st edition.

[who44]

Thanks for your response.

On the Windows98 PC: after removal of the printer drivers, the printer drivers are reinstalled. The installation requires the original Win98 CD-ROM to be placed to install the win98 (first edition) drivers.

The printer emulates the Epson LQ-2550. When usining the correct LQ-2550 drivers of win98 (first edition) the problem is the same.

I did not install the printer drivers from win98SE on the windows 98 (first edition) PC because of possible incompatibilities.


---

I could install an additional printer that writes text (ASCII) to a txt file.
If this file can be  read by typing - type "fname.txt" in dosbox it must be simply possible to get the file somewhere of somehow on paper. 

Another approach is a win98 (first edition) upgrade to win98SE. In that case the win98 configuration is the same as on the old laptop with win98SE I used to isolate the problem.

The accounting program is not available as backup, the accounting data is OK and can be backed up. The risk is that with an upgrade the accounting program will fail. In that case  the accounting program cannot be used anymore.

The simplest solution is using another accounting program, which are even available free of charge. It will take a long learning curve for the person doing the accounting all those years.

For the time being, I will look for a solution and tips / advise / reactions on this problem are appreciated.

W

[Computer_Commando]

Try the Win98SE drivers; can't hurt anything.

[who44]

The Win98SE ML380 driver doesn't work either.

Is it possible that code page defined in windows98 (FE)  xxx.ini conflict with code page definition in config.sys (DOS) ?
At the moment I am not on location to check it out.

The files used by the accounting program are all of the type (IDX) and (DAT).
The DAT files are readable with the windows98 editors, the control characters for make-up work just as in standard txt files.
IDX may be the index files related to the DAT file and providing the links to the other files and associated data fields/values.

I wonder what the format of the IDX files is. It may be determined by the programming language used in those PC DOS / MS DOS days.
The program is just an EXECUTABLE file. I was not able to find out the programming language being used.

[BC_Programmer]

Printing from MS-DOS programs doesn't go through the windows drivers at all. Each MS-DOS program uses it's own set of drivers. In this case it seems like the accounting program in the FE edition of Windows 98 is not properly setup.

Can you restart in MS-DOS mode and run the accounting program and try to print from there?

Is it possible that code page defined in windows98 (FE)  xxx.ini conflict with code page definition in config.sys (DOS) ?
At the moment I am not on location to check it out.

Irrelevant- in fact, Windows Drivers are entirely redundant to the issue, since they are never used by DOS programs.

The DAT files are readable with the windows98 editors, the control characters for make-up work just as in standard txt files.

Then you should also be able to print by copying it to the printer: COPY file.dat PRN

I wonder what the format of the IDX files is. It may be determined by the programming language used in those PC DOS / MS DOS days.
The program is just an EXECUTABLE file. I was not able to find out the programming language being used.

Programming language is redundant as well. It was probably C, but it doesn't matter.
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