Trantec Mic-Prog & Windows-7

[sandall]

Has anyone managed to make Trantec's mic programming software work with Windows-7, using a USB-parallel lead (or should I just bin the lead & hope that my Windows-98 machine discovers the secret of everlasting life)?

[richardash1981]

Has anyone managed to make Trantec's mic programming software work with Windows-7, using a USB-parallel lead (or should I just bin the lead & hope that my Windows-98 machine discovers the secret of everlasting life)?

It's pretty unlikely that the USB-parallel lead will work sadly. It doesn't give you a real parallel port (in the low level way in which Trantec probably use it), instead it gives just enough bits from a parallel port to allow the printer protocol to be faked over it. This works for printers, but pretty much nothing else. The lead actually presents itself to the OS as a USB printer, then fudges the data out to the pins.

 

I should stress I have no specific knowledge of the Trantec kit (it being unobtainum) - but that was advice I got when I looked at this for other parallel port hardware. XP machine with real parallel port or add a parallel port slot card to the Windows 7 machine?

[timsabre]

Even a real parallel port probably won't work with W7 as direct port writes can't be done any more, you have to go through a driver layer which the Trantec software won't be expecting. I believe this was introduced in Vista so XP should work.

[Jivemaster]

I have certainly been to my local computer fair (Stratford E15) bought an old laptop with ports and had XP installed by the resident repairer. XP still works, just that MS has withdrawn support and windows defender for it.

[sandall]

It's pretty unlikely that the USB-parallel lead will work sadly. It doesn't give you a real parallel port (in the low level way in which Trantec probably use it), instead it gives just enough bits from a parallel port to allow the printer protocol to be faked over it. This works for printers, but pretty much nothing else. The lead actually presents itself to the OS as a USB printer, then fudges the data out to the pins.

Thanks Richard & Tim. After ploughing through many threads about how to make various old printers & software work with Win-7 it looks like you can do it for a printer ok (the lead initially shows as "USB Printing Support", but this apparently changes to "LTP Printer Port" when you get the drivers sorted out), & also for some software, if you can find or download the missing DLPORTIO.SYS driver, but the clincher is the message "A parallel port could not be found at either 378h or 278h", which goes well beyond my tinkering ability. I've only got one "real" XP laptop (cannibalised from a Dell with a dying HDD & a Toshiba with a dead graphics chip), which does have a parallel port; the others are Vista, but running XP, & only have USB.

 

XP still works, just that MS has withdrawn support and windows defender for it.

 

When I enquired of my local computer guru about finding a copy of SP3 for the cannibalised machine (I only had up to SP2 on CD) I was told that despite XP support being officially dead, business support doesn't end till 2019 (apparently 95% of business machines in the UK are still on XP, with some major infrastructure still on Win-95), & to download the unofficial"SP4", which claims to have all the updates since SP3 (I then found a download of SP3, so can't report on SP4).

[timsabre]

I was at a regional bbc studio a few weeks ago and all their broadcast systems are running on xp machines.

[sandall]

The ones in back of shot in BBC bulletins look like Win-7, but they were probably bought new for NBH.

[alistermorton]

Is it worth trying a version of DOS - it's still out there as an open source project.

[sandall]

Is it worth trying a version of DOS - it's still out there as an open source project.

 

The problem is the parallel port (or lack of one). I've still got a Win-98 laptop & a cannibalised XP laptop with them, but these won't last for ever, so I was trying to do a bit of future-proofing by buying a (bi-directional) USB - parallel lead (the software only came with a parallel - custom connector lead)..

[alistermorton]

Ah - sorry, I was thinking at crossed purposes.

[sandall]

Time to admit defeat. Dropping the missing driver into either the windows drivers folder or the program folder had no effect. Even my Win-98 machine would only recognise the proper printer point, not the USB emulation, but listening to a pair of floppy discs clicking away brought back a few memories.

[graemeftv]

I currently have it working and have had issues like you.

 

There is another way to program these systems not using a parallel port but it depends how much time you want to spend soldering and making cables.

 

feel free to contact me if you want some advice, happy to help

 

Graeme

[chelgrian]

When I enquired of my local computer guru about finding a copy of SP3 for the cannibalised machine (I only had up to SP2 on CD) I was told that despite XP support being officially dead, business support doesn't end till 2019 (apparently 95% of business machines in the UK are still on XP, with some major infrastructure still on Win-95), & to download the unofficial"SP4", which claims to have all the updates since SP3 (I then found a download of SP3, so can't report on SP4).

 

Support for Windows XP ended on April 8, 2014 for all normal SKUs. The only version of it still in support is the 'Embedded' version which is supported until 2019. It's is possible to hack the 'Home' and 'Pro' versions to get updates meant for the 'Embedded' edition but this doesn't mean it is supported as there are whole subsystems which don't get patched.

 

'SP4' doesn't exist it's just a name people use for producing a consolidated set of patches and a script to install them for all the post SP3 patches. A real SP has various other effects which these patch rollups don't.

 

It's very hard to find reliable statistics particularly broken down by geographical area however worldwide Windows 7 has around 50% market share for PC devices. I would be very surprised if use of Windows 7 by UK business was lower than that. it's now getting to the point where it is actually quite hard to install Windows 7 on the latest machines which is driving up Windows 10 market share.

 

The last machines that were even capable of booting Windows 9x are over a decade old now and PC hardware really isn't built to last like some early UNIX hardware and similar things which were literally built like tanks and are still going strong. Whilst there are 'embedded' Windows 9x machines attached to absurdly expensive bits of kit as control terminals I'd be very surprised if there was any 'critical infrastructure' running on any Windows 9x OS.

[sandall]

feel free to contact me if you want some advice, happy to help

Thanks Graeme, PM sent.

 

'SP4' doesn't exist it's just a name people use for producing a consolidated set of patches and a script to install them for all the post SP3 patches. A real SP has various other effects which these patch rollups don't.

I did notice a lot of heat being generated on MS forums about whether "SP4" was a miracle fix-all or the work of the devil.

 

Whilst there are 'embedded' Windows 9x machines attached to absurdly expensive bits of kit as control terminals I'd be very surprised if there was any 'critical infrastructure' running on any Windows 9x OS.

The one using W95 I was told about was Railtrack / Network Rail, but I've no idea what it might be controlling.

[Stodd]

Hi guys - new to the forum!

Just wondering whether you mean reprogramming software to change the channel or just the software to view what’s going on?

Be really interested!!