Using Parallel Printer with New Motherboards

I recently bought a new PC to replace our old POS. When we were about to connect the Epson TM-U220D POS printer, I realized the new motherboard does not have a parallel port anymore! Since the POS printer uses the old-style Centronics printer interface, it definitely needed a parallel port.

At first, I tried looking for a USB-to-parallel port adapter. Nobody seem to have stock until I found one at Park Square. I experimented with it for a couple of days but I couldn't get my NetProfit POS program to treat it like a real "LPTx" device. I tried sharing it and using net use to map it into "LPT2", to no avail.

Luckily, our Purchasing Department was finally able to find me a vendor at Abacus Computer in V-Mall that carried a PCI Card parallel port. Installed that one on the PC and "LPT1" appeared. Worked like a charm.