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Dos & Dot Matrix Printer

Aztec

New Member
Joined
Apr 8, 2022
Messages
3
My Dos is not recognizing my Dot Matrix printer.
Note: It was working last year. Have it connected with a parallel cable.
Just prints gibberish now. I think my Dos got corrupted and lost printer set.
Is there a way to fix my Dos without losing all my files?
Any help would be appreciated
 
I assume you are talking about MS- or PC-DOS. on a PC. Usually printing 'just works' from MS-DOS to a printer. The problem could be in the dot matrix printer it's self. The printer has to convert the characters it receives in to a dot pattern or matrix. This may be stored in ROM. Gibberish is a vague term. Are there visible characters? or are they malformed? Can you try with a different computer, or different printer?
 
Also, buzz out the cable and connectors. The data path from machine to printer is not error-checked in any way. An open connection or short will be undetected by the system.
 
What is your computer specs?

What make and model is the Dot matrix printer? Is it 9-pin. 24-pin, line feed or single sheet printer or both?

What version of Dos are you using?

What program/s are you using with the printer?

What printer driver are you using in those Dos programs?

And most important of all DON'T PANIC!!
 
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Seeing as there has been no response from the OP is anyone else suspecting this is a troll post?

You wont loose files in Dos whatever if a dot matrix printer isn't functioning correctly if that file is save to disk.
 
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I assume you are talking about MS- or PC-DOS. on a PC. Usually printing 'just works' from MS-DOS to a printer. The problem could be in the dot matrix printer it's self. The printer has to convert the characters it receives in to a dot pattern or matrix. This may be stored in ROM. Gibberish is a vague term. Are there visible characters? or are they malformed? Can you try with a different computer, or different printer?
Sorry was busy yesterday afternoon and did not see responses. I am using Dos 6.? sorry will have to get exact specss.
We have Bedford files and Lotus. I have 2 dos based computers connected to this Panasonic Dot matrix printer.
I use the one computer to store my bookkeeping files and the other for income tax. My bookkeeping (#1 Computer) files will print but now my Tax Invoice (#2 Computer) prints characters but not the correct ones.
Someone posted about the Parallel Cable. You may have hit the nail on the head I have not tried switching out the cables.
 
Also, buzz out the cable and connectors. The data path from machine to printer is not error-checked in any way. An open connection or short will be undetected by the system.
Thanks I will do this
 
No-one's said, but the data is carried along 8 wires within the cable. If ONE wire is not connecting 100%, then characters can mess up. More wires, more damage.

Cable may be fine, but connectors at one or both ends might be problem. Disconnect cable, the reconnect a few times, at both ends. This often fixes.

Geoff
 
There is one question, not asked. Is Aztec using ascii characters or custom graphics. Both are different. Most people use the printers for text or ascii characters. In that case, it is not likely the computer that is the problem, unless the printer port has failed.
If using custom garphics, it could be anything.
Dwight
 
After I asked the OP to buzz the cable out in April, he has not posted afterwards and has not visited VCF since April 10. I think it's safe to assume that the subject is dead or resolved. We may never know which.
 
Of side interest, I recall wanting to do some printing of using the graphics of a dot matrix printer. I think it was on a 286 computer. It could print text OK but it failed with graphic images. After tracing things down, I found that the handshake for printer ready signal was incorrect in the bios. It worked with the text because the printer was fast enough on text to keep up. The printer wasn't fast enough in graphics to keep up.
Anyway, it was an AMI bios, as I recall. I blew another EPROM bios, I patched, and it worked fine.
Dwight
 
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