Steve Olney wrote:

Alberto,

Don't we still have the problem with Win95/98 very helpfully changing the
port output not-so-periodically if you have a printer driver assigned to the
port.    I think, from memory, you need a VXD so that your program
"captures" the port.    There was some program/component called something
like "TVich32" kicking around a while ago for this.
[...]

Steve,
   yes, to properly drive a peripheral from inside your code with the true 
32-bit
Windows (NT, 2000, XP) you need a VxD, but, as I said in a previous message,
there are around freeware or shareware DLLs that save you the time and the
headache of writing your own VxD (the admission task for the hell...).
You cand find them for the most popular programming environment, Delphi,
C++Builder, etc.

73  Alberto  I2PHD