VMware Workstation 15/ Windows XP VM print issues

[MasonBradyy]

I have a client who is using an old DOS machine for accounting and have virtualized the XP machine that was being used for it. I've been having issues over trying to get it to print from this VM to the printer in there office, I have added a PCI parallel port card and the host can recognize the card as LPT1 and the VM will recognize the card as well as an LTP1 port. I've been unsuccessful just trying to perform a test print from the guest and have been able to test print from the host machine (Windows 10) and am getting an error when I start the VM that the "LPT1" device is being used by another program. Even tho I know its not being used. Any input on this would be great as I've been trying to troubleshoot this the past few days. Thanks!

[continuum]

For troubleshooting we need the vmx-file and the vmware.log

But honestly I would suggest to find a workaround that does not require a working parallel port.

I tried to troubleshoot some similar problems and had to give up without success.

[litany99]

I was hoping that this would be fixed by 15.1.1, yet is is apparently going to remain broken until it has visibility that people actually have needs involving virtualized older systems.   Up through vmware workstation 12.5, I have been able to use the LPT: port in the virtual machine, now it doesn't even show up, regardless of the adapter.

There is one serial/parallel adapter that should work well, as it has the features in Windows 10 that are appropriate, as well as a driver that lists it properly. 

USB to Serial/Parallel Adapter Cable - RS-232 and IEEE 1284 Combo Cable | StarTech.com

My use case is interlnk/intersvr from dos, as well as filelink.exe from dr-dos, as well as laplink parallel connection, as well as windows direct parallel transfer.  All of these require

parallel port LPT1: as opposed to printer port LPT:

It shows up in VMware workstation 15 as nothing, and in vmware 12.5 it shows up, but does not actually function.  In workstation 12.5, I could still use a dell legacy dock, but those are in the future no longer a possibility with any new hardware, so I really need this function to work again.

Does anyone have an idea how to add this port in vmware 15.1.1, it is clear that adding the port will not work if workstation cannot see the port.

If I open an older machine, created in past times, the port is visible, but does not function.  If I convert such machines, or upgrade them, the port is no longer there.

Here is an older example of what I expect to see in workstation that no longer works.

Anyone have an idea?