Printing & Plotting in WinXP

We have just upgraded our OS to Window XP from Win 98. We still want to run our trusty AutoCAD Release 13 c4. Our problem(s) now is that we can't get the printers or plotter to output the drawings to look as good as they did in 98. When we check the printer preferences for our desktop LaserJets, we no longer have the options for Graphic intensity, or vector or raster drawings that would make the dwgs look like we had in 98. The drawings now come out looking more like a grayscale of the colors used instead of the pen setting we apply. The other issue is plotting large drawings to our HP DesignJet 600. I keep getting a port error as if there were no LPT1. Can anyone help with this?
Thanks,
DECI

 

Acad 13 c4?

Have to think back almost 10 years on that one. Although plotting methods
was the same through R14.

I'm remembering something about making sure all pens were set to color #7 if
you wanted to print black. If everything's been re-installed, then the
default color settings are back to matching color and pen numbers, which
will give you greyscale on a monochrome plotter.

No access to LPT1?

Sounds like XP is keeping Acad from directly accessing the port - which it
will do if a Windows printer driver is already pointing to that port.
Acad's drivers (still based on DOS at the time) want direct access to the
port hardware and XP won't allow that (leftover NT thing).

Or something like that.

Someone else may know better, but I think you have to somehow tell the
driver to map through the windows driver, or some such hoop-jumping.

You might also want to make sure the LPT1 port wasn't somehow disabled in
the BIOS setup.

 

I am able to print which makes me belive the port actually is enabled and working. Relase 13 uses a .pcp file for the pen settings with I can use. When we ran R13 on 98, the properties dialog box for the current printer would give us more detailed options as to the output. Did XP just abandoned the vintage software users by the new print properties options or I am just not deep enough into it? Would a screen shot of the 98 diaglog box I mentioned help?
Thanks for the responses.