good question...i don't know...
but when i asked for the same question..i mean how to bypass
the windows control over the printer port i had two answers, the first is of using the ??? command the second is the following
*--
Consider using the FOPEN('\PRN',11) command. ??? actually locks up a print job, so other FRX cannot print until you quit the VFP session.
*--
I never tried it because i was satisfied by the using of the ?? command.
>I sometimes might need to write to different parallel ports...Can I do this with ???
>
>Thanks,
>Paul Acton
>
>>Try to use the ??? command...it goes directly to the printer
>>
>>>I am trying to send a character string to a parallel port.
>>>
>>>Can't I just issue the following:
>>>
>>>

>>>nFile = fopen('prn')
>>>fputs(nFile,"Hello World")
>>>fclose(nFile)
>>>

>>>
>>>if I check nFile .. I do get a valid file handle but nothing goes to the printer.
>>>
>>>Thanks,
>>>Paul Acton