Hi MarkMLI,
I will consider upgrading to the new FPC versions in the future. In some of my programs that are still undergoing "updates" now and then I will have to look after the special exception handling that depended on internal details of V2.6.0.
None of my Windows PCs is connected to the internet or other public access. I am the only user. So I cannot see any security risk by getting access on the bit-level to the I/O-lines of the parallel port.
It is really only a question of the extra money required to get a "trusted certificate".
I have just found the package "WinIo v3.0" on the hard disk of my "workhorse" PC. It seems seems that I actually did not yet try that one for "Direct Hardware Access" under 64-bit Windows although the author assures that it works.
He explains that 64Bit-Windows only load device drivers that come with a "code signing certificate". His WinIo64.sys is, however, signed with a "self-signed certificate" and can only be used on Windows running in a special "test" mode (with boot option "TESTSIGNING ON").
So far I could not get comfortable with that approach.
As I already said once, Sunix supplies certified drivers for use as printer port, they might as well supply drivers that grant access to the ports on the bit level for the PC/electronics-hobbyists.
Regards
Kai
@PascalDragon: As I alread explained ALL programs running "with the help" of ntvdm are blocked in their initial display , whether they access ports or not . Even the old TP6 & TP7 compilers. That need not be so. It would be totally sufficient, that concurrent port access be blocked, but not any other program excecution.
On my PCs I am "all users" together with the system. So there is no reason at all to keep me from using a parallel port that I have plugged in for hobby purposes. And, by the way, nobody talks about security issues anymore, as soon as I have a "trusted certificate" (other words for expensive) for a driver doing just that.
Security arguments could not explain, why access is denied on 64Bit systems and allowed without extra certificates on 32Bit systems.