We have a niche program running on a Win2K laptop that uses a security dongle connected to a parallel port for authentication. The laptop is getting creaky and I spent a frustrating night last night shopping various websites for a new laptop that had a parallel port. Seems I'm about three years late [G]. The question I have, is, if I buy a new(ish) laptop and use a USB-to-Parallel Port adapter, will the security dongle work?

I know I'm not being specific about the app, but it's one most people wouldn't have heard of anyways. I've been guessing the answer to my question is no, since the app won't know to send a request out to the non-existent port. But, if the process actually is that the dongle sends a message INTO the computer every now and then, then it might work. And, I'm not sure whether the dongle is only needed at program startup time or randomly. The dongle is a 'permanent' addition to the old laptop.

This is all about the money. We can have a newly-updated version of the program (which won't add any features we need) for the princely sum of $2700. Or we can spend $500 on a refurbed laptop still running WinXP, add a 30 buck adapter and keep the same solid, stolid performance we've come to appreciate. But it all comes down to the dongle behaviour.

Oh, and a dock won't work. The whole laptop issue is about moving about the various nooks and crannies of the building with laptop in hand.

Thanks for any suggestions/guidance. GM