Printer Troubleshooting

Printer Troubleshooting

Designed by www.techpings.com


AgendaAgenda

Overview

Print Quality Troubleshooting

Basic Troubleshooting

Paper Issues

Troubleshooting Strategies


ObjectivesObjectivesUpon completion of this course, the participant will be able to:

Identify at least three results of print media that can contribute to poor print quality

Describe basic troubleshooting steps for determining printer issues

Identify key causes for paper issues


OverviewOverviewThis presentation will provide a basic overview of troubleshooting for LaserJet printers

The processes for troubleshooting can vary by model and manufacturer

Model specific troubleshooting can be based off of the printer control panel error messages

Focus will be on the following:

• Print Quality Troubleshooting

• Basic Troubleshooting

• Paper Issues


Print Quality TroubleshootingPrint Quality Troubleshooting

The media being used is usually the cause of poor print quality and related issues

Problems with print quality usually result from print media that does not meet the specifications of the printer, has been stored improperly, or is not in good condition

Most LaserJet printers are designed to accept different types of print media

Media that is designed to work specifically for the printer should be used if possible


Print Quality TroubleshootingPrint Quality TroubleshootingTo determine if the print media is causing quality related problems, the following should be addressed:

The media should meet or exceed the specifications set by the manufacturer

Media must be in good condition with no physical damage, wrinkles or bends

Environmental and storage practices can also cause media related problems, such as temperature, humidity, exposure to sunlight and cleanliness

Is the user following the correct procedures for printing?


Basic TroubleshootingBasic TroubleshootingIf the cause of the printing issue cannot be determined, the following is basic troubleshooting that can be performed:

Try print media from a different batch, or from a different manufacturer

Flip the paper over in the input tray, or turn it from front to rear, or both

If issue pertains to printing an envelope, print a sheet of paper to determine if the problem is being caused by the envelope

• If the paper prints fine, check the envelope again

• If the paper’s print quality is poor, there may be a printer problem


Paper IssuesPaper Issues

If jammed paper is reused, it can damage the printer!

If paper is jamming frequently, consider the following:

• The paper may be too stiff or too heavy, and may not be able to make its way through the paper path

• If the paper is not cut to specification, it can cause poor print alignment, improper fit in the tray, or problems for the paper sensors


Paper IssuesPaper Issues

If the printer is frequently feeding multiple sheets of paper:

• Paper should not be added in small amounts into the input tray, this can cause alignment problems

• If the paper is too dry, or not moist enough the paper may become less conductive and create static buildup

• Paper may be embossed or have raised letterhead

• Paper adjustments are set incorrectly


Troubleshooting StrategiesTroubleshooting StrategiesThe following are some troubleshooting tips that should be helpful when trying to resolve issues over the phone

Troubleshooting Issue Information Provided Possible Solutions

Print job is being sent to the wrong printer

If another printer is the default or was used the last time, jobs are being sent to the wrong printer

Change the printer choice in the application

No power light on printer or printer is not being seen by the operating system

Indicates the printer is not getting power. Damaged cables or improper cable types can prevent a print job from being transferred to the printer

Reseat plug to ensure proper power

Reseat Ribbon cable and check for damage

Print job is not reaching the printer

If the printer is off-line, no print jobs will be accepted

Press the off-line button or pause button on the printer to return the printer to on-line status


Troubleshooting StrategiesTroubleshooting StrategiesTroubleshooting Issue Information Provided Possible Solutions

Message lights blinking on printer or display screen shows error message

Possible indication of a paper jam, no paper, or no ink. Wrong paper type, not enough paper in the tray, or the printer not sitting flat can cause a paper jam

Clear the paper path

Add acceptable paper type

Change ink cartridges, remembering to remove any packaging tape

Print quality is poor Light blinking, uneven printing, colors missing or faded, or streaks on the paper can indicate problems with ink or toner supply, laser drum damage, or wrong settings

Clean print heads or drum

Replace ink cartridges or toner

Change print quality settings in the printer properties

Print jobs to not reach the printer

The Print Manager in the OS created the jobs but the spooler has not sent them to the printer. If no jobs in the Manager, continue troubleshooting steps

Check that off-line printing is not selected in the properties

Check that the job is not paused

Purge the first print job

Reboot computer and/or printer



Cannot print from an applicationIf a test page can be printed then the OS print driver is working. If no test page can be printed, continue troubleshooting steps

Reboot computer to clear memory and restart the application

Dispatch repair tech to reinstall the application

Printing from command prompt but not from Windows

If a test page can be printed from a command prompt and not Windows, the Windows print driver is corrupted. No printing No printing can occur from the DOS prompt can occur from the DOS prompt to a USB printer.to a USB printer.

Choose to print directly to the printer in the printer properties.

Disable bi-directional support

Verify the printer manufacturer and model number.

Dispatch tech to reinstall driversIncomplete documents, garbled characters or documents print slowly

Windows uses the hard disk partition that contains the windir to temporarily store print jobs before sending them to the printer. Insufficient space for the content may cause the errors

Delete files in the Temp directory - *tmp

Delete files in the spool/printers directory - *spl

Ensure there is enough space

Scan and defrag the partition



Incorrect printer port or port conflicts

If the printer port is inactive or mapped to another location, print jobs will not print to the local printer. USB ports are not supported in Windows 95 OEM version or Windows NT

Make sure the printer port is correct. Locally, this is usually LPT1

Networked printers are mapped to a specific location

Check for conflicts in the Device Manager

Cannot send print jobs to networked printer or TCP/IP printer

The print server must be on, the path to the printer must be correct, and both computers must have network connectivity

Check the mapped path in the printer properties

If possible, check that the print server is on and running

Ping the print server

Cannot print from a DOS based program to a network printer

Capture the printer port At a command prompt type:

Net uselpt1 Net uselpt1 \\server name\share name /p



Cannot print from Windows to a network printer but network connectivity is not a problem

Capture the printer port Go to the printer properties and click the Details tab

Select to capture the printer port and then type in a path if it needs to be entered, otherwise the LPT port is chosen

Print job times out Transmission retry is the amount of time in seconds the printer waits before it cannot accept characters

In the Details tab of the printer properties, enter the number of seconds for the timeout session in the Timeout Settings group


Objectives RevisitedObjectives Revisited

Identify at least three results of print media that can contribute to poor print quality

Describe basic troubleshooting steps for determining printer issues

Identify key causes for paper issues


ReviewReview

Review / Questions

Technology

Printer Troubleshooting