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Revision Date: 5/10/2013
Time 1.0 Hour
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KEY POINTS
Printer setup will vary according to the type of printer you are troubleshooting. The best place to find the correct steps is
to use the users manual or the company website.
New multifunctional printers are shipped with the scanner lock switch set to l ock.
Spilled toner should be vacuumed immediately.
Printer best practice maintenance includes vacuuming, lubricating and cleaning components.
Print jobs are sent to the printer as spooled files.
It is important to use the correct ink and paper for the type of printer you have.
Every printer has a troubleshooting guide you can follow to fix printing problems.
TROUBLESHOOT PRINTERS
COMMON SYMPTOMS TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS OR TOOLS
PrintQuality Issues
Streaks
Faded image
Ghost images
Vertical lines
Color prints in wrong print color
1. Use the correct ink for the printer
2. Run a diagnotics test
Print a test page
Check the report for erros
Look for alignment patterns
Color is uniform, unstreaked
Clean ink cartridges & nozzles
Replace cartridges that are
damaged
3. If the test shows no defects, make
sure that the image you areprinting has sufficient resolution.
Images that have been enlarged
too much might appear fuzzy or
blurry.
StreaksAre the appearance of colors
that are streaked with another coloror
or have white streaks.
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TROUBLESHOOT PRINTERS
COMMON SYMPTOMS TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS OR TOOLS
Faded image
Ghost imageswhen the printer prints
a lighter shadow image of the same one
it's supposed to printing along with theimage, but is shifted or shadows the
normal image.
Ghosting is typically generated by
accumulated toner filling the
moderately sized waste chamber.
Check the printer drum and replace if the drum is:
Scratched
dirty
wiper blade is worn
Clean waste chamber usingToner
Vacuum
NOTE : Do not touch the imaging drum on thebottom of the cartridge. Fingerprints on theimaging drum can cause print-quality problems
Vertical lines on pagetroubleshooting
will vary based on the type of printer.
Laser printers vs. Inkjet.
1. Use the correct paper for
the type of printer ink.
Ink that is not absorbed
will smear or streak
2. Or clean scanner glass if
occurring on a copy
3. Replace the drum or
replace the toner
cartridge if the printer contains a drum.
4. Remove and shake the toner cartridge.
Color prints in wrong print color 1. Run a diagnostic test
2. Check ink levels and replace low or empty cartridges
3. Always use the power button to turn the printer off. This protects
the cartridges from exposure to air.
Toner not fused to the paperThis is a
problem with Laser Printers only
because fusing is melting the toners
plastic particles so they stick, or fuse, to
the fibers in the paper.
1. Feel the paper as it is coming out of the printer. It should be warm.
If it is not, the fuser is broken and needs replaced.
2. If the paper is warm, but the toner is loose or smeared, clean the
fuser with soft cloth and alcohol.
3. Change the paper type settings
Load the paper you want to print on into the input tray.
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TROUBLESHOOT PRINTERS
COMMON SYMPTOMS TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS OR TOOLS
Click File then Print. The Printing Preferences window opens.
Click Printer Propertieslink
Click the Paper/Qualitytab.
Open the Mediadrop-down list, choose the paper type
Click OK
All White Page 1. Check your toner and replace if necessary
2.
Check the transfer corona
All Black Page 1. Corona is broken, replace it
Paper jam / Creased paper / Paper not
feeding - During printing, the printer
stops feeding pages, and the error
message Paper Jamshows on the
printer control panel. The Power light
on the printer control panel might also
blink fast.
1. Clear the paper from the printer
2. Make sure the paper is placed in the tray straight and not overfull
3. Use paper that is of good
quality and free of cuts, nicks,
tears, spots, loose particles,
dust, wrinkles, voids, staples,
and curled or bent edges.
4. Use paper that has not been
previously printed on5. Use paper that does not
contain metallic material such
as glitter.
6. Use paper that is not too rough.
Using smoother paper generally results in better print quality.
7. Use paper that is designed for use in your printer. Do not use paper
that is designed only for use in Inkjet if you have a laser printer and
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TROUBLESHOOT PRINTERS
COMMON SYMPTOMS TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS OR TOOLS
visa versa.
8. Go to the Printer manufacturer support site or follow the manual to
reset the printer.
9. If the problem persists, continue troubleshooting
10. Rollers may have dust or paper on them and may need to be
cleaned
No connectivity / Printer will not print 1. Make sure printer is connected to power supply
2. Ensure the cables are connected to the printer and computer
3. RunPrinter Troubleshooter to see if it can resolve the issue
4. Reset/StartPrinter Spooler
5. Update the printer driver
6. Go to Printer Manufacturestroubleshooting manual or website.
Garbled characters on paper 1. Look at the following:
The print cartridge seal is in place, or the print cartridge is
damaged.
The USB cable is loose or damaged.
The computer needs to be restarted.
The wrong printer driver was selected
when the software was installed.
If a specific file prints garbled text,
there might be a problem with that
specific file.
If a specific software program prints garbled text, there might bea problem with that software program.
2. If these troubleshooting solutions do not solve the problem, have
the printer serviced.
Backed up print queue- Print jobs get
"stuck" in the print queue.
1. Press cancel button on printer
2. Turn printer off and then back on
3. Open Devices and Printers in Control Panel
Right-clickthe icon for your printer, and then click Open.
Double click See Whats Printing
To cancel individual print jobs, right-click the print job that you
want to cancel, and then click Cancel.
To cancel all print jobs, click Cancel All Documentson the
Printermenu.
4. Go toPrinter Spoolersection for a step by step guide on how to fix
a spooler problem.
Access deniederror message when
trying to print
1. To fix the access denied error, go to Devices and Printersin the
Control Paneland double click on the printer icon you are trying to
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TROUBLESHOOT PRINTERS
COMMON SYMPTOMS TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS OR TOOLS
access.
2. Double click on Customize Your Printer
3. Open the SharingTab and check the box to Share this printerclick
Applythen click OK.
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TROUBLESHOOT PRINTERS
COMMON SYMPTOMS TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS OR TOOLS
4. Also go to Network and Sharing Centerand choose the Change
advanced sharing settings. Choose the Network profile you are
trying to access the printer from (Home or Work / Public) Make
sure the Network Discoveryand File and printer sharingradio
buttons are both turned on.
Unable to install printerTo manually install a printer driver
1. Click to open Devices and Printers.
2. Right-click the printer you want to update, and then click Printer
properties.
3. Click the Advancedtab.
4. Click New Driver, and then follow the instructions in the Add Printer
Driver wizard.
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TROUBLESHOOT PRINTERS
COMMON SYMPTOMS TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS OR TOOLS
Error codes
There are various error codes that could
be displayed such as:
low ink
Paper jam
Connection error
Ink cartrige failure, or damaged
Low memory errors
Go to the website or use the instruction manual and find the error codes
and follow the directions provided to correct the problem.
SOFTWARE TO O LS
PRINTER TROUBLESHOOTER
1.
Open Troubleshootingin Control Panel
2.
Choose Use a Printerunder Hardware and Sound
3.
A new Printer Window will open click Next
4.
If more than one printer is installed, choose the printer you want to troubleshoot, click Next
5.
You can click the view detailed information link to see the report
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6.
Click Nextbutton and then choose Try these repairs as an administrator
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7.
Once the problem is fixed click Closebutton
8.
Try to print your document again
PRINTER SPOOLER
When printer is physically fine (No paper jam or any error indications on printer). You can use either the Command Promptor
Servicesto clear the pending print jobs (print queue).
COMMAND PROMPT
1.
Open a Command Prompt as adminstrator
2.
To stop the spooler, Type: net stop spooler
3.
To start print spooler, Type Net start spooler
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SERVICES APPLET
1. Open Servicesin the Administrative Tools
2.
Find Print Spoolerin the list click it and then rightclick and choose Stop, Start, Pause, Restart or Resume
3.
You can right click on All Tasksto Stop, Start, Pause, Restart or Resume
PHYSICAL TOOLS
MAINTENANCE K IT
A maintenance kit is a set of replacement parts for a printer. Each printer has a preset maintenance interval, which occurs after a
certain amount of pages are printed. The maintenance interval lets the user know that its time to install the maintenance kit so
that the parts within the printer do not get overused.
These kits provide all the parts necessary for you to perform do-it-yourself maintenance on your printer and to help extend your
printer's life.
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Go to your printer manufacturers website and look up what is included in their maintenance kit
TONER VACUUM
Toner particles have electrostatic properties and can develop static-electric
charges when they rub against other particles. For this reason toner needs to
be vacuumed with a specialized vacuum with an electrically conductive hoseand a high efficiency (HEPA) filter. If you use a normal vacuum cleaner, static
discharge from charged toner particles can ignite dust in the vacuum cleaner
bag or create a small explosion if sufficient toner is airborne.
COMPRESSED / CANNED A IR
Canned air is used to clean dust off of electronic components that cannot be
cleaned with water or are hard to reach. It is not air that we breathe, but is a
product made of gas that is compressed into a liquid and canned. The types of
gases used vary, and some are dangerous when used improperly. Some of the more common dangers include:
Flammable ingredients.When canned gas is
tilted, the liquefied and highly flammable gas can
be released into the air and onto surfaces it
contacts. This can be especially dangerous in
poorly ventilated areas. When a flammable
atmosphere is created, flames, sparks and
electrical switches can ignite the concentrated
gas, causing a flash fire.
Frostbite.The liquid inside canned air can cause
frostbite when the skin is exposed to a steady
stream. This can vary from an intense burning
sensation to serious physical injuries such as skin
cracking, and damage to muscles, blood vessels
and nerves.
Asphyxiation and toxicity.When high
concentrations of the gas are released into a nonventilated area, oxygen deficiency and possible asphyxiation can occur.
The effects of inhalation vary depending on the type of chemical used, as well as the intensity and duration of exposure.
When used properly, a serious breathing problem is unlikely to occur.