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BASIC PRINTER TROUBLESHOOTING

=================================================================

POSSIBLE CAUSES:

  1. The printer cable may be loose or defective.
  2. The printer driver may not be properly installed or the drivers may be corrupt.
  3. The application that you are trying to print from may not be configured with your specific printer.
  4. There may be something in the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS file that is conflicting with your printer.
  5. Your specific printer may not be configured as the default printer in Windows.
  6. The LPT1 port may not be enabled in CMOS.
  7. The printer may be unable to perform a self-test.
  8. The printer mode is not selected correctly.  SPP, EPP, or ECP ?
BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING PROCEDURES:

=====================================

These basic troubleshooting steps may resolve or more accurately diagnose numerous printer problems.

PERFORM A SELF-TEST ON THE PRINTER

It is important to insure that the printer will perform a self-test. This isolates the problem to something other than the operation of the printer itself. Refer to your printer manual on how to perform a self-test on your specific printer. If the printer fails to do a self-test, try disconnecting it from the system or if possible, try the printer hooked to another system.

CHECK THE CABLE CONNECTION ON THE PRINTER AND THE COMPUTER

Make sure the parallel cable is connected securely to the printer as well as the computer system. If possible, try another printer cable to ensure that the cable is not defective.

MAKE SURE THAT THE PRINTER DRIVERS ARE INSTALLED

If the printer that you are using is not set as the default printer in Windows or the printer driver is not installed, the printer may print garbled characters. You may also receive errors when you attempt to print from applications.

CHECK THE LPT1 SETTINGS IN CMOS

If the printer port is not properly identified in CMOS, the printer may not function properly and you may receive errors when trying to print.
  1. As soon as your computer begins to re-start You should see a message "Hit DEL if you want to enter setup", begin pressing the <DEL> key until you enter the CMOS setup.
  2. In CMOS you will need to locate the section that contains the Onboard Parallel Port configurations. It will possibly be Advanced CMOS Setup or Integrated Peripherals. Use the arrow key to highlight one of these selections and press <ENTER>. Repeat until you find the area containing Onboard Parallel Port configurations.
  3. The address setting for the LPT1 port should be 3BCh or 378h depending on what kind of video card you have. The IRQ setting for the port should be 7 and LPT1 should be enabled in order for the printer to print correctly. You can modify the settings by highlighting them with the arrow key and using the <PAGE UP> or <PAGE DOWN> keys.
  4. Press <ESCAPE>
  5. Highlight Save settings and exit and press <ENTER> or Follow the on-screen instructions to Save and Exit Setup.
 

RESOLVING PRINTER PROBLEMS:

==============================

SOFTWARE CONFLICT

To insure that there is no conflict with another software application, boot the system clean by booting it up from a WINDOW 95 STARTUP DISKETTE.  Once you have booted clean, from the root directory of the C:\> prompt type:

copy config.sys lpt1

and press <ENTER>. If the printer is a laser printer and you are unable to print, you may want to type:

mode lpt1:,,p

and press <ENTER>

then type:

copy config.sys lpt1

The mode statement tells the system to use LPT1 for its default printer port. The two commas specify no change in columns or lines, and the P switch tells the system to infinitely retry sending information to LPT1 until the printer responds.

If the printer responds and the characters are not garbled, the problem may be a software conflict with a setting in the AUTOEXEC.BAT or CONFIG.SYS. Call your printer manufacturer for assistance configuring your.

THIRD PARTY APPLICATIONS

If you are able to print from MS-DOS and Windows applications but not from applications that you purchased elsewhere, makes sure that the printer is configured within that application. If you are unsure how to do this, call the manufacturer or distributor of that application.

WINDOWS PRINTER DRIVER INSTALLATION

If you are receiving garbled output from your printer when trying to print in Windows, make sure that the printer you have is configured as the default printer and the drivers are installed.

WINDOWS 3.xx

  1. From the Program Manager in Windows, double click on the Main group.
  2. Double click on the Control Panel icon.
  3. Double-click on the Printers icon.
  4. In the Installed Printers section, highlight the printer that you have on your system then click the Set As Default printer.
  5. If the printer that you have is not on the Installed Printers list, click on the Add button.
  6. Below the list of Installed Printers, a List of Printers will appear.
  7. Scroll through this list to find your printer or emulation for the printer that you can find in the printer owner's manual.
  8. Once you have located the printer you want, click on it so it is highlighted and click on the Install button.
  9. Another window will open up and prompt you to Insert the Microsoft Windows disk # ... If you have Windows diskettes, insert the diskette that is being asked for. Click the OK button so the drivers load. Once the applicable drivers are installed, the screen will return to the Printers window. Click on the printer you just installed to highlight it, click on the Set As Default Printer button, then close the Printer window. Your printer is now installed in Windows 3.xx
WINDOWS 95
  1. In Windows 95 click the Start button in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
  2. Click the word Settings that appears on the menu.
  3. Click on Printers.
  4. If you see an icon for your printer, click on the icon with the RIGHT mouse button.
  5. Click on Set As Default printer.
  6. If you do not see an icon for your printer, double-click on the Add Printer Icon.
  7. Click on Next to begin installing your printer.
  8. Select Local Printer if the printer is connected directly to your computer or Networked Printer if you are trying to connect to a printer on a network. (this document will not cover installing a network printer as this is a bit more complex. You should contact your network administrator for help accessing the networked printer).
  9. Click on Next.
  10. If you have a disk(s) for your printer,
    1. Click on have disk.
    2. Insert your printer driver disk.
    3. Click Browse to locate the printer driver on the driver disk.
  11. Select your printer from the list and click Next
  12. Select LPT1: Printer Port and click Next.
  13. Enter a name for the printer or accept the default name.
  14. Click on Next.
  15. Print a test page to verify that the printer is working.
If the printer that you are using does not appear on the list of printers to install, or you do not have any driver disk(s), check the printer's user's manual for your specific printer. It should contain installation notes or emulation's for your printer or possibly a source to contact for printer drivers.

LOOSE OR DEFECTIVE CABLE

If the drivers are configured correctly and you are unable to print after booting clean, the problem may be the cable connecting the printer to the computer or the connection between the LPT port and the system board. Power the system off and reseat the parallel cable on the printer and the back of the computer. Power the system back on and try printing again. If you have a full size desktop system or tower system, continue with the following procedure. Power the system off, remove the case screws from the rear of the system, and remove the outer case. Identify the cable on the inside of the system that corresponds with where the printer is attached on the outside of the system. Gently pull the gray ribbon off the system board and put it back on the system board firmly (pull the connector, not the cable). Power the system back on and attempt to print again.
 

ERROR MESSAGES:

=================

THE PRINTER IS OFF-LINE OR NOT SELECTED

Make sure that your specific printer is selected as the default printer in Windows or the specific application that you are printing from. Insure that the printer is on-line and the cable is properly connected.

WRITE FAULT ERROR WRITING DEVICE. ABORT, RETRY, IGNORE, FAIL?

Make sure that the LPT port is identified correctly in CMOS and the internal and external cables on the printer port are correctly connected.

CANNOT LOCATE PRINTER ON LPT PORT

This error usually occurs if you have plugged the printer into the wrong port on the back of the computer or the default printer in Windows is selected incorrectly. Make sure that the cable is connected correctly on the printer and computer and the printer are turned on.

PRINTER IS OUT OF PAPER OR NOT CONNECTED

Check that there is paper in the printer and that the paper is not jammed in the printer. Make sure that the printer has not become disconnected or powered down.





Last Update : 4/29/2003       

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