TROUBLESHOOTING PRINTERS
I. PAPER:
1) Verify that there is paper in the
paper tray. Put only about 25 sheets, 50 sheets, or the maximum number of sheets
according to manual into the paper tray.
2) Check to see if there is a piece of paper jammed in the printer.
3) Open up the machine (consult your printer manual) and see if there is a piece of paper jammed in the machine.
Some printers have
a door on the back to allow the jammed paper to be removed from the back. You
may have to open the front door and remove the toner cartridge if this is a laser
printer, in order to be able to remove any jammed pieces of paper.
4) Use a flashlight to look more closely inside the machine, particularly in the paper guides or anywhere
a tiny piece of paper might be jammed. Use a pair of tweezers or a small pair of
needle-nose pliers to remove the piece of paper.
5) If the paper is continually misfeeding and jamming no matter what you do, it's possible that the rollers or some internal part has become damaged. It may be time to take the printer into the printer repair shop (in San Diego), or purchase or borrow another printer.
II. CABLES:
1) Check to see if the printer cable (the cable with the extra-wide Parallel
Printer Port connector, or
the much smaller USB connector on it) is securely fastened to both the back
of the printer and the back or side of the computer.
2) Check the power cord to the printer. Is it pushed in all the way? Does the
(green?) Power light come ON and stay ON?
III. POWER:
1) Check the power. Is the (green) Power light ON? Is anything blinking? Check the manual or the manufacturer's web site to see what the blinking lights mean.
IV. PRINTER SELECTION:
1) In the program that you're trying to print from, click on File, then on Print or Printer Setup
or Printer Selection.
2) Check to see if your printer name and brand are listed in the "Printer Name:" box.
3) Click on the Down Arrow and select your printer if it is not the one in the box.
V. INK CARTRIDGE or TONER CARTRIDGE:
1) Some printers will not print, or even go through the motions of printing, if there is no or very little ink
in the ink cartridge. Is the light next to the Ink Cartridge icon or Ink Droplets icon blinking
or ON steadily? Is any other light
blinking?
VI. CONTROL PANEL:
1) Click on Start, then on Settings, then on Printers. Or
click on Start, then on Control Panel, then on Printers and
Other Hardware (or double-click on Printers and
Faxes).
2) Is an icon for your printer there? If not, you may have to reinstall the
printer software from the disk or the CD that came with your printer. See our instructions on
how to install an older printer,
or a newer, more recent printer
in Windows XP.
VII. ERROR CODES:
1) Are there any numbers showing on the LCD display on the printer, such as "Error 50"? Are the lights on the printer blinking in a strange way? These are signs that your printer may need service or has gone bad. Please contact us for information on how to repair the printer yourself or ask us where to take the printer for service, or go to this web site. You can also check the manufacturer's web site for more information.