Printer Problems Select best description of problem

1
Printer Problems(Select best description of
problem)

• Printer will not power up
• Printer not listed on computer
• Printer will not print (no paper comes out)
• Printer produces paper, but its wrong
• Printer LCD has message (primarily laser
  printers)
• Error message on computers screen

2
Printer will not power up (Q1)
Verify that the printer power cable is firmly and
completely plugged in to both the printer and the
surge protector.

• Yes, it is but printer still not powered up.
• Power cable was loose printer is now working
  properly.

If you lack a surge protector for your printer,
please contact the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and
request one.
3
Printer will not power up (Q2)
Are other devices plugged into the surge
protector receiving power? If there are no other
devices plugged into the surge protector, plug
one in to see if it receives power.

• Other devices are also not receiving power.
• Other devices are receiving power but printer
  will not power up.

If you lack a surge protector for your printer,
please contact the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and
request one.
4
Printer will not power up (Q3A)
Verify that the surge protector is firmly plugged
in to the electrical outlet and that the surge
protector is turned on.

• Surge protector is firmly plugged in and turned
  on but printer still not powered up.
• Printer is now working properly

If you lack a surge protector for your printer,
please contact the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and
request one.
5
Printer will not power up (Q4A)
Unplug the surge protector from the wall outlet
and plug a different electrical device into that
same outlet.

• The other electrical device also does not work
  when plugged into the same wall outlet.
• The other electrical device works fine when
  plugged into to the same wall outlet.

If you lack a surge protector for your printer,
please contact the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and
request one.
6
Printer will not power up (R1)
As no electrical devices are working in this wall
outlet, the wall outlet is not functional (could
be a damaged outlet or a tripped circuit
breaker).

• Workaround Temporarily use a different wall
  outlet in the room.
• Solution Report the non-functional electrical
  outlet to your campus administration for repair.

If you lack a surge protector for your printer,
please contact the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and
request one.
7
Printer will not power up (R2)
As the other electrical device works in this wall
outlet, the problem lies in the surge protector.

• Workaround Temporarily plug the printer directly
  into the electrical wall outlet, bypassing the
  surge protector.
• Solution Call (or email) the LISD Help Desk
  (x15266) and report the non-functional surge
  protector so that it can be replaced.

If you lack a surge protector for your printer,
please contact the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and
request one.
8
Printer will not power up (Q3B)
Plug the printer power cable into a different
outlet on the surge protector than the one it is
presently using.

• Using a different outlet in the surge protector,
  the printer will still not power up.
• Printer powers up using a different outlet on the
  surge protector the original outlet on your
  surge protector is bad. If you need all outlets
  to be functional, call (or email) LISD Help Desk
  (x15266)

and request a replacementsurge protector.
9
Printer will not power up (Q4B)
Verify that printers back door is closed and
completely locked into place (primarily a DeskJet
issue).

• The door was not locked completelythe system
  powers up now.
• If system still does not power up, either your
  printer or the printers power cable are
  defective. Please call (or email) the LISD Help
  Desk (x15266) to report the problem. Until we
  are able to resolve

this issue, you will need to useanother print
location to produceyour documents.
10
Printer not listed on computer (Q1)
From the Start menu, select Printers and Faxes.
Confirm that the desired printer is not listed
here.

• Printer is listed here.
• Printer is not listed here.

NoteNetwork printers (including those shared
from another computer) are listed as
cphs_room_printertype Local printers (connected
directly to the computer) are listed as either
DeskJet model or LaserJet model
11
Printer not listed on computer (R1)
Either the printer has not been installed onto
your computer or it has been unintentionally
removed. Please call (or email) the LISD Help
Desk (x15266) to request that the printer driver
be installed onto your computer. Be sure to
inform them regarding the printer model and, if
not directly attached to your computer, the
location of the printer. Until we are able to
resolve this issue, you will need to use another
print location to produce your documents.
12
Printer not listed on computer (Q2)
Within the list, closely examine the desired
printer. A small checkmark on the printer
indicates that all print jobs should default to
this printer.Does the printer to which you wish
todefault have the checkmark?

• The default printer is correct, but I am unable
  to print to it.
• The default printer is correct, but this time, I
  want to print to another printer on the list.

• The default printer is incorrectI want the
  computer to default toa different printer on the
  list.

13
Printer not listed on computer (R2)
As the printer is listed and is considered the
default printer, the solution to the problem more
likely lies in the Printer will not print
troubleshooting section. Please try the
troubleshooting questions in that area for a
possible resolution.
14
Printer not listed on computer (R3)
It should be possible to print to any printer in
the list. Open the document you wish to print.
Pull down the File Menu to Print. In the print
dialog box that opens, the default printer should
be selected. Pull down the drop-down menu and
select the printer which you wish to use. If you
still cannot print, then the solution likely lies
in the Printer will not print troubleshooting
section. Please try that area for a possible
resolution.
15
Printer not listed on computer (R4)

• Workaround Right-click on the desired printer
  and select Set as Default Printer from the
  drop-down menu. This setting will only remain
  until you logout.
• Solution Call (or email) the LISD Help Desk
  (x15266) and request the default printer to be
  permanently set. Be sure to supply the name of
  the printer as it appears in the list.

16
Printer will not print (Q1)(no paper comes out)
Does the printer act as if it has received a
print job? This is usually indicated by either
blinking lights or sounds of the printer trying
to warm up or move paper through the system.

• The printer tries to print (indicated by sounds
  or lights)
• The printer doesnt do anything its as if it
  never received a print job.

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
17
Printer will not print (Q2A)(no paper comes out)
From the Start menu, select Printers and Faxes.
Confirm that the desired printer is listed there
and it is the default printer (indicated by a
small checkmark).

• The default printer is the one towhich I want to
  print.
• The desired printer is not on the list.
• The desired printer is listed,but it is not the
  default.

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
18
Printer will not print (Q3A)(no paper comes out)
From the Printers and Faxes list, open the
printers que by double-clicking on the desired
printer in the list. Is your print job listed in
the que?

• My print job isin the list.
• My print job isnot in the list.

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
19
Printer will not print (Q4D)(no paper comes out)
Are you attempting to print to a local printer
(one connected directly to your computer) or to a
networked or shared printer (one connected
directly to the network or connected to another
computer that is sharing it)?

• Im printing to a printer that is directly
  connected to my computer (local)
• Im printing to a printer that is not directly
  connected to my computer (networked or shared)

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
20
Printer will not print (R1D)(no paper comes out)

• Workaround Until we are able to resolve this
  issue, you will need to use another print
  location to produce your documents.
• Solution Call (or email) the LISD Help Desk
  (x15266) and report that, even though the print
  jobs are moving through the print que, the
  printer is not responding. Be sure to indicate
  both the computer and the printer involved.

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
21
Printer will not print (Q5D)(no paper comes out)
As you are printing to a non-local printer, the
print job has moved from the computers que on to
the network que. Only staff can access the
network printer ques. Inside Faculty Staff
Applications, open the PrinterLinks folder.
Locate the desired printer and double-click it to
open its network printer que. Is your print job
listed here?

• The print job is listed in the que
• The print job is not listed in the que.

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
22
Printer will not print (Q4C)(no paper comes out)
Examine the title bar for the print que. Do you
see the word Paused?

• There isno Paused
• The title bardoes sayPaused

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
23
Printer will not print (R1C)(no paper comes out)
The printer que has been paused and is not
allowing print jobs to proceed. Only staff are
able to modify this setting. Pull down the
Printer Menu. On the menu, Pause Printing should
be checked. Select it again to toggle off the
checkmark. The Paused should disappear from the
print que title bar and the jobs should start
being processed.
Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
24
Printer will not print (Q5C)(no paper comes out)
Examine the first print job listed in the
printers que. Does its Status indicate an
error?

• There isno error
• There is anerror on thefirst print job.

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
25
Printer will not print (R2C)(no paper comes out)
For local printers, verify that both ends of the
cable connecting your computer and printer are
firmly inserted. For network printers, verify
that the printers network cable is firmly
inserted to both the printer and the network
outlet. For shared printers, make sure the
computer which is sharing the printer is powered
up and connected to the network, and that the
printer cable is firmly inserted at both
ends. Power cycle (off/on) the printer (and
sharing computer where applicable).
If still not functional afterwards, call (or
email) the LISD Help Desk (x15266). Be sure to
indicate both the computer and the printer
involved. Please use a different print location
until resolved.
26
Printer will not print (R3C)(no paper comes out)
The malfunctioning print job is blocking any
subsequent jobs from being processed. If your
print job is listed below the offending print
job, remove the malfunctioning job by clicking on
it and hitting the Delete key on your
keyboard. If your print job is the one with the
error, remove it as outlined above and try
reprinting the document. If the error occurs
again (either on your re-printed job or on the
next job in the print que list) or it still does
not print, continue to these steps.
27
Printer will not print (Q2B)(no paper comes out)
Is the printer making grinding noises or the
sound of paper tearing or being crushed?

• The printer is making grinding or damaged paper
  sounds.
• The printer is not making that type of sound
  (though it could be making other sounds such as
  beeping).

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
28
Printer will not print (R2B)(no paper comes out)
Grinding noises Open printer top and check for
foreign object remove if found. Check paper
tray area also. Paper damage If trying to print
to a plastic overhead, contact Help Desk. For
regular paper, try these instructions to remove
the paper jam from the printer. If unsuccessful,
call (or email) the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and
report grinding noises or paper jam. Be sure to
indicate the printer involved.
Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
29
Printer will not print (Q3F)(no paper comes out)
Are you trying to print to regular paper tray or
to the manual feed or other tray, or to a
special-sized paper?

• I am trying to print to regular-sized paper on
  the regular (normal) print tray, or I am not sure
  to which tray I am printing.
• I am deliberately trying to print to the manual
  feed or secondary tray, or to a paper size
  different than 8.5x11.

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
30
Printer will not print (R3F)(no paper comes out)
Confirm that paper (of the desired size) is in
the appropriate tray (manual feed or other). If
not, add the correct paper to the correct tray or
manual-feed area. You may need to delete the
original print job and try again (it may have
eventually been classified as an error). If
this does not solve the problem, call (or email)
the LISD Help Desk (x15266). Be sure to indicate
the computer and printer involved, and the
special print aspects you were trying to utilize
(i.e. print tray/paper size).
Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
31
Printer will not print (Q4F)(no paper comes out)
Are you trying to print to a laser printer
(LaserJet) or a inkjet printer (DeskJet)?

• Trying to print to a laser printer (LaserJet).
• Trying to print to an inkjet printer (DeskJet).

Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
32
Printer will not print (R4F)(no paper comes out)
Confirm that paper (of the desired size) is in
the appropriate tray (manual feed or other). Many
of our DeskJet printers also have a photo tray
that, when pushed in, prevents the printer from
grabbing regular paper from the paper tray. Be
sure that the photo tray is pulled out to its
normal position. If this does not solve the
problem, call (or email) the LISD Help Desk
(x15266). Be sure to indicate the computer and
printer involved, and the special print aspects
you were trying to utilize (i.e. print tray/paper
size).
Be sure that the printer is powered up and has
paper in the tray.
33
Printed document has errors (Q1)
Do you need to immediately stop or cancel the
print job?

• Yes, the print job needs to be halted.
• No, the document has already been printed or the
  print job has already been cancelled.

34
Printed document has errors (R1)
Turn off the printer (even though this could
cause a paper jam). On the Start Menu, open
Printers and Faxes. Double-click on the printer
to which you are printing. If the print job is
listed here, simply select it and press the
delete key on the keyboard. If the job still
remains (even though its status changes), then
restart your computer. If you are printing to a
network or shared printer and the document is no
longer in the list, go to Faculty Staff
Applications/_CPHS and open the PrinterLinks
folder (only available to staff). Double-click
on the desired printer and, if the print job is
listed, select it and delete it. After the job
has been removed and the computer has been
restarted (if necessary), then power back up the
printer.
If you need to continuetroubleshooting, click
here.
35
Printed document has errors (Q2)
Is the printer producing multiple pages
consisting of one or two rows of random
characters (hieroglyphics)?

• No, the document does not consist of random
  characters.
• Yes, and I need to stop the printer.
• Yes, but I have deleted the print job

Once the malfunctioning print job has been
deleted and both your computer and the printer
have been restarted, you should be able to print
normally. However, if the problem recurs
regularly, you will need to contact the LISD Help
Desk (x15266).
36
Printed document has errors (Q3)
Are areas of the printed document very faint or
faded (i.e. the color or black inappropriately
fade to white), or are there white streaks or
blotches in the printed area?

• Yes, sections of the printed document are faded
  or even blank.
• No, the document has no faded or blank areas.

37
Printed document has errors (R2)
The printers ink (DeskJet) or toner (LaserJet)
is running out or very low and will need to be
replaced. For LaserJet toner please call (or
email) the LISD Help Desk (x15266) and request a
new toner cartridge. Be sure to indicate the
printers location and model (i.e. LaserJet
4100). For DeskJet models 722, 880, 950, 960,
1120, 1220 Ink may be obtained (by staff only)
from the library. They will need to know the
printer model and ink type (color or black).
Instructions for determining which ink type is
low and ink cartridge installation can be found
here.
For DeskJet models not listed above, please call
(or email) the LISD Help Desk (x15266) to request
new ink cartridges. Be sure to indicate the
printers location, model and ink type needed
(color or black).
38
Printed document has errors (Q4)
Are there black or colored lines (streaks)
running across or down the printed document?

• Yes, the document has black/colored lines running
  across the page.
• No, there are no lines or streaks on the page.

39
Printed document has errors (R3)
Turn off the printer and open the top door. On a
LaserJet, grab and lift up and out the the toner
cartridge. Then, using a soft, dry cloth or
tissue, gently and carefully wipe down the
rollers and exposed areas. Be sure not to leave
any cloth or tissue fragments behind during the
process. Return the cartridge (if removed) and
power the printer up and try printing again.
This may have to be repeated a few times. If the
cloth/tissue appears clean after the wipe down,
or if the problem continues after several
attempts, then it is likely a problem you will
not be able to repair yourself. Please call (or
email) the LISD Help Desk (x15266) be sure to
include the printer model and location.
40
Printed document has errors (Q5)
Is the printed page completely blank (nothing is
printed at all a blank sheet of paper is simply
produced)?

• Yes, the printer is only producing blank sheets.
• No, the document is not blank.

41
Printed document has errors (R4)
Verify that the document you are printing does
not contain blank pages - scroll to the bottom of
the document to verify). If present, remove them
and reprint. Verify that the document does not
consist of white text (which will, of course, not
show up printed on white paper). If so, modify
the text color with the document and
reprint. Attempt to print a different test
document consisting of a few words of black text.
If this page also comes out blank, you will need
to change the ink/toner levels by proceeding to
here. If the test page prints correctly, then
the problem lies within the document itself or
the program used to create it. Call (or email)
LISD Help Desk (x15266) be sure to indicate the
computer, printer
and program being used. It would also be good to
place the document into your server account and
supply its location and filename.
42
Printed document has errors (Q6)
Is the printed document folded or creased?

• Yes, the document is folded or creased.
• No, the document is not folded or creased.

43
Printed document has errors (R5A)
Make sure the paper in the paper tray is aligned
properly and not skewed. If the paper in the tray
is fine, then the most likely cause is a small
piece of paper (or other object) is stuck
somewhere along the paper trail and the
document, as it travels through the printer, is
getting caught and bent. Eventually, this will
result in a paper jam. Instructions on locating
the problem and removing it can be found here.
44
Printed document has errors (R5B)
We are unable to identify your technical problem.
It is possible that the resolution might be
found in one of the other Printer Problems
categories. To return to the Main Printer page,
click on the icon below. Or call (or email) the
LISD Help Desk (x15266) and supply a detailed
description of the problem and the
printer/computer involved.
45
Printer LCD has message (Q1)
Does the message say that the Toner is Low/Out?

• Yes, the message refers to toner being low, out
  or needing to be ordered.
• No, it has a different message.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
46
Printer LCD has message (Q2A)
Are areas of the printed document very faint or
faded (i.e. the color or black inappropriately
fade to white), or are there white streaks or
blotches in the printed area?

• Yes, sections of the printed document are faded
  or even blank.
• No, the document has no faded or blank areas.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
47
Printer LCD has message (R1B)
Due to the cost of laser toner cartridges, most
laser printers will actually start warning the
user well in advance of the cartridge actually
running out of toner. This gives the user plenty
of time to purchase a replacement cartridge. But
as long as your printed documents do not have
faded areas or blank white areas, then the
cartridge does not need to be replaced yet.
Ignore the message until faded areas appear on
documents.
The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
48
Printer LCD has message (Q2B)
Does the message look similar to any of the
following Offline
Access Denied Menus Locked
Processing Job Non HP
Cartridge Detected

• Yes, one of the messages listed above is being
  displayed on the printer LCD.
• No, it has a different message.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
49
Printer LCD has message (R2)
These messages (explained below) require no
action on your part other than possibly to hit
the green Go button.

• Offline Press the Go button on the printer to
  continue.
• Access Denied Menus Locked Only tech
  administration has access to the printers
  control panel.
• Processing Job The printer is preparing to print
  a document depending on the documents
  complexity and whether the printer needs to warm
  up, this may take a few moments.
• Non HP Cartridge Detected LISD often uses
  re-charged toner cartridges these sometimes
  register as Non HP simply press the Go button
  to continue.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
50
Printer LCD has message (Q3)
Does the message look similar to any of the
following Tray X Load
Install Tray
Close Top Cover Output Bin
Full

• Yes, one of the messages listed above is being
  displayed on the printer LCD.
• No, it has a different message.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
51
Printer LCD has message (R3)
These messages require you to do the following

• Tray X Load Add paper to the indicated tray.
• Install Tray The paper tray is not completely
  pushed in.
• Close Top Cover The top cover is not completely
  closed.
• Output Bin Full The area where printed documents
  stack up is full remove the printed documents.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
52
Printer LCD has message (Q4)
Does the message look similar to any of the
following Manual (Manually)
Feed Unexpected Paper Size
Env Feeder Load/Size/Type

• Yes, one of the messages listed above is being
  displayed on the printer LCD.
• No, it has a different message.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
53
Printer LCD has message (R4)
All of these messages indicate a problem with
paper size or paper tray.

• Manual (Manually) Feed The print job has been
  directed to go to the manual feed tray. Open the
  front door on the printer and put some paper into
  the fold-out tray.
• Unexpected Paper Size The print job specified a
  specific paper size, but the printer is unable to
  find paper of that size. Place the appropriately
  sized paper into the tray. If paper of the
  correct size is already present, completely
  remove the tray and make sure the blue slider at
  the rear of the tray has not slipped backwards
  giving a false paper size reading. If so, slide
  it forward.

• Env Feeder Load/Size/Type The print job was
  directed to envelopes place the correctly sized
  envelopes in the front fold-out manual feed tray.

54
Printer LCD has message (Q5)
Does the message say that the Page Too Complex?

• Yes, the messages listed above is being displayed
  on the printer LCD.
• No, it has a different message.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
55
Printer LCD has message (R5)
Press the green Go button on the printer. The
message Page Too Complex indicates that the
document you are attempting to print is too
complicated for the printer to handle. Usually
this is caused by excessive or complex drawings,
or an extremely large file size. Either can
cause the print job to be so large that the
memory in the printer is unable to handle the
job. The only workaround is to reduce the
complexity of the document by reducing its size
(i.e. saving half the document with another
filename) or removing components from it.
The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
56
Printer LCD has message (Q6)
Does the message look similar to any of the
following Cartridge Failure
Install Toner Cartridge
X Paper Jam

• Yes, one of the messages listed above is being
  displayed on the printer LCD.
• No, it has a different message.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
57
Printer LCD has message (R6)
These messages indicate that either the printer
cartridge has a problem or that there is a paper
jam.

• Cartridge Failure or Install Toner Cartridge The
  printer toner cartridge is either missing or
  damaged and will need to be replaced. Please
  call (or email) the LISD Help Desk (x15266) to
  get a new cartridge be sure to indicate the
  printers location and model.
• X Paper Jam The indicated paper tray has a paper
  jam. Instructions for locating and removing a
  paper jam can be found here.

The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
58
Printer LCD has message (R7)
There are a considerable number of possible LCD
messages, but the remaining ones cannot be easily
fixed by the user. Please call (or email) the
LISD Help Desk (x15266) and report both the
printers location and the exact LCD message
being displayed. As a workaround, you will have
to print to another print location until we are
able to resolve this issue.
Paper Wrapped Around Fuser, Insufficient Memory,
Processing (Auto) Cleaning Page, Service Error,
Service XXXX, Perform Printer Maintenance,
Printer Error, Fuser Error..
The printer LCD is almost exclusively found on
our laser printers. All messages listed are
approximations.
59
Error message on computer screen
This section is still under development. At this
time, to resolve your problem, you will need to
call (or email) the LISD Help Desk (x15266).