professor Messer - troubleshooting printers

Question 1

• Print or scan a test page
  
  • Built into Windows
  • Not the application
• Use diagnostic tools
  
  • Web-based utilities
  • Built into the printer
  • Vendor specific
  • Download from the web site
  • Generic
  • Available in LiveCD form

Answer 1

testing the printer

Question 2

• Streaks and blurs
  
  • Inkjet: Clean print heads
  • Laser: Check for scratched photosensitive drum
• Faded prints, blank pages
  
  • Low toner or ink
• Ghost images
  
  • Laser printer optical drum not cleaned properly
  • Ghost or “shadow” from previous drum rotation

Answer 2

bad output

Question 3

• Color prints in wrong print color
  
  • Low ink in one cartridge
  • Everything else works fine
• Laser printer output smudges everywhere
  
  • Toner not fused to the paper
  • Should be permanently melted and pressed
  • May not be hot
  • Fuser problem

Answer 3

final print

Question 4

• Careful when removing
  
  • Don’t rip the paper
  • Don’t damage internal components
• Paper not feeding
  
  • Check the tray
  • Pickup rollers
  • Part of a laser printer maintenance kit
• Creased paper
  
  • Problems in the paper path
  • Check the paper weight

Answer 4

paper jam

Question 5

• No connectivity
  
  • Powered on?
  • User intervention required
  • Wired cabling / Wireless settings
• Access denied
  
  • Security tab
  • Print
  • Manage this printer
  • Manage documents

Answer 5

network issues

Question 6

• Garbled characters on paper
  
  • Bad printer driver / wrong model
  • Incorrect page description language
  • (PCL or PostScript?)
  • Bad application
  • Check with a test page

Answer 6

bad output

Question 7

• Unable to install printer
  
  • Drivers are important OS updates
  • User must have proper rights
  • Check the printer driver
  • 32 bit vs. 64 bit
• Backed up print queue
  
  • Print server not working
  • Print spooler crash
  • Restart the spooler
  • Change recovery options

Answer 7

OS issues

Question 8

• Error codes
  • On the printer display
  • Today’s printers have large LCDs
• Low memory errors
  • Laser printers build the entire page in memory
  • Complex images and graphics
consume more memory

Answer 8

error messages

Question 9

• Check the printer
  • Getting power? Check for display messages
  • Run a test print from the printer
• Check the connectivity
  • Print a test page from a computer
  • Check direct connection
  • Try across the network
  • Tests the operating system, network,
drivers, and spooler
• Check other applications
  • Print from a different program

Answer 9

no output

Question 10

• Corrupted print jobs
  • Print spooler will crash
  • Most spooler configuration
  will automatically restart
• Problems are logged
  • Windows Event Viewer, Windows-PrintService
• One job may be causing the issue
  • Monitor the queue for details

Answer 10

multiple failed jobs in logs