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UNIT OF COMPETENCY:
Diagnose and Troubleshoot
Computer System CODE E L C 7 2 4 3 1 9

INFORMATION SHEET:
Prepared by: Francis
Printer Troubleshooting Page 1

General Printer Troubleshooting:

Make sure the printer has power and is on-line. If you are using a manual printer
sharing device, make sure the switch is set to activate the correct printer.
Turn it off and on again to reinitialize any internal settings that may have gone
astray.
Ensure that the tape that seals the cartridge ink port is removed prior to
installing the cartridge.
Use the printer's own self-test, according to the manufacturer's
recommendation. If it fails, you have verified that the problem is within the
printer. If the print head is not moving at all, the transport motor may have
failed.
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.
If the printer passes the self-test, try a test print using the Print Screen
capability within DOS. If the Print Screen fails, you know the problem is in the
relationship between the printer and the computer. Inspect the cable and the
cable connections. Replacing the cable with a known good cable is worth trying
since cables are so frequently the source of printer problems. Cables can fail
with broken wires, loose or broken pins, or incorrect pin-outs.
If the printer is connected to the computer through an add-in device, remove
the add-in device and connect the parallel cable to the printer and then directly
to the port on the back of the computer. Some examples of add-in devices are:
switchboxes, parallel port scanners, external disk drives, external tape drives,
security lock keys, or external CD-ROM drives. Some add-in devices may
interfere with proper communications with the printer. Try printing again. If the
printer prints successfully, the cable may not have been connected properly, or
the add-in device may have been interrupting communication with the printer.
If the combined length of the cables connecting the add-in device and the
printer exceeds 10 feet, communication can also be disrupted. In addition, the
software that controls some add-in devices may take control of the printer port
interfering with any other device attempting to use the same port. In some
cases, the software for the add-in device should be disabled or uninstalled.
Remove any add-in devices and uninstall the software for those devices, then
try printing again.
The message "out of paper" is sometimes erroneously reported when there is
plenty of paper, and can indicate a physical problem with the printer.
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. Check your
Users Guide on how to enter CMOS. Once in the Setup utility, locate the LPT1
settings. 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.
If the Print Screen succeeds, the problem may be with your application or its
configuration. For example, your application may be set up to direct output to a
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Computer Hardware & REVISION: A
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UNIT OF COMPETENCY:
Diagnose and Troubleshoot
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INFORMATION SHEET:
Prepared by: Francis
Printer Troubleshooting Page 2

file instead of the printer, or you might be directing the output to the wrong
communications port.

Try connecting a different printer to this computer or try connecting the printer
to a different computer and print a test page. If this printer works when
connected to another computer, there may be a problem with the port on your
PC. If this printer does not work when connected to another computer, there
may be a physical problem with the printer.

Troubleshooting Laser Printers:

Be sure all dip switches are properly set for your configuration. Laser
configuration is sometimes done by a control panel of buttons with an LED
display that permits you to alter configuration memory. Be sure that the
application being used is properly configured for the printer as set up.
Fuzzy laser output could mean you have a dirty corona wire or you are running
out of toner. Horizontal lines or splotches indicate possible damaged or dirty
print drums or rollers. Since some of these components are part of the
cartridge, a useful quick fix is simply to change the cartridge.
If laser images seem disproportionately long or short, the drive motor may not
be moving the paper through at the correct speed.
Failure of a laser printer to go on-line might be a communication interface
problem. It could also indicate a faulty control panel. Try powering up the printer
with the cable removed. If it now goes to "ONLINE" (or "READY"), suspect the
cable or its connector.
If you are printing totally black pages, suspect a broken or fouled corona wire. If
that is not the case, replace the toner cartridge.
If the print appears speckled, it is probably the fault of the primary corona grid
which is part of the toner cartridge. Replace the toner cartridge.
If white streaks appear in your printing, shake the toner cartridge to insure an
equal distribution of powder. If that doesn't work, clean the transfer corona
assembly. Contamination on the assembly will prevent it from holding the
electrical charge needed to attract toner from the drum.
A repetitive pattern of printing defects, such as an identical smudge every 2
inches may indicate a defective fusing roller. Try cleaning it according to your
hardware vendor's instructions. If that does not work, you may need to replace
The fusing roller assembly.
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Computer Hardware & REVISION: A
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Diagnose and Troubleshoot
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Printer Troubleshooting Page 3

Troubleshooting Dot Matrix Printers:

If the printer self-tests OK but will not print jobs from the computer, check the
following:
o Dip switch settings
o Proper driver for your application software
o Bad or disconnected cable
Some printers have both serial and parallel connections. If one doesn't work,
change cables and try the other. Be sure to change any dip switch settings
needed by the printer to acknowledge the change. If this works, you may have
had a physical problem with the output port on the computer or the input port
of the printer that you tried the first time.
If a dot matrix printer shuts down and recovers frequently, it may be having
problems with its "thermistor". A thermistor is a device used to keep the printer
from overheating. Try replacing this part before you replace the entire print
head.
Some printers can be set by dip switches for unidirectional or bi-directional
printing. Bi-directional is normally faster, but might cause problems with
graphic output for some combinations of applications and printers. If you
suspect this problem, reset your dip switches for unidirectional printing.
If your output is double-spaced when you expect single-spaced, you may be
getting an extra Carriage Return and Line Feed at the end of every line. Reset
the dip switch(es) controlling this.
If your print quality is poor, first check the ribbon for wear. Also examine the
print head spacing. Your head may be too far away from the platen for your
current paper thickness. If adjusting the spacing doesn't solve the problem,
clean the print head itself with a cotton swab dipped lightly in alcohol.

Port Settings:

Poor communication between the printer and the computer may cause garbled
printing or printer error messages. This may be caused by incorrect parallel port
configuration in the computer setup utility. Below is a list of some of the
common parallel port settings with a brief explanation for each:

NOTE: For information on checking or changing the parallel port configuration,

see the computer documentation or contact the computer manufacturer.
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Computer Hardware & REVISION: A
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UNIT OF COMPETENCY:
Diagnose and Troubleshoot
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INFORMATION SHEET:
Prepared by: Francis
Printer Troubleshooting Page 4
BIOS
BIOS
ECP
- stands for Basic Input/Output System or Basic Integrated
Operating
ECPSystem.
stands BIOS refers to the
for Extended software Port.
Capabilities code This
run by a
setting allows the computer
computer when first powered on. The primary function of BIOS is to
parallel port to send and receive data in both directions simultaneously. This is
prepare the machine so other software programs stored on various
the preferred and the fastest type of communication available to printers. It is
media (such as hard drives, floppies, and CDs) can:
the preferred parallel port setting for most HP DeskJet printers.
load,
execute,
control of the computer.

- This process is known as booting up.

SPP, output, compatible, standard, or Centronics

These settings allow the parallel port to operate in an output-only mode where
data can be sent out to the printer. In this mode, the parallel port can also
receive limited feedback from the printer. These can be alternate port settings
for HP DeskJet printers if the ECP port setting is not available.

Standard bidi, bidi, or bi-directional

These settings allow the computer parallel port to send and receive data but
only in one direction at a time.

WARNING: Some printers differ from computers in that they do not have
shielded power supplies. That means that a plugged-in printer can expose you
to full outlet power, which is enough to kill you. Never open a printer case
unless it is unplugged!