Tool
| How Used
|
|
|
Maintenance kit
| Replacement fuser, air filters, transfer rollers, and other components for
|
| laser printers; extends printer’s useful life.
|
|
|
Toner vacuum
| Removes toner particles from laser printer. Toner particles are so small
|
| they can’t be captured by conventional vacuum cleaners.
|
|
|
Compressed air
| Blows dust, dirt, and toner particles out of printers and all-in-one units.
|
|
|
Printer spooler
| Windows feature that captures print jobs and sends them to the printer
|
| when the printer is ready.
|
|
|
Use Table 9-14 to look up typical printer symptoms, problems, and their solutions.
|
| Chapter 9: Troubleshooting 201
|
|
|
Table 9-14 Printer Symptoms, Problems, and Solutions
|
|
|
|
|
|
Symptom
| Possible Cause
| Items to Check
| Typical Solution
|
|
|
|
|
Streaks or
| Laser: Low toner
| Toner cartridge.
| Shake toner cartridge. If
|
smearing
|
|
| problem recurs, replace
|
|
|
| toner cartridge.
|
|
|
|
|
| Inkjet: Dirty print
| Print heads or roll-
| Use damp cleaning
|
| heads or rollers
| ers.
| sheet to clean these
|
|
|
| components.
|
|
|
|
|
| Inkjet: Head gap too
| Head gap.
| Adjust the head gap.
|
| narrow when printing
|
|
|
| on heavy paper or
|
|
|
| card stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Inkjet: Wrong paper
| Paper type setting in
| Select the correct paper
|
| type setting for paper
| printer driver.
| type setting for paper or
|
| or media in use (see
|
| media in use.
|
| Figure 9-10)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thermal: Poor quality
| Check the coating
| Replace the media.
|
| media
| on the media.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thermal: dirty heat-
| Heating element.
| Clean the heating ele-
|
| ing element
|
| ment.
|
|
|
|
|
| Thermal: Print head
| Check the printer
| Adjust the print head
|
| energy set incorrectly
| driver setting.
| energy settings per ven-
|
|
|
| dor recommendations
|
|
|
| for bar code media.
|
|
|
|
|
| Thermal: Print speed
| Check the print
| Reduce the print speed
|
| too high
| speed setting.
| for the bar code media.
|
|
|
|
|
| Thermal: Using
| Check the orienta-
| Change to a different
|
| a 90-degree or
| tion.
| orientation for the bar
|
| 270-degree orienta-
|
| code printing.
|
| tion
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Impact: Dried-out
| Check the ribbon.
| If the ribbon has an
|
| ribbon
|
| auxiliary ink reservoir,
|
|
|
| activate it.
|
Replace the ribbon when dried out.
202 CompTIA A+ Quick Reference
Table 9-14 Continued
Symptom
| Possible Cause
| Items to Check
| Typical Solution
|
|
|
|
|
Faded prints
| Laser: Toner saving
| Check the print
| Use Normal print
|
| setting
| quality setting in the
| modes.
|
|
| printer driver.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Color laser: Toner
| Check toner levels.
| Replace toner levels if
|
| levels low or toner
| Check the toner belt.
| low.
|
| belt problems
|
|
|
| Clean or replace the
|
|
|
|
|
|
| toner belt.
|
|
|
|
|
| Inkjet: Some print
| Print nozzle check.
| Clean the print head.
|
| nozzles clogged
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Inkjet: One or more
| Check ink levels.
| Replace ink as needed.
|
| colors out of ink
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Thermal: Ribbon
| Check the ribbon
| Reinstall ribbon cor-
|
| installed backward
| installation.
| rectly.
|
|
|
|
|
| Thermal: Ribbon
| Check ribbon
| Replace the ribbon with
|
| incompatible with
| compatibility with
| the correct ribbon for
|
| media
| media.
| the media.
|
|
|
|
|
| Impact: Ribbon dried
| Check the ribbon.
| If the ribbon is dried
|
| out
|
| out, replace.
|
|
|
|
|
| Impact: Heat gap
| Check the head gap.
| If print is more faded
|
| wrong
|
| on top, the head gap is
|
|
|
| incorrect.
|
|
|
| Reset the head gap.
|
|
|
|
|
Ghost images
| Laser: Toner car-
| Examine the printed
| Distance between top of
|
| tridge, imaging drum
| page.
| page and ghost image
|
| wiper blade, or fuser
|
| indicates problem area;
|
| problems
|
| see printer’s service
|
|
|
| manual.
|
|
|
|
|
Toner not
| Laser: Fuser problems
| Check the fusing
| Repair or replace.
|
fused to the
|
| unit.
|
|
paper
|
|
|
|
Creased paper Incorrect alignment of Compare the paper
paper guides guide width to the
actual paper width.
Adjust the paper guide to match the actual paper width.
Chapter 9: Troubleshooting 203
Symptom
| Possible Cause
| Items to Check
| Typical Solution
|
|
|
|
|
Paper not
| Single-sheet printers:
| Check number of
| Reduce the number of
|
feeding
| Paper pickup prob-
| sheets in paper feed.
| sheets in the paper feed
|
| lems
| Paper positioning in
| tray.
|
|
|
|
|
| feed tray.
| Remove, fan, and rein-
|
|
| Paper jams.
| sert the paper.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| If the problem persists,
|
|
|
| replace the pickup roll-
|
|
|
| ers.
|
|
|
|
|
| Continuous-feed
| Check tractor-feed
| Adjust so that the
|
| printers: Tractor-feed
| tension.
| paper moves freely and
|
| tension may be off
|
| doesn’t tear loose from
|
|
|
| the tractor-feed pins.
|
|
|
|
|
Paper jam
| Paper path has too
| Check for alternative
| Use straight-through
|
| many turns for thick
| paper paths.
| paper path for envelopes
|
| media
|
| and card stock when
|
|
|
| available.
|
|
|
|
|
| Paper feed tray over-
| Check recommended
| Don’t overfill the paper
|
| loaded
| number of sheets in
| feed tray.
|
|
| the paper feed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Creased paper
| Check the paper
| Don’t use creased or
|
|
| guide settings.
| torn paper or media.
|
|
|
|
|
| Damaged or damp
| Check how paper is
| Don’t use damaged or
|
| paper
| stored.
| damp paper.
|
|
|
|
|
No connec-
| Network printer: Loss
| Check the network.
| Check printer and com-
|
tivity
| of connection to net-
| connection
| puter connections to the
|
| work
|
| network.
|
|
|
|
|
| Local printer or
| Check the cable.
| Check both ends of
|
| shared printer: Loss
|
| printer cable.
|
| of connection to com-
|
| Check hub if hub used
|
| puter
|
|
|
| between printer and
|
|
|
|
|
|
| computer.
|
|
|
|
|
204 CompTIA A+ Quick Reference
Table 9-14 Continued
Symptom
| Possible Cause
| Items to Check
| Typical Solution
| |
|
|
|
| |
Garbled
| Incorrect or damaged
| Check the printer
| Install the correct print-
| |
characters on
| printer driver
| driver.
| er driver.
| |
paper
|
|
|
| |
Cable damage
| Check the cable to
| Replace the cable if
| |
| |
|
| printer.
| defective.
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Port defect
| Check for other suit-
| Connect the printer to
| |
|
| able port on host PC.
| another port and retry.
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Printer failure
| Try self-test.
| If the printer fails self-
| |
|
|
| test, replace printer.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Vertical lines
| Laser: Toner car-
| Check the toner
| Clean or replace com-
| |
on page
| tridge/drum problems
| cartridge, drum, or
| ponents as needed.
| |
| or dirty rollers
| rollers.
| Check the printer manu-
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| al for help in determin-
| |
|
|
| ing most likely cause
| |
|
|
| based on marks.
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Inkjet: Ink on feed
| Check the feed roll-
| Clean the feed rollers.
| |
| rollers
| ers.
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Thermal: heating ele-
| Check the heating
| Clean or replace the
| |
| ment problems
| element.
| heating element.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Angled
| Thermal: Creased
| Check the ribbon-
| Adjust as needed to
| |
streaks on
| ribbon
| feed mechanism.
| remove creases in the
| |
page
|
|
| ribbon.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Backed-up
| Printer in offline
| Check the print
| After printer is online,
| |
print queue
| mode (turned off,
| queue.
| release the print jobs.
| |
| paper jam, set offline,
|
|
| |
| connection problem)
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Low memory
| Laser: Too much
| Check the printer
| Reduce the graphics
| |
errors
| data on page to fit in
| memory size and
| resolution of the print
| |
| printer memory
| compression set-
| job.
| |
|
| tings.
| Add memory to the
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| printer.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Access denied
| Account not pro-
| Check user account
| Add printer access to
| |
| vided access to shared
| settings.
| the user account.
| |
| printer
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
Chapter 9: Troubleshooting 205
Symptom
| Possible Cause
| Items to Check
| Typical Solution
| |
|
|
|
| |
Printer will
| Laser: Toner prob-
| Check the toner car-
| New cartridge: Make
| |
not print
| lems
| tridge.
| sure that tape was
| |
|
|
| removed from the toner.
| |
|
|
| Cartridge already in
| |
|
|
| use: Replace.
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Printer has restric-
| Check printer prop-
| Print jobs go to printer
| |
| tions on hours of use
| erties Advanced tab.
| when released.
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Printer offline
| Check the printer
| Put printer online and
| |
|
| status.
| release print jobs from
| |
|
|
| spooler.
| |
|
|
|
| |
| Wrong port specified
| Check the printer
| Select the correct printer
| |
| for printer
| port.
| port.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Color prints
| Color laser: Low or
| Check the toner car-
| Replace empty toner
| |
in wrong print
| empty color toner
| tridges.
| cartridges.
| |
color
|
|
|
| |
Inkjet: Clogged print
| Run the nozzle
| If the print head or
| |
| |
| head
| check utility.
| nozzles clogged, clean
| |
|
|
| print head.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Unable to
| Install program needs
| Check the access
| Rerun the installation
| |
install printer
| to run with elevated
| level needed.
| program in elevated
| |
| (administrator) access
|
| mode.
| |
|
|
| Provide the administra-
| |
|
|
| tor password or click
| |
|
|
| through in Vista/7 as
| |
|
|
| prompted.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Error codes
| Indicates problem
| Look up the error
| Selected error codes for
| |
| with printer
| code.
| HP LaserJet:
| |
|
|
| 13 or 13.xx Paper jam
| |
|
|
| 20 Insufficient memory
| |
|
|
| 49.xx Firmware error
| |
|
|
| 53.xy.zz DIMM mem-
| |
|
|
| ory error in specified
| |
|
|
| module
| |
|
|
| 59.x Main motor prob-
| |
|
|
| lems
| |
|
|
| 66.xx.yy External paper
| |
|
|
| handling device error
| |
|
|
|
| |
206 CompTIA A+ Quick Reference
Figure 9-10 Selecting the correct paper type.
Index
A