A printer is a device for printing digital data. Today, almost everyone has such a device at home. There are many different models available. They are divided both by printing principle (laser, inkjet, matrix) and by functionality (photo printing, support for various formats, pre-processing, double-sided printing).
No matter how modern your device is, everyone can encounter problems. Many of them can be solved independently without contacting support, especially if the error is of a software nature.
The printer gives an error
There are several causes of printer or printing related errors and they can be divided into two categories.
The first is software:
The second reason for errors is hardware errors that are related directly to the device itself, such as:
In fact, there are many more system messages from a modern printer. But everything, one way or another, is related to refilling/replacing a cartridge or jammed paper, as well as overheating of the device.
Most problems with a non-working cartridge arise after refilling it, since many of them have protection from the manufacturer in the form of special counters and sensors.
Checking OS and device settings
If you are faced with the fact that the device does not display any messages on the screen, and nothing happens when you send a file for printing, then before contacting service center with the question: “What should I do? The printer has stopped printing, check the connection settings of the device, as well as the operating system.
To do this, the first step is to check whether the device is connected to the computer correctly and whether the operating system sees it.
To do this you should:
- open the task manager and find the required device;
- it must be in the list and match the name of your device;
- opposite it there should be no indication of an erroneous connection, conflict or disconnection (yellow Exclamation point or red cross).
Now you need to check that the settings of the device itself are correct.
If printing does not start, there may be several problems:
To check this data, you need to go to the “Control Panel” and select “Devices and Printers”. Here you can change the default printing device (by right-clicking the menu and activating the corresponding checkbox). In the device properties, check whether the settings are correct.
If connecting to a network device is impossible, it is better to seek help from the user remote computer or network administrator.
Is the driver installed?
When connecting any device to your computer for the first time, you need to install drivers. In the case of printers, it is better to install not only the driver, but also the program for working with the device. The software is almost always supplied on disk with the device and also contains instructions in several languages.
Occasionally, in expensive models, the software is provided on a USB flash drive. To check if the driver is installed correctly, you need to go to Device Manager operating system Windows.
To do this you should:
- left-click on “My Computer” on the desktop or “Computer” in the “Start” menu and call “Properties”;
- In the menu on the left, select “Manager...”;
- Check the list to see if your device is available.
The device must be in the “Printers and Scanners” category. Its name must match exactly or approximately the name of your device (if the driver is universal, or the hardware and software has not changed since the previous model).
For example, you have a model Canon Pixma MP 280, may appear in task manager as Canon Pixma MP 200 or MP 2.
Video: Printer does not print
Print queue busy
If you are sure that the printer is working but not printing, you need to check whether the print queue is busy. Majority modern devices with fully installed software They themselves display a similar error on the screen. However, this does not always happen.
In this case, you need to check the print queue yourself. This can be done by calling the driver program from the tray (the icon next to the clock). However, this method is not always suitable for those who use the device over a network.
Most often, users of large networks encounter the print queue problem when working with shared printer. In this case, one task may consist of many parts. For example, if it is very large, the program itself could divide it in order not to overload internal memory devices.
In addition, corporate practice shows that very often there are cases when one task was not completed completely due to errors (the paper ran out or jammed, the printer overheated), and another was sent and another.
Depending on the model, the device may not pay attention to unfinished tasks and continue to work until its memory is completely clogged with such fragments. Or immediately not allow you to continue working.
There can be two ways out:
What to do if the printer does not print after refilling the cartridge
Users who have tried to refill the cartridge themselves, clean it, or soak it in a special solution, often encounter the following problem: the printer has stopped printing, what should I do now?
Refilling a cartridge is a complex operation containing many nuances that users do not take into account, so they then contact the service center with more serious problems.
The thing is that each device requires an individual approach when it comes to refueling. The first thing you need to do is find out whether the cartridge is equipped with special protections and chips, and read whether it has a page counter or another clever option from the manufacturers.
In addition, when refilling the cartridge yourself, it is very important to ensure that you do not “air” the ink supply system in the case of inkjet printers. And on laser device– do not stain, scratch the drum or knock down the spring that secures the gears.
In any case, if after refilling the printer works but does not print, you need to contact a professional, a workshop, so as not to completely damage it. Cartridge prices are sometimes half the cost of the entire device, so you should be very careful when refilling.
Sometimes there are cases of ink cartridges drying out. Therefore, after refilling, be sure to print a few pages to check. If this does not produce results, the cartridge requires soaking in a special solution.
Most printer problems occur due to software errors, but it’s easy to figure them out yourself without going to a computer workshop. If errors cannot be resolved, you should contact a specialist.
When a cartridge needs to be refilled, you must carefully study all the information and strictly follow the instructions, and for printers with inkjet printing In general, it is better to install a special ink supply system. Thanks to this, most problems can be avoided.
The printer's sump counter has overflowed. Locking the printer is necessary so that the ink that accumulates from cleaning the “diaper” does not flow onto the table. It is assumed that the printer will be unlocked and the “diaper” (felt pad) will be replaced at the service center.
But you can do this yourself, and it is not at all necessary to change the diaper the first 2 times, and later you just need to rinse and dry it.
In order to wash the diaper, you need to disassemble the printer, remove the diaper and rinse it with water, and then dry it dry.
To reset the diaper counter, you will need a special service program.
Epson two lights flash at the same time
In some cases, you can reset the diaper using the buttons on the printer control panel:
Turn on the printer with the "PAPER" and "INK" buttons pressed simultaneously, after the printer blinks all the indicators, you need to press the "PAPER" button and hold it pressed for 10 seconds (depending on the printer model), after which it blinks again with all the indicators and turn off the printer . The diaper counter has been reset.
In some printer models, you need to hold down not the "PAPER" button, but the "INK" button.
You can try both options.
At the service center, specialists will replace the diaper (either completely or stuff a new filler), reset the counter and return it to the owner. But you can use special program, which simply resets the value of this counter. For some printer models, there are special “secret” codes that allow you to reset the counter by pressing the printer buttons in a certain sequence. Both programs and sequences can be easily found on the Internet.
Alarm! Even though the counter will be reset, the diaper will still be overfilled. So you should use this method only if you need to print URGENTLY and if you will soon:
contact the service center to replace the diaper
replace the filler yourself (which is quite difficult to do on some models)
remove the catheter into a special jar
About the last point: a special tube fits into the diaper, through which waste ink flows into it. Active CISS users cut off this tube from the diaper, extend it with a dropper and bring the end outside the printer body. Such a tube (by the same analogy) is popularly called a catheter and is lowered into an ordinary jar, which needs to be drained from time to time. It is unlikely that you will dare to do such an action with a regular home printer that you use a couple of times a month, since this will require disassembling the printer.
No further than yesterday true Epson printer The R270 stopped printing and began blinking the lights on the “drop” and “paper” buttons. I already knew what it was diaper. At some point, every inkjet printer refuses to work for this reason, even when using original cartridges. If you use CISS, you will get this error faster. If you use regular cartridges, you will receive them a little later. But if there is a diaper (and it exists), then someday it will overflow. You can take the printer to a service center, pay money (probably a lot) and they will fix it.
You can bring the printer back to life yourself.
Now a little theory. In every inkjet printer There is a special sump for waste ink that appears when cleaning the print heads. Structurally, this settling tank is a special container filled with absorbent material such as cotton wool. Popularly, this container is informally called a diaper, because its purpose is approximately the same as that of a regular baby diaper. The capacity of this sump is not infinite, so the printer has a special software counter that counts the number of cleanings and is called working counter. As soon as the counter value matches the value set by the manufacturer, the printer will refuse to print, all lights will start blinking and it will require you to immediately contact service.
Printer manufacturers are very careful guys. They don't want to home printer created a puddle of waste ink underneath, so set the maximum value of the waste counter with a margin. That is, the diaper can still serve, but the printer requires service.
Draining waste ink into a diaper - image from printer-online.ru
At the service center, specialists will replace the diaper (either completely or stuff a new filler), reset the counter and return it to the owner. But you can use a special program that simply resets the value of this counter. For some printer models, there are special “secret” codes that allow you to reset the counter by pressing the printer buttons in a certain sequence. Both programs and sequences can be easily found on the Internet.
Alarm! Even though the counter will be reset, the diaper will still be overfilled. So you should use this method only if you need to print URGENTLY and if you are in the near future:
- contact the service center to replace the diaper
- replace the filler yourself (which is quite difficult to do on some models)
- remove the catheter into a special jar
About the last point: a special tube fits into the diaper, through which waste ink flows into it. Active CISS users cut off this tube from the diaper, extend it with a dropper and bring the end outside the printer body. Such a pipe (by the same analogy) is popularly called catheter and drops into a regular jar, which needs to be drained from time to time. It is unlikely that you will dare to do such an action with a regular home printer that you use a couple of times a month, since this will require disassembling the printer.
Now about the reset itself. The program that resets the mileage counter is called resetter(i.e. "dumper"). This is an unofficial program and the printer manufacturer will probably void your warranty for using it, although usually the diaper is overfilled after the end of the warranty period - after two or three years. In order to find such a program, simply enter the make and model of your printer into the search and add about diaper reset. In my case it was “Epson R270 diaper reset”.
You may have to try several of these programs. For example, I was unable to reset the diaper with the program SSC Service Utility, which I use for intensive cleaning of the print head. But the program helped me with this PrintHelp, which you can download from the developer's website. It's free and works for most Epson models, but I understand that for newer models you need to get some kind of reset code.
Diapers can be of any shape. In large A3 format printers the diaper is larger, in home printers it is of a small capacity.
If you use CISS, it is better to remove the catheter into a jar. If you rarely (2-3 times a month) print photos and documents, then you can safely reset the counter 2-3 times without changing the diaper, because the ink in it dries out over time. In any case, you can accurately reset the diaper counter once without any consequences. But remember, the diaper can really overflow and flood not only the table, but also the printer electronics, which will certainly ruin the printer.
