Troubleshooting Printer Problems

Question 1

On-printer test page

Answer 1

• This checks the printer operation without any OS or application
• May be a power-on process or menu option
• If the printer’s test page doesn’t work, the printer is the problem

Question 2

Windows printer test page

Answer 2

• Print a test page from the Windows printer properties
• A bad Windows printer test page may be related to a driver,
cable, interface, or connection

Question 3

Streaks and blurs

Answer 3

• Inkjet - Clean the print heads

* Laser - Check for scratches on the photosensitve drum

Question 4

Faded prints

Answer 4

• Low toner and low ink

* Poor quality toner or ink

Question 5

Ghost images

Answer 5

• The laser printer optical drum may not be cleaning properly
• Print shows ghost or “shadow” from previous drum rotation

Question 6

Color prints in wrong color

Answer 6

• Low ink in one cartridge

* Other colors should print normally

Question 7

Laser printer smudging

Answer 7

• The toner isn’t fusing to the paper
• The fuser unit may not be heating
• May require replacing the fuser unit

Question 8

Paper jam

Answer 8

• Tray problem or bad pickup rollers may not feed paper properly
• Creased paper may cause problems in the paper path
• Check the paper weight with printer manufacturer specifications

Question 9

Printer network issues

Answer 9

• No connectivity - Check for power and cabling
• Wireless printers may require additional configuration
• Check Windows printer security tab for rights and permissions

Question 10

Garbled output

Answer 10

• Bad printer driver (PCL vs. PostScript)
• The application may be sending bad data
• Confirm the printer health with an on-printer test page

Question 11

Operating System issues

Answer 11

• Printer driver installation issues may be related to OS permissions
• Make sure the correct driver is installing (32 bit vs. 64 bit)
• Queue may not be moving, print jobs “stuck” in the queue
• The print spooler may have crashed or not working
• Restart the spooler from the Windows Services

Question 12

Error messages

Answer 12

• Visible on the printer display console
• Low memory problems are related to laser printer RAM
• Complex images and graphics consume more memory

Question 13

No output

Answer 13

• Run a test print
• Check the connectivity
• Print from a different program