Tip #3957 - More Printer Troubleshooting Tips
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More Printer Troubleshooting Tips
Many issues can occur
when printing with any application you may use on your computer. The causes
of these issues will vary though and that's exactly what we're going to
go over today. The following procedures will help resolve general printing
issues that may occur.
The most common cause
of printing issues involves conflicts between the program and the printer
driver, which acts as a translator between the printer and the application.
First, verify that the driver for your printer is up to date. You can
contact your printer's manufacturer for the latest driver for the printer
in use as well. Most manufacturers offer these updated drivers as a free
download from their Web site.
Below are some additional
suggestions for troubleshooting printer issues.
Print a Bitmap
Image Using MS Paint
This procedure will
verify that the printer is functioning properly, using a program other
than the one used when the printing issue occurs.
1.) Close any open
programs or windows and return to your desktop.
2.) Click Start,
All Programs, choose Accessories and
then click Paint. This will launch the Microsoft Paint
program.
3.) Click File
in the menu bar and then click Open.
4.) Locate and double
click on any Bitmap (*.bmp) file. The bitmap image you selected should
now be open in Microsoft Paint.
5.) Click the File
menu and select Print.
6.) Click OK
to begin the printing.
7.) If the printout
appears faded, the ink cartridge may be low and may need replaced. If
the printout appears clear, verify that the latest print driver for the
printer is installed. Contact the printer manufacturer for updated information
and procedures.
Printer Emulation
If the printed output
from a particular program is incorrect or if nothing prints at all, there
may be a conflict between the program and the printer. This is a common
issue, especially when printing to newer printers from software that is
a few years old. Printer conflicts are typically resolved by loading a
different printer driver to emulate the printer being used and selecting
that printer emulation when printing from the affected program. Contact
your printer's manufacturer to identify what driver or drivers will emulate
the particular printer in use. The steps below describe how to change
the printer driver.
Changing the
Printer Driver
1.) Close any open
programs or windows and return to your desktop.
2.) Double click the
My Computer icon.
3.) Double click the
Printers icon.
Note:
For Windows XP users, perform the following procedure and then skip to
Step 4.
- In the Other
Places panel on the left side of the window, click Control
Panel.
- Click the Printers
and Other Hardware button.
- Click the Printers
and Faxes button.
- In the Printer
Tools panel on the left side of the window, click Add
a Printer. The Add Printer Wizard dialogue should now open.
4.) Click Next.
5.) If the printer
is connected to the computer directly, select Local.
If the printer is accessed through a network, select Network.
6.) Click Next.
The window that appears displays a list of printer manufacturers on the
left side and the corresponding models on the right side.
Note:
For Windows XP users, remove the checkmark from the option to automatically
detect Plug and Play printers.
7.) Select the appropriate
manufacturer and model for the emulation printer obtained from the printer
manufacturer (see Printer Emulation).
Note: If
the manufacturer or model is not in the list, refer to your printer's
manual or contact the printer manufacturer to determine another emulation
driver for the printer.
8.) In the screen
that opens, configure the port the printer is attached to. (Most of the
time, a local printer will be attached to LPT1). If a different LPT port
or alternate connection is used, such as USB, select the appropriate option
and click Next.
9.) Name the printer
or use the default printer name. The opportunity to select this printer
as the default printer is also presented. If Yes for
the default option is selected, all Windows applications will use this
printer automatically. Select No if a default printer
in Windows is already selected and you want to have this printer driver
available for printing when using a particular program.
Note: Some programs (typically older programs) only print
using the default printer and will not allow a different printer to be
chosen when printing. If the program you are having issues with when printing
does not allow a different printer to be chosen when printing, set the
emulation printer you are installing as the default for now. After troubleshooting,
the default printer can be changed back to the correct printer by repeating
Steps 1 through 3 to open the printer’s window. Then right click
the correct printer icon and left click Set as Default from
the menu that appears.
Hope this one helps
to fix all your printing problems!
~ Ramachandran Kumaraswami
P.S. - Read here
for even more printer troubleshooting tips!
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