If you’re experiencing issues regarding your printer, these troubleshooting techniques listed below could aid you in resolving the issue.
How Can I troubleshoot Printing Problems?
The Printer does not come with an indicator of power
The first step is to ensure that the printer is powered on. If the printer is powered operating, it will display an LED or light (light-emitting diode) (usually blue or green), signalling that it’s receiving power.
If there isn’t any indicator light, ensure the printing device has a functioning power outlet by examining each connection to the cable. Then, press the printer’s power button.
If the printer does not show an indicator of power status after completing the steps above, it could be due to an issue with its internal hardware. It is suggested to contact the manufacturer of your printer to request repair or replacement.
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The cables are not connected correctly.
The printer you are using should be connected to two cables the power cable and the data cable. Be sure that the power and the data cable (parallel cable or USB cable) are connected to the computer and printer.
Printer error (orange or blinking light)
When your printer has finished its initial startup, you’ll see the light to be a solid colour. If the light is orange or blinking, this usually indicates an issue with the printer. A jammed paper or a problem with the toner or ink cartridge could cause the error.
Since there aren’t any guidelines for all printers. If you experience an illuminated light blinking, visit the manufacturer’s website or read the manual for more specific information about the error.
No paper or paper jam
Without paper, your printer won’t be able to print. Check to see if you have paper in the cartridge of paper for printers or trays. Then, ensure there isn’t any jammed paper in the printer or not fully being fed through the printing device. If you think the paper is stuck somewhere, it shouldn’t go to our help pages for paper jams.
How to fix a jammed paper in the printer.
Inkjet printers and related problems
If you’re experiencing an issue related to ink, the status indicator for your printer illuminates (mentioned earlier) will be flashing. If not, you might want to skip the following section. If, however, you’ve recently added a new cartridge of ink, it is possible to test the following suggestions.
Why does my printer not work after I replaced the cartridges with ink?
Self-testing for printers
The majority of printers are capable of printing a test sheet. A test page printed by a printer helps you know if the printer is operating. The self-test of the printer is typically performed by pressing a few keys. If you aren’t sure how to use the self-test function on your printer, consult the manual for your printer or go to the printer’s manufacturer’s website.
You may also conduct self-tests in software to see whether your computer can recognize the printer and print. Follow the instructions below to conduct this test.
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Microsoft Windows users
- Open Control Panel. Control Panel.
- Double-click or click to double-click on the Printers and Printers, Fax icons, or the Devices and Printers icons.
- Right-click on the printer you wish to test, then select Go through the Properties or the printer Properties option. If you don’t see your printer in the list, then the printer may not be installed.
- In the printer’s Properties window, Click the “Print Test Page ” button.
- If the printer prints one test page, the printer is properly set up. If you cannot print using other programs, the program you’re trying to print from may have problems.
- Versions older than Windows with printers from the past
- If you’re using an older printer running MS-DOS, Windows 3. x, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT, you can take the following test with the software.
Start on the Windows Command Line.
- Find the root directory by typing cd, then pressing Enter.
- Reroute dir to the printer by entering dir > lpt1 and pressing Enter.
- The above procedure should use directories and print them on the printer. If it doesn’t print, consult your operating system’s troubleshooting section.
Note
The above command does not perform paper feeds, so you must press the FF or PP settings on the printer. Alternatively, you could manually remove the paper.
Printer drivers
If your printer doesn’t have flashing lights or is working properly, It’s possible that you could be experiencing a driver-related problem. We recommend visiting our list of printer drivers that provides links to every major manufacturer’s driver pages. You can also download the most current drivers for your printer.
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Printers Parallel (LPT) Printers
If the printer you’re connecting to this computer is an LPT (parallel port) printer, we recommend checking the settings below in case your printer isn’t functioning.
- Parallel port in BIOS
- Set up the BIOS of your computer.
- How to exit and enter the BIOS or the CMOS setup.
- After entering BIOS, you can verify you are using the Parallel port. Has it been enabled, or is it installed?
- After that, test the parallel port or printer mode. If your parallel port is in the ECP (extended ports with capabilities) option, I recommend you try a different setting.
Other devices with parallel connections
If you’re using a parallel printer in conjunction with other parallel devices, for example, scanners, you should temporarily unplug the devices to ensure they’re not causing problems in your printer.