Printer Problem

[Benchwayze]

My HP Photosmart C3100 has developed a strange problem.

About 1/4 the way through the first page of a document, it just stops printing. Sometimes it's a pause but at other times, I get a 'Paper-Jam' message, although there isn't any paper-jam'. This occurs in Word, Notepad, and in Edit-pad, which is another text editor I use.

When I cancel the print and reset, the printer will then spew out page after page of random code; just about three or four lines. It will use up about 15 to 20 sheets of A4 like this.

Apart from the waste of paper, it is obviously casing me to tear out what's left of my hair. I have uninstalled the software, and reinstalled, and downloaded all updates.

Also the fault isn't apparent on my Windows 7 laptop, when I use the printer with that.

So am I right in thinking there's something amiss with my Windows XP set-up?

If so does anyone have any ideas Please?

Thanks in Anticipation.

John

 

[Paul Chapman]

When I cancel the print and reset, the printer will then spew out page after page of random code; just about three or four lines. It will use up about 15 to 20 sheets of A4 like this.

Mine used to do that - and a few other random things. I've come to the conclusion that printers have a limited life and when they start playing up big time, just chuck it and buy a new one - it's not economic to get them fixed. They are quite cheap these days. I bought a Kodak because the cartridges are quite cheap. Works well.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[Benchwayze]

When I cancel the print and reset, the printer will then spew out page after page of random code; just about three or four lines. It will use up about 15 to 20 sheets of A4 like this.

Mine used to do that - and a few other random things. I've come to the conclusion that printers have a limited life and when they start playing up big time, just chuck it and buy a new one - it's not economic to get them fixed. They are quite cheap these days. I bought a Kodak because the cartridges are quite cheap. Works well.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

Thanks Paul..

I wasn't planning on getting this printer fixed, if it turned out to be the printer that is at fault. I just wondered if it was a Windows set-up problem. As you say printers aren't expensive these days. (This one cost me £13.00 Thirteen!) with a few boxes of paper I bought, from Viking, so I can't grumble if it's on its last legs!

Thanks again. Maybe I'll go for a laser job next time. I am told they are more economical with toner, than inkjets are with ink. Also they really are empty, when the program says they are.
Regards

John

 

[DonJohnson]

As a last resort, try removing the printer completely from your PC, re-booting, then installing it from scratch using the latest driver downloaded from the internet - rather than updating the software on the existing installed printer.

This sometimes does the trick.

Just for background info' - in case you don't already realise it - the first part of a file sent to a printer gives it instructions as to how to handle the following data, so it prints it nicely. If you reset the printer before the file has been completely sent by the PC, or it still has data in its input buffer, it tries to handle the rest of the data without any preliminary instructions, so just prints the code as raw data. If any of the raw data matches the code for a page feed, the printer blindly does as its told, and you get lots of separate pages of 'rubbish'.

 

[bosshogg]

You need to update your print driver mate, not necessarily the printer. Try your computer service section for the up to date version, which will configure with the updates to you OS...bosshogg

 

[Benchwayze]

Much obliged folks..

For the moment the printer is now pausing for about ten seconds after it's printed a few lines. If I wait it out, the printer will then carry on and complete properly. But as I said it has only recently developed this irritating glitch, so I might spend a bit more than £13.00, this time, and replace it. I am just looking for the best deals on cartridges.

It seems most of the printer manufacturers make their cash with cheap printers and it small size cartridges. Then you can buy bigger ink packs, but at ridiculous prices. On Amazon, one guy claimed he was having to pay more for cartridges than it would cost to replace the printer; which he did. Now that is really encouraging a throwaway society!

Regards
John 8)

 

[Davon]

Hi, I bought a new printer a year last August and I use "ciss" ( continuos ink supply system ) compatible with my printer. installation guide was rubbish but a quick look at youtube for my make and model of printer gave me a video showing all the steps required.

I print a lot of A4 size photo's on best quality, it's cost me £29 for the system ( including ink ) and it's still going. I have just bought some
refill bottles at a cost of £10, these should last me well over a year at the current rate of use. Worth looking at.

Davon

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi, I bought a new printer a year last August and I use "ciss" ( continuos ink supply system ) compatible with my printer. installation guide was rubbish but a quick look at youtube for my make and model of printer gave me a video showing all the steps required.

I print a lot of A4 size photo's on best quality, it's cost me £29 for the system ( including ink ) and it's still going. I have just bought some
refill bottles at a cost of £10, these should last me well over a year at the current rate of use. Worth looking at.

Davon

Now that is worth a look. Thanks Davon.

Most obliged. New printer next month I think. I have spent this month's allowance on castors for my planer!

Regards
John

 

[JakeS]

Thanks again. Maybe I'll go for a laser job next time. I am told they are more economical with toner, than inkjets are with ink. Also they really are empty, when the program says they are.

This is what I did; I got frustrated when I put a new ink cartridge into my last inkjet and the bloody thing told me it was out of date and refused to use it... and this was a replacement for the previous cart which had been used a handful of times before it clogged up and didn't print properly any more despite still being mostly full. I switched to a laser printer (Xerox Phaser 6125), and it Just Works Every Time.

Inkjet printers are cheaper in the first place, but they're also... well, cheaper. And it seems to me they break far, far easier. The printer itself was a replacement for one which had just started feeding the paper through and not even attempting to print onto it.

On Amazon, one guy claimed he was having to pay more for cartridges than it would cost to replace the printer; which he did. Now that is really encouraging a throwaway society!

This is both true and not really true at the same time, though. It's true that a lot of the time, a fresh set of ink carts cost more than the printer did (inkjets are definitely loss leaders for inks, and toner carts are expensive enough that it's often the case for laser printers as well) but generally speaking, the cartridges you get with the printer are 'low yield', and don't have nearly so much ink/toner in than the ones you buy separately do. It's important to compare the expected number of pages printed as well as just the price!

(Although for my level of usage it's still quite possibly more economical to buy a new printer, since the larger inks would just have been mostly wasted after the print head clogged... :/)

 

[Benchwayze]

I am not miserly with ink, tending to print emails I am going to answer, as it's better than reading on the screen.
Still, I am not printing 24 hours a day.

I generally buy cartridges from Viking when they have an offer going. I find if I spend about £70 to £80 at one time, there's enough to last me for around 18 months. What does annoy me is having one cartridge run out before the other. That means juggling with cartridges, depending on what I want to print, and being surrounded by open boxes with 'post-it' notes on them. As if I don't generate enough junk!

I have noticed, that when I am printing out PDF woodwork plans to take into the shop, the consumption goes up! I wonder why? :mrgreen:

John

 

[RogerS]

Seconded re laser vs ink.

John..does this happen with everything you try to print out or just one particular document or webpage? Reason for asking is that our elderly laserprinter doesn't really have enough internal memory to handle some of the more fiddly and busy pages that crop up from time to time. Takes forever to print anything and sometimes even crashes the printer.

 

[Benchwayze]

It's just with Word and my Text editor, 'Edit-Pad Pro' Roger. And as I said, it doesn't occur on my Windows 7 Laptop.

Neither does it falter, printing out web pages, PDF's and pictures of leggy blondes! :mrgreen:
I think it's time for a new printer TBH.

Thanks for the input... I will struggle on with this for a month or so then replace it.

Regards

John

 

[Jonzjob]

Hi, I bought a new printer a year last August and I use "ciss" ( continuos ink supply system ) compatible with my printer. installation guide was rubbish but a quick look at youtube for my make and model of printer gave me a video showing all the steps required.

I print a lot of A4 size photo's on best quality, it's cost me £29 for the system ( including ink ) and it's still going. I have just bought some
refill bottles at a cost of £10, these should last me well over a year at the current rate of use. Worth looking at.

Davon

Is this the company you got your ciss system from http://www.inksystem.com/ciss/hp/CISS-B ... D5463.html

If not, any chance of a link please? I have an HP Photosmart D5460 and print out photos, not as many as yours, but with the cost of getting cartridges here in France it ain't cheap. That system looks good to me.

 

[MikeH]

Hi John,
Have you tried a different cable (unless you are using the same cable on the Win 7 machine). Other option is if it is a USB connected printer then try a different USB port on the PC. The problem may not be with the printer at all.

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks Mike..

I will try it. I have umpteen ports... The main ones are at the back though. Perishing nuisance. These designers just don't think do they? Why not stick all the connectors for everything on the side!!!

Cheers
John

 

[mailee]

I have to agree about printers having a measured life. I must have gone through about 30 printers in the last four years! They just seem to be rubbish. I have an epson all in one at the moment which my son bought me a year ago and it always has problems with the ink cartridges not recognising them or telling me they are empty when they are full. I don't buy the genuine Epson cartridges but when they do work they work as good as originals. It has put me off buying a more expensive printer due to all the hassle but after hearing this I may think about a laser printer in the future.

 

[Davon]

Hi Jonzjob,

it appears your system would be a tad dearer than mine but still very good value

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BULK-INK-CIS- ... 27c186674b

Davon

 

[Davon]

Me again :lol:

You won't have to buy the refill ink from the states.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-100ml-INK-R ... 2c5f46867f

 

[Chems]

I have to agree about printers having a measured life. I must have gone through about 30 printers in the last four years! They just seem to be rubbish. I have an epson all in one at the moment which my son bought me a year ago and it always has problems with the ink cartridges not recognising them or telling me they are empty when they are full. I don't buy the genuine Epson cartridges but when they do work they work as good as originals. It has put me off buying a more expensive printer due to all the hassle but after hearing this I may think about a laser printer in the future.

Same thing as you Mailee, had an expensive epson. Very rubbish. Last year I bough an inexpensive Lexmark Colour C53d, its perfect not had a single problem and it gets a lot of use. Did over 3000 pages of black before the cartridge went, new cartridge was £50 from Amazon.