1. Read the book. I cannot begin to
tell you how many people have brought their printer to my shop with the
User Manual and paid my wife (no computer expert) $32.50 to sit-down, read
the book, and fix the printer. Unfortunately, some printer books
aren't worth reading...
2. Check the manufacturer's web site. The
problem you are having has most likely happened before. If the manufacturer
has a good web site, you may find the answer there and save a lot of time,
money, and frustration. Go to our Manufacturer
Links page to get there fast.
3. Is it plugged-in? Make sure the
printer is plugged into a live outlet. If it is plugged into a surge
protector, make sure it is on. Try moving it from the surge protector
to a known-good wall outlet.
4. Is it on? Ok, you can't print and
Windows, etc. says it can't find the printer. Make sure the darn
thing is turned on and there are no error lights (LEDs) lit. If there
are error lights, refer to the user manual/manufacturer's web site. You
should hear the print mechanism initialize when power is applied and most
printers have at least one light which will be illuminated when it is on.
Next >
Introduction. This
article will describe some general troubleshooting steps applicable to most,
but not all printers. It is not possible to describe all of the steps
one might take to fix every make, model, and type of printer, but in many
cases these simple set of procedures and a logical approach may save you
a trip to a repair shop or even save that old printer you have just about
given up on--don't shoot it yet or give it the old bounce test by dropping
it out of a four story window! A lot of this is pretty much common
sense; but, some otherwise obvious steps can be overlooked if you are in
a hurry, can be performed in an inefficient sequence without a logical versus
an Easter-egging approach, or you have not had the pleasure of troubleshooting
a printer before.