Troubleshooting Printer Spooling Problems
At its most basic definition a printer spooler retrieves the data for a requested print task and performs the required print even if it is not printing multiple print jobs. The simplest explanation, and where you should start, is in the task manager. Under “processes” in the task manager look for a file called spoolso.exe or spoolsv.exe; if these files are not present it simply means that the process has been stopped and needs to be restarted. This can be done by running “net start spooler” command. In the start menu bring click on the “run” option and type the command in the box prompt.
Sometimes a faulty printer driver is the cause. This is hard to determine in any sort of certainty, but a simple reinstallation of the drives is simple and easy enough for virtually any user. Uninstall and reinstall your printer driver; if the printer works after the reinstallation you are safe and ready to print. The next step would be to check if old printer drivers are still installed on the computer. These can sometimes conflict with each other allowing an old print driver to be the spooler and not the proper driver for the current printer. Remember to clear the printer’s queue before removing the old drivers.
A last attempt at solving printer spooler problems is to manually delete the files in the printer driver. These will all be either .shd or .spl file types and are located in the temporary directories of your printer spooler subsystem. Whatever you do, do not delete the spooler subsystem app. This can cause even worse printer problems and in rare cases can cause major printer failures and errors. Should none of these work or solve the problem, it is in your best interest to seek a professional in the matter of solving the problem. Most printer spooler problems can be solved by the user in a few short steps.
Troubleshooting Banding in Laser Printers
Banding is a term used to describe the horizontal lines that sometimes appear in laser printer documents. As a rule of thumb the printer should be cleaned regularly as toner particles can build up and cause minor problems. Banding may occur regularly or when more complex or large documents are printed but the problem almost always lies with the printer and not any of the software. If you have recently purchased or started to use new paper that may be the problem. Inexpensive paper can cause minor or barley noticeable banding worse or it can be the cause of it entirely. Change back to the previously used paper to determine if this is the problem.
An example of banding in a laser printed document.
Next look to be sure the printer is set to the correct paper type; although auto paper detect is becoming more common most users do not have that function. You will need to look for the printer utility which is located under “print” in the “file” menu of the program from which you are trying to print. The printer dialogue box will be brought to display and you will need to find the “properties” or “setup” button; this will vary from vendor to vendor. You should see a list of different printer options now including the paper type option. You may need to look for it as every printer’s utility is a bit different. Select the correct paper type such as “photo paper” for a photo print.
While using the printer utility take note of other settings that could help. Say you only notice banding on full page full color graphics; you could set the utility to apply specific parameters to alleviate this on these particular files and documents. This will take some time and calibrating to get the desired result but will save your workgroup or office on paper costs. Again the settings are going to be different on each company’s printers but the features are generally universal.
Printer Paper Loading Problem Troubleshooting
Paper loading problems are some of the most common problems of printers and can easily be identified and possibly remedied by the end user. Paper jams or when the printer “eats” paper are perhaps the most common occurrence. Check to see if the printer is online; if not, reset it and try again. If you notice jams occurring regularly then a cleaning of the interior is in order. Use a small amount of isopropyl alcohol on a lint free cloth and gently wipe the rollers and interior components; be very gentle while wiping, the alcohol will do the work.
Afterward, use a can of compressed air to clean away and dry the components. This will prevent and solve most simple paper jams that occur while loading paper. If the loading problem persists after cleaning, pull out the paper tray and examine it for obstructions or wrinkled paper. If no obstructions can be found, print a test page and watch for the printer’s “task” window on your desktop. It should display an error code that can be found in the user’s manual and will tell you what might be the problem. Then take a look at the paper rollers closest to the tray; pay attention to any abnormalities on the roller mechanism. You may need to use a flash light to get the best look.
Over time and with heavy use the rollers can become damaged and may need to be replaced which can be done by virtually any professional printer repair shop or store. If, after all of this a “paper won’t feed” or “load paper” message is present in your display screen examine the printer settings to determine if “manual feed” has been selected. If it has, the printer is probably looking for paper in a different tray; reset this to auto feed or auto detect on the printer and perform the print again. If none of these fix the problem then the probable cause is a bad paper out sensor and will need to be taken to a repair professional.
Troubleshooting Toner Leakage Problems
The primary indicator of a toner leak is loose toner particles on the finished document or light prints after replacing the toner cartridge. A few simple steps can be taken to determine the cause of the leak and even repair it temporarily. The simplest explanation is that the cartridge is not properly inserted. Remove and reinsert the cartridge first before proceeding further. The most common cause of a leak is a broken piece of plastic on the cartridge itself. To check for this ailment remove the toner cartridge as you would if replacing it.
Spread old newspapers or some rags over a table or counter to prevent a lot of clean up. Gently and slowly rotate the toner cartridge above the rags and look for loose toner falling. It will move similar to light snow falling. It may be tempting to use tape to cover the leak, resist this at all costs. If the leak is miniature use a small bit of clear or black nail polish. It will act like an epoxy resin but is light weight and thin when it dries. Should the hole be a bit large use a small short screw and then glaze it with the nail polish.
If the leak cannot be found using the fore mentioned method a seal leak is probably the culprit. A larger leak, such as one located in the seal of the cartridge itself, will need to be replaced. It is much more difficult to find the leak in the seal than a hole in the plastic casing. The seal is under pressure in the laser printer and when removed the leak may not present itself as the seal is at its fullest shape outside of the unit. The only choice left is to replace the cartridge entirely.
Troubleshooting Toner Cartridge Chip Problems
Toner cartridge chips store and monitor the toner cartridge’s level, performance and usage during the life of the toner cartridge, but problems can arise when refilling toner cartridges. The chip on the toner cartridge is designed to report to the printer and any alert services the user has set up that the toner level is low or depleted. In addition it also enables companies to restrict, or at least try to restrict, the use of third party vendors and refilled toner cartridges. When a cartridge is refilled the chip should recognize that the toner level is now full and reset its internal calibration and reporting on toner levels and performance.
This occasionally does not happen and the user will receive a low toner message when the cartridge is full. Some printer and toner manufacturers have chip “resetters” to return the chip to its original state. They operate by lining up the metal leads on the toner cartridge to leads on the resetter; the resetter runs a diagnostic and resets the internal chip. A user could just ignore the toner level indicator, but when the toner is low, the user will be unaware and runs the risk of no toner at an inopportune moment or worse the printer will not print.
Toner chips are also used by OEM manufacturers to ensure the use of their products in their printers. OEM parts and internal components will recognize the third party chip as an empty toner cartridge making it difficult to use lower priced toner cartridges. The third party manufacturers have developed a set of instructions to override this feature; however, it should be noted that not all third party vendors have these instructions, nor do all toner chips accept the override making it difficult to use less expensive toner cartridges.
Getting Maximum Page Yield From Your Toner Cartridge
Toner cartridges are one of the most expensive aspects of running and owning a laser printer. There are a few simple things a user can do to get the most out of their toner and thus reduce the costs of printing. The biggest impact upon the toner cartridge yield is the print quality setting. The higher the quality setting the more toner is going to be used and lower the maximum number of pages able to be printed by a single cartridge. Run a few test pages of just text to calibrate the resolution setting to provide the lightest possible print without being faded.
Mark or write down this setting to return to it later this will limit the amount of used toner lengthening the life of the cartridge. Use higher resolutions and quality settings only when needed. Graphics like full color banners or images need to be set at a higher resolution, but the laser printer can be reset to the optimum level previously marked on the printer after the high quality printing is finished. Using higher resolutions for only the documents that need it will greatly reduce the amount of toner used on a daily basis generating a longer usage life for the toner.
Even after the toner cartridge indicates it is low a user can continue printing for about 100 pages or sheets. The printed pages will be a bit lighter, but you can make the prints darker using the tried and true shake method. Remove the toner cartridge and rotate it 90° so the loose toner will be attracted to the roller that still has a static charge. This will increase the amount of toner available to be used in printing and will lengthen the printer’s toner life slightly until a new cartridge can be installed.
Another way to reduce the cost of toner cartridges is to buy less expensive “compatible” or “remanufactured” cartridges. A “compatible cartridge is a duplicate of the brand name cartridge, using brand new toner cartridge components. These cartridges typically have the same quality level as brand cartridges at about half the price. A “remanufactured” toner cartridge typically “recycles” the original brand name toner cartridge “shell”, and new or refurbished components, like wiper blades, seals, etc., are added to the cartridge. Remanufactured cartridge are not only the “green” way to go, but they can cost as little as 1/3 the price of a brand name cartridge. The only pitfall is that remanufactured toner cartridges have about twice the defect rate of brand name products – typically 2% vs. 1% for brand name.
If you want to try compatible or remanufactured toner cartridges, we recommend Ink Technologies, an eCommerce printer supplies store that specializes in high quality compatible and remanufactured ink and toner supplies.
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