Advantages of a Printer Hard Drive
It is becoming increasingly common for businesses and even home users to have a printer hard drive. Due to the high resolution graphics now being used in all aspects of printing it is important to know why the printer hard drive is important and what it can do for you. A printer hard drive can serve many purposes from tracking user statistics to storing data. First, it is a great tool for monitoring the printer’s use and its consumables. This enables higher efficiency when ordering supplies as the printing department can track exactly what has been used and for what applications, not to mention which users or groups use which consumables the most.
Another major point about printer hard drives is their ability to hold and store frequently used documents and images. If your company has a particular form that is needed for new business, for instance, that form can be stored on the hard drive instead of a personal desk top freeing space for more important data. Printer errors may not always be noticeable to the end user and the printer hard drive can be set up to log all errors into a log file much the same way a PC hard drive does. This allows for better maintenance and preventative care for the printer which can lengthen the life of the device.
One of the nicest perks to having a printer hard drive is password enabling or secure printing. An end user can store sensitive documents on the printer hard drive which can only be accessed if the user keys in the pass code on the printer interface screen. This alleviates the possibility of sensitive materials being printed by anyone from anywhere on the network. The user that needs the secure printing has to be at the printer to access them. To save time, specialized fonts, printing styles, logos and client data can be stored on the drive as well allowing access to all users on the network or assigned group increasing performance and proficiency.
Troubleshooting LCD Dipslay Issues
In the past, CRT monitors could display lower resolution in full screen as they are not confined by the number of or pixels in general; pixels were not used in CRT monitors. This presents a different set of solutions needed to correct low quality pictures on an LCD screen. An LCD monitor has to spread the lower resolution over the native or highest resolution of the monitor. This creates problems when the lower resolution does not divide itself equally into the pixels of the width and height of the native resolution.
For example: a native resolution of 1024 by 768 will have low quality images if set to 800 by 600 resolution because the pixels cannot be distributed evenly from the 1024 to the 800 and from the 768 to 600. This results in some image pixels being displayed over 2 hardware pixels while other image pixels are displayed over one hardware pixel; the resulting resolution works, but is not very attractive. If you have to display at a lower resolution that can not evenly divide into the native resolution find the display options for your monitor. In this utility you will find parameters to change to improve the image quality.
First start with the contrast ratio as this can be the simplest to change and you may not need to change anything else. If the image seems blurred then increase the ratio in small increments to see the effects; this may take several tries. Next try the color settings of the monitor and pay close attention to the hues of colors seen on the monitor, i.e greens, blues and yellows. This is best done in a low light area to gain the full effect first. After adjusting the color settings in the “dark” turn on the lights and adjust until you have the desired result. This will improve the picture as best as you can; however, the best action to take would be to leave the LCD monitor at its native resolution.
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.
Laptop DC Jack Repair Procedure
First and foremost you need to disassemble the laptop and remove the motherboard. Locate the DC jack on the motherboard, typically speaking, it is an almost square component with a metal casing located at the back of the board in relation to where it was in the laptop. Using a soldering iron set to around 800° F, heat and remove the solder holding the DC jack to the board. Removal of the solder is best achieved by using a desoldering pump. You may need to turn the motherboard over to completely loosen and remove the solder. You may be tempted to pull the component if the solder is almost off; do not do this! You run the risk of damaging the motherboard permanently.
After removing the component, take a small amount of 99% pure isopropyl alcohol and apply it to an old tooth brush and gently remove the solder film, also called flux; this creates a clean surface for the new DC jack to be connected. Be sure the soldering iron is cleaned after the disassembly process to prevent dirt and debris from becoming attached to the contacts. Take the replacement DC jack and apply a small amount of solder to each contact; then apply a fresh bit of solder to the leads on the motherboard prior to attaching the component.
It is important that both sides of the motherboard have solder applied to them to ensure the best possible contact with the DC jack component. At this point you are ready to connect the jack to the motherboard. Place a small box or piece of wood under the DC jack and place the motherboard on top. Simply apply fresh solder to each of the leads and the repair is complete. Should you need to correct an incorrect solder simply use the iron and desoldering pump to remove and reapply. Finish by reinserting the motherboard into the laptop.
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.
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