The printer is one component in a large host system. Before you start any troubleshooting, make sure that the problem really belongs to the printer rather than to some other component in the host system. Print quality problems and mechanical malfunctions are almost always associated with the printer. However, host interface and software emulation problems can be caused by some other component of the host system even though, at first Z glance, they appear to be printer problems. For instance, text printed in the wrong location on a page, improper page breaks, and missing segments of data strongly indicate a host, not a printer, problem.
The first step in troubleshooting any problem is to isolate the printer from the host system; you can then run test prints. Producing test prints exercises the printer as a
Running Test Prints
To run test prints:
1Disconnect the host interface.
2Run a series of test prints. A directory of the boot device and multiple listings of fonts print, followed by an unformatted and formatted error log. A continuous flow of the test pattern then prints. To run test prints:
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For simplex printers, press:
STOP
TEST
For duplex printers, press:
STOP
DUPLEX
TEST
To stop printing the test pattern, press:
STOP
On pressing STOP, the printer will print all test prints stored in the printer’s buffer, then stop.
If the test pattern prints successfully, the problem probably originates with the host system or a protocol converter connected to the host.
Printer and Troubleshooting Overview |