Printer problem

9100 · Jun 14, 2018

The printer in question is a HP 840C on a computer running Windows 2000 but I have had the same issue with every HP printer I have used on every computer I have owned. This is not a problem with a particular compatibility conflict but one fundamental to HP printers.

It goes into a mode where it prints one or two lines of symbols, then ejects the page and repeats for page after page. Leaving it unplugged long enough will cure it, but it can take a long time.

I called HP tech support and got a retarded Indian who was as much help as they ever are. After wasting a lot of time trying to make him understand the issue, I hung up on him. I went to Micro Devices and talked to a computer adviser who had never seen the problem. As many times as I have seen it, others must have also had it.

The behavior is stored in the printer and comes back up every time it is started. There must be a way to wipe its mempory.

Bill

Tony Quiring · Jun 14, 2018

Never had a global issue like that but have had that kind of silly stuff.

Windows 2k is somewhat dated and cannot remember being any kind of liking it over others.

It sounds like you are trying to communicate with wrong drivers.

The computer is talking cannon to an HP printer.

Try units talking the printer then downloading current drivers for your OS from HP.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

Jim Williams · Jun 14, 2018

I had the same problem with an earlier HP printer, and was never able to solve the problem. I got tired of their rip off for ink prices and bought an Epson ET-3700 a few months ago. It has large ink bottles that last a long time. The bottles are easy to refill, and the ink is relatively inexpensive. I have been pleased with this Epson printer.

9100 · Jun 14, 2018

Tony Quiring said:
Never had a global issue like that but have had that kind of silly stuff.

Windows 2k is somewhat dated and cannot remember being any kind of liking it over others.

It sounds like you are trying to communicate with wrong drivers.

The computer is talking cannon to an HP printer.

Try units talking the printer then downloading current drivers for your OS from HP.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

As I said in the original post, this is NOT a question of a particular program's compatibility. I had it from time to time with a first generation HP laser printer and a computer running DOS. It is not the wrong driver. It has happened with every driver for all these years. It is intrinsic in the HP internal programming. I suspect it is outputting the instruction code instead of the image. It may be a result of unwittingly sending a command to do that, maybe just bumping the wrong key.

Bill

rke[pler · Jun 14, 2018

The problem is that some initializing code sent early in the print thread was lost and the printer is now interpreting the input data as ASCII, but is being given binary crap (from the standpoint of it being ASCII). The only way to clear it is to stop the printer (shutting it off is one way), clear the job from windows, and restart the printer. It might need cancelling the job on the printer as well, that works in my system with a Brother printer.

I don't know any way to avoid this, just weems to happen occasionally, a little less often with my Brother than in the past with the HP.

Tony Quiring · Jun 14, 2018

Possible explanation of op.

We may have had that happen once or three times in 30 years.

From dos to now so maybe we are lucky.

Still it may be the printer and or computer are getting confused as others stating.

We simply cannot remember things like this happening outside of times when we were hacking a system...oh the atari days...So we still thinks it may be simple driver issue loosing sync with the printer.

Try using different interfaces maybe.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

rons · Jun 14, 2018

9100 said:
It goes into a mode where it prints one or two lines of symbols, then ejects the page and repeats for page after page. Leaving it unplugged long enough will cure it, but it can take a long time.

I am not using Windows and the same exact thing happens on my HP printer. I immediately turn off the power to the printer and cancel the print job on the computer. Then I turn on the power to the printer and cancel the job on the printer keypad. The printer ejects one or two more garbage pages and that clears up the problem. The reason I cancel the job is to save paper.

If the job is not cancelled the printer will continue to print garbage pages until it's internal buffer is emptied to some low threshold. That could waste a lot of paper.

Sometimes the problem happens when I stop a print job and I do not not do it in a elegant fashion. Sometimes I attribute the problem to be printer related and it's interpretation of some post script character. It doesn't happen often. When I consider all the paper that runs through my LaserJet, it's a minor issue.

EPAIII · Jun 14, 2018

Yes, I have seen this problem, but not to the extent that the OP seems to be having it. The printer, any brand of printer, can operate either in ASCII mode or in graphics mode. Back in the DOS days you could even just copy an ASCII file to the printer port and the printer, any printer, would print it in unformatted, text. However, most programs today use graphics mode. And there is some header information that is transmitted to the printer first that tells it the following is graphics information, not ASCII. If that header information is lost, then the printer merrily assumes that the bites that follow are ASCII characters and prints them as such. You will get page after page of seemingly random characters that are actually the ASCII representation of the graphics data.

This is possibly a driver issue, but the OP says it has happened with multiple printers. It could be something in the physical path between the computer and the printer. Is this a simple cable connection? Network connection? WiFi? You could try a different way of connecting the printer(s) and see if that helps.

rke[pler said:
The problem is that some initializing code sent early in the print thread was lost and the printer is now interpreting the input data as ASCII, but is being given binary crap (from the standpoint of it being ASCII). The only way to clear it is to stop the printer (shutting it off is one way), clear the job from windows, and restart the printer. It might need cancelling the job on the printer as well, that works in my system with a Brother printer.

I don't know any way to avoid this, just weems to happen occasionally, a little less often with my Brother than in the past with the HP.

steve45 · Jun 14, 2018

You might try going to the HP website and downloading the latest drive for it.

Rule of thumb for HPs, never install drivers from the disk that comes with it. It will bog down your computer terribly with bloatware. Hook up the printer and go to the website and download just the driver and forget the other stuff.

Better yet (and I know the OP isn't interested) buy a Brother laser printer.

thermite · Jun 15, 2018

9100 said:
The printer in question is a HP 840C on a computer running Windows 2000 but I have had the same issue with every HP printer I have used on every computer I have owned. This is not a problem with a particular compatibility conflict but one fundamental to HP printers.

It goes into a mode where it prints one or two lines of symbols, then ejects the page and repeats for page after page. Leaving it unplugged long enough will cure it, but it can take a long time.

I called HP tech support and got a retarded Indian who was as much help as they ever are. After wasting a lot of time trying to make him understand the issue, I hung up on him. I went to Micro Devices and talked to a computer adviser who had never seen the problem. As many times as I have seen it, others must have also had it.

The behavior is stored in the printer and comes back up every time it is started. There must be a way to wipe its mempory.

Bill

Seen it once? I wish! Seen it a thousand times, easily.

Not a "driver" problem from the look of it. The "memory" of that sort of issue is not often in the printer at all.

It is probably a "job" in queue on the print spooler AKA the 'puter that is driving said printer.

Recycle the printer, the spooler just feeds the incomplete job to it all over again. Same garbage.

I have "CUPS" to clear garbled jobs on the queue. Common issue when a different race and tribe of printer ends up attached on an interface that was being used by a very different printer, ELSE a FORMERLY attached printer was selected inadvertently, sent codes for a different driver for past use.

WinWOES must have "something" to manage print jobs?

adama · Jun 15, 2018

Got that beat, we changed the roll on the HP plotter last thing on a friday, some office idiot (no not me) sent a print job of a large template just as they were leaving Friday. What makes it worse is we had just switched to a jumbo sized roll length wise as it was some deal purchasing got. We got a row of single carecters the whole length of that roll which had spoo-ed out over half the office. Took us about half a frigging hour to reroll it and reinstall it to then print real jobs on the other side of it.

More than a few people commented about the funny faces characters and gibberish on the back of there prints for the next month or so.

Tony Quiring · Jun 15, 2018

Reminds me of something. ..

Way back when the Epson MX80 was "industry standard" meaning the control code and communication set were a common set used may many...Just like those how Hayes modems.

It could be possible that somehow in communication between the devices one or the other may be shifting modes

If using parallel port to communicate it could be that simple.

Try network connection as well as connecting printer to a less busy computer and then using ip interface across lan to access it once the thing can be made stable.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337Z using Tapatalk

Marty Feldman · Jun 15, 2018

steve45 said:
Better yet (and I know the OP isn't interested) buy a Brother laser printer.

Amen,brother.

-Marty-

Conrad Hoffman · Jun 15, 2018

My original HP Laserjet 5p is still going strong after 25 years or so. Win10 loaded a driver for it and away we went. Other than that, software and driver problems with both HP printers and scanners have insured that no HP product ever darkens my doorway again.

Newman109 · Jun 15, 2018

My last HP unit was a 1215 Photosmart Inkjet printer. It worked very well and I never had any trouble with it except for the price of the refills. They were the #45 and #78. The cheapest I could find them was $75 plus tax at Fry's.

I tried aftermarket ink units and the printer would run slow and finally shut off. It would put a message on the computer screen that I should only use real HP inks. I finally had to toss the printer.

I replaced it with a Brother. MFC 7840W which is a laser unit with fax, copier and printer. That was 12 years ago and it's still running.

Marty Feldman · Jun 15, 2018

Jim Williams said:
I had the same problem with an earlier HP printer, and was never able to solve the problem. I got tired of their rip off for ink prices and bought an Epson ET-3700 a few months ago. It has large ink bottles that last a long time. The bottles are easy to refill, and the ink is relatively inexpensive. I have been pleased with this Epson printer.

These ET (EcoTank) printers are indeed good in terms of convenience and economy, but I would suggest that potential buyers do look into driver compatibility if you are, like me, running a Linux system. Epsons are tailored for Windows. Their FAQs for ETs indicate that there are workarounds for Linux but they appear to me to be technical and somewhat involved. Their customer telephone service personnel, when you can understand what they are saying, seem to me to know little more than what they can read when looking at the same Epson website screens that you have already looked at.

Please understand that I am far from knowledgeable about the technical details involved. I would appreciate a word from anyone who would care to comment about the use of ETs (such as the Epson ET-3700 mentioned above) in a Linux environment, with particular reference to installation and ease of use, and quality of photographic output for amateur level flower & insect pictures and moderate closeups of machined parts. My present color printer, an HP Photosmart, is OK but I would switch in a second if I thought that an ET would work without becoming a project. Already have enough projects. Thanks.

-Marty-

rons · Jun 15, 2018

9100 said:
The behavior is stored in the printer and comes back up every time it is started. There must be a way to wipe its mempory.

You cancel the printer job on the control panel.

My HP LaserJet is the same model that was used in places I worked. The printer stations were networked to a few hundred people and would print all day. That is why I would not want to own a newer cheap throw-away printer. I've got a couple of trays with 500 pages each. So when I'm printing a large manual or book I print the first few pages (double sided). If that works then I start from page 5 and print the rest of the book.

Problems usually start when a page jam happens and I have to clear the paper path. Then the printer gets out of sync with where I want to start printing again.

adama · Jun 15, 2018

Marty Feldman said:
Please understand that I am far from knowledgeable about the technical details involved. I would appreciate a word from anyone who would care to comment about the use of ETs (such as the Epson ET-3700 mentioned above) in a Linux environment, with particular reference to installation and ease of use, and quality of photographic output for amateur level flower & insect pictures and moderate closeups of machined parts. My present color printer, an HP Photosmart, is OK but I would switch in a second if I thought that an ET would work without becoming a project. Already have enough projects. Thanks.

-Marty-

Can't help you on colour, but my epson, EPL-6200 laser black and white was a bitch to get going, but i managed it and used it since windows xp, through all the long term ubuntu releases since 6.what ever, since about ubuntu 12.04 though its just plug and play like any other USB device. Currently ubuntu 18.04 and still faultless. My experiance in the last few years is zero issue with any USB device with linux, can't say that for microsoft and sure as hell cant say that for mac. Fully plan to die with out ever owning another Microsoft system. The shits still got bugs in it that have not been fixed since i was 12 and that was too fucking long ago!

JLarsson · Jun 15, 2018

9100 said:
The behavior is stored in the printer and comes back up every time it is started. There must be a way to wipe its mempory.

Bill

Windows 2000 stores the print job until it is complete. The printer is not storing the job if you are powering it off and then back on. That's the operating system.

Does the problem occur when printing from one particular program, or does it occur no matter what program you're printing from? I have experienced this with various HP printers, and in every case I believe it to be attributed to one of three things: 1) The control sequence sent to the printer is incorrect, perhaps due to a driver issue or the program using it's own print routine (bypassing Windows); 2) The control sequence was interrupted so the printer was not initialized properly prior to printing; 3) The control sequence was corrupted due to faulty hardware either in the printer port, the printer cable (especially parallel), or the printer itself, all of which can be intermittent.

Are you printing from DOS programs running under Windows 2000, perhaps?

Charall · Nov 17, 2020

I guess it is a normal thing that people usually face because they don't know that many things about printers and printing. I saw a lot of people that have no idea what means to install a driver, they think that they can just plugin the usb and print. It is easy and it can work in the majority of cases but is better to install al the delivers and then to start working with it. If you want to learn more or to find some more information about printing or printing problems, you can access Houston Printing Services | EDDM, Business Prints & Direct Mail Marketing and you will find everything you need there.

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