Printing Problems

[tia travels]

I have 2 problems, but one I'm really in need of help on.

I'm using an HP Officejet 6210 All-in-one. I've used it before and have had no problems for a few years on my previous Gateway computer. I have an HP computer now. Installed the printer a couple months back and it worked. All of a sudden, for some reason, a minute or two after about 10 pages of excellent printing, it decided to advance paper halfway into the machine and then gives me an error message that it's jammed. It is not jammed, but I remove the paper anyway, and click okay. It advances another piece and does the same thing. No matter how many times you remove the paper and click OK, it will still advance paper and give the error message.

So...I cancelled the print. It still advances paper and beeps til you remove the paper and click OK.

I then search online for answers and have tried:

--removing the device, (not uninstalling) but then restarting computer. It finds it again and problem is still there.
--I try uninstalling after unplugging cords in back and leaving unplugged for at least 15 minutes. I reinstall and for some reason, still the same error.
--I've done the Microsoft Mr. Fix It program
--I've tried the HP printer troubleshooting and all it says is the paper's jammed and to fix it.


ERROR MESSAGE IS PROBLEM #1, but not really the one I need help on.

I need to get some stuff printed, so lucky me I still have an extra printer that I didn't want to have to install on this computer, but do anyway. It's a LEXMARK Z1480 wireless printer. I am not using it as a wireless one. Just strictly thru the USB.

The Lexmark AND lately....since I installed on my HP computer....are BOTH doing the same thing which is:

===>> When I highlight a selection on a page which INCLUDES photos and writing, and when choosing options in the printer dialogue to have it print my SELECTION ONLY so that I don't get all the other garbage on the page, it prints everything in 1 paragraph with no photos and it looks like 1 big run-on sentence.

The only way I can get it to print the photos is if I choose: PRINT PAGE 1. But then it will include crap on the page I don't want.

How can I get it to print a WYSIWYG type of page where it includes the photos AND includes them in their proper lineups? The HP Officejet did that fine (in regard to lining up (that is...if I chose to print page 1 instead of selection), but the Lexmark will make unnecessary spaces and not line things up right.

For example...if there's a photos of someone to the left and a paragraph about them or the photo to the RIGHT of the photo, Lexmark prints the photo up top with a space next to the photo, and the wording BELOW that space. Because of it changing the layout, instead of printing what could be an easy 6 photos on one page, it starts printing halfway down the page only getting 4 on the page and then I have to waste another piece of paper to get it to print the other 2.

Could this problem of both printers not including the photos on the first printing choice of PRINT SELECTION (that was highlighted) be the fault of each printer or the computer I'm using?

My Mom has an EPSON printer and we noticed the same thing on her DELL, when printing out an article from say, MSN FINANCIAL section, it crams all the writing together at the top without any proper formatting.

PROBLEM #2---Printer doesn't format print selection properly and doesn't print in a WYSIWYG type of format.

Problem #2 is what I really need resolved first.

Thanks.

[jframe2]

Hi Tia,

It is hard to help from afar, but I will give you several possibilities. In no particular order-
- ( I am unclear if this one directly applies to you) With a new computer and older printers you may have hit the wall that no one tells you about. Your new computer may not be fully compatible and there is only one way which is to buy a new printer.

- Have you tried updating/reinstalling the printer drivers? Sometimes the drivers get screwed up when the new updates are loaded from MS Windows or your manufacturer. Do a little research on how to update the drivers for your model.

- take a highlighted section from a webpage, copy and past to a new Word document and then print. If it prints ok. I think you have setting problems with you printer that has changed; again more than likely due to a recent update.

- check all of the printer settings/options to see if there is anything you can adjust. Again when updates come in, it can screw things up.

- Do a system restore back to a date when you know the printer worked properly.

If you need more help, my email is in my profile.
Good luck,
Jim

[tia travels]

Thanks for those suggestions. The drivers are both up to date since when I reinstalled the HP this afternoon, it took it from the internet...same with the LEXMARK...from the Lexmark homepage.

If the older printer might not be compatible with the newer computer, then why would it be working say at 10am (and for a few months prior)...and then at 10:12am all of a sudden stop printing correctly?

I wonder if it's possible to do a NORTON scan on a DEVICE to see if it's infected? Or can the antivirus stuff only work on files?

[Meoauniaea]

Do you have another computer to try it on by any chance? I think your HP is physically fucked as software isn't going to stop a printer mid-print and jam it. Viruses aren't able to penetrate printers since they are all hardware and don't use regular processors known to viruses.

Just continue to monitor the Lexmark and let us know.

[tia travels]

Well I have my laptop, but I really didn't want to put all that software on the laptop. Perhaps I might try it down the road. Yeah, I'll monitor this Lexmark...(it certainly doesn't print the color as nice as the HP did).

In regard to viruses on printers, I understand what you mean about the hardware, but I thought I heard somewhere that maybe trojans or viruses can control my printing in some way. That people who might control machines might decide to play games with folks hardware. But then again, if that was the case, I suppose my printer would be doing anything it wanted at times I wasn't asking for a print job, eh?

The Lexmark is doing okay for now in the way of not jamming, but...I still need to figure out how to get both printers to actually print the page as it's seen and not space it differently or remove photos and print only the words.

When you said the HP was physically screwed, did you mean my HP printer or HP computer?

[Capt. Lincoln F. Stern]

Originally Posted by tia travels

Thanks for those suggestions. The drivers are both up to date since when I reinstalled the HP this afternoon, it took it from the internet...same with the LEXMARK...from the Lexmark homepage.

If the older printer might not be compatible with the newer computer, then why would it be working say at 10am (and for a few months prior)...and then at 10:12am all of a sudden stop printing correctly?

I wonder if it's possible to do a NORTON scan on a DEVICE to see if it's infected? Or can the antivirus stuff only work on files?

Norton and other AV programs can scan storage devices. I have an Epson Workforce 615 all in one that has memory card slots which I use for temp storage of scans. (I run Linux so the drivers for scanning to PC work for Windows, not linux) My printer is networked, aka I do IP printing since printer is not connected TO my computer but to my home network.

I would suggest this, try printing with a different pc to see if it works fine, but before you do SCAN the file you want to make sure it is clean.

Does this print mis-feed only happen when you print this 1 thing or does it happen with other long print jobs?

[tia travels]

It happens when I try printing from a web site or a document of my own. Yeah, maybe I'll try it oin my old laptop...I'll update you when I am able to get this done.

[Capt. Lincoln F. Stern]

Ok.. sounds good

[jframe2]

Just wondering how the printer problem is coming along?
Another thought I had is if there is a problem with your internet browsers?
If you use IE and just updated to the latest version the settings could be screwed around. Or viceversa if you have Firefox and updated to the latest version.

I do not use any IE version for lots of reasons and I have not updated to the lastest version of Firefox because of some issues.
Good luck,
Jim

[tia travels]

I didn't have time before I got on the road for this month's road trip, to hook up another computer to the printer. I will have to do that upon my return.

Not sure about the browsers. They are all up to date...and the printing was working minutes before it stopped so that would be weird for it to stop working (the browser that is) in the middle of the day. I'm sure when they do upgrades and updates, it's at the end of the night or early morning hours, no?

I use OPERA first and mainly........Firefox is my second choice...and then only use IE if I have to. On my old computer, I had Netscape still on it also so I could use 4 browsers if I needed to.

[jframe2]

Sorry I was not more clear about the browsers, what I meant was if you had physically updated to the newest version. You will get a prompt that says something like "Version is XX is now available, update to this version Yes or No."

I have not updated to Firefox Version 4 because of bugs and I am on IE Version 8.
Good luck... hope to see you in KC sometime.

[tia travels]

Well I have been getting a nagging NEW VERSION of OPERA is available. Please UPDATE....and of course I keep clicking no on that pop-up because when I do a CHECK for any updates within my browser, it tells me I'm up-to-date.

The pop up looks like it's from Windows 7 for the OPERA BROWSER. It doesn't look Opera Official. That's why I didn't say yes yet. I know that not all pop-ups are safe. But why would it keep telling me there's a newer version available when Opera itself is saying I'm up to date on the latest browser?

Hmmmmm

[jframe2]

I do not know a lot about Opera, it is well known in the industry. I just do not use it. I think you are correct on the Opera update you are getting, be very careful on clicking on the Updates. Maybe go to the Opera website and check that you have the latest version on you machine.

Do you think we are over analyzing this- could the printer be screwed up?
Maybe go buy a cheap printer and do some testing on all the different computers you need to use. If it works great, if not then take it back and get a refund.

Just a thought...

[tia travels]

Originally Posted by jframe2

...Do you think we are over analyzing this- ...?
...

Translation: (what you really mean is) "this thread seems useless now".

[jframe2]

No not at all. Before I add to the thread, I make sure and view your showcase and smile and smile and smile.

Originally Posted by tia travels

Translation: (what you really mean is) "this thread seems useless now".