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PC & Mac Printer Troubleshooting

Basic Printer Problem-Solving

Printing problems range from "I can't print anything at all" to "The printout is all (or includes) nonsensical characters." And the steps to troubleshoot depend on the operating system you are using (just DOS, or Windows 3.x, Windows 95, or Windows NT, or OS/2 ...).

There are four general areas where printer problems can occur: the cabling/connections, the software of the documents you are trying to print, the system software/printer drivers, or the printer itself. If these suggestions don't solve your problem, they will at least help you narrow down the causes. If none of them work, be sure you note what you've tried to the support person you contact to help you.

Make sure all of the connections have power and are connected properly -- the wire from the computer to the network, the wire from the network to the computer (the port), the wire from the printer to the power socket, etc. Don't just look -- press the connection into it's socket to make sure it's secure.

Check to see that the printer is connected to the proper port on your computer. If the printer has been working fine up to this point, that is probably not the problem. But if this is the first time you've tried to use the printer, then turn everything off, change the port and try again.

Are you able to print from one program, but not another? Or, are you able to print one document, but not another? If some documents print properly and others don't, the offending file is probably corrupted. Try copying the text into a new document and printing.

Were you able to print before, but now you can't? If so, what has changed? Did you attach a new printer cable? Change paper or ribbon or ink cartridge? Get a new computer? Move the computer from one room to another? If so, review the changes you made; perhaps something is installed incorrectly. Perhaps something has to be reinstalled.

Run a self-test on the printer. The manual that came with your printer will tell you how to do this; usually it involves a sequence of printer buttons or commands on the printer itself. If the self-test prints out clean, the printer is physically okay and the problem is in its ability to communicate with the computer.

FOR MACS: Restart the machine and rechoose the printer from the chooser, and then see if the problems continue. If you are using a localtalk or other type of network connection to the printer, make sure that AppleTalk is active in the chooser. Next go to the file menu and choose the print window or print desktop command. If this prints, then any further problems you encounter are from the specific software you are using. Try reinstalling the software, and if that still does not work, visit the software manufacturer Web site for further information.

FOR MACS: As System software is upgraded, so are the drivers for the printer. Any time you are having a problem with your printer that seems software related, make sure that you are running the latest version of the printer driver. The manufacturer of the printer should have this software available.

FOR MACS: If you do have the latest drivers, try reinstalling them, slight corruptions in the drivers can cause major problems. It is recommended that you throw away or "hide" any old drivers before reinstalling.

FOR MACS: One common mistake is to use the wrong driver. Many printers will be able to connect both directly with a serial cable or over a network. These printers often come with two drivers, one for each type of connection. Make sure you are using the appropriate driver.

FOR MACS: If replacing or updating the drivers does not solve the problem, then the next step is to reinstall the system software.

FOR MACS: If the printer does not print out anything at all, or the page has some sort of distortion on it, try printing out a test page. the manual that comes with your printer should give you details on how to do this. When you print out the test page the printer should not be connected to any machines or to a network. If the problem persists, then it is the printer; take it to a repair center.

FOR IBM/CLONES: Can you print from DOS? To test this, you will have to be out of Windows and at the root directory of your C: drive. (The prompt on the screen will look like "C:\>".) Type "dir > lpt1:" without the quotation marks, and press the ENTER key. If you get a printout of the directory of the hard drive, you will know that the connection between the printer and computer is sound. The problem has to do with your operating software or the way the printer is configured within that software.

FOR IBM/CLONES: If you can print from a DOS prompt (Step 4 above) but can't print from Windows, make sure you have at least 3 or 4 MB of free hard disk space. Windows has to create print spool files and may not print if it doesn't have enough free space to do so. If you are low on free hard disk space, free up some space by deleting any unneeded files and try your print job in Windows.

FOR IBM/CLONES: If you can print from a DOS prompt but canšt print from Windows, type "set" at a C:\ prompt; note the line that says "TEMP=". It may say something like "TEMP=C:\TEMP" or "TEMP=C:\DOS". First, make sure the directory exists. Then, check its directory for any files with the TMP extension. If you find any, delete all the .TMP files; they are Windows print spooling files and should be deleted by Windows each time it closes, but sometimes they are not. Their existence can interfere with the creation of new print spool files. Start Windows and try your print job now.

FOR IBM/CLONES: Remove the printer driver in Windows Control Panel Printers. Close Windows and Add Printer to reinstall it; of course, you will need your Windows disks or CD to install the files.

If none of the above works, go to the producer's Web site and see if they have tips for you. And if that doesn't work, contact technical support (which you may have to pay for, but because you've done all of the above, it should cut down on the time the support person has to spend solving this).

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