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Question

Never thought I'd be stumped by a stupid printer...

Apr 8, 2015 3:13PM PDT
I'm stumped

A friend called and asked if I would help him figure out why he can't print.
I figured it would be something simple, like something stuck in the print que, etc.
It wasn't, and I can't think of anything I haven't checked....
(This is Win XP, btw)

Here's what I've checked:

Printer shows normal (dark color when connected, grey when not) in Devices and Printers.
It shows as Default and is seen by Windows (unplug/replug while watching it change in Devices and Printers -Windows shows everything exactly as it should when I do this, so both the cable and the USB port are good also..)
Print que is empty.
Print Service is Auto and Started ( I stopped it and restarted it, no difference )
Printer does do a good print check (from the printer), so it CAN print.
Tried printing out of different apps (including Wordpad).

When I hit print it's as if the print job just disappears into thin air. I even opened the print que to see if the print job registers at all, but even watching it while I hit print shows nothing. It's like it's not even going to the Print Que at all.

Not that it should matter, but the printer is a year old Brother that has been printing perfectly for the year. He says this just started "out of the blue" with no errors, nothing... ( I believe him, he's pretty pc savvy).

What the hell am I forgetting to check?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Sounds like fun...a real challenge
Apr 8, 2015 9:27PM PDT

Here's where I'd try as a different user on the system. A really good way to rule out the printer would be to attach it to another PC and load the proper driver. Of course you make sure the driver is the most current. Some will say to try a live Linux disk and set up the printer with it. That might be cumbersome to those who have never done this but it's an option. I think ruling out the printer as being defective is where I'd go first. I do presume you've checked that the port settings are correct and tried to make a test print from Windows.

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Answer
Checkout...
Apr 19, 2015 1:12AM PDT

You didn't state how and what printer model and attached. I basically do the following:

Remove the printer and do a "self-test", read the manual to do this. If that works, then attach printer back and then at the printer setting area, do the OS printer test. If that passes, then the printer is really OK. That means some s/w or corruption has crept in. In most cases, I then totally de-install the printer then unhook it. Reboot and then use CCleaner(install if necessary) and run its "cleaner" button and finish. Then again CCleaner run the "registry" button and finish. Once all done, reboot and then install the printer as it suppose to be done. I suggest get the latest install procedure from the support website and alas connect only when it asks during install or if so instructed, prior, exactly as the manual states. If after all this it still fails, then either some other s/w is causing an issue or yet other OS based s/w is at fault.

IMHO, you can check Brother support and check for any FAQ on that model# or forum if present. I have found Brother and Samsung printers some of cheapest out there, to up and die. When all is said and done, only a new replacement did the trick.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Answer
XP, well, that's an end in itself. Try ....
Apr 19, 2015 1:20AM PDT

I see you stopped the service but did you clean up that spool area?

I'm going to supply a link but it's for REFERENCE on how/where that spool area is and there are tomes about what to delete there. Some folk write back it's not an exact match. Remember, just a reference.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/946737/

Bob