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General discussion

printing problem- Windows Me- HP Deskjet 932C

Dec 26, 2004 10:51PM PST

no response from printer from computer (printer itself is working)

Discussion is locked

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Printing Problem
Dec 27, 2004 5:41AM PST

First off are you using the Parallel Cable or USB connection. Are you sure it's hooked up correctly? Did you install the drivers that came with it or did you allow ME to install the drivers.
You may just need to replace the drivers with newer one you can get them from here. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?dlc=en&lc=en&product=60096&lang=en&cc=us&os=209 you can also check on the provided link to see if you do need to update your drivers.
Just because the printer turns on doesn't mean it is working correctly. Perhaps it is in an offline mode. Select Start then Settings then Printers does your printer appears as a sharp image or does it look like a ghost image. If ghost like simply right click on the printer and unselect the use offline. Or the other option is that you didn't select it to be your default printer. Again Select Start then Settings then Printers does your Hp 932C have a check mark next to it denoting that it is your default printer If not simply right click on the printer and select set as default printer.

Hope this helps

Gary

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Printing Problem
Dec 27, 2004 10:12AM PST

Gary-
I went to Start-Settings-Printers. The icon shows up clear WITH a check mark.

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Printing Problem
Dec 29, 2004 2:00AM PST

That wasn't what he was asking you... sounds like Gary might be an ex-tech for HP the way I am...

what he was asking you was if you used the software disk that came with the printer to install the software or if you let windows just use a compatable file they have built into the system? if you used the windows file it may not be fully compatable with the printer in question. you will either need to reinstall and then search the CD that came with the printer or go to the HP web site and download the latest software from them directly.

Also I didn't see an answer to the question if you were using a USB cable or parallel port connection to the printer.

these are some basic questions that anyone who is providing assistance will need to know so that they can get you the correct answers.

Heidi

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lexmark1100 inkjetprinter
Feb 14, 2005 1:10AM PST

switched computers, cannot print ;status Sillyrinter offline..ghostly appearance only on show properties screen;all connections connected;printer checked as default; sound "printing started but nothing happens...My printer doesn't respond!!!HELP HELP HELP

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Did it ever work?
Dec 27, 2004 7:12AM PST

Or is this a new printer you can't get installed or working properly.

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Printing Problem
Dec 27, 2004 10:17AM PST

I've been using this printer for over a year now. This just happened in the last week. I uninstalled Spybot (I thought that might be the problem) , and at first the stuff was printing. Now it's not printing again.

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try starting over
Dec 27, 2004 7:01PM PST

Have you tried doing a system restore to a time when it worked? That is what I would recommend. If that doesn't work, uninstall the printer and start over. Printer drivers can get corrupted and software can get corrupted. Sometimes it is easier and faster to redo than "fix" it.

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There's a New Wrinkle
Dec 27, 2004 11:09PM PST

What's now occurred is when I start the computer and the desktop comes on I get a "Printer's Folder" box that says, "HP Deskjet 930C Series printer has 1 job. To start printing this job, click Yes." And when I click yes, surprise, it prints. But I want to print when I'm online, not when I turn the computer on.

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that's not uncommon
Dec 28, 2004 2:40AM PST

You can have print jobs that fail to complete. If that happens, no additional printing will take place until you either reboot or clear the task from the print queue. By rebooting your computer, it allowed the job to finish. Your pritner should be fine now. Check by printing something off the internet and see what happens.

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Tried, no success
Dec 28, 2004 12:29PM PST

Won't work

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print on reboot
Dec 29, 2004 2:49AM PST

what internet service do you use?

again I'll ask what are your system resources available for printing...

see previous message about printing and low system resources...

the easiest way to free up memory/resources is to turn off a lot of the hidden files that load when you start your computer... this means going into msconfig and unmarking a lot of things that you don't really need that eat up memory resources...

it's hard to say what you need and what you can turn off without actually looking at the computer itself... I've got about 52 pages of stuff that can run on startup.. only a few are critical... like some NAV items for Norton Anti-Virus... but not all NAV is needed... some are redundancies or access to things that you can get through the start menu.

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Starting over
Dec 29, 2004 2:45AM PST

Actually if your printer was working fine until a week or so ago... it means that something you recently installed or uninstalled caused the problem...

1st: what printer is it?

2nd: Are there any lights on the printer, and do any of them blink?

3rd: does the printer run a self test ok?

4th: how is it connected? via Parallel or USB cable, and did you recently change cables?

5th: what are your system resources... how much memory do you have available to your print jobs... a computer that is running at less than 50% will often fail to print due to the buffering of documents prior to sending them to the printer.

these are a few things to look at first when trying to troubleshoot printer errors...

Heidi

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printing problem- Windows Me- HP Deskjet 932C
Dec 27, 2004 11:27PM PST

Try this see what happens.

Disconnect the parallel cable so the printer is only connected to the power.
Turn the printer on. The green light will be on.
While pressing and holding the power button, press and release the resume button four times, then release the power button.
The test sheet should print After a successful self-test, reconnect the parallel cable.

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self test didn't go
Dec 28, 2004 12:26PM PST

Tried your method, and after I let go of the power button and resume button (after the 4th press & release), all that happened is both lights blinked, but nothing printed.

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self test didn't go
Dec 28, 2004 11:53PM PST

All I can tell you is on my 932c if I power it on (green light) and then press and hold the power button and press the resume button 4 times and release the power button I get a short test page.

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self test didn't go
Dec 29, 2004 1:54AM PST

I used to work in the Boise Call center for HP trying to fix problems like this. I don't have all of the notes infront of me right now... but I'm gonna try and walk you through some of the things I remember...

1st: how old is the printer,
did you buy it new or used?

2nd: are you sure you have the ink cartridges installed correctly, and did you carefully remove the protective tape from the nozzles?

I'll work on some other things a bit later... one of the most common problems I saw with most DeskJet printers was damaged, dirty or empty cartridges, failure to remove the protective tape..

I'll check back a bit later...

Heidi

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Printing Error
Dec 29, 2004 1:04PM PST

Heidi-

I appreciate your interest in my problem. But I have to confess that unlike most of the people who post on CNET, I'm not very conversant with computers. I don't really know how to report back the necessary info you mention. All I know how to do is go to Settings-Control Panel-System, System Properties, and I see that I have a Dell Dimension 4100, Windows Me 4.90.3000, Pentium III, 384 MB RAM, Lucent Win Modem. Where do I find the rest of the specs?

As far as your suggestion about checking available memory, etc., I need help in finding that out. Also, I have checked the printer's cartridges. Just before this problem came up, I had purchased a replacement black cartridge. Also, I had posted elsewhere that if I attempt to print, nothing happens UNTIL I reboot, when I get a message box entitled "Printer's Folder." It then says that "HP Deskjet 930C Series printer has 1 job. To start printing this job, click Yes." When I click yes, the printer prints, and I get a crisp, clean copy, no problems with the copy.

Thanks,
Peretz48

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Printing Error
Dec 30, 2004 2:58AM PST

ok.. you're on Windows ME...
(and right now I'm stuck on a library computer with NT... and my folks run XP on their home computers)

if you right click the "my computer" icon then click on "properties" at the bottom of the dialog box... it brings up a windowthat has about 4 tabs in it... click on the last tab.. I believe it says "resources". and it will show you how much memory you have and what percentage is available to use. I'll need those two numbers...

now you say that you only have 384 MB of RAM on your computer... is this a Dell Laptop?

and for starters I might have missed this... how old is the printer?

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Latest Development
Dec 29, 2004 1:50PM PST

Wow- this is spooky. I went to HP's website and ran their sample page tests. What you do is disconnect the parallel cable to the computer. Method 1: Sample page-worked like a charm-anything is possible... Method 2: Hardware self-test page, where you hold power down and then hit resume button 4x. didn't work. then I tried Method 3: Print calibration test: here you hit resume 3x. It printed the hardware sef-test page instead. So I tried again with Method 3, and this time it printed the correct page. I then went back to Method 2, yippee, it finally worked. So I reconnected the parallel cable and then went back on the internet to print. DIDN'T WORK!!! ARGHH!!!!!

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bad cable?
Dec 29, 2004 6:52PM PST

Have you considered the cable or connection may be bad? I know of that can happen. A friend had a similar situation. The printer would print a test page and pass all of the self tests. But, when connected to the computer, it would fail. We switched cables and it worked again. Can you try using another cable?

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(NT) (NT) Yep, I've Had Bad Parrallel Cables Cause Problems Also
Dec 30, 2004 2:27AM PST
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Questions
Dec 29, 2004 8:23PM PST

I read through the whole discussion, and there's an awful lot you didn't yet mention and didn't yet try. So there we go. Please tell all in your answer.

- What's the exact error message.
- Set the printer to NOT spool, but print directly. You might not like the result, but if it's a fast printer, it might be workable.
- Is the printer connected parallel or USB?
- Why did you uninstall Spybot? Did you already try to reinstall it?
- What's the connection to the Internet (cable, adsl, dial-up; Ethernet or usb)?
- If you go offline and print a page from the Temporary Internet Files does that work?
- Can you print from Outlook Express when online? And when offline?
- Can you print from, say, Notepad when online? And when offline?
- Any errors for the printer in Device Manager?
- Installed latest printer drivers from HP?
- Can you print from Firefox (www.mozilla.org)?

Trying to find out if it's a problem in the spooling, some interference between modem and printer, a driver problem, an IE problem, whatever. Localize the source of the problem by varying the conditions, that's the idea.

Hope this helps.


Kees

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HP Deskjet 932C
Dec 31, 2004 1:35AM PST

Look for and download an updated software package for your printer, considering, of course, your operating system (Windows ME) from HP's support web-site. Download, and save it to a place, you know where to get to it. Go to Control Panel, System, Hardware, Device Manager. Find your Printer, in the list, and delete it. Close that out, go back to Start, then click, Printers and Faxes. Delete your printer, if it is still listed, and how ever many more versions of it may be there. Close that out, and shut down your PC. Unplug your Printer Cable from both your PC, and the printer, I recommend, unpluging, both your Printer, and PC Power Cords, before you do that. Then restart your PC without the printer attached. Attemped to install the updated software, and then again shut down your PC, unplug the PC Power Cord to then reconnect your printer cable. By now, more than a few minutes should have passed, in order for the buffer to reset itself on your Printer Connections, on both the printer, and PC, printer connections. Then restart your PC. Your printer will automatically install. Check on how it is listed, in Printers and Faxes, to make sure it is only listed once, and that it is your default. This should work, but if it doesn't solve your problem, go to HP's live support, it's free, and they are very good at what they do.