Unknown Printer

How to Identify and Fix Common Problems ?

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Restart the printer and the computer or mobile device to clear possible error conditions. Restore Wi-Fi setup mode. Most printers with a touchscreen display or menu: Open the Wireless or Setup menu, select Network setup or Settings, and then select Restore Network Settings.
Dust, paper fiber, and other debris might accumulate on the pick rollers and cause paper feed issues. To help prevent paper feed issues, clean the rollers inside the printer and in the duplexer (if equipped). If the other steps in this document fail to resolve the issue, then reset the printer.
Make sure your Wi-Fi network and printer setup meet connection requirements. Restart the printer and the computer or mobile device to clear possible error conditions. Make sure the printer is not connected to a computer with a USB cable.
Check Cables and Printer USB Ports

Check all cable connections (including the power cord) on the printer side. If the printer does have power and you`ve properly connected the communication cable, but the printer is still not recognized, try switching to a different USB port on the PC.

Paper is improperly loaded

If you have loaded the paper too far into the printer, the printer cannot feed the paper correctly. Turn the printer off and gently remove the paper. Then turn the printer on and reload the paper correctly.

If roll paper does not feed, cut the end straight across and uncurl it by rolling it backward, if necessary. Then reload the paper. If thick media does not feed, make sure you are loading it straight into the product, not at an angle. If paper jams when you print on both sides of the paper, try loading fewer sheets.
Using both hands, put one piece of paper in the manual feed slot until the front edge of the paper touches the paper feed roller. Once the machine has grasped the paper, let go. The side to be printed should be faced up. The machine will hold the paper in place until the print data is sent to the machine.
Click: `Open the HP Photosmart Toolbox` or: `Service this device` Click: Device Services tab. Click: Calibrate the Device or Clean the Print Cartridges or Align the printer. Follow the instruction which will appear on-screen.
Remove and Re-Add Your Printer in Windows

If this happens, go to Settings > Devices > Printers & Scanners, select your printer, and remove it. Then click Add a Printer or Scanner to re-add it to the device list.

Make sure that both ends of the USB cable are correctly inserted into the computer and the printer. Try disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable at both ends. Disconnect the printer and the computer and reconnect them. Try another USB port if available.
The Print Spooler is software built into the Windows operating system that temporarily stores print jobs in the computer`s memory until the printer is ready to print them. In some circumstances you may need to stop and/or restart the service.
If the paper feed rollers are dirty or paper powder is attached to it, paper may not be fed properly. In this case, clean the paper feed rollers. Cleaning will wear out the paper feed rollers, so perform this only when necessary. Make sure that the power is turned on and remove any paper from the rear tray.
The paper feeding mechanism includes a drive gear coaxially coupled to a shaft of drive roller for transferring a sheet to a printing zone, a feed gear coaxially coupled to a shaft of the feed roller and operating to align the sheet transferred from the drive roller, and a discharge gear coaxially coupled to a shaft of …
Sheet feeder: Holds the blank paper and automatically feeds the paper during printing.
An automatic document feeder is a printer function included in most multi-function machines that lets you easily copy, scan and fax stacks of pages without manually switching out each page. This is a super convenient feature if your office regularly makes a lot of copies, saving both time and potential frustration.
The manual feed slot is located on the front of your printer. It can be closed when not in use, making the product more compact.
For cleaning, HP recommends using HP Equipment Cleaning Wipes, but you can use an HP-approved lint-free wipe and deionized or distilled water. Note: If dark spots appear on back side of prints, clean drum screen. Note: If minilab prints more than 2000 prints each day, clean drum screen up to twice daily.
The streaks or lines might be caused due to low ink levels in one or both ink cartridges. Check the ink levels using the HP Toolbox to determine if the ink cartridges are low on ink and need to be replaced. note: Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only.
Almost all printers can print out a network configuration page, which will include the printer`s IP address. If your printer has a user interface (UI) display, the configuration page can generally be printed by going to the Settings or Setup page. Again, the exact steps will vary for different printer makes and models.
Your printer should have been packaged with a USB cable regardless of whether it is a wireless or wired printer. Plug the cable into your printer and your computer`s USB port. The direct linking should trigger your computer to recognize the printer and start up the software needed to complete the installation.
Does a USB-connected printer have an IP address? No, a USB-connected printer that isn`t connected to WiFi doesn`t have an IP. If you only print by connecting your computer directly to your printer via a USB, the device won`t have an IP because it isn`t connected to the Internet like wireless printers.
If you`re using Windows 10, click or tap the “+ Add a printer or scanner” button. No matter if you`re using Windows 11 or Windows 10, the operating system begins “searching for printers and scanners,” and if it manages to find your local printer or scanner, it will try to install its drivers automatically.
Most printers use the same USB cables that other USB devices use to connect to your computer. USB`s development was driven by the need to create a connection standard to replace the myriad serial, parallel, and other cables previously used to connect peripherals to computers.

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

My printer feeds through one piece of paper all the way and then a half piece of paper and stops. I pull out the paper to stop the paper jam and then it prints but sounds rough. After printing, it doesn't feed the paper all the way through.
ANSWER : And the first 2 sheets, the full and half sheet that go through first, are blank.

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Unknown Printer

HP 4L Printer Paper Jam
ANSWER : The paper jam pointer flashes after the printer sustained the second sheet of paper a couple of centimeters into the machine. The main page in the wake of driving on the printer after some time dependably gets printed, yet it gets stuck at all after pages.

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Unknown Printer

Dead HP 4L
ANSWER : My old HP 4L didn’t power up after I had to shut it down for a couple of weeks. Not lights, no fan … my nice old clunky Laserjet dead?

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Unknown Printer

Multiple paper feed
ANSWER : Most likely the pickup roller solenoid is sticking. The way it works is the solenoid energizes, pulling down a metal plate that releases the pickup roller. There is some foam on the base to quiet the clicking sound. The foam deteriorates and the plate sticks to the gooey residue. This allows the pickup roller to continue to turn instead of stopping after one revolution when the plate springs back up. That results in multiple paper being fed. Solution is to find the solenoid, which is at the end of the pickup roller shaft. Remove the sticky foam and preferably replace it with some thin sticky backed felt. You can find it at a hardware store as it is used on the bottom of chair legs.

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Brother Hl-2040 paper over feed
ANSWER : Your instructions saved me..I had the board off 3 times before i saw your pix….thanks so much!

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feed issue
ANSWER : Haven’t seen this issue on that model. Solenoids never go bad. Every solenoid HP has ever used has this sponge to dampen the clicking noise. The sponge will disintegrate from heat and use and then become sticky. This causes the pickup roller release plate to stick and allow the roller to rotate continuously. All you have to do is scrape off the goo and replace with thin sticky backed felt. I’ve fixed thousands of them this way.

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sheets feeding or printing slightly crooked
ANSWER : Actually it’s a model 5040, but it appears identical to the photo at right.

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Lexmark paper feed problems
ANSWER : On my X204n Lexmark laser printer, it was doing the same thing you described – basically sounded like it was trying to pick up the paper from the tray and then failing after several seconds. When you’d open the paper tray, the paper looked like it had been partially taken up with some black scuff marks on the paper that lined up with the rollers that take up the paper. I inspected the rollers and although they looked a bit smooth and worn, didn’t seem like they should be a problem. However, this particular model has just a rubber tire almost like a car tire – the rubber can come off the hard plastic wheel on the inner portion. So I popped off the two rubber “tires”, turned them inside out and put them back on. When turned inside out, the rubber looked nice and … rubbery and had a lot more grippy feeling to them. The very first printing attempt after that and the paper sucked up perfectly with no problems. I think the problem is solved! So if you have similar “tires” that take up the paper, try flipping them and see if it works for you too.

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Unknown Printer