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Printer-printing garbage

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I have a printer that i have sent a print to & all it will print is numbers & characters. I have turned the printer on & off again but no joy. Any tips on what to check next. I do not want to lose my print if possible.

9 replies

by dkmc00

Sounds like a corrupt printer driver. Delete the
printer and then reinstall it with the latest drivers. You should be able to find the latest drivers on the manufacturer's website, or if you
have a cd that's fine too .

by fred07

Hi
This is a known virus at Symantec, use your antivirus scan and get it deleted or go to the Symantec site and have them scan your pc.
fred

by joey indolos

The problem could be anywhere in the path your data takes from your programs to the printer itself, so you'll have to check it out methodically to eliminate each variable. First, try swapping your cable and printer with another computer with the same type printer. Of course, I'm assuming you're in an office with many computers and printers to choose from; if you're using a one-computer-one-printer setup at home your options are limited, though you could try finding a friend with the same printer. If the swapped printer also produces garbage (and your printer works on the other computer) then the problem is in your computer, either software (the drivers, OS, viruses) or hardware (motherboard or I/O card).

If the swapped printer works on your computer (and your printer produces errors on the other computer) then the problem is in the connection or printer. Next, try swapping just the cables. If the error also transfers, the cable needs to be replaced. If swapping cables has no effect on which printer produces the error, the printer is at fault and needs to be repaired.

by donmars

Do not waste your time swapping out printers, there is nothing wrong with the printer since it works, from a mechanical point of view. Did the printer ever work or is this a new installation? Your driver, printer driver, is corrupt of incompatible for the printer. Locate the correct driver from the printer manufacturer web site and reinstall the printer. Yes it could also be virus related, that would be my second suspect.

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