Friday, September 23, 2011

The Fastest Methods For Fixing a Printer Error

There are many reasons why printer errors can plague your machine. Obviously, you can't go out and buy a new printer every time your printer crashes. Still, there are some very obvious fixes for your printer's hardware and software. There are only a few types of printer errors, so it's eventually easy enough to summarize these errors and fix them.

Frequently Occurring Printer Errors

Of course, there are very common errors including paper jam, low ink, and low toner. In the case of the former problem, you must exercise caution when dealing with the jam. It's wise to always consult your printer's manual before you actually attempt to remove paper from the printer. If you don't, you could end up seriously damaging your printer. Also, always turn off your printer before you extract the paper from the printer.

There are some printers that contain a paper feed button which can facilitate the removal of the paper. If you've got one of these printers, try holding the paper feed button down before you open the printer's casing. It's an easy way to solve the problem.

When your ink is running low, your computer will usually notify you in the "Devices and Printers" category. It may even display a small warning on the taskbar. Take a look at these warnings, and make sure that you change any ink cartridges that are low. You can actually harm your printer by trying to "run on empty" when it comes to ink cartridges. The same goes for toner.

Network Printers and Updating Drivers

If your printer is installed on a network, then you need to contact the system administrator before you make any adjustments. All network printers depend on one another to some degree. Also, you might be dealing with a network problem rather than a hardware or software issue.

If you're having trouble with your printer, but you're not experiencing any of the problems previously listed, then it's very probable that you have to replace your printer drivers. Your printer drivers are basically your printer's gateway to the OS. Your operating system requires updated printer drivers to communicate effectively with the OS so that you can print jobs.

When your OS isn't able to recognize drivers, your printer shuts down. There are a few ways you can update your printer's drivers without going through too much hassle.

Windows Update

The first method for updating drivers is to utilize Windows Update, a built-in tool that looks in Microsoft's databases for your fix. Since most printers are manufactured by external companies, this isn't necessarily going to fix your printer problem.

You have the option to directly visit the manufacturer's website to find new drivers. Almost all manufacturers of printers will contain driver updates on their site. After all, they want you to continue using their products. Just look within the "Support" or "Downloads" category of the manufacturer's site.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4736781

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