The letter c on the printer is flashing. We eliminate errors if the printer does not want to print

Hello.

Those who often print something, whether at home or at work, sometimes encounter a similar problem: when you send a file for printing, the printer does not seem to respond (or it “buzzes” for several seconds and the result is also zero). Since I often have to resolve such issues, I will say right away: 90% of cases when the printer does not print are not associated with a breakdown of either the printer or the computer.

In this article I want to give the most common reasons why the printer refuses to print (such problems can be solved very quickly, for an experienced user it takes 5-10 minutes). By the way, an important note right away: the article does not deal with cases where the printer, for example, prints a sheet with stripes or prints blank white sheets, etc.

5 most common reasons why it won't print Printer

No matter how funny it may sound, very often the printer does not print because they forgot to turn it on (I especially often see this picture at work: the employee next to whom the printer is standing simply forgot to turn it on, and the rest spend 5-10 minutes sorting it out what's the matter...). Typically, when the printer is turned on, it makes a buzzing sound and several LEDs on its body light up.

By the way, sometimes the printer's power cable can be interrupted - for example, during repairs or when moving furniture (very often happens in offices). In any case, check that the printer is connected to the network, as is the computer to which it is connected.

Reason No. 1 - the wrong printer was selected for printing

The fact is that in Windows (at least 7, at least 8) there are several printers: some of them have nothing in common with a real printer. And many users, especially when they are in a hurry, simply forget to look at which printer they are sending the document to for printing. Therefore, first of all, I recommend once again carefully paying attention to this point when printing (see Fig. 1).

Rice. 1 - sending the file for printing. Samsung network printer.

Reason No. 2 - Windows crash, print queue freezes

One of the most common reasons! Quite often, a banal freeze in the print queue occurs; this error can especially often occur when the printer is connected to local network and it is used by several users at once.

This also often happens when printing some “damaged” file. To restore the printer, you need to cancel and clear the print queue.

To do this, go to the control panel, switch the view mode to “Small icons” and select the “devices and printers” tab (see Fig. 2).

Rice. 2 Control Panel - Devices and Printers.

Rice. 3 Devices and Printers - View the Print Queue

In the list of documents to print - cancel all documents that will be there (see Fig. 4).

Rice. 4 Cancels printing the document.

After this, in most cases, the printer starts working normally and you can resend the desired document for printing.

Reason #3 - missing or jammed paper

Typically, when paper is low or jammed, Windows will issue a warning when printing (but sometimes there won't be one).

Paper jams are a fairly common occurrence, especially in organizations where they save paper: they use sheets that have already been used, for example, by printing information on the sheets on the reverse side. Such sheets are most often wrinkled and cannot be placed in an even stack in the receiving tray of the device - this causes the percentage of paper jams to be quite high.

Usually wrinkled the sheet is visible in the body device and it must be carefully removed: just pull the sheet towards you, without jerking.

Important! Some users jerk the jammed sheet out. Because of this, a small piece remains in the device body, which prevents further printing. Because of this piece, which you can no longer cling to, you have to disassemble the device down to the “cogs”...

If the jammed sheet is not visible- open the printer cover and remove the cartridge from it (see Fig. 5). In a typical design of a conventional laser printer, most often, behind the cartridge you can see several pairs of rollers through which a sheet of paper passes: if it is jammed, you should see it. It is important to remove it carefully so that there are no torn pieces left on the shaft or rollers. Be careful and careful.

Rice. 5 Typical printer design (for example HP): you need to open the cover and take out the cartridge to see the jammed sheet

Reason #4 - driver problem

Typically, driver problems begin after: changing Windows OS (or reinstalling); installing new equipment (which may conflict with the printer); software failure and viruses (which is much less common than the first two reasons).

First, I recommend going to the Windows control panel (switch the view to small icons) and open the device manager. In Device Manager, you need to open the Printers tab ( sometimes called a print queue) and see if there are any red or yellow exclamation marks (indicating driver problems).

And in general, the presence of exclamation marks in the device manager is undesirable - it indicates problems with the devices, which, by the way, can also affect the operation of the printer.

Rice. 6 Checking the printer driver.

  • Remove the printer driver completely from Windows:
  • Download new drivers from the official website of the device manufacturer and install them:

Reason No. 5 - a problem with the cartridge, for example, the ink (toner) has run out

The last thing I wanted to dwell on in this article is the cartridge. When the ink or toner runs out, the printer either prints empty white sheets (by the way, this can also be observed simply when the ink is of poor quality or the head is broken), or simply does not print at all...

I recommend checking the amount of ink (toner) in the printer. This can be done in the Windows OS control panel, in the “Devices and Printers” section: by going to properties the necessary equipment(see Fig. 3 of this article).

In some cases, Windows will display incorrect information about the presence of paint, so you should not completely trust it.

When you run out of toner (when dealing with laser printers), one simple tip helps a lot: you need to take out the cartridge and shake it a little. The powder (toner) will be evenly redistributed throughout the cartridge and you will be able to print again (though not for long). Be careful during this operation - you may get dirty with toner.

I have everything on this issue. I hope that you will quickly resolve your issue with the printer. Good luck!

Low printing cost, high speed, ease of operation, water resistance - these are just some of the positive aspects of using laser printers. HP devices are widely used in Russia. HP printers and MFPs are inexpensive to operate, durable and of excellent quality. However, problems also occur with them. In this article we will look at problems with LaserJet MFPs Pro MFP M125RA.

Printer Features

LaserJet Pro is a reliable, compact and easy-to-use device capable of printing 8-10 thousand pages per month, which is officially confirmed by the manufacturer. This number of printed pages is enough for a small company, let alone home use. The speed of printing text information can reach up to 20 sheets per minute with a maximum resolution of 600*600 dpi.

Previously, not all professional printer models costing tens of thousands of rubles had such characteristics. The MFP has built-in high-quality flatbed scanner A4 format, with a resolution of up to 1200*1200 dpi. This is enough for scanning texts and photos.

However, there is also a fly in the ointment. A major disadvantage of using the HP M125 is the cartridges. The cartridge that comes with the printer has an installed chip that controls the toner. This chip can block the operation of the printer.

After refilling a used cartridge, the printer displays an error on the built-in display - the letter P is shown on it. To avoid this, it is necessary to replace the cartridge microcircuit when refilling. Let's take a closer look at the situation when the letter P is lit on an HP printer.

What does the letter P mean on a printer?

Possible problems why the letter P is lit on the information display on the printer. The appearance of the HP M125 indicator when it shows an error can be seen in the photo. The first steps you can take to fix the problem at home:

  1. If you run out of toner and refill it yourself at home, you need to purchase and replace the chip on the cartridge;
  2. The problem may be poor contact on the areas of the chip and the shaft with the printer. To do this, you need to remove the cartridge and wipe the contact pads with alcohol or solvent;
  3. If you use cheap non-original cartridges, you need to check whether the contacts on the pads reach the chip. The plastic case may need to be trimmed a little so that the contacts fit more tightly against the cartridge.
  4. Nothing worked - perhaps rebooting the device might help. To do this, you need to disconnect it from the power supply for at least 5 minutes. Then plug it into the network and carry out the initialization process.

If the printer shows a letter and all the measures described above did not lead to changes and the MFP does not exit emergency mode, you must contact service center. The breakdown may be due to the failure of electronic components or a malfunction of the formatter. If you have the appropriate equipment, the service engineer will solve the problem in a short time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, we can say that the HP M125RA MFP is an inexpensive and reliable device that can solve all issues related to printing black and white images. For proper and correct operation, it is recommended to refill cartridges in specialized services, where they will immediately carry out the necessary repair work and replace the chip.

Sometimes users of printing devices such as printers try to find answers to questions about why the red light on the printer blinks or lights up. Typically, a problem of this kind occurs during the use of laser model devices, and to solve it it is enough to pay attention to a number of important points. In general, light indicators (two light bulbs), which are located on the panel, serve to transmit information about certain components of the device. These indicators react differently to various changes in the state of the device. For example, they may flash or light up for an extended period of time. In some cases, these 2 lights do not show any signs of "alarm".

Causes and their elimination

So, if you notice that the red button on the printer is lit, which means “Warning” (for printer models in this situation the exclamation mark is lit), then perhaps your printer does not have a cartridge. To eliminate this problem You just need to open the printer cover and gain access to the opening intended for consumables. Next, you should remove the special protective film from the new cartridge, and then install it in the opening intended for it until a characteristic click is heard.

If two buttons on the printer panel flash periodically, i.e. green (“Ready”) and red (“Warning”), and at the same time, the reason is that the printing device is going through the initialization process.

If you notice that the green button has started blinking, please note that the printing device is in this moment performs data processing or receives it. It also happens that the “Ready” light is constantly on, and the “Warning” light only flashes occasionally - such indicator signs indicate general error in the machine or a paper feed error. This situation is usually accompanied by jammed sheets of paper already caught by special rollers.

If a red light on the device panel periodically starts to glow, this may indicate that the cartridge is not installed correctly. In addition, a similar signal also appears if the access cover to the consumable elements is not closed tightly enough. To resolve this issue and return the printing device to operational state, you should.

If your model's red light starts blinking, the problem may be a paper jam. To resolve the problem, remove all loose paper from the special tray, remove the consumables with ink from the printer, and remove all sheets. In addition, this indicator may also blink due to the packaging material not being completely removed, incl. special tape. To completely remove it from inside the printer, open top cover to access consumables. In addition, packaging bags must also be removed from the input and output trays.

Incorrect operation of the sensors responsible for closing the case may also be reflected in the fact that the “Warning” light on the printer panel is constantly on. If both device indicators are constantly on, this may indicate some serious error, which is unlikely to be eliminated on your own.

It should be added that for printing devices from the company, a triangle is responsible for displaying the error code. Therefore, if you notice that a triangle with lightning is lit on the printer, then remember the code that will appear on the printer display, and then find it detailed description in the instructions for the device. But on models from Epson, instead of green and red indicators, as well as a triangle, if there is an error, a droplet begins to blink.

For example, if the device’s drop starts blinking when the cartridge is full, then to solve the problem you should reset the “diaper’s” waste ink counter using some utility program, for example, PrintHelp.

Thus, office equipment indicators promptly inform us about the presence of certain problems. Many of them can be eliminated on your own, even without certain skills.

So, if a light on your device starts to light up that was not on before, first read the user manual. But in cases where the reason has not been specifically established, it is better to use the services of a service center, where your device will be carefully examined for the presence of certain defects.

Modern printers and multifunctional devices have a system that allows self-diagnosis of all components of the device. If any malfunction occurs in the equipment, the microprocessor sends a code signal to the user that a malfunction has been detected. Fault codes may be displayed on the device display(if it is provided for by the design), or by alternate blinking of the LEDs on the device control panel. An error message with a code may appear and on PC screen. Despite their high reliability, printers and MFPs from the manufacturer HP (Hewlett-Packard) are also subject to operational failures. The most common errors when operating HP devices, according to user reviews, are the following: printing error and errors with codes E8, E3 and 79.

Printing failure on HP printers

Often, when trying to print a document, the user discovers that the process is blocked for an unknown reason. However, all attempts to delete or cancel a job in the print queue fail.

This failure can appear for a number of reasons, for example, from a sudden power surge, but, in any case, you will have to fix the problem in the Print Manager program. This fact is explained by the fact that when a document is sent for printing, Windows system is created special file. For a number of reasons, this file may become corrupted and cause a failure in which the printer does not print. Therefore, this file must be deleted in the following way.



If the printing process went well, then the setup is considered complete. If you still cannot print the document, you can solve the problem using free software from HP. The program is called “HP Print and Scan Doctor” and it is used to solve problems that arise during printing, as well as to diagnose equipment. You can download it from the official website using this link. After opening the program window, select automatic search problems and their elimination. After the program exits, try to print the document again.

In some cases, the following measures help solve this problem.

  1. Reinstalling the Printer Driver. But first you need to remove it: in “Control Panel” find “Devices and Printers” and open the window. Right-click on the HP printer icon and select “Delete”. These steps will remove the driver that was installed on the system. After removal, you must restart your PC. If for some reason you do not have drivers for a given MFP (printer) model, you can download them from the HP website by following this link.
  2. For a while disable firewall and try to print the document.
  3. Login as another account (relevant if the equipment was configured from another account).

How to fix error e8

Service message with code e8 is often found on laserjet MFP 1132. It means that arose problem with the scanner. The instructions for the device indicate that a malfunction with code e8 is fatal, that is, cannot be eliminated. But craftsmen have found several ways to eliminate this problem, which, in some cases, can return the scanner to work.

The most common case is when the scanner ruler has stopped in the extreme right position and does not move. In this case, error E8 appears on the MFP display.

In this case, the carriage was simply jammed. To fix this problem, you will have to remove the scanner glass and move the ruler to the center of the device or closer to the left edge. To remove the glass, you need to unscrew 6 bolts located around the perimeter.

To unscrew the screws you will need an asterisk hexagon.

Once the glass cover is removed, take the carriage, move it closer to the center and return the glass to its place. Turn on the device and wait until the ruler is positioned (it should move to the far left position). If everything happened exactly like this, then you are in luck, since the E8 code can appear for other reasons.

In the case when the scanner carriage after turning on the MFP moves jerkily and stops, and code E8 appears on the display, you will have to thoroughly check all the components of this block. To check the scanner block, you need to remove the glass cover, as mentioned above, after which you need to take out the block itself and turn it over. On the bottom side of the block you will see 2 gears and an electric motor pressed against a plate. Next, do the following.



The above steps usually fix the scanner problem in the hp m1132 MFP. But in some cases this problem can be caused by The gears or optocoupler are pressed too tightly. Sometimes the problem is resolved by loosening the pressure on the gears or removing the small gear altogether. After this, turn on the device (with the scanner unit removed and inverted) and observe the rotation of the gear. If it continues to move jerkily, then the problem may be hidden in the optocoupler.

If you look closely at the optocoupler, you will see that there is a notched disk between the two sensors. This disc should be located in the center of the optocoupler. Sometimes it moves to one side, which causes the E8 code to appear. Try installing the engine so that the disk is centrally located between the sensors.

If, after all the manipulations described above, the E8 code appears again, then the fault may lie in the engine itself or the control board. If you can replace the motor yourself, you will have to contact a service center regarding the control board.

Troubleshooting E3 code

Often, users of HP MFPs observe the appearance of the E3 code on the device’s display. If you look at the instructions for the device, it spells out this code as “The cartridge is missing or installed incorrectly.” Undoubtedly, the cartridge may be installed incorrectly, foreign objects may get under it, or it may simply be broken. But sometimes a situation arises when the device does not see the cartridge due to the fact that the lever, which has a shutter, simply does not reach the optocoupler. To get to it, you need to remove the back (metal) cover of the MFP. How to unlock the lever, after which the E3 error will be reset, is clearly shown in this video from a foreign resource (knowledge of the language is not necessary).

Troubleshooting Error 79

Error 79 in HP printers usually means that failure in software apparatus. To fix it, do the following:

  • turn off the power to the device using the power key;
  • pause for at least 30 seconds;
  • turn on the unit again and wait until it initializes;
  • in the case where the device was connected through a surge protector, try plugging it in directly into a power outlet this time;
  • If the code message continues to appear, then sometimes clearing the print queue or reinstalling the driver helps get rid of the problem.

Resetting errors on HP printers

To reset the error or so-called service message on HP printers, there are many methods that are only suitable for specific models. Since the models of printing equipment from this manufacturer a large number of, then to reset service messages about the problem, you can use the tables below.



In cases where cartridges (LaserJet 1300, 1320, 4250/4350) containing a chip are being refilled, it must be sealed before installing them in the device. The device, of course, will display a message that the “left” cartridge is inserted, but it will work. Also to reset chips You can use the recommendations from the following table.



Almost any service codes Errors for HP Photosmart series printers are reset using the following method.

  1. Hold the left arrow and, without releasing it, press the “Setup” key, then remove your fingers from the keys. As a result of this action, the “Enter Special Key Combo” menu will appear. Press and hold the “Print Photos” and “Red Eye Removal” keys at the same time and release them. Next, press one key at a time and release: “Photo correction (Red Eye Removal)”, “Print Photos”, “Photo correction (Red Eye Removal)”.
  2. Click the right arrow and go to the “System Configuration” line. Click OK.
  3. Press the right arrow again until you reach the line “Hardware failure status: Clear. Press OK to clear" (if the device worked without failures before, then you will not find this line). Remember, you cannot start printing at this time.
  4. Turn off the device, then turn it on.

Thus, the error code has been reset and the device can be used as usual.

This usually happens at the most inopportune time - when you urgently need to print an important document. Just yesterday, a printer that was working properly suddenly refuses to fulfill its duties: instead of a document, it throws out blank sheets paper or stupidly blinks light bulbs, as if not understanding what you want from him.

Almost everyone who uses a printer regularly encounters printing problems. The most extensive group of such problems are various defects in the printed image; in second place is the complete lack of printing. There are many reasons why the printer does not print at all or prints poorly - from incorrect settings V operating system until the device itself malfunctions.

Why doesn't the printer print?

All reasons that lead to failures and complete failure of the printing system are conventionally divided into 3 large groups:

  1. Problems with installing and configuring the printing device in the operating system. Other types software problems.
  2. Problems with cartridges or continuous ink supply system (CISS).
  3. Problems with the hardware of the printer itself.

The first group is the easiest for the user to diagnose and eliminate. It is possible to cope with it in approximately 90% of cases. A group of problems associated with cartridges cannot always be solved at home, but if funds allow, it is enough to simply buy a new cartridge. The third group is solved only in case of simple and typical problems, such as a paper jam, a broken connecting cable, etc. Problems associated with a malfunction of the device require contacting service.

Problems with printer installation and printing in Windows

Fortunately, the majority of problems in the printing system related to software operation are very easy to resolve. These include:

  • There is no printer driver in the operating system or the driver has failed.
  • Disable the print service.
  • The default print device is incorrect.
  • User pauses printing.
  • Switching the printer to offline mode.
  • Problems with the document in the print queue (too large, not recognized, etc.). The printer still prints, but extremely slowly. Or instead of text it displays something similar to hieroglyphs.
  • Denying access to the printing system by security policies.

More complex cases include damage to OS components, driver conflicts, and virus infection. Unlike the previous ones, it is not always possible to deal with them with a couple of mouse clicks.

Reasons why a network printer does not print:

  • On remote computer The printer port is blocked.
  • The network path to the printer is incorrect.
  • Sharing settings are incorrectly set.

To separate problems with the printer itself from problems on your computer, try printing the document from another PC or mobile device. If it (the printer) is connected via USB, if possible, connect it via wireless communication and vice versa. Your task is to find out whether the print function works anywhere.

After making sure that the source of the failure is not in the printing device, but is connected to the computer, look at the device manager (the printer must be connected to the computer and plugged in). The absence of the “Printers” group in the list of devices and the presence of unknown equipment marked with an exclamation or question mark indicate that the system does not have the necessary driver. To solve the problem, just download it from the device manufacturer’s website (for example, HP, Epson, Samsung, Canon, Brother) and install it.

If the PC sees the printer, but it still does not print, look at the “Services” application (it’s most convenient to open it through the task manager tab of the same name).

Find Print Spooler in the list of services and make sure it is running. If not, right-click its properties. In the “Startup type” drop-down list, set “Automatic”, then click the “Run” button below.

Is the problem still there? Go ahead. Run system application“Settings”, go to the “Devices” - “Printers and Scanners” section (this and further instructions are discussed using Windows 10 as an example). The right half of the window displays a list of all installed printers, among which there should be the one with which problems arose. If it is not there, check the physical connection of the device to the PC. If there is, click "Open Queue".

  • Is the printer used as the default (if not, it may be the default printing device) virtual printer, which instead of printing, for example, converts the file to another format).
  • Is there a checkmark next to the “Pause printing” and “Work offline” items? If the printer goes offline on its own, it indicates a poor connection to the computer, a power problem, or a malfunction.
  • If there are documents in the print queue, click Clear Queue and try printing a test page.

If the printer does not print only over the network, click "Sharing" and check if it is allowed to this device.

Next, look at the “Security” tab and make sure that your account is not prohibited from using the printing function.

The reason the printer is not queuing files could be one of the following:

  • The paper is out or jammed.
  • The toner or ink is low.
  • A non-original cartridge is installed in the device.
  • The print counter has reached its limit - printing is blocked.
  • The user account does not have permission to print files.
  • The device is faulty.
  • There was a failure in the operating system.

Devices different manufacturers block printing in various situations. So, when a cartridge runs out of ink, one machine stops processing documents and resets the print queue, while the other simply spits out empty sheets. The same is true in other situations. The specific problems that lead to blocking are usually described in the printer instructions.

Many printer problems are well recognized by their self-diagnosis system. If the device is equipped with a display, the cause of the failure is most often displayed on it. Diagnosis of simpler devices is carried out using their proprietary application. It is usually present on the disk that came with the device, as well as on the manufacturer’s website.

Below is an example of the troubleshooting function in the proprietary application of the HP Deskjet 1050 printer.

A stop when sending a specific document for printing is most often associated with the document itself. So, if the printer does not print pdf file, perhaps the author protected it from printing (pdf supports such functions). In such cases, the easiest way is to take screenshots of the pages of the problematic file and paste them, for example, into Word document and easily print them as pictures.

If hieroglyphs, “crazy words” or spaces appear on the printed copy instead of text, try replacing the font in the document with one of the ones preinstalled in Windows (all printers recognize them).

Problems with cartridges, dye, CISS

Any dye - toner or ink - runs out sooner or later. But this does not happen suddenly. The idea that there is little paint left is suggested by a decrease in the quality of the print - pale colors, whitish stripes, partial unprinting. It happens that the printer stops printing even when the dye level is normal. This is due to:

  • A drop of ink dries in the print head or becomes clogged with an air lock.
  • Incorrect installation of the cartridge (for example, when the protective films, the lid is not completely closed).
  • Contamination of cartridge air ducts.
  • Clamping or blockage of the CISS ink plume.
  • There are no locks original cartridge.
  • The limit on the number of printouts has been reached.
  • Cartridge malfunction.

Clogging the head with dried ink is a common occurrence when an inkjet printer is not used for a long time. If the plug is relatively small, cleaning the nozzles (outlet holes) helps solve the problem. This is also done using proprietary utility printer, and each manufacturer calls this function differently:

  • HP has cartridge cleaning.

  • Epson has print head cleaning.
  • Canon has cleaning and deep cleaning (the second is an enhanced option when the first doesn’t help), etc.

During cleaning, a special pump installed inside the printer forces some ink through the nozzles under high pressure. This causes a clot of paint or an air lock to come out.

The most budget models printers are not equipped with a pump, and the nozzle cleaning function does not work on them (despite the driver supporting it). If clogged, the print heads of such devices must be soaked and washed in a cleaning liquid.

On modern inkjet Epson printers The print head is built not into the cartridges, but into the device itself, and it is quite expensive. Its failure is equivalent to the failure of the entire printer, which in such cases can only be thrown away. To prevent ink from drying out, it is important for owners of Epson printers to clean the nozzles at least once every 2 weeks if the device is idle.

If you removed cartridges from the printer, make sure that they are installed correctly and that their air ducts are not blocked.

At using CISS First of all, you should also check whether the ink plume is passable and whether the air holes of the tanks are free.

Spots and streaks (sometimes almost black sheets) when printing on a laser or LED printer are a consequence of cartridge leaks (toner spills out), overfilling of the waste bin, foreign small objects getting into the device, damage, improper installation or wear of cartridge parts.

Problems after refueling when:

  • the printer prints in only one shade, for example, red;
  • the print looks too pale when the cartridge is full;
  • instead of an image there are multi-colored spots, etc.,

As a rule, they arise due to contamination, improper installation of the cartridge in place, or a violation of the refilling technology.

The complete absence of an image (white sheets) or printing defects after replacing the original cartridge or ink with a conditionally suitable one is precisely the result of the incompatibility of the latter with your printer model. In some cases, it can be solved by reflashing the cartridges or the device, in others - only by purchasing original components and consumables.

Printer problems

A breakdown of a printing device does not always manifest itself as a complete failure, when the device does not turn on or does not perform its functions at all. In some cases it looks like this:

  • The printer does not print in one of the colors, for example, black. The cartridge is in good working order, compatible, and there is paint. Replacing the cartridge and toner does not help.
  • Only part of the document is printed.
  • The toner does not adhere to the paper.
  • Paper does not pick up from the tray.
  • The printer does not print or incorrectly transfers the text of any documents onto paper, and does not reproduce standard commonly used fonts.
  • The print is not positioned correctly on the sheet.
  • Instead of one document, several are printed and vice versa.

The majority of such problems cannot be solved at home without special training. The user can independently see if the device has jammed the paper; if yes, try to extract it; check whether the cartridge is installed correctly; remove foreign objects that have entered the device if they are easily accessible; clean visible dirt. In other cases, all that remains is to contact the service or buy a new device, if it is from a series of disposable ones, which are very cheap.

Modern printers and multifunctional devices have a system that allows self-diagnosis of all components of the device. If any malfunction occurs in the equipment, the microprocessor sends a code signal to the user that a malfunction has been detected. Fault codes may be displayed on the device display(if it is provided for by the design), or by alternate blinking of the LEDs on the device control panel. An error message with a code may appear and on PC screen. Despite their high reliability, printers and MFPs from the manufacturer HP (Hewlett-Packard) are also subject to operational failures. The most common errors when operating HP devices, according to user reviews, are the following: printing error and errors with codes E8, E3 and 79.

Often, when trying to print a document, the user discovers that the process is blocked for an unknown reason. However, all attempts to delete or cancel a job in the print queue fail.

This failure can appear for a number of reasons, for example, from a sudden power surge, but, in any case, you will have to fix the problem in the Print Manager program. This fact is explained by the fact that when a document is sent for printing, a special file is created in the Windows system. For a number of reasons, this file may become corrupted and cause a failure in which the printer does not print. Therefore, this file must be deleted in the following way.


If the printing process went well, then the setup is considered complete. If you still cannot print the document, you can solve the problem using free software from HP. The program is called “HP Print and Scan Doctor” and it is used to solve problems that arise during printing, as well as to diagnose equipment. You can download it from the official website using this link. After opening the program window, select automatic search for problems and fix them. After the program exits, try to print the document again.

In some cases, the following measures help solve this problem.

  1. Reinstalling the Printer Driver. But first you need to remove it: in “Control Panel” find “Devices and Printers” and open the window. Right-click on the HP printer icon and select “Delete”. These steps will remove the driver that was installed on the system. After removal, you must restart your PC. If for some reason you do not have drivers for this MFP (printer) model, you can download them from the HP website by following this link.
  2. For a while disable firewall and try to print the document.
  3. Login with a different account(relevant if the equipment was configured from another account).

How to fix error e8

Service message with code e8 is often found on the laserjet 1132 MFP. It means that there is a problem problem with the scanner. The instructions for the device indicate that a malfunction with code e8 is fatal, that is, cannot be eliminated. But craftsmen have found several ways to eliminate this problem, which, in some cases, can return the scanner to work.

The most common case is when the scanner ruler has stopped in the extreme right position and does not move. In this case, error E8 appears on the MFP display.

In this case, the carriage was simply jammed. To fix this problem, you will have to remove the scanner glass and move the ruler to the center of the device or closer to the left edge. To remove the glass, you need to unscrew 6 bolts located around the perimeter.

To unscrew the screws you will need an asterisk hexagon.

Once the glass cover is removed, take the carriage, move it closer to the center and return the glass to its place. Turn on the device and wait until the ruler is positioned (it should move to the far left position). If everything happened exactly like this, then you are in luck, since the E8 code can appear for other reasons.

In the case when the scanner carriage after turning on the MFP moves jerkily and stops, and code E8 appears on the display, you will have to thoroughly check all the components of this block. To check the scanner block, you need to remove the glass cover, as mentioned above, after which you need to take out the block itself and turn it over. On the bottom side of the block you will see 2 gears and an electric motor pressed against a plate. Next, do the following.


The above steps usually fix the scanner problem in the hp m1132 MFP. But in some cases this problem can be caused by The gears or optocoupler are pressed too tightly. Sometimes the problem is resolved by loosening the pressure on the gears or removing the small gear altogether. After this, turn on the device (with the scanner unit removed and inverted) and observe the rotation of the gear. If it continues to move jerkily, then the problem may be hidden in the optocoupler.

If you look closely at the optocoupler, you will see that there is a notched disk between the two sensors. This disk should be located in the center of the optocoupler. Sometimes it moves to one side, which causes the E8 code to appear. Try installing the engine so that the disk is centrally located between the sensors.

If, after all the manipulations described above, the E8 code appears again, then the fault may lie in the engine itself or the control board. If you can replace the motor yourself, you will have to contact a service center regarding the control board.

Troubleshooting E3 code

Often, users of HP MFPs observe the appearance of the E3 code on the device’s display. If you look at the instructions for the device, this code is deciphered as “The cartridge is missing or installed incorrectly.” Undoubtedly, the cartridge may be installed incorrectly, foreign objects may get under it, or it may simply be broken. But sometimes a situation arises when the device does not see the cartridge due to the fact that the lever, which has a shutter, simply does not reach the optocoupler. To get to it, you need to remove the back (metal) cover of the MFP. How to unlock the lever, after which the E3 error will be reset, is clearly shown in this video from a foreign resource (knowledge of the language is not necessary).

Troubleshooting Error 79

Error 79 in HP printers usually means that software glitch apparatus. To fix it, do the following:

  • turn off the power to the device using the power key;
  • pause for at least 30 seconds;
  • turn on the unit again and wait until it initializes;
  • in the case where the device was connected through a surge protector, try plugging it in directly into a power outlet this time;
  • If the code message continues to appear, then sometimes clearing the print queue or reinstalling the driver helps get rid of the problem.

Resetting errors on HP printers

To reset an error or so-called service message on HP printers, there are many methods that are only suitable for specific models. Since this manufacturer has a large number of models of printing equipment, you can use the tables below to reset service messages about a problem.


In cases where cartridges (LaserJet 1300, 1320, 4250/4350) containing a chip are being refilled, it must be sealed before installing them in the device. The device, of course, will display a message that the “left” cartridge is inserted, but it will work. Also to reset chips You can use the recommendations from the following table.


Almost any service codes Errors for HP Photosmart series printers are reset using the following method.

  1. Hold the left arrow and, without releasing it, press the “Setup” key, then remove your fingers from the keys. As a result of this action, the “Enter Special Key Combo” menu will appear. Press and hold the “Print Photos” and “Red Eye Removal” keys at the same time and release them. Next, press one key at a time and release: “Photo correction (Red Eye Removal)”, “Print Photos”, “Photo correction (Red Eye Removal)”.
  2. Click the right arrow and go to the “System Configuration” line. Click OK.
  3. Press the right arrow again until you reach the line “Hardware failure status: Clear. Press OK to clear" (if the device worked without failures before, then you will not find this line). Remember, you cannot start printing at this time.
  4. Turn off the device, then turn it on.

Thus, the error code has been reset and the device can be used as usual.

To make working with printing devices easier, developers use special controls and displays.

Let's look at the purpose of the buttons on the most common household and office printers from such well-known brands as:

  • Canon,
  • Epson,
  • HP (Hewlett-Packard),
  • Brother.

No matter how different the printers are, the controls have very few differences (purpose and name).

Most often, manufacturers equip their devices with the following buttons:

  • “Power” (“On/Off”) – turns the device on or off. This could be a switch on the back or side of the device in a hard-to-reach place (this button is practically unnecessary, since all control of the device is carried out by issuing commands from a personal computer.
  • "Stop/Resume" is emergency stop button. Some manufacturers mark this button with a red triangle icon in a circle (for example, the stop button on a Canon printer) or a red cross. Available on almost all printers. May interrupt printing multi-page documents or continue printing after stopping.
  • "Scan"(may be indicated by a scanner icon). Applicable to MFPs only. After pressing the button, the device begins the scanning procedure.
  • "Copy" / "Copy"(may be indicated by a diamond/square pictogram with vertical line in the center). The copy printing process is initiated. If the MFP has two icons, then the first, white, will start printing in black and white, and the second (blue or any other color) will start printing in color.
  • The “+” button or the multi-sheet icon sets the number of copies to be printed.
  • “Fit to page” - using this button you can change the type of copying - the resulting image will be stretched to fill the entire page.
  • “Paper” (sheet icon) – in Epson printers this is analogous to the “stop/reset” button. Feeds paper from the tray after stopping (for example, after an error occurs if the tray runs out of sheets) cancels the current job; V Canon printers The Paper button can be used to change the paper type and size being fed.
  • “Ink” (icon in the form of a drop) – allows you to start purge of nozzles on inkjet printers; it is also used for other commands for managing cartridges/print head.
  • “Start” / “Go” (a square icon with a vertical line inside) is a universal button for issuing commands; in an MFP it can launch copying procedures.


Button press combinations

In order to reduce the number of controls on the device panel, printer manufacturers use combinations of presses.

Thus, buttons can combine many functions, and very often all controls are reduced to just 1 key (especially important for home devices, which in most cases work directly with personal computers, while office models can be operated autonomously and therefore receive advanced or even interactive control panels).

As an example, consider "Go" button on Brother printers.

It can combine:

  1. Wake up the printer from standby mode;
  2. Restart/continue printing after individual errors (implying out of paper, jam, etc., which can be quickly corrected by the user);
  3. Printing data remaining in the printer memory (holding the button while the “Ready” indicator is active);
  4. Canceling printing (holding a multi-page document for a long time while printing);
  5. Start reprinting (the button must be pressed within 4 seconds after printing the previous document);
  6. Printing a test page (without connecting to a PC, the button is held down when turning on the printer, and then pressed again).

Other printers (from other manufacturers) may have more complex combinations and functionality.

In some cases, using control buttons and tray (lid) positions, you can even reset the print counters on cartridges (relevant for manually refilling toner).

Detailed information about the buttons and their functions can be found in the instructions for the device.

If it is lost, you can try to download the official electronic version on the manufacturer’s website.

Why do the buttons and lights on the printer blink and light up?

Some printers may have no control buttons at all, but indicators are always present.

The most commonly used device status alarms are:

  • Power / Go / Start, indicator of the process or status of the printer. Green or blue color.
  • Toner (Toner, inscription or icon in the form of a drop for inkjet printers etc.) – yellow color,
  • Drum (Drum) - in most cases yellow,
  • Error – most often red,
  • Ready – green or blue color.

In general, the resolving colors include blue and green. Informational or warning - yellow. For errors or problems – red.

For a more accurate diagnosis of the problem, combinations of blinking lights (may vary in number and duration) and a set of active indicators are used.

  1. So, if the red button on the printer is blinking– an error has occurred that interferes with normal operation. For example, the last sheet of paper jammed (it went into the shafts and did not come out). It is necessary to remove the sheets very carefully, so that a small piece does not come off inside (its removal may be difficult due to the design of the device). After removal, make sure that you put the printer back together correctly (all trays and covers are closed, the cartridge is installed, etc.).
  2. Constantly lit red LED(the printer does not respond to buttons) may indicate a more serious problem. For example, there is no working cartridge. Open the cover to access the cartridge and make sure that it is inserted correctly, all protective films have been removed from it, and there are no other elements that would prevent normal contact with the receiving board (no dust, debris, liquid, etc.).
  3. The red indicator can combine its lighting with other information, for example, with “Drum” or “Toner”. In the first case (Drum) – something interferes with the drum’s operation (in laser printers). In the second (Toner), the cartridge resource has completely expired. The counter reset procedure or refilling can help here. Be careful, some manufacturers, for the sake of safety and protection of their devices from low-quality Supplies They use special technologies for verifying and diagnosing cartridges, and therefore the refilling procedure may not help. The printer will refuse to print and will require a complete replacement of the cartridge.

Of course, if a button on the printer does not work, this may not only be due to a paper jam or lack of toner (ink). A printer can break down, like any other complex device.

This may be caused by:

  • Factory defect
  • Improper use
  • Using low-quality consumables,
  • Mechanical damage.

If replacing the cartridge and removing the jammed sheet does not help, you should contact an official service center or a specialized workshop. There is no need to try to fix the printer yourself. This carries the risk of further damage to the device.

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