When my little computer came to live with me, it was terribly angry and afraid.It had, apparently, been abused quite a bit at the ‘warehouse’ (what it calls it’s orphanage) and had learned to protect itself by not cooperating with people.
Well, with lots of love and understanding, my little computer has learned that I wont hurt it and has become much more comfortable around people.It is generally lovable and helpful.
However, the printer still has problems.Its name is Epson Stylus 640, but we call it Precious.
Precious seems to be holding a grudge against me; it had to be disconnected for a month while my house was remodeled and I’m afraid Precious has abandonment issues now.
At first, when we set Precious up again, there was the “error writing to LPT1”.I knew that it was just blocking me out because it was still mad.
Then, once I got that taken care of, there was the blinking light thing.It thinks its out of paper, even though there is a inch thick stack in it.I have done all I know to reassure it - changed the ink cartridge, added paper,updated the drivers, etc.Somehow I’m just not getting through.It just keeps blinking its lights at me, making me have to turn it off and unplug it then plug it back in to make the lights stop.If I even mention doing a nozzle check or printing a test page, Precious flies off the handle and starts with the blinking again.
I desperately want to interract with the printer; I love it so.But I just don’t know what else to do for it.Please, oh please, if you have any idea how I can help it, let me know.Its obviously suffering, and I want to help - I just don’t know what more to do for it.
And please before you suggest it, counselling (Gateway) has already been tried to no avail.I am of the opinion that these hardware-headshrinkers are a bunch of snake oil salesmen now.None of their suggestions helped, and only served to make my poor little printer more resentful and withdrawn.
I’m hoping that some of you may have some experience with troubled printers and lived through it.Surely mine can’t be the only one.Maybe you could give me some advice?How did you make it through the tough times?
Thank you in advance for any words of encouragement you might have.
You could try persuading it by forcing it to watch Office Space while standing over it holding a baseball bat.
Seriously though, check to see what it uses to see if there is paper. If its a little contact or switch. I had an old printer with a little contact that used to stick somewhat. I haven’t used a particularly new printer lately, but every printer must have some sensing mechanism to see if there is paper, but I have no idea if it is fixable. Other than that just keeping checking for new drivers, and try to erase every trase of the old ones, and do a complete reinstall.
Machines generally like me but every so often there will be one little sod with “issues” akin to your “precious”.
If Gateway hasn’t already suggested it you might want to
try the following.
1: Set printer port definition in BIOS to to non-ECP_EPP standard bi-synchronos mode.
2: Remove all print drivers (even non-Epson) from Printers Folder and re-install printer drivers
3: Wolfman is probably right re contact switch problems being the culprit but there is little you can do about this economically unless you can have the paper sensing micro-switch tested and replaced if necessary at which point you will have spent close to enough loot to purchase a new and better printer.
Re… “I desperately want to interract with the printer; I love it so.But I just don’t know what else to do for it.Please, oh please, if you have any idea how I can help it, let me know.Its obviously suffering, and I want to help - I just don’t know what more to do for it.”
Sometimes the best thing is to know when to let go.
Get a new printer. You can get them for $50.00 these days.
Epsons like that one are known to do this & there is very little you can do about it. The only thing I can suggest is unplug it from the computer, look around in the manual for the self test & run the self test. If those lights do that again, get another printer.
Next time buy a Canon.
ALso, read the manual to find out what those lights are saying as it depends on which lights are doingw hat.
It sounds like a paper-sensing problem to me too. If you can see the microswitch (it may look like a small lever that rests on top the stack of paper), you may be able to "adjust " it so it works. If you’re not careful, you’ll “adjust” it so it never works again, but I was able to set mine so it always thought there was paper (which is better than the opposite). This is a last-resort type of thing, since it’s easy to mess it up completely.