Printers not printing anything

S

saulat_99

New Member
Hi,

I always seem to have trouble with my printers. They always seem to stop working after a while, printing only blank pages. I have been through 2 or 3 printers or more in the last several years. Currently I have a lexmark 5150 all in one printer. I also have a deskjet 3930 I just bought from a yard sale. Both show ink but neither prints anything. Could my cartidges be dried up? I don't print often. I have taken the cartridges out and tried cleaning with a wet paper towel and still nothing. Will lack of regular use ruin the ink? Could something else be my problem? I thought I had tried new cartridges on the lexmark to no avail but that was a long time ago so I could be wrong. I have tried cleaning and aligning the print heads. I really need a printer for school and printers frustrate me so any help is appreciated. My fiance has an all in one printer as well I am about to try but she said that doesn't work and it hasn't been used for a long time either.
 
You may want to try installing the printers on different machines to see if they print anything. If they don't, then I would say you have dried up ink or bad print head. Ink does dry up if not used for extended periods of time.
 
Did you install the software of the printer properly and read the manual how to use it, like how to replace empty cartridges, etc. ?
If you don't do it right, you can get blank pages.
 
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saulat_99 said:
Hi,

I always seem to have trouble with my printers. They always seem to stop working after a while, printing only blank pages. I have been through 2 or 3 printers or more in the last several years. Currently I have a lexmark 5150 all in one printer. I also have a deskjet 3930 I just bought from a yard sale. Both show ink but neither prints anything. Could my cartidges be dried up? I don't print often. I have taken the cartridges out and tried cleaning with a wet paper towel and still nothing. Will lack of regular use ruin the ink? Could something else be my problem? I thought I had tried new cartridges on the lexmark to no avail but that was a long time ago so I could be wrong. I have tried cleaning and aligning the print heads. I really need a printer for school and printers frustrate me so any help is appreciated. My fiance has an all in one printer as well I am about to try but she said that doesn't work and it hasn't been used for a long time either.
Click to expand...
Printing occasional can be your problem leading to blocked print heads...I use to suffer the same problem with Epson printers years ago.
A good tip is to at least print a couple test pages each week to keep the print heads and the printer in good condition... I do this and find I do not have any problems with my Canon printer in the last 5 Years.
 
Software installation went fine and it is several different printers that will not print. That video was pretty funny. I guess I'll have to try buying some ink and seeing if it works. Thanks for the help.
 
saulat_99 said:
Do the off brand ink cartridges work fine? Last time I bought ink that is what I purchased.
Click to expand...
I never used off brand ink cartridges, I always bought the real ones, which are more expensive.
So I can't answer your question due to lack of practical experience. :(
I advice you to buy the real ones, only one time, to see if it's better or not.

When I replace my cartridges, I have to turn ON my printer and insert both cartridges exactly where they belong, otherwise no printing.

P.S. : I have a "Canon Pixma MP150" all-in-one printer and its ink cartridges cost me a fortune. Pffft.
So I only print when absolutely necessary. It prints beautifully in black and colors.
 
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First, check the software by updating your printer drivers.

To go there, Right-click My Computer --> Properties --> click hardware tab --> click device manager --> click on Ports --> double click on printer port.

Now check to see if the status window says it's working probably. You can click on the driver tab to update the driver.

Secondly, it could be a hardware problem.


Good luck
Kevin
 
Moving forward, make sure that you print at least every two weeks so that inks will not dry up. That's lesson I learned from my first printer.
 
saulat_99 said:
Do the off brand ink cartridges work fine? Last time I bought ink that is what I purchased.
Click to expand...
I use to use them in the past and printed ok but I found the colour match questionable so if you want correct colours, and clarity use original inks.
Your Choice.
 
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