Win XP Won't Reliably Print to HP Laserjet

HP Laserjet 5L Extra (bought new c. 1998) printer here.
One-month old computer with new Win XP SP2 Home loaded on
it. Was printing fine the first few weeks. Now, printing a
single paged document, the printer's error light comes on
and blinks. The manual indicates this means the (software)
driver is suspect. I reset the printer, to see if it's just
some temporary hangup, and the printer starts printing but
only very large font and only a few words of my one-page
long (like 12-pt font) document at a time.

Last time this happened, after loading and reloading what I
thought were the drivers, and stopping print jobs as needed
using the "Printers" feature in "Control Panel," I could not
get any improvement. I waited a day or two, then tried to
print something, and it printed fine.

My old computer with Win ME has no problems sending a print
job to this printer.

Any suggestions?

On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 00:45:07 GMT, "Elle"
<honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote:

>HP Laserjet 5L Extra (bought new c. 1998) printer here.
>One-month old computer with new Win XP SP2 Home loaded on
>it. Was printing fine the first few weeks. Now, printing a
>single paged document, the printer's error light comes on
>and blinks. The manual indicates this means the (software)
>driver is suspect. I reset the printer, to see if it's just
>some temporary hangup, and the printer starts printing but
>only very large font and only a few words of my one-page
>long (like 12-pt font) document at a time.
>
>Last time this happened, after loading and reloading what I
>thought were the drivers, and stopping print jobs as needed
>using the "Printers" feature in "Control Panel," I could not
>get any improvement. I waited a day or two, then tried to
>print something, and it printed fine.
>
>My old computer with Win ME has no problems sending a print
>job to this printer.
>
>Any suggestions?
>


Probably a driver setting, resulting in a page that is too
complex for the printer to handle.

You might try entering the printer properties and checking
all settings, perhaps trying to reset all to defaults
manually or if there's a "defaults" type of button to
automate it. If all else fails uninstall any printer
drivers from add/remove programs, delete the printer from
the control panel-printers listing if it's (still) there,
reboot and reinstall the current driver IF WinXP doesn't do
so automatically.

Elle, 3/11/2006,7:45:07 PM, wrote:

> HP Laserjet 5L Extra (bought new c. 1998) printer here. One-month old
> computer with new Win XP SP2 Home loaded on it. Was printing fine the
> first few weeks. Now, printing a single paged document, the printer's
> error light comes on and blinks. The manual indicates this means the
> (software) driver is suspect. I reset the printer, to see if it's
> just some temporary hangup, and the printer starts printing but only
> very large font and only a few words of my one-page long (like 12-pt
> font) document at a time.
>
> Last time this happened, after loading and reloading what I thought
> were the drivers, and stopping print jobs as needed using the
> "Printers" feature in "Control Panel," I could not get any
> improvement. I waited a day or two, then tried to print something,
> and it printed fine.
>
> My old computer with Win ME has no problems sending a print job to
> this printer.
>
> Any suggestions?

Try installing HP Laserjet 4 driver even though it is Laserjet 5. That
is an old trick for many different brand printers when driver problems
are suspected.

"badgolferman" <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote
> Elle, 3/11/2006,7:45:07 PM, wrote:
>
>> HP Laserjet 5L Extra (bought new c. 1998) printer here.
>> One-month old
>> computer with new Win XP SP2 Home loaded on it. Was
>> printing fine the
>> first few weeks. Now, printing a single paged document,
>> the printer's
>> error light comes on and blinks. The manual indicates
>> this means the
>> (software) driver is suspect. I reset the printer, to see
>> if it's
>> just some temporary hangup, and the printer starts
>> printing but only
>> very large font and only a few words of my one-page long
>> (like 12-pt
>> font) document at a time.
>>
>> Last time this happened, after loading and reloading what
>> I thought
>> were the drivers, and stopping print jobs as needed using
>> the
>> "Printers" feature in "Control Panel," I could not get
>> any
>> improvement. I waited a day or two, then tried to print
>> something,
>> and it printed fine.
>>
>> My old computer with Win ME has no problems sending a
>> print job to
>> this printer.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>
> Try installing HP Laserjet 4 driver even though it is
> Laserjet 5. That
> is an old trick for many different brand printers when
> driver problems
> are suspected.

Kony and badgolf:

Right. I just removed all drivers then added different HP
Laserjet drivers (including the original), one at a time,
and have rebooted the computer etc. in several attempts. No
luck.

I have an email into HP and will try their tech support
online chat on Monday when it becomes available.

One thing I noticed is that in the list of drivers Win XP
presents, the Laserjet 5L is mentioned, but not the Laserjet
5L Extra. I think a distinction was made on my old computer.
From my past work on this printer, I know there is some kind
of difference between these two computers.

Thanks for your efforts.

"Elle" <honda.lioness@nospam.earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:naKQf.3939$Bj7.3787@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> HP Laserjet 5L Extra (bought new c. 1998) printer here. One-month old
> computer with new Win XP SP2 Home loaded on it. Was printing fine the
> first few weeks. Now, printing a single paged document, the printer's
> error light comes on and blinks. The manual indicates this means the
> (software) driver is suspect. I reset the printer, to see if it's just
> some temporary hangup, and the printer starts printing but only very
> large font and only a few words of my one-page long (like 12-pt font)
> document at a time.
>
> Last time this happened, after loading and reloading what I thought were
> the drivers, and stopping print jobs as needed using the "Printers"
> feature in "Control Panel," I could not get any improvement. I waited a
> day or two, then tried to print something, and it printed fine.
>
> My old computer with Win ME has no problems sending a print job to this
> printer.
>
> Any suggestions?
You don't say if you're using the default Win XP drivers or the HP drivers.
I had similar problems with my Laserjet 6L, I changed the HP drivers to the
default XP drivers (removing the printer in Control Panel and Device
Manager) and no problems anymore.

"ElJerid" <s.vanderhaeghen@pandora.be> wrote
> You don't say if you're using the default Win XP drivers
> or the HP drivers.

I'm using the default Win XP drivers. But, as I mentioned,
no driver for the HP Laserjet 5L Xtra is listed, only one
for the 5L.

I tried HP's CD that came with the printer back around 1998.
Its drivers didn't make the printer work.

> I had similar problems with my Laserjet 6L, I changed the
> HP drivers to the default XP drivers (removing the printer
> in Control Panel and Device Manager) and no problems
> anymore.

I don't see anything that has to do with printers under
Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, System,
Hardware, Device Manager.

I have removed and re-installed the drivers per the
directions under "Printers and Faxes."

God willing HP will have something intelligent to say about
this tomorrow.

Elle wrote:
> "ElJerid" <s.vanderhaeghen@pandora.be> wrote
>> You don't say if you're using the default Win XP drivers
>> or the HP drivers.
>
> I'm using the default Win XP drivers. But, as I mentioned,
> no driver for the HP Laserjet 5L Xtra is listed, only one
> for the 5L.
>
> I tried HP's CD that came with the printer back around 1998.
> Its drivers didn't make the printer work.
>
>> I had similar problems with my Laserjet 6L, I changed the
>> HP drivers to the default XP drivers (removing the printer
>> in Control Panel and Device Manager) and no problems
>> anymore.
>
> I don't see anything that has to do with printers under
> Control Panel, Performance and Maintenance, System,
> Hardware, Device Manager.
>
> I have removed and re-installed the drivers per the
> directions under "Printers and Faxes."
>
> God willing HP will have something intelligent to say about
> this tomorrow.
>
>

IIRC, the 5L "Extra" was just a designation for additional software of
some kind supplied with the basic 5L printer. In WinXP, is is often the
case that when switching printer drivers (say you started with the HP
driver and then switched to the default XP driver), the ports properties
get munged. You can completely remove the installed driver for a clean
install of the default XP driver by following the recommendations at
this link, select Article One:

http://www.coribright.com/windows/Article%20One.htm

Q

"Quaoar" <quaoar@marcabfleet.com> wrote
> IIRC, the 5L "Extra" was just a designation for additional
> software of some kind supplied with the basic 5L printer.
> In WinXP, is is often the case that when switching printer
> drivers (say you started with the HP driver and then
> switched to the default XP driver), the ports properties
> get munged. You can completely remove the installed
> driver for a clean install of the default XP driver by
> following the recommendations at this link, select Article
> One:
>
> http://www.coribright.com/windows/Article%20One.htm

Tried the steps at the above link. Downloaded the Win 2000
software. Couldn't find anything executable. Added a printer
driver again, per Win XP's directions, leaving my printer
disconnected. Never got a prompt to disconnect. Connected
it. Same problem.

Earlier I got a Wordpad document to print okay. But neither
PDF files I have nor ordinary Word documents I have would
print properly.

I suspect the problem is munging, like you say.

Dear lord, let some soul not bent on selling crappy products
take over Microsoft, or otherwise develop a better OS...

Elle, 3/12/2006,3:12:00 PM, wrote:

> "Quaoar" <quaoar@marcabfleet.com> wrote
> > IIRC, the 5L "Extra" was just a designation for additional
> > software of some kind supplied with the basic 5L printer. In
> > WinXP, is is often the case that when switching printer drivers
> > (say you started with the HP driver and then switched to the
> > default XP driver), the ports properties get munged. You can
> > completely remove the installed driver for a clean install of the
> > default XP driver by following the recommendations at this link,
> > select Article One:
> >
> > http://www.coribright.com/windows/Article%20One.htm
>
> Tried the steps at the above link. Downloaded the Win 2000 software.
> Couldn't find anything executable. Added a printer driver again, per
> Win XP's directions, leaving my printer disconnected. Never got a
> prompt to disconnect. Connected it. Same problem.
>
> Earlier I got a Wordpad document to print okay. But neither PDF files
> I have nor ordinary Word documents I have would print properly.
>
> I suspect the problem is munging, like you say.
>
> Dear lord, let some soul not bent on selling crappy products take
> over Microsoft, or otherwise develop a better OS...

I suspect there is a Postscript or PCL problem. Usually when you
select the print driver you get a choice between PS and PCL type. Try
the other one.

--
"A zebra does not change its spots." ~ Al Gore

"badgolferman" <REMOVETHISbadgolferman@gmail.com> wrote
> I suspect there is a Postscript or PCL problem. Usually
> when you
> select the print driver you get a choice between PS and
> PCL type. Try
> the other one.

There is not such a choice for the HP Laserjet 5L. There are
for other HP Laserjet models.

I'm taking a break from all the shot in the dark attempts
I'm making at finding the right driver. Hopefully HP will
come through. If they don't (and I think there's a 50%
chance of this), I think I'll go printer shopping. My old
printer has mechanical problems that require a sheet by
sheet hand feed anyway.