HP 940c Poltergeist is feeding blank sheet on startup

[Richard Steinfeld]

The system is a 720mhz Pentium (that version of the chip without the
cache) running Windows ME. The printer is connected to the computer via
a long parallel cable. I have done hard resets of the printer, but this
hasn't helped. The driver is the only one that I've found on HP's site
for the 940c in Windows ME.

I have other printer drivers installed on this machine: drivers for the
HP 850c (Microsoft driver), driver for an Okidata LED printer, and
drivers for two old HP laser printers. I'm running the correct driver
for the 940, which is the system default.

The failure mode begins either:
- when the printer is started by itself (with the computer off),
intermittant
- if the printer is on and the computer is off, at the very moment that
the computer is started (before booting), consistent.

Description of the failure mode:
- Power light flashes as if the printer is receiving data. Then after
perhaps 15 seconds of this, it feeds a sheet of paper from the input
tray through the rollers; the paper stops just before it emerges from
the rollers (I can see the edge of the paper). The orange "resume" light
flashes.

- I push the "resume" button, and the printer quickly spits out the rest
of the sheet of blank paper into the "out" tray.

At this point, the failure mode is cleared and the printer will print
normally. Switching the printer off, then on, won't repeat the failure
while the computer is still on.

There's 30-40 sheets of paper in the Input tray. The paper is fanned
before insertion (touchy, touchy, fussy HP paper feeding!). I'm not
suffering from any other misfeeds.

How do I stop this behavior?

Thanks.

Richard

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

The system is a 720mhz Pentium (that version of the chip without the
cache) running Windows ME. The printer is connected to the computer via
a long parallel cable. I have done hard resets of the printer, but this
hasn't helped. The driver is the only one that I've found on HP's site
for the 940c in Windows ME.

I have other printer drivers installed on this machine: drivers for the
HP 850c (Microsoft driver), driver for an Okidata LED printer, and
drivers for two old HP laser printers. I'm running the correct driver
for the 940, which is the system default.

The failure mode begins either:
- when the printer is started by itself (with the computer off),
intermittant
- if the printer is on and the computer is off, at the very moment that
the computer is started (before booting), consistent.

Description of the failure mode:
- Power light flashes as if the printer is receiving data. Then after
perhaps 15 seconds of this, it feeds a sheet of paper from the input
tray through the rollers; the paper stops just before it emerges from
the rollers (I can see the edge of the paper). The orange "resume" light
flashes.

- I push the "resume" button, and the printer quickly spits out the rest
of the sheet of blank paper into the "out" tray.

At this point, the failure mode is cleared and the printer will print
normally. Switching the printer off, then on, won't repeat the failure
while the computer is still on.

There's 30-40 sheets of paper in the Input tray. The paper is fanned
before insertion (touchy, touchy, fussy HP paper feeding!). I'm not
suffering from any other misfeeds.

How do I stop this behavior?

Thanks.

Richard

My old BJC-4300 parallel printer would always print a page or go into
'paper jam' mode on boot up. I never could figure out why - apparently
Windows 98 (Never happened with '95 which is what I had when I bought
the printer) and XP send some kind of data to the parallel port when
the system starts. Not sure if it's the printer driver that does this,
or if it's just something Windows always does. The only solution I
ever found was to make sure the printer wasn't turned on before the
computer was turned on.

I'd be interested to know if the newer Epson C88, which is one of the
few consumer printers that still has a parallel port, does this when
connected via parallel.

---

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.

 

[Bob Headrick]

The system is a 720mhz Pentium (that version of the chip without the
cache) running Windows ME. The printer is connected to the computer
via a long parallel cable.

The failure mode begins either:
- when the printer is started by itself (with the computer off),
intermittant
- if the printer is on and the computer is off, at the very moment
that the computer is started (before booting), consistent.

Description of the failure mode:
- Power light flashes as if the printer is receiving data. Then after
perhaps 15 seconds of this, it feeds a sheet of paper from the input
tray through the rollers;

I thought this was fixed in ME, but it sounds like the following
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q157145.

- Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

The failure mode begins either:
- when the printer is started by itself (with the computer off),
intermittant
- if the printer is on and the computer is off, at the very moment that
the computer is started (before booting), consistent.

It sounds like the parallel port in your computer is "noisy". That is to say
that it is outputting odd bursts of meaningless data. I've had HP DeskJet
printers (and a few others) do what you're describing on certain computers.
Most of the time I was able to solve it.

One solution that worked for me was to evaluate the grounding of the
equipment. Some older parallel printer cables had separate grouding wires;
you were supposed to attach them to a grounded unpainted metallic surface. I
haven't seen this in a long time now.

- I push the "resume" button, and the printer quickly spits out the rest
of the sheet of blank paper into the "out" tray.

Like a laser printer, many inkjets must receive a "page eject" command to
release the paper after printing. HP built this function into the "resume"
button on most DeskJets.

Whether or not anything was printed, the printer "thinks" that it was asked
to print something, loads paper to do so, does whatever the command (or in
this case, garbage data) specified and waits for the page eject command.

How do I stop this behavior?

Check your grounding. Are the outlets that the computer is plugged into
properly grounded? If they aren't, they should be.

Have you tried another printer cable? (I've found this can help...some
cables worked fine for me while others would result in random prints,
especially at power on time.

William

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

I thought this was fixed in ME, but it sounds like the following
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q157145.

It doesn't seem like a similar issue, Bob. The failure mode usually
begins when the printer is on and the computer is _started_ (not yet
booting Windows). I'll have to watch this more closely and report back.
The grounding issue raised by another poster may have something to do
with this.

Thanks.

Richard

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

Hi!




It sounds like the parallel port in your computer is "noisy". That is to say
that it is outputting odd bursts of meaningless data. I've had HP DeskJet
printers (and a few others) do what you're describing on certain computers.
Most of the time I was able to solve it.

Thanks for this pointer, William. It's possible.

One solution that worked for me was to evaluate the grounding of the
equipment. Some older parallel printer cables had separate grouding wires;
you were supposed to attach them to a grounded unpainted metallic surface. I
haven't seen this in a long time now.

Reminds me of a turntable.

Like a laser printer, many inkjets must receive a "page eject" command to
release the paper after printing. HP built this function into the "resume"
button on most DeskJets.

Whether or not anything was printed, the printer "thinks" that it was asked
to print something, loads paper to do so, does whatever the command (or in
this case, garbage data) specified and waits for the page eject command.

And this happens instantly upon starting up the computer! Literally at
first switch-on.

Check your grounding. Are the outlets that the computer is plugged into
properly grounded? If they aren't, they should be.

The HP 940c is unusual to me in that it only uses a 2-wire power cord,
similar to a portable radio.

Have you tried another printer cable? (I've found this can help...some
cables worked fine for me while others would result in random prints,
especially at power on time.

I'll check this carefully. Obviously, with a 2-wire power cord, the only
grounding that this printer's going to get will be via the signal cable.
It's possible that I've got a ratty cable among my good ones. Sometimes,
you acquire stuff -- you don't know where it's slept around. This'll be
interesting.

Richard

 

[Fenrir Enterprises]

I thought this was fixed in ME, but it sounds like the following
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q157145.

- Bob Headrick, MS MVP Printing/Imaging

I remember finding that article to try to fix the problem with my
BJC-4300, but it didn't work. It may have been the printer cord. It
wasn't enough of a hassle for me to try anything else, I just had to
make sure I turned the printer off.

---

http://www.FenrirOnline.com

Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

Thanks for this pointer, William. It's possible.




Reminds me of a turntable.


And this happens instantly upon starting up the computer! Literally at
first switch-on.



The HP 940c is unusual to me in that it only uses a 2-wire power cord,
similar to a portable radio.




I'll check this carefully. Obviously, with a 2-wire power cord, the only
grounding that this printer's going to get will be via the signal cable.
It's possible that I've got a ratty cable among my good ones. Sometimes,
you acquire stuff -- you don't know where it's slept around. This'll be
interesting.

I checked the printer's grounding to the computer, substituted different
parallel cables, temporarily removed the printer switch in the path,
with no success.

Changing to its USB hookup cured the problem totally.
Sorry to bring this up so late, but it's a good solution that I thought
I'd share.

Richard

 

[William R. Walsh]

Hi!

I checked the printer's grounding to the computer, substituted different
parallel cables, temporarily removed the printer switch in the path,
with no success.

I'd been wondering how this ended up working out. It sounds like your
computer's parallel port is just noisy. In that case, there is no amount of
grounding or cable changing that will work.

I've had similar problems with some laptops.

William

 

[Richard Steinfeld]

Hi!




I'd been wondering how this ended up working out. It sounds like your
computer's parallel port is just noisy. In that case, there is no amount of
grounding or cable changing that will work.

I've had similar problems with some laptops.

Yes. Sometimes there are just situations like this that can defy logic.
There's a reason, but we can't find it.

For example, in the audio realm, for one turntable, I have made up a
couple of plug-in headshells fitted with antique phono cartridges dating
from approximately 1948 and 1956 in order to duplicate the sound of
early LP technology. They hum at an unacceptable level, but are still
listenable -- and only through two different preamps, both from the same
manufacturer. They don't hum through a different brand of preamp. I've
concluded that the problem is caused by a mismatch between the products
in the realms of the cartridges' internal resistance and inductance:
esoteric aspects of these products that are usually not considered.
After all, the cartridges date from before transistors, and probably
work fine into all tube circuitry.

I suspect that I've got something akin to this going on with the HP-940c
printer. It could be noise, but may be something else -- something
constant. I'm not aware of any generator of electrical noise in my
environment.

The 850c printer worked fine with the same computer, as does my Okidata
LED printer. I've tried obvious stuff like substituting cables and
changing cable lengths (to change any possible resonances and received
radio-type interference).

Voodoo, huh? But what's unique about this 940c is that it doesn't have a
ground on its power cord, which has a machine-end plug almost a dead
ringer for what comes with a portable cassette recorder. So, the only
way that it'll be grounded is via a ground that's typically included
with a standard computer cable -- either a cable shield or one of the
conductors that's typically dedicated as a ground (in the case of a
Centronics connector).

If anyone knows more about this than I'm guessing, I'd love to hear it!

Richard