hp laserjet 4p running wild

[Doc]

Dell Pentium, HP LaserJet 4P, Windows 95

When computer first turned on and first print job, LaserJet prints 20 blank
pages with just a few characters in upper left corner then prints proper
page. After that, each print job is ok. Printer is connected directly to
computer but computer is part of a home network with printer and file
sharing.

Tired to uninstall and reinstall printer and downloaded new driver but still
does same.

Any suggestions.

 

[Chris Cochran]

Doc,

It sounds like on startup, your computer is trying to negotiate a
transfer protocol for the printer by sending it commands which the printer
thinks is a print job (because it doesn't support them).

Check your parallel port settings in your computer's BIOS. Choices are
likely SPP, EPP, ECP. The setting is most likely not SPP. Set your
computer's BIOS setting for the parallel port to SPP (Standard Parallel
Port). Other modes require a parallel cable and printer compliant with the
IEEE1284 standard. The LaserJet 4P only supports a limited subset of that
specification (see http://www.fapo.com/1284prod.htm).

Hope this helps solve the issue.

Chris

 

[Peter R. Fletcher]

I suspect that you leave your printer on all the time and only turn
your computer on and off. I seem to remember that Win95 can squirt
some garbage characters out the parallel port when it starts up - this
seems to be what you are seeing. The solution (which may not be
particularly convenient) is to turn the printer on only after the
computer has booted up.