Strange printing problem

[Maris V. Lidaka Sr.]

Running Windows XP Professional, I have an HP Laserjet 1200 hooked up to a
parallel port and an Epson C80 color printer hooked up to a USB 1.0 hub.
New WinXP compatible drivers for both, and each works fine.

The problem: whenever I print an image/document on the C80, it also prints
two (2) characters on the Laserjet, upper left corner - a smiley followed by
a solid-black triangle pointing to the right:
??


Why? and how to I fix it?

Maris

 

[Mary Sauer]

I have a HP 5000 and the Epson 80, it happens to me now and then. Do you have a data
switch? It only occurs when I have the HP printer on and then turn the data switch to
the HP. If I switch and then turn the HP on it doesn't happen.

--
Mary Sauer MS MVP
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[CWatters]

Could it be some kind electrical problem (eg The power surge caused by
printing to the C80 causing a glitch on the HP parallel port cable). Try
this..

Plug the power lead for the HP into an outlet as close as possibly to the
one the PC is using and plug the power lead for the C80 printer into a
socket as far away from the HP/Computer as possible.

Try a shorter parallel port cable?

 

[Maris V. Lidaka Sr.]

No data switch to the best of my knowledge (I don't even know what it is, so
unless it's inherent in the HP driver software I don't have it).

Thank you for the quick response!

Maris

 

[Maris V. Lidaka Sr.]

Good thought - I'll try moving my power plugs around (I have to have power
strips daisy chained) and see if that helps, and I'll check the proximity of
the parallel port cord, the power cords and the USB cord..

Thank you for the quick response!

Maris

 

[CWatters]

No data switch to the best of my knowledge (I don't even know what it is, so
unless it's inherent in the HP driver software I don't have it).

Just for info... They are usually mechanical or electronic switches that
allow two parallel port printers to share one parallel port on a computer.
Since one of your printers is USB and the other parallel you wouldn't need a
switch.

 

[w_tom]

Printer cable is a common mode data path - making electrical
noise between power to computer and power to printer appear as
data characters. It is why printer and computer must share
same wall receptacle with same safety ground (third prong)
connection.

What is the setup for that printer? A string of characters
always precedes a print job. If some of those characters are
not understood by the printer, then printer may instead print
those commands as data characters.

Noise created on parallel port on power up or during
peripheral port setup and detection due to a defect in
hardware design.

Don't worry about fixing it. First worry about identifying
source of the transient data. Alternative would be to fix a
symptom rather than the reason for problem. Fix the problem
instead by first identifying source of the transient data.