Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam

Subject: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Cool Beans
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 11:59 AM

My newish Canon printer refuses to work, claiming that there is a paper jam when there is no paper jam. How do I convince it to work?

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 12:23 PM

What kind is it? Laser or inkjet? Desktop or large office model? The trick with my old HP laser jet is to open the cartridge compartment, pull out the cartridge then reinsert it. Slam the door shut.

If it is a small printer there aren't many places the paper can go, but in some of the larger ones there are compartments that open on the back or side that might show a piece of paper in the works. Try opening all of the doors and closing them again. Take out the paper tray and reinstall it. That should hit all of the sensors and they might notice no paper in the way.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Joe Offer
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 01:37 PM

That's kinda the deal with every printer. If it says there's a paper jam, you have to act like there's a paper jam and do all the things it tells you to do to clear the jam. But do make sure that everything is clear and dust-free when you put it back together. Even if there is no jam, these are good maintenance procedures.
The main thing, is to keep everything clean. Get yourself a can of compressed air and use it liberally.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Cool Beans
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 03:03 PM

Fixed it! Thanks, Joe and Stilly.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: GerryM
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 04:17 PM

"Get yourself a can of compressed air and use it liberally." I did that, and now I can't stop belching.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: keberoxu
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 04:52 PM

ha ha very funny

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 06 Dec 23 - 05:51 PM

Out of curiosity, what do you think worked of the suggestions we made?

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Thompson
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 04:32 AM

I had a big problem with my printer recently; no matter what I did I couldn't get it to show up on the computer. Changed the fuse in the plug, tried downloading new firmware, etc, etc.
Finally I realised it was dead. Got a new one, but we keep this one switched off at the plug end most of the time, rather than leaving it in sleep mode.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: DaveRo
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 07:37 AM

I have a printer which really is lying.

I had a Brother monochrome laser for years - it was very good. The toner cartridges did 3000 pages - they were about £50 if genuine Brother. When the print looked faded we took it out, shook it from side to side to distribute the remaining powder, and shoved it in again. When the print was invisible we replaced it.

When it got to the end of its third drum - much more expensive - I got a new similar one. Same 3000 page toner cart. This one counts the pages and after 90% of 3000 it displayed a warning "Toner low" - both on my wife's Windows machine and my Linux ones. Irritating, but liveable with.

But when it reached 100% it refused to work, which I wasn't expecting. The error message said "Replace toner!"

Googling turned up instructions to get into the maintenance menu and change "When toner exhausted" from "Error" to "Warning". That was months ago, and it shows no sign of running out. I wonder if they make only one capacity of cartridge - 5000 pages? - and put a chip in it to make it stop depending on how much you pay. We haven't even had to shake it yet.

Apart from that I recommend Brother lasers. Works over wifi from both Apple and Android mobile devices.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: MaJoC the Filk
Date: 07 Dec 23 - 11:50 AM

HP go one worse than that, DaveRo: they put a chip in every cartridge which (I *think*) counts the pages printed, and gives a low-toner signal when it's alleged to be empty. Third-party cartridge suppliers can't buy the chip, and they can't reverse-engineer it either: encryption's involved, so reverse-engineering it would contravene the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

End of rant.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 10 Dec 23 - 06:03 PM

My HP printer lies too: tells me it’s offline when I know it isn’t and the blue light is on, indicating that it is connected to our Wifi. But it still works, so not a big issue!

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 10 Dec 23 - 08:40 PM

My old HP Duplex laser printer keeps going and going. HP Laser 1320. I put in knockoff high-capacity toner cartridges every so often and it keeps on going.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Brian May
Date: 15 Dec 23 - 02:57 PM

I find putting the printer on its side and cleaning all the rubber rollers with IPA (alcohol), stops paper errors on my Canon Inkjet.

It kept reporting it had no paper - it lied. Cleaning the rollers cured it. The air pressure 'wash' too is a great idea.

Subject: RE: Tech: Printer is lying: there's no paper jam
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 15 Dec 23 - 07:40 PM

Mine lied again today: said it was “busy” every time I tried to print something, when it patently was doing nothing! Switched it off and rebooted it: OK after that.