22 replies to this topic

[Robin the Hood]

Well...it seemed like a good idea at the time...combination copier/scanner/printer/fax.

This morning, I had to reload the drivers because, although I wasn't getting any error screens, when I tried to print, everything kept queuing up, nothing printing.

 

Once that was done, was printing fine.

 

Tonight, I swapped out the ink cartridge, shut the lid, and...nothing. It will not power down manually, & insists that the cover is open. Cannot to seem to locate a "swicth" by touch, and I have 20 fullcolor flyers due Friday AM. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Keinokuorma]

Lexmark X3470 sells for about 75€ back here... and I don't really trust the brand, they make about the cheapest printers on the market, the lower end units having ink tanks the size of half a matchbox, and they don't survive too many ink tank swaps... their printers are cheap, ink tanks are expensive considering their print yield (IMO) as you could byu a new printer by adding a few € to the cost of new ink tanks.

Personally I wouldn't trust a 75€ all-in-one unit to last long, no matter what brand. I have a 8 year old Epson Perfection 610 scanner that works OK still, cost me 170€ equivalent back inthe day, and then I got a HP Business Inkjet 1200 a few years ago, cost 200ish €, it only prints, but does the job well. Fax or copy I don't need very often now. I can copy by scanning and printing thru PhotoShop etc and I can also then manually enhance the image from poor originals.

[RegUS_PatOff]

also some (third party compatible) Epson and Canon Ink Cartridges are about $1 - $2 each (depending on model)

eBay

and

http://www.megatoners.com/

[Robin the Hood]

Hey, guys...thanks for your input.

I basically did the only thing I COULD do...I walked it out to the dumpster, got up early Thursday A.M., and went shopping.

 

Ended up with a nice little compact HP All-In-One, project done (by 2 a.m. this morning), everybody be happy!

 

Am saddled with 2 new Lexmark One Cartridges, but that's okay...my dad uses that same Lexmark at his small business, so I'll just "gift" them to him.

And why is it that nobody makes a copier anymore that uses a single cartridge for Color/Black & White Printing? I had a Dell Printer that my dad bought for me about 4 years back ((I forgave him; he knew NOT what he did))...had the dual cartridge setup, too. But the stupid thing refused to print correctly in black & white (document mode) unless the color ink cartridge was at least 1/2 full...and yes, I WAS using the black & white setting in my printer preferences...

IMHO, another way for these guys to make money...considering how inexpensive printers have become, built to be unserviceable by the end user (in order to access the switch in my unit, I would have required special tools to seperate certain tabs that hel it together).  If you make the printer carts TINY, and each unit needs at least 2 (it's an Inkjet, not a Laser Jet), that's where you rake in the bucks.

Technical Support suggested Service? Yeah, I'm gonna spend $50+ to repair a 3 year old $79 printer...:shock:

Anyway, thanks again for the input.

[RegUS_PatOff]

[user=34529]Robin the Hood[/user] wrote:

 If you make the printer carts TINY, and each unit needs at least 2,... .... that's where you rake in the bucks.

Not if you find the right printer that uses non OEM carts for $ 1 to $2 each....

[Robin the Hood]

Yeah, well, it was  one of those situations where I really didn't have the option to shop liesurely for what I REALLY wanted, unfortunately. I'll keep that in mind, however, may even shop for a back up unit as you suggested, something that doesn't take those damned OEM carts....

Thanks, Reg.

[RegUS_PatOff]

kinda like cell phones: "FREE CELL PHONE...sir ?" 

"No, thanks, I can't afford the free cell phones"  or printers

Check the price of the consumables before buying a product.

The Gillette principal

[Keinokuorma]

Some simplest single cartridge color/mono units (inkjet at least) print the black  in composite mode,  so to say,  by mixing  C+M+Y to form K (black) and some more sophisticated units will mix composite and black to achieve a deeper black. This not only consumes the expensive color inks but often supersaturates standard printing media like copier paper, causing warping and blotching. Also on some paper types the black printing will be considerably off-hued.

For my HP I buy the original carts, the 3rd party manufactured or recycled ones aren't that much cheaper. Also when I tried those, I had to buy new print heads for those colors very soon, so they weren't cheap at all, ended up costing almost twice the price of original carts. Luckily the printer allows individual ink and head change by need. And considering that possibility, the unit wasn't that much more expensive than a simple unit with fixed head.

Also the older, lower end Epson printers were more than notorius for blocking up after a few carts, and at that point, down tha dumpsta. Their scanner works neatly to be 8 years old, some quirks now and then, but it gives good sharp image and vivid colors. The mechanism is much more robust than on the Canon unit of similar price and specs I was considering. Even the sales clerk dared say that he would rather sell the Epson.

Mom had a Canon all-in-one for five years, it was warranty serviced once for the scanner unit squeaking, but otherwise it was fine. Her first HP all-in-one ate a lot of computing power even in idle mode - unplugging the USB cable made a great difference... it was returned and refunded, she got the Canon, and was happy then... now she has a newer HP unit which is fine, unless you consider that the twain software supplied is really clunky.

[Robin the Hood]

Heavy Sigh...so, I uninstall the stupid Lexmark and install the HP. Now, am getting 2 errors:

When computer boots, I get error:

IM32FAX.DIL Not Found!

When I try to print, I get:

Subsystem Spooler Error

Am I correct in assuming that the damn Lexmark Software that I uninstalled is responsible for these problems?  I tossed the f@#%&!! CD along with the printer (all-in-one), and I know the drivers are still available out there on the web...or am I looking at something a little more serious??

 

 Help!

 

 

[Robin the Hood]

I'll be doing some serious pruning this evening...which means I'll be STAYING AWAY from my computer (have learned from past experience with Windows 98 Compaq unit that drinking & troubleshooting these things at the same time DO NOT WORK).

Would appreciate any input any of ya'all can give me!

[RegUS_PatOff]

Lexmark X3470 Drivers  

[Robin the Hood]

Thanks, Reg...damned DIAL UP is taking forever to download, but you saved me a search...

Contribution to Beer Fund forthcoming...

[Robin the Hood]

No cigar. Reinstalled EVERYTHING and still getting the same 2 errors.

 

Suggestions, anyone?

[geoffmayne]

Found this:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324757

Note: it states that this error can happen from Lexmark's installed SW.  May be whatcha got clogging your system.

[Keinokuorma]

I have encountered a similar thing with some printer drivers on the Vista (which we Finns call "Visva", as in "pus"). At least some Visva compatible drivers for older HP devices sometimes jam up with documents in the spool, which won't go anywhere. You can't reinstall or delete the driver because there are active jobs on it... you have to install another copy of the same driver and reprint your documents. You may or may not be able to kill the old copy of the driver successfully in failsafe mode, or you may need to resort to registry editing.

Also I have seen a whole installation of Visva rot beyond reasonable repair effort in 3 weeks, repeatedly. The only course of action to render the system usable is to reinstall. Well one thing Microsoft should have avoided was adding any more cream and icing to their cake before enhancing the fillings.

[Robin the Hood]

Thanks, geoffmayne...

Anything having to do with Registry Editing TERRIFIES me, but I'll give it a shot next weekend... 

[geoffmayne]

Regarding spooler clogging, I can say that is one of the top reasons that print jobs get lost.  There are ways to clean out your spooler.  I have a friend that occasioanlly restarts his spooler on general principles.  BTW, the spooler is MS's thang, not the printers, at least usually.

[Robin the Hood]

Okay...pruning brain cells tonight, also sanding the giant "beer bottle pinata" I've been building for my son's 21st B-day, and priming/bottling the hard cider this weekend...will try the MS stuff, also getting XP Home edition reinstall software from my buddy Barry...

 

Wish me luck!

 

[Robin the Hood]

Curses, Batman!! *&^%! LEXMARK!

 

I tried all of the stuff suggested here & on the web...nada.

Here's something interesting, though...any file I created prior to the date I deleted the Lexmark prints FINE, and I can still scan & copy from the printer.  But everything created since that fateful day crashes & burns.


I have tried a system restore...same damn errors keep a poppin' up.
 

Am borrowing a friend's XP Home CD to do a complete reinstall (stupid Dell Disk is NOT cutting the mustard), have a few friends at work willing to REALLY hack the damned thing if''n that don't do it...but this REALLY BLOWS!!

DON'T MISS ALL OF THE EXCITING ACTION!! Tune in again,  Same BAT TIME, same BAT STATION!!

Translation: Will let you all know how it goes.  :toiletgrab:

 

[Robin the Hood]

:thumbsup:So...I managed to repair the print spooler issue.

2 glasses of Celtic Crossing, 2 Rolling Rock...my muse invaded my brain while I was-a-prunin' cells.

I noticed that my older files would print, and Notepad would print, but nothing else in Office 2000 Suite.

Hmmm...

Uninstalled Office and new HP Printer, re-installed, and VOILA!  I can print again.

Am still getting "IM32FAX.DIL cannot be found!", but am going to sit down this weekend with a full-blown version of XP Home (not the half-assed Dell disc that came with the box) & see if a reinstall/repair will take care of that little item.

Thanks to all of you who looked at this thread & gave me suggestions...you guys and gals are the BEST!

Am damn proud to be a member of this forum.

$10 contribution to beer fund for GP.