A customer has called you with a printer problem where the printouts are completely garbled. Instead of a text document from a word processor, the page is filled with random characters, lines, and block graphics. What’s the best next step to help troubleshoot the problem?
A) Replace the toner or ink in the printer
B) Reboot the computer
C) Use the printer’s built-in diagnostics to print a test page
D) Use different weights of paper
The answer: C) Use the printer’s built-in diagnostics to print a test page
If you’ve got a printer problem this severe, it would be very useful to know if the problem was with your printer, your printer cable, or the computer. By printing a test page, you can verify that the printer is capable of printing properly. If the printer works properly, then you know the problem must be related to the computer or the cable. If the printer does not work properly, then you know that it’s time to replace the printer.
The incorrect answers:
A) Replace the toner or ink in the printer
Since the problem with this issue is related to the information on the page and not the quality of the output, replacing the toner or ink won’t help much.
B) Reboot the computer
This could almost be considered the “default” for most problems, but rebooting the printer won’t help much with the troubleshooting process. If the problem is resolved, then you’ve lost an opportunity to determine where the issue might reside. If the problem still exists, then you’ve not solved anything. Rebooting the system will be useful in the troubleshooting process, but don’t use it as your first option. Ask questions and follow a logical path to solve the issue.
D) Use different weights of paper
If the paper was jamming or wrinkling, we might want to change the paper type. In this case, modifying the paper weight isn’t going to change the output on the page.
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Want to know more? Watch “Troubleshooting Printers and Scanners.”When the printer or scanner is down, where do you start the troubleshooting process? What tools will you need to solve the problem? In this video, we’ll show you where to start troubleshooting, what tools to bring to the job, and what common problems you can expect to see with printers and scanners. |