在经典电影《办公室空间》(Office Space)中，有一个标志性的场景，一群上班族带着他们可悲的打印机/复印机进入田野，并在背景中播放一首明确的说唱歌曲，然后报复性地摧毁它。
对于许多人来说，那个场景是实现愿望的一种形式。如果我们能把那些让我们自己的生活变得痛苦的打印机带到现场快速执行就好了。不幸的是，这在现实生活中并不是一个真正的选择，因此您最好的选择是在打印机出现问题时查找并修复它们。
尽管打印机问题让人感觉像是令人愤怒的谜团，但一旦你知道去哪里寻找以及如何缩小问题的原因，大部分被压抑的愤怒应该会消失。不幸的是，我们无法帮助您解决任何其他根深蒂固的问题。让我们从快速简单的故障排除检查开始。
将其关闭并再次打开
是的，这有点儿玩笑，但是当您重新启动时，许多随机问题就会消失。在这种情况下，这意味着重新启动计算机和打印机。重置你的装备总是一个好的第一步。
如果它是无线打印机，请确保重新启动无线路由器以确保网络正常运行。
但是，打印机无法开机！
如果您的打印机一直正常工作，然后突然不再打球，您应该首先检查它是否已开机。是的，这似乎是一个简单的问题，但即使是我们当中最精通技术的人也可能会忽略一些简单的问题，例如插座/电源板死机、电缆松动或打印机电源损坏。
因此，通过将打印机插入已知正常工作的插座/电源板或将已知工作设备插入可疑插座来检查插座是否正常工作。
如果插座没问题，下一步就是检查电缆本身。它可能已从打印机中拉出，或者电缆可能已损坏。如果您没有另一根电缆可以更换为测试，您也可以使用万用表确保电源一直通过电缆。
有些打印机有两个电源开关。一个操作电源。这通常隐藏在机器背面，靠近电源连接器。另一个是您在正常操作期间用来打开打印机的那个。前面的电源开关不是电源开关，而是待机开关。在任何情况下，如果电源开关关闭，其他任何操作也不会起作用。
数据连接
您的打印机需要的不仅仅是电源才能打印出打印页面。它还需要来自主机系统的数据，以便它知道墨水应该去哪里。在过去，这些数据通过并行端口连接流动。然而，这种连接标准现在已经过时，市场上几乎所有的打印机都将使用无处不在的USB标准。
带有Wi-Fi(Wi-Fi)模块的打印机也变得越来越普遍，这将它们变成了家庭网络打印机。打印机也可以带有以太网(Ethernet)连接，但这在企业级设备中更为常见。
无论您的打印机使用何种连接类型，检查所有连接是否正常工作是最基本的打印机故障排除步骤(basic printer troubleshooting steps)之一。
使用有线连接时，请确保两端的插头连接正确。如果这不能解决问题，请在另一台设备上测试电缆，或将电缆与另一台设备上的已知工作电缆交换。
对于连接 Wi-Fi 的(Wi-Fi)打印机来说，事情有点棘手。请参阅有关如何将打印机连接到Wi-Fi的手册并尝试手动连接。您还可以进入路由器的仪表板查看已连接设备的列表(check the list of connected devices)。您可以快速确定打印机是否已成功连接到网络。
如果Wi-Fi似乎不起作用，暂时尝试有线连接也是一个好主意。如果这样可以解决问题，那么您就知道问题出在Wi-Fi链的某个地方。
错误消息可以提供帮助（有时）
如果您的打印机确实可以启动但有其他问题，那么您将踏上不同的故障排除之旅。
信不信由你，随着时间的推移，打印机变得更加智能。他们通常可以准确地告诉您哪里出了问题，或者至少可以帮助您朝着正确的方向前进。如果打印机有警告灯或屏幕，您可以参考该型号的用户手册来解释自诊断错误是什么。
论文请
打印机拒绝让步的最常见原因之一是缺纸。在小型家用喷墨打印机上，很容易查看进纸盘中是否还有纸张。
但是，尽管纸盘中可以看到纸张，您仍然可能会遇到纸张错误。在这种情况下，问题通常通过取出纸张、整齐对齐然后正确放回纸盘来解决，以便进纸器机构可以正确抓取下一张纸。
激光(Laser)打印机倾向于将纸张存放在托盘中，托盘完全滑入机器中。因此，如果打印机说它没有纸，那么通常意味着只需重新填充纸盘。
不过，这有一个问题。一些打印机有多种纸张来源。例如，一个纸盘用于 A4 纸，另一个纸盘用于 A3。如果您检查纸盒并在那里找到纸张，您可能选择了错误的纸张来源。
例如，在信封或记事卡上打印时，您通常必须使用单独拉出的小得多的托盘。有时很难找到此托盘，因此在这种情况下请查看您的打印机手册。
摆脱（纸）卡纸
当纸张确实卡住了将纸张移动通过系统的滚轮机构时，就会发生卡纸。这可能有几个原因。例如，打印机一次可能会拉入多于一页。一张纸可能会以一定角度拉入，也可能会出现折痕或撕裂。
为了解决卡纸问题，您必须打开打印机。所有打印机都有一个检修面板，您可以从那里接触到滚筒和送纸机构的其余部分。打开该面板，然后小心地取出纸张。
使用优质纸张有助于防止卡纸。打印机手册应列出推荐的纸张类型。
墨水和碳粉
如果您的打印件褪色或不正常，则可能是墨水或碳粉不足。根据您使用的打印机类型，并非所有打印机都可以直接测量这一点，尤其是在喷墨打印机的情况下。
他们依靠您告诉他们何时安装了新的墨水罐，然后根据已使用的墨水量来猜测剩余的墨水量。有时校准会重置，因此打印机会在没有墨水时报告有墨水。如果您的打印件看起来有点无色，请考虑更换墨盒。
窗户问题
打印机问题的常见来源根本不是打印机，而是计算机及其操作系统。我们已经远离困扰早期个人计算的打印机软件和驱动程序。
在Windows 10中，第一步是检查“打印机和扫描仪”下的打印机设置。只需(Just)打开开始菜单，(Start Menu, )键入“打印机”(“Printers” )，然后单击“打印机和扫描仪”。(“Printers and Scanners”.)
在这里，您会看到列出的已连接打印机。如果列出了您的打印机，则表示 Windows 认为它正常。单击(OK. Click)打印机列表。
三个选项将下拉。点击“打开队列”(“Open Queue”)
在这里，您可以看到任何已停止或以其他方式影响您的打印的打印作业。您可以直接在这里取消它们并清理管道。
如果您无法使用上面显示的GUI界面(GUI)手动清除打印队列，(how to clear the print queue manually)您还可以阅读我们的其他帖子。
软件，困难时期
当您的打印机给您带来麻烦，但看起来身体还不错时，第一步是更新您的驱动程序和软件。(update your drivers and software. )搜索您的打印机型号的支持网站并找到最新的软件和驱动程序。我们建议您卸载当前的驱动程序和软件，以防万一发生损坏。
如果在干净地重新安装驱动程序和软件(cleanly reinstalling both drivers and software)后问题仍然存在，您需要寻找其他地方。
解决打印机问题的一种快速方法是删除打印机，然后尝试重新安装它。您可以阅读我们之前关于如何在 Windows 10中安装无线或网络打印机的指南。(install a wireless or network printer)
如果您的打印机不久前运行良好，您可以使用系统还原(System Restore)将事情回滚到该日期。如果这样可以解决问题，那么您就知道这是一个新的软件包（例如防病毒软件）或其他更改（例如Windows更新）造成的麻烦。
大多数打印机制造商也有自己的打印机故障排除软件。我写过有关HP Print and Scan Docto r 的文章，以解决常见的打印机问题。
使用不同的计算机
如果您想排除计算机的问题，最简单的方法是将打印机连接到另一台计算机。如果问题消失了，那么罪魁祸首就很清楚了。
如果您的计算机是(is )问题并且上述补救措施均无效，那么您可能需要考虑重置或重新安装操作系统。这是万不得已的措施，但在消除了最常见的问题之后，它可能是回到正轨的最快方法。
How to Troubleshoot Common Printer Problems
In the cult-classic film Office Space, there’s an icоnic scene where a group of office workers take their lamentable printer/copier into a fіeld and proceed to destroy it with a vengeance while an explicіt rap song plays in the backgroυnd.
For many people that scene is a form of wish fulfilment. If only we could take the printers that make our own lives a misery out to a field for a quick execution. Unfortunately, that’s not really an option in real life, so your best choice is to find and fix printer problems as they crop up.
Although printer problems can feel like infuriating mysteries, once you know where to look and how to narrow down the causes of your issues most of that pent-up rage should disappear. Unfortunately, we can’t help you with any other deep-seated issues that remain. Let’s start off with the quick and easy troubleshooting checks.
Turn It Off and On Again
Yes, it’s a bit of a joke, but so many random problems go away when you just restart things. In this case that means restarting both the computer and printer. Resetting your gear is always a good first step.
If it’s a wireless printer, make sure to restart your wireless router just to make sure the network is running properly.
But, The Printer Doesn’t Power
On!
If your printer has been working properly and then suddenly won’t play ball any more, the first thing you should check is whether it’s powered-on. Yes, it seems like a simple issue, but even the most tech-savvy among us can overlook something as simple as a dead outlet/power strip, loose cable or busted printer power supply.
So check whether the outlet works properly either by plugging the printer into a known working outlet/power strip or by plugging a known working device into the suspicious outlet.
If the outlet is fine, the next step is to check the cable itself. It may have pulled out of the printer or the cable could be damaged. If you don’t have another cable to swap out as a test, you can also use a multimeter to make sure that power is making it all the way through the cable.
Some printers have two power switches. One
operates the power supply. This is usually hidden at the back of the machine,
near the power connector. The other is the one you’d use to switch the printer
on during normal operation. The front power switch isn’t a power switch, but a
standby toggle. In any event, if the power supply switch is off, nothing else
will work either.
The Data Connection
Your printer needs more than just power in order
to produce printed pages. It also needs data from the host system so that it
knows where the ink should go. In the old days, this data flowed over a
parallel port connection. However, that connection standard is now obsolete and
just about every printer on the market will use the ubiquitous USB standard.
It’s also becoming more and more common for printers to have Wi-Fi modules, which turns them into home network printers. Printers can also come with an Ethernet connection, but this is more common with enterprise level equipment.
Whatever connection type your printer uses, checking that all of the connections work properly is one of the most basic printer troubleshooting steps.
With wired connections, make sure the plugs on either end are connected properly. If that doesn’t fix the problem, test the cable on another device, or swap the cables with known working ones from another device.
For Wi-Fi-connected printers, things are a little trickier. Refer to the manual on how to connect the printer to Wi-Fi and try to connect manually. You can also go into your router’s dashboard to check the list of connected devices. You can quickly determine if the printer has successfully connected to the network or not.
It’s also a good idea to temporarily try a wired connection if the Wi-Fi doesn’t seem to work. If that fixes the issue, then you know the problem is somewhere in the Wi-Fi chain.
Error Messages Can Help
(Sometimes)
If your printer does come on but has another
issue, then you are embarking on a different troubleshooting journey.
Believe it or not, printers have become a lot
smarter over time. They can often tell you exactly what’s wrong or at least
help move you in the correct direction. If the printer has a warning light or a
screen, you can refer to the user manual for that model to interpret what the
self-diagnosed error is.
Papers Please
One of the most common reasons that a printer refuses to budge is because it lacks paper. On small home inkjet printers, it’s easy to see if there’s any paper left in the feeder tray.
However, you may still get a paper error despite paper being visible in the tray. In this case the issue usually solved by removing the paper, neatly aligning it and then putting it back into the tray properly so that the feeder mechanism can grab the next sheet properly.
Laser printers tend to store their paper sheets in a tray, which slides completely into the machine. So if the printer says it has no paper then it usually means simply refilling the tray.
There is one wrinkle to this though. Some printers have multiple sources of paper. For example, one tray for A4 sheets and another for A3. You may have the wrong paper source selected if you check the tray and find paper there.
For example, when printing on envelopes or notecards, you normally have to use a much smaller tray that pulls out separately. It can sometimes be hard to find this tray, so check your printer manual in this case.
Getting Out of a (Paper) Jam
A paper jam happens when paper literally jams
the roller mechanisms that move paper through the system. This could happen for
several reasons. For example, the printer may pull in more than one page at a
time. A sheet of paper could be pulled in at an angle or have a fold or tear in
it.
In order to resolve a paper jam, you’ll have
to open up your printer. All printers have an access panel from where you can
get to the rollers and the rest of the feeding mechanism. Open that panel and
then carefully extract the paper.
Using good quality paper will help prevent
paper jams. The printer’s manual should list the recommended paper types.
Ink and Toner
If your prints are coming out faded or otherwise not as they should, you could be running low on ink or toner. Depending on the type of printer you are using, not all printers can measure this directly, especially in the case of inkjets.
They rely on you telling them when a new tank of ink is installed and then guesstimate how much is left based on how much has been used. Sometimes that calibration gets reset, so the printer reports there is ink when there is none. If your prints look a little colorless, consider replacing the ink cartridges.
Windows Woes
A common source of printer problems isn’t the
printer at all, but the computer and its operating system. We’ve come a long
way from the janky printer software and drivers haunting the early days of
personal computing.
In Windows 10, the first stop is check out your printer settings under “Printers and Scanners”. Just open the Start Menu, type “Printers” and click on “Printers and Scanners”.
Here you see connected printers listed. If your printer is listed, it means Windows sees it OK. Click on the printer listing.
Three option will drop down. Click on “Open Queue”
Here you can see any print jobs that have stalled or otherwise messed with your prints. You can cancel them here directly and clean up the pipes.
You can also read our other posts on how to clear the print queue manually if you can’t do it using the GUI interface shown above.
Software, Hard Times
When your printer is giving you grief, but
seems to be physically OK, the first step is to update your drivers and software. Search for your printer model’s
support website and find the latest software and drivers for it. We recommend
that you uninstall the current drivers and software, just in case something got
corrupted.
If the problem persists after cleanly reinstalling both drivers and software, you need to look elsewhere.
One quick way to resolve printer issues is to delete the printer and then try to reinstall it. You can read our previous guide on how to install a wireless or network printer in Windows 10.
If your printer worked perfectly not too long ago, you can use System Restore to roll things back to that date. If that fixes the problem, then you know it was a new software package (such as an antivirus) or other change like a Windows update that borked things.
Most printer manufacturers also have their own printer troubleshooting software. I’ve written about HP Print and Scan Doctor to resolve common printer issues.
Use A Different Computer
If you want to rule out the computer as the problem, the easiest way is to hook the printer up to another computer. If the problem goes away, then the culprit is clear.
If your computer is the problem and none of the remedies above work, then you may want to consider resetting or reinstalling the operating system. It’s a measure of last resort, but after eliminating the most common issues, it might be the fastest way to get back on track.
