HP LJ 4 question.

  • Thread starter Thread starter Peter B
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Peter B

The company I work for has a HP LJ4, is used as a network printer but only
via LPT1 port on one of the computers (running win2000). The computers once
logged in run IE on start-up to enable users to log onto thinserver client
(win2000 Server). When someone prints from a thinserver session it routes
to the PC connected to the HP LJ4. But it doesn't start printing
automatically, it displays PC LOAD LETTER and you have to go the printer and
press shift+continue before it will print.

Any ideas on how to correct it so the printer prints automatically? I have
tried to adjust windows settings so that it only takes paper from the lower
tray but then I get another error message altogether and tries to take paper
from the envelope feeder.
 
Peter B said:
But it doesn't start printing
automatically, it displays PC LOAD LETTER and you have to go the printer and
press shift+continue before it will print.

Any ideas on how to correct it so the printer prints automatically? I have
tried to adjust windows settings so that it only takes paper from the lower
tray but then I get another error message altogether and tries to take paper
from the envelope feeder.
Click to expand...

Use the control panel on the printer to tell it that the lower paper
tray is for letter-sized paper and not to use manual feed.

Check that the Windows drivers don't have manual feed turned on.
 
Warren Block said:
Use the control panel on the printer to tell it that the lower paper
tray is for letter-sized paper and not to use manual feed.
Click to expand...
Better in the UK to set it to default to A4 rather than Letter.
 
Tom Ruben said:
Better in the UK to set it to default to A4 rather than Letter.
Click to expand...

The printer is being told to expect Letter, though, which is why it's
saying PC LOAD LETTER.
 
The printer is being told to expect Letter, though, which is why it's
saying PC LOAD LETTER.
Click to expand...

Which means he's probably using some software which is either localised
for the US or has been "accidently" switched to print to letter size paper
instead of the UK/European A4 default.

It's more likely to be a software application fault than a printer
problem.

His best bet is to check the default paper size in his application. If
it's part of the MS Office, then all documents which have been
created/saved while the default has been US Letter will have to be loaded,
changed to A4 and re-saved.

Dave
 
Dave said:
Which means he's probably using some software which is either localised
for the US or has been "accidently" switched to print to letter size paper
instead of the UK/European A4 default.

It's more likely to be a software application fault than a printer
problem.

His best bet is to check the default paper size in his application. If
it's part of the MS Office, then all documents which have been
created/saved while the default has been US Letter will have to be loaded,
changed to A4 and re-saved.
Click to expand...

All applications are set to UK spec. I thought it might just be a problem
caused by the thinserver technology but it isn't as I printed a test page
from the actual OS running on the computer connected directly to the printer
and it still says PC LOAD LETTER and wont print until shift and continue are
pressed. As it's windows 2000 I logged in as Administrator, first I changed
the driver settings so it only prints from the paper tray A4 size, still
says it, and then I changed all of the trays to A4 and it still says it, and
this is only printing a windows print test page. All settings on the
printer are set to A4 and to take it from the cass (The paper tray) and it
still does it. Im going to try tomorrow to access the service menu and see
if it is set up properly.
 
All applications are set to UK spec. I thought it might just be a problem
caused by the thinserver technology but it isn't as I printed a test page
from the actual OS running on the computer connected directly to the printer
and it still says PC LOAD LETTER and wont print until shift and continue are
pressed. As it's windows 2000 I logged in as Administrator, first I changed
the driver settings so it only prints from the paper tray A4 size, still
says it, and then I changed all of the trays to A4 and it still says it, and
this is only printing a windows print test page. All settings on the
printer are set to A4 and to take it from the cass (The paper tray) and it
still does it. Im going to try tomorrow to access the service menu and see
if it is set up properly.
Click to expand...

The PC LOAD LETTER message followed by being required to press shift and
continue are a sign the toner is extremely low and the LOW TONER warning has
been disabled in the printers menu . This is what is stated in the LJ4 service
manual.
 
GMAN said:
The PC LOAD LETTER message followed by being required to press shift and
continue are a sign the toner is extremely low and the LOW TONER warning has
been disabled in the printers menu . This is what is stated in the LJ4 service
manual.
Click to expand...

Nope, the toner low warning is enabled and not displayed on the machine. It
is a new toner cartridge in there.
 
What I have found to be a major cause of this error and often
overlooked, is a missing flag on the paper sensor on the bottom of the
printer. A lot of times the flag falls off either from overloading the
tray or other reasons.

Hope this helps.

Paul





On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 21:59:40 GMT, Dave <[email protected]> babbled:

->On Sat, 25 Oct 2003 17:06:26 -0000, in comp.periphs.printers, Warren
Block
->
->>The printer is being told to expect Letter, though, which is why
it's
->>saying PC LOAD LETTER.
->
->Which means he's probably using some software which is either
localised
->for the US or has been "accidently" switched to print to letter size
paper
->instead of the UK/European A4 default.
->
->It's more likely to be a software application fault than a printer
->problem.
->
->His best bet is to check the default paper size in his application.
If
->it's part of the MS Office, then all documents which have been
->created/saved while the default has been US Letter will have to be
loaded,
->changed to A4 and re-saved.
->
->Dave
 
FF said:
What I have found to be a major cause of this error and often
overlooked, is a missing flag on the paper sensor on the bottom of the
printer. A lot of times the flag falls off either from overloading the
tray or other reasons.

Hope this helps.

Paul
Click to expand...
I don't suppose you could give me directions to where it is and what it
looks like?
 
What I have found to be a major cause of this error and often
overlooked, is a missing flag on the paper sensor on the bottom of the
printer. A lot of times the flag falls off either from overloading the
tray or other reasons.
Click to expand...

But surely a missing flag would merely lie about what's in the tray? He
has A4 in the tray, and it's saying it wants Letter. A missing flag
might actually help....!

I still think there's a software setup error.
 
Nope, the toner low warning is enabled and not displayed on the machine. It
is a new toner cartridge in there.
Click to expand...

Mmm...Paper size sensors?

Can you check they are working correctly and that the tray has the correct
bits sticking out to activate the switches?

Dave
 
Mmm...Paper size sensors?

Can you check they are working correctly and that the tray has the correct
bits sticking out to activate the switches?
Click to expand...

From the service manual

"MP/PC/LC (Tray 1/2/3) LOAD Message
The conditions that result in MP/PC/LC LOAD or (TRAY 1/2/3)
messages are:
• The absence of any input tray.
• The absence of media in either tray.
• The tray size switches may be defective and not recognize
the presence of the paper tray. The tray is sensed as the
tray-identifier tabs contact one or more of the three tray
identifier microswitches.
• The Universal Tray paper size dial setting does not match
the installed paper.
The MP/PC/LC LOAD message is also generated when the user or
software requests a paper size other than that installed.
The Paper Sensing Arms are located in the paper input areas of
the printer. During normal operation, the Paper Sensing Arm
flags rest on the media installed in the paper tray. The Sensing
Arm flags are attached to shafts. The opposite end of the shaft is
a photointerrupter that rotates through the sensors on the Paper
Control PCA. These sensors are:
• PS4 Paper out-MP tray.
• PS2 Paper out-PC tray.
• PS6 Paper out-Lower Cassette.
• PS7 Paper out-Envelope Feeder.
The presence of paper in the paper tray is sensed by the paper
sensor arm. When paper is in the cassette, the sensor arm rests
on top of the paper in the tray. At this point, the sensors are not
blocked. When the tray is empty, the arm swings through its
travel. The photointerrupter attached to the paper sensor arm
shaft rotates and blocks the sensor diode.
Troubleshooting 7-13"

HTH

Dave
 
Mmm...Paper size sensors?
Click to expand...

No...not with the problem as presented.

He has A4 loaded....and it's asking for letter. That actually implies
that the sensors are working correctly/

I'm still sure it's a software configuration problem.
 
No...not with the problem as presented.

He has A4 loaded....and it's asking for letter. That actually implies
that the sensors are working correctly/

I'm still sure it's a software configuration problem.
Click to expand...

Same here, but he says not, so I'm grasping at straws :-)

Dave
 
Dave said:
Same here, but he says not, so I'm grasping at straws :-)
Click to expand...

I really cant see how it could be. As I said originally I thought it may be
the thinserver software that was being used. Once you are logged into
thinserver the screen being showed is what is being transmitted from the
server in the head office. I don't know if you are aware of thinserver
technology but it basically enables a user to have greater processing
capabilities than that of the computer being used. So for example when you
print something, the commands are being sent from the head office to the
computer in the remote office that is connected to the printer and I thought
that something maybe going a miss in the process. So to rule this out, I
disabled the thinserver software and printed a test page from the drivers
menu on the computer that is directly connected to the printer and it still
displays that message, the driver has been set up to use A4 paper. The
network also has access to a HP 4L that is being used by the same thinserver
software and prints automatically without any error lights.

At the moment I haven't had a chance to have a tinkle with the printer as
I'm having a couple of days off but I think (and I could be wrong) that the
settings in the service menu have not been configured properly.

What also play a part in it, is for a time I didn't have access to
administrator passwords, the office got moved about a bit and the printer
was connected to a different computer which originally was connected to the
HP 4L. It's windows 2000 os and a security feature had been enabled so that
new devices could not be connected to the system. But windows continued to
use the 4L driver on that printer. It printed ok but the print quality was
a little light. Then I had the admin password, deleted the old 4L driver
and installed the correct one hoping it would get rid of the problem but it
didn't.

So as soon as I am back at work (Monday) I will have a play with the service
menu.
 
I really cant see how it could be. As I said originally I thought it may be
the thinserver software that was being used. Once you are logged into
thinserver the screen being showed is what is being transmitted from the
server in the head office. I don't know if you are aware of thinserver
technology
Click to expand...

I am
printed a test page from the drivers
menu on the computer that is directly connected to the printer and it still
displays that message, the driver has been set up to use A4 paper. The
network also has access to a HP 4L that is being used by the same thinserver
software and prints automatically without any error lights.
Click to expand...

The *driver* may be set to use A4 paper, but are you absolutely *sure*
that the application software is set to print to A4? The app s/w can
overide the driver defaults.

Everytime I've seen this problem in the past, it has been user error on
the software application settings. I don't think you've mentioned what
software you are using to create the printouts, but I do know that the MS
Office programs will store their own default printer configs within the
document. Changing settings on the printer driver will have no effect if
you then load and print one of those.

Just to absolutely rule out the application software being the cause,
check the printer seting from the application program just before
printing.

The only other possibility I can think of is the tray sensor switches not
working (or the activator arms on the tray) and the printer defaults to
asking for letter in the absence of *any* tray (as far as the printer is
concerned). Try attempting a printout with all trays removed and see what
happens.

You might also want to set the printer for auto-continue/paper size
overide (Not sure what it's called off the top of my head) as a temp
work-around. This should pick up the paper no matter what size is in the
tray or what size the app s/w requests.

Dave
 
Dave said:
I am


The *driver* may be set to use A4 paper, but are you absolutely *sure*
that the application software is set to print to A4? The app s/w can
overide the driver defaults.

Everytime I've seen this problem in the past, it has been user error on
the software application settings. I don't think you've mentioned what
software you are using to create the printouts, but I do know that the MS
Office programs will store their own default printer configs within the
document. Changing settings on the printer driver will have no effect if
you then load and print one of those.
Click to expand...

Yes we use Office 2000, but as I say it happens even when the you print a
test page from the driver menu in windows that is set to A4.
Just to absolutely rule out the application software being the cause,
check the printer seting from the application program just before
printing.

The only other possibility I can think of is the tray sensor switches not
working (or the activator arms on the tray) and the printer defaults to
asking for letter in the absence of *any* tray (as far as the printer is
concerned). Try attempting a printout with all trays removed and see what
happens.

You might also want to set the printer for auto-continue/paper size
overide (Not sure what it's called off the top of my head) as a temp
work-around. This should pick up the paper no matter what size is in the
tray or what size the app s/w requests.
Click to expand...

Arr, that's right, get my hopes up about a feature that will pick up the
paper no matter what size or tray and then tell me you cant remember what
it's called LOL. You know if you were a girl there would be a name for you
that ends in tease ;O)
 
Arr, that's right, get my hopes up about a feature that will pick up the
paper no matter what size or tray and then tell me you cant remember what
it's called LOL. You know if you were a girl there would be a name for you
that ends in tease ;O)
Click to expand...

LOL

Print the menu out ;-)

(I just hope that printer has the feature and it's not some other printer
I'm thinking of)

Dave
 
Print the menu out ;-)

(I just hope that printer has the feature and it's not some other printer
I'm thinking of)
Click to expand...


Auto Cont on the config menu - switch it to "on"

Also, you might find this of use:

The following procedure is used to initiate the Service Mode.
1 Hold down the [ON LINE], [FORM FEED], and [ENTER] keys while
powering ON the printer, until the ON LINE and FORM
FEED Indicators are both illuminated and the Display
Window is blank. (If the Display Window reads 05 SELF
TEST at this point, the keys were released too soon. Repeat
this step until successful.)
2 Press the [FORM FEED] key, then the [ENTER] key. The
message SERVICE MODE is displayed briefly, then the printer
automatically begins a 05 SELF TEST.
After several seconds, the [ON LINE] and [FORM FEED] lights turn
OFF. (The printer may display 02 WARMING UP if it has not
warmed up completely.)
After the printer has warmed up and passed the self test,
SERVICE MODE is displayed.
To exit the Service Mode press the [ON LINE] key.

Setting the Cold Reset Default
The default paper size outside of the U.S. is typically A4.
Therefore, when replacing Formatters where the desired default
is A4, the Customization Variable must be set to A4. This
prevents the Cold Reset procedure from resetting the paper size
to Letter. To set the Customization Variable:
1 Enter the Service Mode as described previously.
2 Press the [Menu] key to display SERVICE MENU.
3 Press the [Item] key to display CR PAPER=LETTER
4 Press the [+/-] key to toggle between Letter and A4 paper.
5 Press the [Enter] key to save your selection.
6 Press [On Line] to exit the Service Mode.

HTH

Dave
 
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