Photo 950 Junker

  • Thread starter Thread starter Duncan
  • Start date Start date
D

Duncan

This is driving me up the wall!! I have a black cart slot which will
not register a full cartridge properly. Runs through the replacement
ink routine, charges and shows me with a full cart. Then when I got to
print after about 5 seconds the status monitor pops up and shows empty
again. I was using (Jettec)compatibles, after a period of inactivity,
and today bought some original Epson but the same thing happens.

Cleaned contacts with alchohol. Reinstalled drivers on fresh
partition, turned off background services but nothing works. Has
anyone ever seen this problem before?

I did manage to print a page of text today before it came up empty
which is overlayed nearly entirely with a mask of black, probably as a
result of all the ink black ink charging in last few days. I'm nearing
the point where I cut my losses and replace with something cheaper in
case I have future problems with the replacement but if anyone has any
ideas I'd be glad for the input.
 
One of the problem with Epson printers is that the drivers and status
monitors are not that easy to fully remove and replace, often leaving
behind pieces from older versions.

I believe the printer will function without the ink status monitor
running at all, if you can remove it, but the problem sounds like it may
be firmware or hardware.

Can you explain what this black mask looks like? Is it lighter in color
than the text, or does it fully obscure the text?

You might need to get Epson involved in this. I suspect you need to
fully remove all drivers and start clean. Make sure the printer
functions in test mode disconnected from the computer before going further.

Have you installed or used the Russia resetting software at any point.
I do recall reading about several cases where people who used it and
actuated the wrong model printer within it claimed they ended up with
scrambled firmware or EPROMS, although I can verify this.

Art
 
Hi

I dont think it can be drivers because I am running a dual boot XP
system and the new drivers where installed to a partition where no
printer had previously existed.

As far as the black mask its really strange, it is made up from
perfectly formed horizontal bands about 0.5" wide and do not always
overlay the text underneath exactly. In some cases the band starts
before the text underneath, in other bands they start after.
As I say they are perfect formed there is no scrubbing at either end
of the bands and where there is a gap (verticaly) between one band and
next band below the bottom and top of those respective bands is again
a perfect straight line.

I would guess to use a photo editing analogy the opacity of this
masking would be 60 per cent or so.

Have never used any software resetting software and from what I've
heard to do so is far from risk free.

I did post an earlier thread which may offer that bit more background
and is included below. Thanks for your time.

http://groups.google.com/[email protected]
 
Can you scan a section of the printout showing the overmask defect at
300 dpi (a 2" x 2" section is fine) and send it to me via private mail?

I want to make sure it is what I'm thinking before commenting further.

I don't know exactly what's happening. You may have some bad cartridges
from Jettec, as I am reading of several problems with this company's
product on the lists, in regard to how they are communicating with the
printers, so maybe they hit a bad batch of chips or they were misprogrammed.

One thing about replacing the individual color cartridges used in many
Epson printers. Each time a new/fresh cartridge is added, all the
cartridges are purged to make sure any air bubbles within the head from
the exchanged cartridge, are removed. Since these printers only have
one vacuum pump, all the colors are also purged at the same time. That
can lead to any cartridge which is nearly empty to become so during the
purging process for another color.

So, it is questionable if any ink is actually saved by using individual
color cartridges with this method of purging.


Art
 
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