Computers are becoming commonplace in homes and offices around the world. The problem is that most people know so little about their computers that when something goes wrong, they don’t know how to start the troubleshooting process.
The ugly truth is that we might choose to call the tech support phone number that came with the computer, but you never really know what you’re going to get on the other end of the phone. You could literally spend several hours waiting to get to a tech, and then once you have the human on the line, there’s just as much chance they’re clueless as they’ll find your solution. .
I know this because I used to work at a computer help desk call center. You’d be surprised who can pass for a technician! For most new employees, the only prior knowledge required is being able to navigate the current Windows operating system.
Management feels that if you can navigate Windows then you can browse the database to find a solution. The problem with this type of thinking is that the person in the call center is often lost to find a solution that is not already in the database.
Of course, every frontline technician has a help desk to call, but in my own experience, help desk positions were assigned based on policy and not technical knowledge. We ended up with some real jerks at our help desk. Call these people once or twice, and eventually you’ll decide that you have a better chance of succeeding on your own than you could by going against the grain of support systems.
print support business
Fortunately, computer printers don’t break that often. But when they do, troubleshooting can be a painful process.
There are some basics you can cover to speed up the troubleshooting process.
Please note that if you ever break the casing of your printer, you should make sure to disconnect the power supply before doing so. Printers that are connected to a power source can charge it with enough current to kill it. Don’t take chances with your life.
Long before you get to the point of trying to figure out the case to get to the internals, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take.
* Always check your power supply to make sure you have a good, solid connection. I know this seems like the most logical step, but you’d be surprised how often a machine without power is found to be a disconnected machine.
* If the printer is receiving power, turn it off and then back on. Every printer has an internal brain in it. Temporarily removing power from the machine will force a reset of the computer chip inside the printer. Many times, this will solve any problem.
* Make sure your printer cartridge is seated correctly. Make sure the cartridge is in the printer as intended by the manufacturer.
* Use the “self test” function of the printer. The manufacturer has included this to help you eliminate common printing problems.
These four steps will help you overcome the most common problems associated with printers.
For a full breakdown of generic troubleshooting steps, the following URL points to the most comprehensive and easy to follow checklist I’ve seen: http://www.5starsupport.com/info/printer.htm
Drivers are the software applications that power printers
A driver is the software package that allows your printer to communicate with your computer’s operating system and vice versa.
Your printer manufacturer shipped a software disc with the printer. On this disk, you can find the default driver for that printer.
As computing evolves, printer manufacturers update their drivers to improve printer performance or to keep up with changing operating systems.
Of course, you can go to a website that has been established to give you a one stop shop for finding hardware drivers online. A couple of the most common sites of this type are:
* http://www.windrivers.com
* http://www.driverguide.com
While these global sites are nice, they don’t always offer the most up-to-date drivers available from the manufacturer.
Here are a variety of driver download/support URLs for most major manufacturers:
Brother- [http://www.brother.com/E-ftp/info/index.html]
Canon: http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=SiteMapAct&keycode=model&functionid=2&fcategoryid=205
Compaq: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Product.jsp?taskId=110&prodTypeId=18972&prodCatId=236252
Dell- [http://forums.us.dell.com/supportforums?category.id=printers]
Epson – http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/SupportIndex.jsp?expansion=1000000
Hewlett Packard – http://h20180.www2.hp.com/apps/Nav?h_pagetype=s-001&h_product=236252
IBM- [http://www.printers.ibm.com/internet/wwsites.nsf/vwwebpublished/supportoverview_ww]
Konica Minolta – http://printer.konicaminolta.com/support/index.html
Lexmark- [http://support.lexmark.com/cgi-perl/selections.cgi?target=http://support.lexmark.com/cgi-perl/support.cgi]
Okidata – http://my.okidata.com/home.nsf/solutions%26support?openframeset
Panasonic – http://www.panasonic.com/business/office/support/downl_drivers_printers.asp
Pitney Bowes: http://www.pb.com/cgi-bin/pb.dll/jsp/GlobalNavigation.do?moduleName=CustomerSupport
Samsung – http://samsungdp.com/eng/
Sharp – http://www.sharpusa.com/products/TypeWizard1/1,2230,18,00.html
Xerox/Tektronix – http://www.support.xerox.com/go/prodselect.asp?Xcntry=USA&metrics=HDR
The invisible printing industry
Printers are cheap to replace as a general rule. If you have a printer whose transport motor has failed, it might actually be more economical to throw the printer away and replace it with a new one. Sure, it may seem logical to buy a new motor and replace the dead motor, but compare the pricing options first.
What most people don’t realize is that printer companies aren’t making any money manufacturing and selling printers. Sure, they still make a profit when you buy your printer, but that’s not the activity that keeps your shareholders happy.
When shopping for a printer, it really makes a lot of sense to compare the prices of replacement cartridges before purchasing the printer. I bought a laser printer once and was very excited about my new tool until I priced in a replacement cartridge. $180 each for a remanufactured laser printer cartridge. OMG! That was more than I paid for the printer. I even bought a replacement printer for less money.
Sometimes it’s hard to find your printer toner cartridge at your local mall. With so many varieties of printers available, most supply stores won’t have all the parts on hand.
While it may make sense to go to the manufacturer’s website to purchase replacement toner cartridges and kits, they typically charge a premium for those replacements. Manufacturer’s premiums can sometimes be up to three times more expensive than what you can buy from a good third-party provider, even when that third-party provider bought the replacement from a middle man. It’s like the airline industry. It is usually cheaper to buy plane tickets at a travel agency than at the airline itself.
With the printer currently sitting on my desk, I save between $14 and $17 on my color cartridge when I purchase printer supplies from Toner-R Printing Supplies. By using this third-party provider, I save $14 compared to the manufacturer’s website and am able to save $17 compared to Wal-Mart prices. On the black toner cartridge, I still save money by buying from http://www.tonerr.com. I can save $5 against buying the replacement from the manufacturer, and I can save $6 against buying from Wal-Mart. And we’ve been trained to believe that Wal-Mart always has the best prices. Imagine that.
When it’s time to buy a printer, never think that the manufacturer cares about you. They are in this business to make as much money as possible, period.
