BJ200 prints garbage even at DOS but will self test
Paul Furman
characters, then asks for more paper even at a DOS command line or test
page from properties but it will print in a self test (powering on with
the button held down) it prints some two page letter from 1982 <grin>
which must be loaded in the firmware.
So it's a problem even at the DOS level. We uninstalled & redid the
default driver listed in win 2000.
Any ideas?
I know it's an ancient b&w cheap printer but it has worked just fine for
about a decade <grin>. It's on lpt1.
Fenrir Enterprises
wrote:
I know my BJC-4300 would do this if it was turned on during the
computer start-up. The easiest solution was simply to make sure the
printer was turned off before turning the computer on.
Also, if it has a program that auto-extracts the drivers and then
launches an installation routine, try to find that directory and copy
it/write protect it, don't do the installation routine, and then use
the Add/Remove Hardware wizard (install manually, browse to the INF
file, etc), to install the printer. This worked better with less
hardware conflicts for my old BJC-4300 (and also for my Ensoniq
AudioPCI card).
---
Computer services, custom metal etching,
arts, crafts, and much more.
GEO
wrote:
>A friend has an 'antique' Canon BJ200 which prints only a few garbage
>characters, then asks for more paper.....
There are two self tests:
1-
Power on while holding the ON LINE and PRINT MODE buttons. Press
power until it beeps.
To stop press and hold the ON LINE and PRINT MODE buttons.
2-
Power on while holding the ON LINE button until it beeps.
To stop press and hold the ON LINE button.
I don't know if selecting another driver would help -BJ-10e for
instance- but it sounds as if there is a problem with the driver or
with the communication with the port.
Geo
Paul Furman
> On Sun, 02 Apr 2006 00:01:47 GMT, Paul Furman <paul-@-edgehill.net>
> wrote:
>
>
>>A friend has an 'antique' Canon BJ200 which prints only a few garbage
>>characters, then asks for more paper.....
>
>
> There are two self tests:
> 1-
> Power on while holding the ON LINE and PRINT MODE buttons. Press
> power until it beeps.
> To stop press and hold the ON LINE and PRINT MODE buttons.
>
> 2-
> Power on while holding the ON LINE button until it beeps.
Thanks, this is the one that printed out the old letter, I think the
other one spat out the same garbage characters. Is it supposed to print
out an old letter?
> To stop press and hold the ON LINE button.
>
> I don't know if selecting another driver would help -BJ-10e for
> instance- but it sounds as if there is a problem with the driver or
> with the communication with the port.
OK we could try another driver but does that even matter when printing
from a DOS command line?
Paul Furman
> Paul Furman <paul-@-edgehill.net>
>
>>A friend has an 'antique' Canon BJ200 which prints only a few garbage
>>characters, then asks for more paper even at a DOS command line or test
>>page from properties but it will print in a self test (powering on with
>>the button held down) it prints some two page letter from 1982 <grin>
>>which must be loaded in the firmware.
>>
>>So it's a problem even at the DOS level. We uninstalled & redid the
>>default driver listed in win 2000.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>
>>I know it's an ancient b&w cheap printer but it has worked just fine for
>>about a decade <grin>. It's on lpt1.
>
> I know my BJC-4300 would do this if it was turned on during the
> computer start-up. The easiest solution was simply to make sure the
> printer was turned off before turning the computer on.
>
> Also, if it has a program that auto-extracts the drivers and then
> launches an installation routine, try to find that directory and copy
> it/write protect it, don't do the installation routine, and then use
> the Add/Remove Hardware wizard (install manually, browse to the INF
> file, etc), to install the printer. This worked better with less
> hardware conflicts for my old BJC-4300 (and also for my Ensoniq
> AudioPCI card).
We rebooted the computer & printer a few times different ways. Maybe
download a new driver & manually install, it might have got corrupted or
something.
GEO
wrote:
>>>A friend has an 'antique' Canon BJ200 which prints only a few garbage
>>>characters, then asks for more paper.....
>> There are two self tests:
>> 1-
>> Power on while holding the ON LINE and PRINT MODE buttons. Press
>> power until it beeps.
>> To stop press and hold the ON LINE and PRINT MODE buttons.
>> 2-
>> Power on while holding the ON LINE button until it beeps.
>> To stop press and hold the ON LINE button.
>Thanks, this is the one that printed out the old letter, I think the
>other one spat out the same garbage characters. Is it supposed to print
>out an old letter?
According to the manual the second one should print the font list,
the first one should print 'a repeating pattern of characters'.
There are some DIP switches on the top. Switch number 12 changes
from Epson LQ mode (switch ON), to BJ-10 mode (switch OFF).
>> I don't know if selecting another driver would help -BJ-10e for
>> instance- but it sounds as if there is a problem with the driver or
>> with the communication with the port.
>
>OK we could try another driver but does that even matter when printing
>from a DOS command line?
I am not familiar with the DOS emulations; I am still mainly using
Win 3.1 :) Isn't a DOS command line in Win 2000 just an emulation
run within Windows?
Geo
Paul Furman
> Paul Furman <paul-@-edgehill.net> wrote:
>
>>>>A friend has an 'antique' Canon BJ200 which prints only a few garbage
>>>>characters, then asks for more paper.....
>
>>> There are two self tests:
>>> ...
>>Thanks, this is the one that printed out the old letter, I think the
>>other one spat out the same garbage characters. Is it supposed to print
>>out an old letter?
>
> According to the manual the second one should print the font list,
> the first one should print 'a repeating pattern of characters'.
It's a business letter from some printer tech marketing or review
company... dated mid-1980's.
> There are some DIP switches on the top. Switch number 12 changes
> from Epson LQ mode (switch ON), to BJ-10 mode (switch OFF).
OK we'll try that, thanks.
>>> I don't know if selecting another driver would help -BJ-10e for
>>>instance- but it sounds as if there is a problem with the driver or
>>>with the communication with the port.
>>
>>OK we could try another driver but does that even matter when printing
>
>>from a DOS command line?
>
> I am not familiar with the DOS emulations; I am still mainly using
> Win 3.1 :) Isn't a DOS command line in Win 2000 just an emulation
> run within Windows?
I don't know. The troubleshooting wizard asks if you tried printing from
the command line.
cvt
news:sEHXf.54667$F_3....@newssvr29.news.prodigy.net:
Uhm, should check your parallel cable, try another one.
since your issue is text mode, if you can get hold of a *nix (not a dos
boy), try sending the text manually to the printer..
you know, something like this.
# echo "This is a test" > /dev/lp0 <-- will print that text
# echo "Line 2" > /dev/lp0 <-- This will appear as a second
line (staircased due to no CR)
# echo "^L" > /dev/lp0 <-- this will eject the page
cvt
news:Xns9799B680B1...@216.196.97.131:
> Uhm, should check your parallel cable, try another one.
>
> since your issue is text mode, if you can get hold of a *nix (not a dos
> boy), try sending the text manually to the printer..
> you know, something like this.
> # echo "This is a test" > /dev/lp0 <-- will print that text
> # echo "Line 2" > /dev/lp0 <-- This will appear as a second
> line (staircased due to no CR)
> # echo "^L" > /dev/lp0 <-- this will eject the page
>
Sorry, that was how to print from BASH, I don't know how to do it from
commandline in DOS, but would effectively the same thing.
Paul Furman
> cvt <emmertex@@@@@........gmail.....com> wrote in
>
>>Uhm, should check your parallel cable, try another one.
>>
>>since your issue is text mode, if you can get hold of a *nix (not a dos
>>boy), try sending the text manually to the printer..
>>you know, something like this.
>># echo "This is a test" > /dev/lp0 <-- will print that text
>># echo "Line 2" > /dev/lp0 <-- This will appear as a second
>>line (staircased due to no CR)
>># echo "^L" > /dev/lp0 <-- this will eject the page
>
> Sorry, that was how to print from BASH, I don't know how to do it from
> commandline in DOS, but would effectively the same thing.
What we tried in the DOS window was:
print "hello" > lpt1
-and that made the printer wake up & spit out garbage as before.
In any case, it looks like the problem is a failing hard drive since now
the computer won't boot so I'm guessing the printer is still OK but the
computer has died.
Paul Furman
won't boot so I'm guessing the printer is still OK but the computer has
died.
cvt
@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net:
Failing harddrive wouldn't (well, 95% chance wouldn't) cause that.
The motherboard/PSU/Cable seem much more obvious candidates if the printer
is fine? which is still unkown.
Whenever I seen garbage printed in the past, it was the printer itself,
normally just a cold reboot (of the printer) was all it needed, I remember
flashing a couple to fix it.
I only have the stuff to flash epsons, but there may be some way of finding
the software to flash the firmware on the printer, theres a chance it could
be corrupt and a flash may be all it needs.
Jonathan Lowe
"Paul Furman" <paul-@-edgehill.net> wrote in message
news:X4ZXf.63678$Jd.2...@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...
> It looks like the problem is a failing hard drive since now the computer
> won't boot so I'm guessing the printer is still OK but the computer has
> died.
>
Sounds reasonable, the page of data has to be formatted on the printer
before it is sent to the printer. If the hard drive is on it's last legs
that data could be corrupted before being sent to the port, thus the printer
would print garbage and ask for lots of paper. So don't throw out the
printer yet
--
.
...
Cheers,
Jonathan Lowe
Printers Only