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Why Isn't My Computer Printing?

By: Conchita Reid No matter how many times you have used your printer without a problem in the world, it is a safe bet that the time when you need it most is the precise moment that the silly machine will start acting up. As you are frantically striking keys and clicking buttons, it just sits over there next to the computer in silent oblivion. But, before you take a baseball bat to the contraption, here are a few ideas to consider that may help you out of your printing jam.

First let's look at your printer driver. No, your driver is not the guy that drives you to a fancy occassion. The printer driver communicates between your software and printer. If this printer driver is missing either due to a power surge or system crash then you need to reinstall it. Or if you have connected a new printer to your computer you need to make sure that the printer driver for the new printer is installed. Otherwise your computer will ignore your new printer.

How often do you use your printer? Perhaps you have run out of printer ink. You can determine whether this is the case if you click on the properties icon for your printer. You must replace your printer ink cartridge with the exact same make and model to ensure that it will print correctly. Take the old cartridge to the office supply store to make sure that you don't buy the wrong ink cartridge. Ask for help from the store staff to make sure you buy the right ink cartridge.

Another printer affliction is jammed paper. Especially if you pulled the paper out of the printer only to have small pieces wedged in the innerworkings of the printer. If this occurs you need to carefully pick through the printer to find all the lose paper pieces. Then hit the paper feed button to get yourself back in business.

Let's say you hit "print" and then realized that you don't have any paper in the printer. You may be tempted to stick more paper in the printer while the print job is initiating. However, this doesn't always work. The safest bet is to hit the reset button or paper feed after you put in the paper. You can also cancel the print job and start over.

A more obvious cause of your printer not be able to print stems from the computer to printer connection. It is vital that these to items are connected or you are sending your print job to thin air. Check the physical connection between your computer and printer.

It is probably safest to first shut down your entire computer before reattaching the connection. On some systems you can get away without taking this extra step.

Before you plug them back together make sure to turn your computer off. Many systems require you to do this. Make the connection and then restart your computer. This is a safe plan of attack for many computer software and hardware situations.

Dealing with the moodiness of your printer can be avoided if you go through the possible causes listed above. Of course printing problems occur at the worst moment possible, but you can make life better by remaining cool and collected. Try this solutions and if they don't work then maybe your printer is ready for the printing graveyard.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

About the author: Conchita Reid is the chief writer at Reid Printing, visit there today for the latest Printing advice, and why not sign up for the free Printing newsletter. For more quality articles on Printing why not visit: www.reidprinting.com/articles
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