College Axia Material
Appendix D
Troubleshooting Computer Hardware
In this worksheet, you must identify solutions to four separate computer printer problems. For
each solution, you must prepare an answer of at least 150 -words within the Answer boxes.
Part One: Wireless Printing
Problem
The computer will not connect to the printer wirelessly.
Details
Julie has just purchased a Canon Pixma iP6220D inkjet printer for her house. She connected it
to her laptop computer using her USB cable and it works fine; however, Julie regularly uses her
laptop in different locations throughout the house, so using a USB cable for printing is not an
option. She tried sending a document to the printer wirelessly, but it did not work.
Questions
1) What type of wireless technology does the printer use? What optional part(s) do you need for
the printer to make it work wirelessly?
2) Julies notebook does not support Bluetooth. Suggest a device that she can purchase that will
use a USB port and allow her to connect to her printer wirelessly.
Hint: Use the Web to find answers and solutions to these questions.
Answer
IT286
After a brief review of both the Manufactures website as well as reading reviews on Cnet
this printer appears to have no networking capabilities, other than the traditional USB
cable connection. The easiest way to get the printer up and running would be through the
use of a wireless print server. Pretty much every major modem or router company makes
one. For Julie I would recommend the Linksys Wireless-G Print Server With
Multifunction Printer Support WPSM54G Print server. This would be a quick and
economical way to fix the problem if Julie already has a wireless network in place. Since
she has the freedom to roam her house and use her laptop in different places I would
assume that she has the proper modem/router setup that would be typical with DSL or
Cable internet users at the home level. The device can be obtained online for under sixty
dollars which makes this cheaper and less of a hassle than replacing the existing printer
with one that has the proper wireless technology built in.
Part Two: Cleaning an HP LaserJet Printer
Problem
Printouts from a Hewlett-Packard (HP) LaserJet printer are faded and show smeared toner.
Details
Users are complaining that the office HP LaserJet V printer is showing signs of wear. Printouts
are faded and sometimes show specks, lines, and smeared toner. You replace the toner
cartridge, but the problem still persists.
Question
What do you think is causing the toner to appear smeared and faded on the printouts? How would
you solve this problem?
IT286
Answer
The most likely culprit in this case would be the fuser module. It is common for
people or businesses that do a large amount of printing to have to change the fuser in their
laser jet printers on the average of every six to eight months. I used to run a corporate
owned RadioShack, and we printed all of our tags on a similar printer to the one in the
scenario. Since this printer was used daily to print sales signs, tags, and handouts as well
as business documents it seemed to need replacement of the fuser often for the same
problem. Another thing that I would check is the CG stoppers, or also referred to as print
cartridge stoppers. According to hp.com, if these stoppers are missing, broken, or worn
out it could cause smudges on the pages being printed. This is something that could be
easily overlooked in a support scenario.
Part Three: Printer Maintenance Kit
Problem
LaserJet printouts are faded and show smeared toner.
Symptom
You finished cleaning your HP LaserJet V printer, but the toner is appearing smudged and faded
on your printouts. You decide to address the problem by using a LaserJet Maintenance Kit.
Questions
1) At what page count does HP suggest you install a maintenance kit?
2) What is the part number of the maintenance kit you would need, and how much does it cost?
3) List the parts of the maintenance kit and the steps required to install to them.
Answers
IT286
According hp.com it is recommended to perform the service kit every 200,000 sheets
of use on the printer. This is when the manufacturer has stated that the printer should have
received a sufficient amount of wear and tear to warrant the use of the maintenance kit.
After a quick search on Google I found the maintenance kit rather easily. The direct part
number for an OEM replacement from HP.com is C4118-67909. After further searching
the HP store on their site I could not find this part # to be available; however another quick
Google search and I was fixed up and had found the part at the lowest price of $204 which
includes the shipping. The website Google shopping retrieved was Calhoun Technologies.
A list of the parts included from the website shows that this maintenance kit contains the
following replacement items:
Fuser assembly
Transfer roller
Feed rollers
Necessary instructions
The installation of the maintenance kit is fairly simple. It is just swapping out the old
Parts for the new ones. Just open the top cover of the printer and remove the toner and
image drum assemblies. Then replace the rollers and the fuser. I would also recommend
a thorough cleaning since the unit is open. All of the parts listed will most likely come
with recycle bags for storage. This is a good thing to keep for the next time the printer
requires maintenance kit installation since There is actually some trade in value for the
old parts at certain online retailers.
IT286
Part Four: Clearing Paper Jams
Problem
The printer stops printing, and paper fails to leave the printer.
Details
You hear a crumpling noise coming from inside your HP LaserJet V printer. On the LaserJet
message panel, an error message reads Paper Jam.
Question
Search the HP Web site for instructions on clearing a paper jam. List the necessary steps in the
Answer box. Include a brief description of all the components with which you must interact during
the clearing process.
Answer
IT286
The first logical step would be the removal of any un jammed paper. There are
multiple trays in the printer, so removing these is the first step. In most cases the next
step would be to open the top cover of the printer. This is usually where the paper
jam will reveal itself. If there is no evidence of a jam upon first removing the cover
the problem could lie deeper within the inner workings of the printer. If there is a jam
visibly present, then simply give the exposed paper a gentle tug to release it from the
rollers. If the problem still is present after trying to gently remove the paper, then it is
time to unplug the printer and pull more agressivly. Without power the rollers should
release and allow the paper to be removed. Be careful not to pull too hard as this
could cause damage to other areas of the printer. After removing the jam it is a good
Idea to clean the rollers and inspect the paper path for any remaining debris. It is also
wise to reseat the print heads while the unit is opened.
References
Scenario 1:
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?
hl=en&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&q=wireless+print+server&cp=15&qe=d2lyZWxlc3MgcH
JpbnQg&qesig=XLugkSW3Drir2jyNUEbLTg&pkc=AFgZ2tkmcuq-
IT286
cGYaPOjTbXSIaflKBlyre0OGn0Lutq_J1K9wIEOL7vosvQ5L7f4kbjI9DYZhhhD7upVN
gkMTOxQ9lC7dsvwug&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1190&bih=636&wrapid=tljp1307249892
619020&um=1&ie=UTF8&tbm=shop&cid=690043856788226701&sa=X&ei=7gzrTdf_GYPpgQf2yeXhCQ&sqi
=2&ved=0CGUQ8wIwAA#
Scenario 2:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=bpl11858
Scenario 3:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?
lang=en&cc=us&objectID=bpl07003&prodTypeId=18972&prodSeriesId=25475
http://www.calhountech.com/products/HP/NEW/C4118-67909-N.html
Scenario 4:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?
docname=c02209786&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN
IT286