You have noticed that your printer has been displaying the words 'Error 11' or 'Error 12' for a few hours now. What does that mean? How do you get the error messages to go away? Don't panic. These are just printer error codes to let you know that your printer needs some attention, even if the problem isn't major. Here are some common error codes that you may see fairly often, as well as what to do about them.
Error 11. This just means that the printer is out of paper. No problem-just grab some of the paper that is designed for your printer model and refill the paper draw. Make sure that the paper is aligned correctly according to the diagram or example in the paper draw and close the tray securely. Your printer should be running fine after that.
Error 12. This error is an indication that there is no cartridge in the printer, or that the printer is open. Check to make sure all paper trays and parts of the printer are closed before you start printing. Also check to make sure that your cartridge is secure and does not need replacing before trying to complete a big printing job.
Error 13. The Error 13 message on your printer screen is probably one of the most common printer error codes. It means that there is a paper jam. Most service printer repair manuals will give you instructions on how to get rid of the paper jams, so be sure to follow the directions on the printer screen or paper tray for the best way to remove crumbled paper from the rollers and get your printer up and running again.
Error 16. This is an indication that the toner on the printer is low. Error 16 is another one of the common printer error codes and the error can be fixed by simply ordering more toner and placing it in the printer. There are instructions for this in the introductory manual for the printer as well.
Error 21. You may think that you need a printer repair specialist after seeing this error, but Error 21, or print overrun, lets you know that the job you are requesting is too complex. You can change these printer error codes by replacing the font on some of the documents you are trying to print, or by adjusting some of the margins on your page so that the document will fit inside of the measurements of the printing page.
Error 55. This is perhaps one of the more complicated printer error codes when it comes to printer repair, but Error 55 will let you know that the internal communication between the printer and computer did not fully process for some reason. The DC controller on the printer is not receiving the proper information and you should check the DC controller connections in order to fix this. Your printer may not be receiving enough power from the power supply, so changing the power supply may help with this problem.
Error code: 004-332
This type of error code implies that you need to restart the printer again. However, do check to see if toner cartridges are seated in the proper position. Also ensure that they have been locked in. This is an error commonly associated with the Dell 3100cn laser printer.
Error code: 016-370
This is yet another error message asking you to restart the printer. You need to switch off the printer and then connect it via the USB cable. Press the hold and cancel buttons simultaneously. Then power on the printer again. On your LCD display you should typically see a message saying ?ready for download mode?. You will then need to initialize the firmware update process.
Error code: 009-360
Sometimes the Dell laser printer only recognizes the yellow toner as ?missing?. Hence you need to replace the Dell toner with a new one. It can happen when the toner is a remanufactured one with a different chip.
Error type: Not printing black text
This type of error happens because of a problem with the power supply. You need to check if the I/O cable is connected properly or not and that all connections are in place.
Error type: Printing text in red
At certain times you might be able to print perfectly well the first two times and then you see the text being covered in red color. This can happen if the unit is still not properly clean. You could try cleaning the tube.
Error message: Insert yellow toner
Sometimes in spite of replacing the yellow toner in your Dell 5100 cn laser printer you might still get this error message. Try to change the black cartridge. You could also check to see if the toner cartridges are locked appropriately.
Error message: Print head error
This type of error message typically happens when the printer head is not clean enough. You could try installing software that is used to clean the head of the printer. You could try clicking on ?start? then go to ?settings? and then ?printers?. Select your printer and right click on it and go to ?properties?. Check to see if there is any such software installed.
Error code: 1200
This error code is commonly associated with the Dell 922 printer. Usually you might see the cartridge moving front and back and slamming itself against the printer. You need to tighten the strings located on the back of the printer and then it should work fine.
Error message: Parallel port maybe used by another application
This is an error message commonly found when you are trying to make a second scanning operation. Try downloading the printer driver according to your specific operating system. You could also try setting a different parallel port in the BIOS.
Both Corbin Newlyn & James Kara Murat are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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