That's a line from Stan Freberg's classic sendup of Lawrens a-Welg-uh, when
the bubble machine starts overflowing. I just had a similar experience with my
belovéd HP Laserjet 4M.

This (and related 4- and 5-series models) are classic printers. Built like
tanks by Canon, they're still in wide use because they just keep going and
going and going, the Energizer bunnies of printers. The only problem I've had
with mine is a burned-out fuser lamp, which you would expect from a lamp.

Yesterday, the 4M started acting naughty. It first began printing the source
file (rather than creating a document). Then it switched to simply
"swallowing" the input, without doing anything at all. I checked everything,
at both the Windows end and the printer's menus. Nothing. The printer tested
okay in every respect (it would even print its test pages correctly) -- but it
didn't print.

Following Sherlock's dictum, the only logical thing left was a problem with
the printer's firmware, a problem that the printer's self-test system couldn't
locate.

Being poor, I don't have the heat on. It's been quite cold in my condo for
several weeks, and the thought crossed my mind that maybe the printer didn't
like cold weather. Perhaps the memory chips (which include the firmware) had
gotten a bit loose.

I pulled the chips and reseated them. Bingo! Now it works. Of course, it could
be a coincidence...

This falls in the category of "beat it with a stick until it submits". It's
annoying not knowing /why/ something was defective, and /why/ kicking it fixed
the problem -- but at least I didn't have to pay for repairs. And I suspect
the service shop would have had more trouble finding the problem than I did.


"We already know the answers -- we just haven't asked the right questions."
-- Edwin Land

..

This falls in the category of "beat it with a stick until it submits".
It's annoying not knowing /why/ something was defective, and /why/
kicking it fixed the problem -- but at least I didn't have to pay for
repairs.


And I suspect the service shop would have had more trouble
finding the problem than I did.

No, they would have set it on the bench, printed several pages
and said "no problem found, unit prints properly"
Then they would ask you, "did you have the power on?" :-)

Mikek

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 06:59:27 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:

Yesterday, the 4M started acting naughty. It first began printing the source
file (rather than creating a document).

Data loss. Check your connecting cable.

Then it switched to simply
"swallowing" the input, without doing anything at all.

Data loss. Loose Centronics parallel connector is the most common
culprit. I double that you're using a serial or ADB connection. The
JetDirect cards are a different horror story, but since you didn't
mention it, I'll assume that you don't have one installed. That
leaves a parallel cable.

Following Sherlock's dictum, the only logical thing left was a problem with
the printer's firmware, a problem that the printer's self-test system couldn't
locate.

My version is "That which is most obviously correct, beyond any need
of checking, is usually the problem". Check the cable.

Being poor, I don't have the heat on. It's been quite cold in my condo for
several weeks, and the thought crossed my mind that maybe the printer didn't
like cold weather. Perhaps the memory chips (which include the firmware) had
gotten a bit loose.

Cold is usually not a problem. However, going from cold to warm will
cause moisture to condense on everything inside the printer. This is
very bad for the toner and optics. Some bigger HP LJ printers and all
Brother laser printers have moisture sensors.

I pulled the chips and reseated them. Bingo! Now it works. Of course, it could
be a coincidence...

My guess(tm) is you wiggled the parallel cable, or flexed the
formatter board. The only items in sockets on the formatter are the
RAM chips. Those will usually produce an error message on power on.
It might also be a crappy soldering job on the larger chips, but those
will also produce an error message. That leaves the parallel
connector, which will NOT produce an error message.

And I suspect
the service shop would have had more trouble finding the problem than I did.

It would have been working when you arrived at the repair shop. It
happens all the time.

I'm about to recycle all my HP LJ III and 4 parts because nobody has
wanted one repaired in about 3 years. Want a box of HP 4 maintenance
parts and pieces? You pay shipping.

"We already know the answers -- we just haven't asked the right questions."
-- Edwin Land

Notice that he didn't say that we know the RIGHT answers. Knowing the
wrong answers does not help much.

Also, notice that he knows the right answers, as in plural. More than
one answer is what lawyers, doctors, and consultants do by habit. Give
the client more than one answer, and force them to make the final
decision. If they decide wrong, then it's the client's fault.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:57:25 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

Data loss. Loose Centronics parallel connector is the most common
culprit. I double that you're using a serial or ADB connection.

Sigh. Spelling chequer on full auto.
That should be "I doubt that..."

Also, photo of LJ 5M formatter.
http://www.printerworks.com/Catalogs/EX-Catalog/950EX_C391967901_Closeup.html

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 06:59:27 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:

Yesterday, the 4M started acting naughty. It first began printing
the source file (rather than creating a document).

Data loss. Check your connecting cable.

No offense, Jeff, but I've been servicing electronic equipment for 55+ years.
You're assuming I don't know the basics.

The cable is a USB cable. Windows 7 has USB support for printers. When I
bought this computer over a years ago, I bought a neat little adapter that
supports this protocol for parallel ports. It's been working nicely for over a
year.

I did, indeed, wonder whether the connection was bad. I checked at the
computer and printer. Everything was tight. I use a short USB cable to extend
the adapter's cable, which otherwise wouldn't be long enough. While monitoring
the printer under Devices & Printers, I brought the connection at this point,
and got an immediate "Printer Offline" response. This confirmed that the
computer and printer were communicating, on at least the control level.

"Just to prove a point..." I just turned on the printer and printed a page. It
worked. This strongly suggests -- but does not prove -- that the problem is
"fixed".


And I suspect the service shop would have had more trouble
finding the problem than I did.

It would have been working when you arrived at the repair shop.
It happens all the time.

"Claro", as the guy in the crazy-generous ad says.


I'm about to recycle all my HP LJ III and 4 parts because nobody
has wanted one repaired in about 3 years. Want a box of HP 4
maintenance parts and pieces? You pay shipping.

Please contact me directly, and let me know (in general -- you needn't go into
detail) what you have. I wouldn't mind a spare fuser assembly.


"We already know the answers -- we just haven't asked the right questions."
-- Edwin Land

Notice that he didn't say that we know the RIGHT answers.
Knowing the wrong answers does not help much.

You are quite missing the point. What Dr Land said is one of the most-profound
statements about the scientific process ever made.

We can come up with all sorts of answers -- but without the right questions,
we have no way of separating the right from the wrong, the useful from the
useless, etc. This is why the lunatic fringe of audiophilia gets into so much
trouble -- the assumption that it has the right answers, when it is actually
speculating.

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...

Data loss. Loose Centronics parallel connector is the most common
culprit. I double that you're using a serial or ADB connection.

Sigh. Spelling chequer on full auto.

I have the same problem. I often type in the wrong-but-similar word.

I did, indeed, wonder whether the connection was bad. I checked at the
computer and printer. Everything was tight. I use a short USB cable to extend
the adapter's cable, which otherwise wouldn't be long enough. While monitoring
the printer under Devices & Printers, I brought the connection at this point,
and got an immediate "Printer Offline" response. This confirmed that the
computer and printer were communicating, on at least the control level.

That should be "BROKE the connection at this point". Ouch.

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 13:10:11 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
.. .
On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 06:59:27 -0800, "William Sommerwerck"
wrote:

Yesterday, the 4M started acting naughty. It first began printing
the source file (rather than creating a document).

Data loss. Check your connecting cable.

No offense, Jeff, but I've been servicing electronic equipment for 55+ years.
You're assuming I don't know the basics.

No offense intended. I try to explain my logic in a manner that
anyone can understand and try not to engage in a personal discussion
where the reader might not be fully informed as to what's happening.
I also have the problem of writing to different target audiences. If
I apply the technobabble thickly and aim for the experienced reader, I
lose the beginners and those with limited experience. If I aim for a
general audience, as I did here, I insult readers with more
substantial experince. Can't win.

The cable is a USB cable. Windows 7 has USB support for printers. When I
bought this computer over a years ago, I bought a neat little adapter that
supports this protocol for parallel ports. It's been working nicely for over a
year.

I've used USB to parallel adapters with good success. In this case,
the alleged data loss would be at the parallel cable connector. Many
users allow the wire "ears" that secure the parallel connector to
remain loose, causing the connector to wiggle loose. As I mumbled,
I've seen it before.

In my never humble opinion, if the printer does a sucessful self test,
the computah is apparently functional, and the fault acts like there's
data loss (blank pages, printing PCL source instead of formatted PCL,
etc), then there's something wrong between the computah and the
printah.

I did, indeed, wonder whether the connection was bad. I checked at the
computer and printer. Everything was tight. I use a short USB cable to extend
the adapter's cable, which otherwise wouldn't be long enough. While monitoring
the printer under Devices & Printers, I brought the connection at this point,
and got an immediate "Printer Offline" response. This confirmed that the
computer and printer were communicating, on at least the control level.

Ok, but did you run a test print after moving the USB to parallel
adapter and extension cable? To the best of my knowledge, the only
thing that will NOT produce a front panel error code is a badly
connected parallel interface.

"Just to prove a point..." I just turned on the printer and printed a page. It
worked. This strongly suggests -- but does not prove -- that the problem is
"fixed".

Yep. It's easy to prove that something doesn't work. All it takes is
one failure. Proving that something is working is more complex. You
have to test literally everything. What few returns I get is usually
the result of not testing everything.

And I suspect the service shop would have had more trouble
finding the problem than I did.

It would have been working when you arrived at the repair shop.
It happens all the time.

"Claro", as the guy in the crazy-generous ad says.

Huh? I haven't seen a TV advertisement since I switched to watching
Netflix. What's a Claro?

I'm about to recycle all my HP LJ III and 4 parts because nobody
has wanted one repaired in about 3 years. Want a box of HP 4
maintenance parts and pieces? You pay shipping.

Please contact me directly, and let me know (in general -- you needn't go into
detail) what you have. I wouldn't mind a spare fuser assembly.

I probably have a good used fuser. I probably also have some ethernet
print server cards. I'll seperate out the LJ 4/5m stuff and send you
a list.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"Jeff Liebermann" wrote in message
...

In my never humble opinion, if the printer does a sucessful self test,
the computah is apparently functional, and the fault acts like there's
data loss (blank pages, printing PCL source instead of formatted PCL,
etc), then there's something wrong between the computah and the
printah.

Which was exactly the point of confusion. It's like Dr McCoy in "The Man
Trap" -- "There's nothing wrong with him -- he ought to get up off the
table -- but he's dead."

Remember that not only did yanking the cable produce an immediate "off line",
but the printer simply swallowed the input (which was shown by the Ready and
Form Feed lights blinking), then did nothing. These prove, beyond any
reasonable doubt, that the cable was working fine.

This left the printer, and more specifically, the firmware (on the assumption
that the printer has error messages for just about anything hardware-related
that could go wrong). The obvious problem -- that the SIMMs weren't properly
seated -- appears to have been correct. But the question of how you could lose
access to part of the firmware memory, without crashing the printer, suggests
that the fix was coincidental.


It would have been working when you arrived at the repair shop.
It happens all the time.

"Claro", as the guy in the crazy-generous ad says.

Huh? I haven't seen a TV advertisement since I switched to watching
Netflix. What's a Claro?

It's part of an ad for Vonage flat-rate overseas calling. It's easier to show
than to describe.

http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7t7j/vonage-g...-at-the-market

"Claro" means "clear". In Spanish, "claro que si" means "of course".


I probably have a good used fuser. I probably also have some
Ethernet print server cards. I'll seperate out the LJ 4/5m stuff
and send you a list.

Thanks.