Canon i860 prints graphics but not text

My Canon i860 just started doing something very weird. When I print a page
from MS Word for example, the printer just does a form feed and spits the
paper out blank. It also does this when I try to print a page of text from
the WordPad text editor. I tried to print an Excel spreadsheet, and the
graphic borders printed but no text. The strange part is that it correctly
prints a test page from the Printer Properties box.

I reloaded the driver and it didn't fix the problem. The OS is Windows 2000
and I did recently upgrade to Service Pack 4. Any thoughts would be
appreciated.

"N. Morrow" wrote:
My Canon i860 just started doing something very weird. When I print a page
from MS Word for example, the printer just does a form feed and spits the
paper out blank. It also does this when I try to print a page of text from
the WordPad text editor. I tried to print an Excel spreadsheet, and the
graphic borders printed but no text. The strange part is that it correctly
prints a test page from the Printer Properties box.

I reloaded the driver and it didn't fix the problem. The OS is Windows 2000
and I did recently upgrade to Service Pack 4. Any thoughts would be
appreciated.

Firstly have you downloaded the latest driver from Canon's website?
Secondly I suggest you uninstall the printer, disconnect the data cable to the
printer, open the Printers applet in control panel and select File/Server
Properties and click the Drivers tab. Then remove any and all drivers for the
i860. Now run the installer and plug the data cable into the printer when asked
to. See if that helps.
My concern is that if the test page is good then it may not be a printer
problem but removing the old driver from your system as detailed above is well
worth while.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging

--

"Tony" wrote in message
news
"N. Morrow" wrote:
My Canon i860 just started doing something very weird. When I print a
page
from MS Word for example, the printer just does a form feed and spits the
paper out blank. It also does this when I try to print a page of text
from
the WordPad text editor. I tried to print an Excel spreadsheet, and the
graphic borders printed but no text. The strange part is that it
correctly
prints a test page from the Printer Properties box.

I reloaded the driver and it didn't fix the problem. The OS is Windows
2000
and I did recently upgrade to Service Pack 4. Any thoughts would be
appreciated.

Firstly have you downloaded the latest driver from Canon's website?
Secondly I suggest you uninstall the printer, disconnect the data cable to
the
printer, open the Printers applet in control panel and select File/Server
Properties and click the Drivers tab. Then remove any and all drivers for
the
i860. Now run the installer and plug the data cable into the printer when
asked
to. See if that helps.
My concern is that if the test page is good then it may not be a printer
problem but removing the old driver from your system as detailed above is
well
worth while.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging


Hi,

I have a Canon i865 (a close relative) and only noticed this year (I've had
it for 3-1/2 years!) that it will not print a page if it is entirely in
black and white from MS Word, Notepad, Write or Excel. I get a blank page
only. The same applies for Open Office.

If however, if I make just one character (or more) colour it prints the
entire page correctly in black and the one character (or more) in colour. I
too use Win2000 with SP4.

This doesn't happen with a .PDF file (I use Foxit not Acrobat as a reader,
it opens faster),
pages print ok if only in B&W.

However I don't recall if the printer ever behaved correctly as I rarely use
it for B&W only. I have installed the lastest drivers (i865xp173) and
also installed it onto another computer with the same result. I use a
parallel port connection rather than USB, but have had the same results with
USB.

I just now did an experment, however that also works. I created a Word
document and typed a line in black then copied it and made it colour, then
made that line "hidden". The page printed ok in B&W, with the colour line
not printed, as it should. Actually even a paragraph mark (normally non
printing) if made colour in the document will allow the page to print
correctly.

I have no answer for you as to what is going on, but just wonder if you have
the same problem, but maybe haven't discovered these addition "features",
which may turn out to be a sloppy workaround for you.

I haven't persued this problem as I normally use a laser printer for B&W
printing, and the Canon i865 only for photos. As it's over 3-1/2 years old
it's
heads may die in the not too distant future, so the whole printer will need
replacing and the problem may disappear.

BTW I've been more than happy with Canon inkjet printers and their
softwareover the years and will
no doubt buy another next time. I also only use Canon inks, although an
expensive choice. My useage for occasional colour prints only doesn't
justify after market inks, although ink cost has exceeded the original
purchase price, but not by a factor of two yet!

Regards
Barry

"N. Morrow" wrote:
My Canon i860 just started doing something very weird. When I print a
page
from MS Word for example, the printer just does a form feed and spits the
paper out blank. It also does this when I try to print a page of text
from
the WordPad text editor. I tried to print an Excel spreadsheet, and the
graphic borders printed but no text. The strange part is that it
correctly
prints a test page from the Printer Properties box.

I reloaded the driver and it didn't fix the problem. The OS is Windows
2000
and I did recently upgrade to Service Pack 4. Any thoughts would be
appreciated.


"Tony" wrote:
Firstly have you downloaded the latest driver from Canon's website?
Secondly I suggest you uninstall the printer, disconnect the data cable to
the
printer, open the Printers applet in control panel and select File/Server
Properties and click the Drivers tab. Then remove any and all drivers for
the
i860. Now run the installer and plug the data cable into the printer when
asked
to. See if that helps.
My concern is that if the test page is good then it may not be a printer
problem but removing the old driver from your system as detailed above is
well
worth while.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging


And indeed, 5 minutes after I posted the original message, I got my senses
back. I downloaded the latest driver from Canon, uninstalled the original
driver, and installed the latest. Problem solved. I realized that what
caused the problem was installing Win 2000 Service Pack 4 which clobbered
the Canon driver.

I would recommend the same procedure to 'Baz' who reported a weird problem
with an i865 not printing correctly.
-N.Morrow

--

"N. Morrow" wrote in message
t...

"N. Morrow" wrote:
My Canon i860 just started doing something very weird. When I print a
page
from MS Word for example, the printer just does a form feed and spits
the
paper out blank. It also does this when I try to print a page of text
from
the WordPad text editor. I tried to print an Excel spreadsheet, and the
graphic borders printed but no text. The strange part is that it
correctly
prints a test page from the Printer Properties box.

I reloaded the driver and it didn't fix the problem. The OS is Windows
2000
and I did recently upgrade to Service Pack 4. Any thoughts would be
appreciated.


"Tony" wrote:
Firstly have you downloaded the latest driver from Canon's website?
Secondly I suggest you uninstall the printer, disconnect the data cable
to
the
printer, open the Printers applet in control panel and select
File/Server
Properties and click the Drivers tab. Then remove any and all drivers
for
the
i860. Now run the installer and plug the data cable into the printer
when
asked
to. See if that helps.
My concern is that if the test page is good then it may not be a printer
problem but removing the old driver from your system as detailed above
is
well
worth while.
Tony
MS MVP Printing/Imaging


And indeed, 5 minutes after I posted the original message, I got my senses
back. I downloaded the latest driver from Canon, uninstalled the original
driver, and installed the latest. Problem solved. I realized that what
caused the problem was installing Win 2000 Service Pack 4 which clobbered
the Canon driver.

I would recommend the same procedure to 'Baz' who reported a weird problem
with an i865 not printing correctly.
-N.Morrow




Ok, I had another look at Canon's website and there is another driver
availble after the latest one I downloaded earlier this year when my problem
was first noticed. And guess what, once installed it fixed the problem. I
can now print entirely in B&W :-))

regards
Barry