Printer problem

[Antares 531]

I have a home network set up using MS Windows XP and 9 on the
networked computers. These computers are set up to print with a
Hewlett Packard Office Jet 7000 Wide Format printer. This printer has
worked very well until recently. The colors aren't right. It will
print red and shades of red okay but the yellow and green cartridges
don't seem to be working. I thought the printer cartridges had failed
or were empty, so I bought a whole set of new color cartridges and
installed them. These are new, not refilled. The printer still has the
same color problems. What else could be causing this. Is it likely
that the print heads for the yellow and green cartridges have become
clogged? If so, how can I clear this up and get them going again?

My router recently failed and I had to replace it with a new Netgear
router. Shortly after setting up this new router I first noticed the
printer problem. Is there any chance that the router is somehow
causing this?

Thanks for any insights. Gordon

 

[Char Jackson]

I have a home network set up using MS Windows XP and 9 on the
networked computers. These computers are set up to print with a
Hewlett Packard Office Jet 7000 Wide Format printer. This printer has
worked very well until recently. The colors aren't right. It will
print red and shades of red okay but the yellow and green cartridges
don't seem to be working. I thought the printer cartridges had failed
or were empty, so I bought a whole set of new color cartridges and
installed them. These are new, not refilled. The printer still has the
same color problems. What else could be causing this. Is it likely
that the print heads for the yellow and green cartridges have become
clogged? If so, how can I clear this up and get them going again?

My Epson inkjet printers for the last 15 years have come with
utilities to test the individual print heads and clean them, if
necessary. Does your printer not have something similar?

This is not a Windows 7 issue, by the way. It's a printer issue.

My router recently failed and I had to replace it with a new Netgear
router. Shortly after setting up this new router I first noticed the
printer problem. Is there any chance that the router is somehow
causing this?

No, the router is not involved with your printer issue.

 

[Jan Alter]

My Epson inkjet printers for the last 15 years have come with
utilities to test the individual print heads and clean them, if
necessary. Does your printer not have something similar?

This is not a Windows 7 issue, by the way. It's a printer issue.


No, the router is not involved with your printer issue.

Your HP should have a utility that allows you to have the printer self-clean
its heads. Search in the printer software to find it and run it.

 

[Antares 531]

My Epson inkjet printers for the last 15 years have come with
utilities to test the individual print heads and clean them, if
necessary. Does your printer not have something similar?

This is not a Windows 7 issue, by the way. It's a printer issue.


No, the router is not involved with your printer issue.

Char, thanks for your response. I can't find a newsgroup that is
oriented toward printer problems, and was just hoping that someone
that reads this newsgroup might have been through the same or a
similar set of problems with a HP printer, and could give me some
steering signals.

I've looked through all the files on my computer, and on the HP
installation CD, but found nothing similar to the utilities to test
the individual print heads and clean them. Is there by any chance, a
universal application that I could download somewhere that would do
this?

It really seems strange to me that two of the three color ink
cartridge setups would fail at the same time. The red one is the only
one still working. The black one is doing well, but it doesn't
contribute more than a minimal amount of shading to any color print
work. Gordon

 

[Antares 531]

Your HP should have a utility that allows you to have the printer self-clean
its heads. Search in the printer software to find it and run it.

Char suggested this, also, but I have not been able to find any such
utility. I looked through all the files on my programs folder of my
hard drive but found nothing that I recognized as being associated
with the HP printer, other than the normal installation files.

I put the HP install CD into the drive and did the same kind of search
but found nothing that resembled a print head cleaning utility.

I guess I should go back to Best Buy, where I bought this printer, and
ask their Geek Squad if they have any solutions to this. Gordon

 

[Bob I]

Char, thanks for your response. I can't find a newsgroup that is
oriented toward printer problems, and was just hoping that someone
that reads this newsgroup might have been through the same or a
similar set of problems with a HP printer, and could give me some
steering signals.

I've looked through all the files on my computer, and on the HP
installation CD, but found nothing similar to the utilities to test
the individual print heads and clean them. Is there by any chance, a
universal application that I could download somewhere that would do
this?

It really seems strange to me that two of the three color ink
cartridge setups would fail at the same time. The red one is the only
one still working. The black one is doing well, but it doesn't
contribute more than a minimal amount of shading to any color print
work. Gordon

The HP "cleaning and prime" buttons are found by opening "devices and
printers", right clicking on the printer icon, selecting "Printer
properties" and then clicking on the "utilities" tab.

 

[GreyCloud]

I have a home network set up using MS Windows XP and 9 on the
networked computers. These computers are set up to print with a
Hewlett Packard Office Jet 7000 Wide Format printer. This printer has
worked very well until recently. The colors aren't right. It will
print red and shades of red okay but the yellow and green cartridges
don't seem to be working. I thought the printer cartridges had failed
or were empty, so I bought a whole set of new color cartridges and
installed them. These are new, not refilled. The printer still has the
same color problems. What else could be causing this. Is it likely
that the print heads for the yellow and green cartridges have become
clogged? If so, how can I clear this up and get them going again?

Yes, they are clogged, especially if you haven't used the printer for a
month or so and then tried to continue again.

My router recently failed and I had to replace it with a new Netgear
router. Shortly after setting up this new router I first noticed the
printer problem. Is there any chance that the router is somehow
causing this?

Thanks for any insights. Gordon

On the HP Office jet series, go here to view videos of how to maintain
the printer:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...us&lang=en&product=3883002&key=null&site=null

 

[Antares 531]

Yes, they are clogged, especially if you haven't used the printer for a
month or so and then tried to continue again.


On the HP Office jet series, go here to view videos of how to maintain
the printer:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...us&lang=en&product=3883002&key=null&site=null

Thanks, GreyCloud. I studied this site and it seems I made a serious
mistake when I took the old cartridges out, then went to the local
Best Buy store to buy replacement cartridges. The above web site
instructs one to NEVER leave the cartridges out of the printhead more
than 30 minutes or the printhead will become clogged...and
irreparable.

So, it looks like I am stuck with having to buy a new printhead. This
comes with cartridges already installed, so I guess my recently bought
cartridges are headed for the land fill.

I've never encountered this sort of time sensitivity before. I guess
the ink that is in the printhead will dry if the cartridges are
removed for more than half an hour or so, and once this ink dries it
can not be cleaned away or otherwise dissolved so the printhead can
work right.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to toss the whole HP printer in
the trash and buy one that isn't so hard to cope with. Any
suggestions?

Gordon

 

[Jan Alter]

Thanks, GreyCloud. I studied this site and it seems I made a serious
mistake when I took the old cartridges out, then went to the local
Best Buy store to buy replacement cartridges. The above web site
instructs one to NEVER leave the cartridges out of the printhead more
than 30 minutes or the printhead will become clogged...and
irreparable.

So, it looks like I am stuck with having to buy a new printhead. This
comes with cartridges already installed, so I guess my recently bought
cartridges are headed for the land fill.

I've never encountered this sort of time sensitivity before. I guess
the ink that is in the printhead will dry if the cartridges are
removed for more than half an hour or so, and once this ink dries it
can not be cleaned away or otherwise dissolved so the printhead can
work right.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to toss the whole HP printer in
the trash and buy one that isn't so hard to cope with. Any
suggestions?

Gordon

If you used an Epson or Canon you would be looking at the same commandment;
thou shalt not remove a cartridge unless another one is immediately
available to replace the removed one or you will encourage an irrevocable
head clog.
Looking up that printhead from HP gives a price of $29.44 before shipping.
Your printer 'new' sells for about $176 from Amazon. If the printer isn't
too old it sounds like it's worth keeping even if you couldn't use the ink
cartridges you now have and had to buy new. Chalk it up to education and
don't kick yourself too hard.
The only thing that would shy me away from an inkjet was if I didn't print
photos and only needed black and white. Then I'd go with a laser. Be
considerate that inkjets need to be used regularly to avoid head clogs.

 

[Antares 531]

If you used an Epson or Canon you would be looking at the same commandment;
thou shalt not remove a cartridge unless another one is immediately
available to replace the removed one or you will encourage an irrevocable
head clog.
Looking up that printhead from HP gives a price of $29.44 before shipping.
Your printer 'new' sells for about $176 from Amazon. If the printer isn't
too old it sounds like it's worth keeping even if you couldn't use the ink
cartridges you now have and had to buy new. Chalk it up to education and
don't kick yourself too hard.
The only thing that would shy me away from an inkjet was if I didn't print
photos and only needed black and white. Then I'd go with a laser. Be
considerate that inkjets need to be used regularly to avoid head clogs.

Thanks, Jan. I think my problem is that I don't use this HP 7000
wideform printer very often. I have a Lexmark Z-715 that prints only
standard typing paper sizes, but not the tabloid size. I use the HP
7000 to print things on the tabloid size paper...about once a week or
so.

How do they store these printers in a warehouse or on the shelf at
places like Best Buy if they have to be used regularly and frequently?
Would it be rational for me to remove the yellow ink cartridge and put
some alcohol in the round opening on the printhead where the printer
cartridge fits. I'm thinking that some liquid alcohol would dissolve
the clogged ink.

The red and green ink cartridges seem to be printing normally, now.
That is, I can prepare a Word document, using each color of the
rainbow for different words and they all print as expected except
those with colors that involve mixtures of yellow with some other
color, or yellow by itself. Gordon

 

[Rodney Pont]

Looking up that printhead from HP gives a price of $29.44 before shipping.
Your printer 'new' sells for about $176 from Amazon. If the printer isn't
too old it sounds like it's worth keeping even if you couldn't use the ink
cartridges you now have and had to buy new. Chalk it up to education and
don't kick yourself too hard.

Presumably the new cartridges supplied with the head won't be installed
so couldn't the OP just install the cartridges he has just bought and
save the new ones until needed?

 

[Antares 531]

Presumably the new cartridges supplied with the head won't be installed
so couldn't the OP just install the cartridges he has just bought and
save the new ones until needed?

Good point, Rodney! I thought a new printhead came with the ink
cartridges already installed, but if not your suggestion should work.

Or, maybe my recently purchased yellow cartridge is flawed and would
plug up the new printhead. Maybe I should just get along with this
printer the way it is until the new cartridges are used up, then toss
the old printhead and cartridges in the trash and replace the whole
assembly with new items.

I just removed the existing printhead and swabbed the ink areas with
alcohol saturated chem-wipes, then put it all back together...same old
same old. The yellow cartridge just can't print. Its a new cartridge.
I wonder if somehow it was flawed.

By and large, the print quality is very good...nice and crisp with no
blurring or skips, unless something requires yellow pigment.

Gordon

 

[Jan Alter]

Thanks, Jan. I think my problem is that I don't use this HP 7000
wideform printer very often. I have a Lexmark Z-715 that prints only
standard typing paper sizes, but not the tabloid size. I use the HP
7000 to print things on the tabloid size paper...about once a week or
so.

How do they store these printers in a warehouse or on the shelf at
places like Best Buy if they have to be used regularly and frequently?
Would it be rational for me to remove the yellow ink cartridge and put
some alcohol in the round opening on the printhead where the printer
cartridge fits. I'm thinking that some liquid alcohol would dissolve
the clogged ink.

The red and green ink cartridges seem to be printing normally, now.
That is, I can prepare a Word document, using each color of the
rainbow for different words and they all print as expected except
those with colors that involve mixtures of yellow with some other
color, or yellow by itself. Gordon

Well you have the right idea about unclogging the printhead. What would be
preferable is if you actually had a cleaning cartridge filled with a
combination of 90% alcohol/10% ammonia. And then if you ran some cleaning
cycles that would start to get the cleaner into the printhead to loosen up
the dried ink. But without a cleaning cartridge you might even try dribbling
in 5 - 6 drops of alcohol into the head and then reinstalling the
yellowcartridge to keep air from drying things out. Let it sit for 4 or more
hours and try doing a few cleaning cycles again. I'm asuming you've found
the software utility for cleaning at this point. As a previous poster
mentioned in Control Panel, find Printers and on the icon of your HP right
click and then click on Properties. The utility should be there at that
point.
I took a quick google searching for cleaning cartridges for your printer
but didn't find anything. You could try drawing some ink out of the yellow
cartridge and reinject it with alcohol or the alcohol/ammonia mixture and
then reinsert the cartridge into the printer head and let it sit for awhile.
But do avoid trying to pressure insert anything into the printhead itself.
Those heads are delicate and will rupture easily.
As far as the storage of the printers goes in the warehouse, that is not
a problem at all. After all the cartridges have not been installed in the
virgin printheads yet and so could last for years without any concern to
clogging. Usually the ink in the cartriges will expire for use within two
years though and should not be used since it oxidizes and thickens and that
would cause head clogs. That's why there are dates on the ink cartrdiges to
use the cartridge by a certain date or get rid of it. --
Jan Alter
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Antares 531]

Well you have the right idea about unclogging the printhead. What would be
preferable is if you actually had a cleaning cartridge filled with a
combination of 90% alcohol/10% ammonia. And then if you ran some cleaning
cycles that would start to get the cleaner into the printhead to loosen up
the dried ink. But without a cleaning cartridge you might even try dribbling
in 5 - 6 drops of alcohol into the head and then reinstalling the
yellowcartridge to keep air from drying things out. Let it sit for 4 or more
hours and try doing a few cleaning cycles again. I'm asuming you've found
the software utility for cleaning at this point. As a previous poster
mentioned in Control Panel, find Printers and on the icon of your HP right
click and then click on Properties. The utility should be there at that
point.

I tried to locate the software utility you mention, but didn't find it
in the Control Panel > Printers > HP Icon. I guess there is no
cleaning utility for the printer I have installed.

I took a quick google searching for cleaning cartridges for your printer
but didn't find anything. You could try drawing some ink out of the yellow
cartridge and reinject it with alcohol or the alcohol/ammonia mixture and
then reinsert the cartridge into the printer head and let it sit for awhile.
But do avoid trying to pressure insert anything into the printhead itself.
Those heads are delicate and will rupture easily.

I was afraid any such cleaning strategy might do more harm than good,
so I'll pass on that, for the time being. I do intend to try the eye
dropper application of some liquid alcohol into the yellow ink
cartridge, then re-installing it. I guess if it doesn't work I've
nothing to lose. But, I'm going to wait over night to see if the
alcohol scrub down I gave the print head this afternoon gives any
positive results.

Like I said, if none of these strategies work I'll just go ahead and
use up most of the ink in these new cartridges, then toss the old
printhead and used cartridges in the trash and replace the whole
assembly with new items.

The only thing that bothers me with this is that I suppose it is
possible that this yellow printing problem could be caused by some
deeper lying problem in the printer and the signal just doesn't get
through to the printhead assembly.

This printer problem is the same when printing from any of my
computers, via the network, so it doesn't seem to be a driver or
computer based problem.

 

[GreyCloud]

Thanks, GreyCloud. I studied this site and it seems I made a serious
mistake when I took the old cartridges out, then went to the local
Best Buy store to buy replacement cartridges. The above web site
instructs one to NEVER leave the cartridges out of the printhead more
than 30 minutes or the printhead will become clogged...and
irreparable.

So, it looks like I am stuck with having to buy a new printhead. This
comes with cartridges already installed, so I guess my recently bought
cartridges are headed for the land fill.

I've never encountered this sort of time sensitivity before. I guess
the ink that is in the printhead will dry if the cartridges are
removed for more than half an hour or so, and once this ink dries it
can not be cleaned away or otherwise dissolved so the printhead can
work right.

I'm thinking it might be a good idea to toss the whole HP printer in
the trash and buy one that isn't so hard to cope with. Any
suggestions?

It really depends on why you need a wide format printer. If you need
that wide format, then just replace the print heads. I could suggest
taking out the print heads and soaking them in warm water for an hour to
see if they clean up. HP cartridge ink isn't water proof. Epson
cartridges are. Anyway, it is worth a try. My HP 8500 Pro uses a
similar system. The print heads are also a separate item and are a bit
different than yours. But when I installed them when it was new, I
noticed that they are some kind of a copper alloy ink grid akin to the
old Epson printers of years ago.

HP software for the PC really isn't all that great and isn't that well
thought out like it should have been for printers. So you might try an
Epson Artisan top end series, 850 I believe. At least the ink is
waterproof and the printer has a smaller footprint. Epson also provides
added software. Not sure about the Lexmark series and beware of their
so called low cost black cartridge... only offered to big business and
not for us peons.

 

[GreyCloud]

I was afraid any such cleaning strategy might do more harm than good,
so I'll pass on that, for the time being. I do intend to try the eye
dropper application of some liquid alcohol into the yellow ink
cartridge, then re-installing it. I guess if it doesn't work I've
nothing to lose. But, I'm going to wait over night to see if the
alcohol scrub down I gave the print head this afternoon gives any
positive results.

Hopefully no plastic parts were damaged.
You could find a pure yellow image to try and print with, without using
up the other colors or black.

Like I said, if none of these strategies work I'll just go ahead and
use up most of the ink in these new cartridges, then toss the old
printhead and used cartridges in the trash and replace the whole
assembly with new items.

The only thing that bothers me with this is that I suppose it is
possible that this yellow printing problem could be caused by some
deeper lying problem in the printer and the signal just doesn't get
through to the printhead assembly.

You'll find out when the new print heads are installed along with new
yellow cartridge.
But I don't think putting any alcohol inside anything made out of
plastic would be a good idea. Alcohol on some plastics can cause them
to deteriorate.

Good luck!

 

[Antares 531]

Hopefully no plastic parts were damaged.
You could find a pure yellow image to try and print with, without using
up the other colors or black.

Thanks, GreyCloud. I did type some words into a MS Word document,
using most of the range of text colors, then printed this, but the
yellow text simply did not print, and those colors that are a mixture
of yellow and some other color looked off color.

You'll find out when the new print heads are installed along with new
yellow cartridge.
But I don't think putting any alcohol inside anything made out of
plastic would be a good idea. Alcohol on some plastics can cause them
to deteriorate.

Good luck!

I gave up on trying to get this printhead cleared and operating right.
I ordered a replacement this morning and it should be here sometime
next week. In the meanwhile I'll go ahead and print things that aren't
too color sensitive, and "burn up" some of the ink cartridges so I
won't feel so bad about tossing them into the trash.

Thanks to all who responded. Gordon

 

[GreyCloud]

Thanks, GreyCloud. I did type some words into a MS Word document,
using most of the range of text colors, then printed this, but the
yellow text simply did not print, and those colors that are a mixture
of yellow and some other color looked off color.
I gave up on trying to get this printhead cleared and operating right.
I ordered a replacement this morning and it should be here sometime
next week. In the meanwhile I'll go ahead and print things that aren't
too color sensitive, and "burn up" some of the ink cartridges so I
won't feel so bad about tossing them into the trash.

Thanks to all who responded. Gordon

Do you have a Staples store around? They carry HP print heads.
But, seeing that you've already ordered one... check out staples for
future supplies if you have one around.

 

[Antares 531]

I have a home network set up using MS Windows XP and 9 on the
networked computers. These computers are set up to print with a
Hewlett Packard Office Jet 7000 Wide Format printer. This printer has
worked very well until recently. The colors aren't right. It will
print red and shades of red okay but the yellow and green cartridges
don't seem to be working. I thought the printer cartridges had failed
or were empty, so I bought a whole set of new color cartridges and
installed them. These are new, not refilled. The printer still has the
same color problems. What else could be causing this. Is it likely
that the print heads for the yellow and green cartridges have become
clogged? If so, how can I clear this up and get them going again?

My router recently failed and I had to replace it with a new Netgear
router. Shortly after setting up this new router I first noticed the
printer problem. Is there any chance that the router is somehow
causing this?

Thanks for any insights. Gordon

I want to thank all of you who responded, and also I want to let you
know that the problem has been resolved. I can't really explain it,
but here's what I did. I removed the yellow ink cartridge then used an
eye dropper to deposit a few drops of rubbing alcohol onto the print
head connection where the ink cartridge fits. I also put a few drops
into the ink cartridge opening where it connects to the print head.

Nothing changed for the first two days, but, this morning when I
printed some documents with color images in them, low and behold, the
yellow colors were right and the whole image seemed to be well
balanced, color wise.

I printed three more documents with color images in them and the
colors came out very well in all copies. I guess the alcohol finally
dissolved the clogged print head...who knows???

I'll keep my fingers crossed and wait a while before I return the
print head that I bought on-line. It is still in its un-opened
package. I should be able to return it.

Gordon

 

[Rodney Pont]

I want to thank all of you who responded, and also I want to let you
know that the problem has been resolved. I can't really explain it,
but here's what I did. I removed the yellow ink cartridge then used an
eye dropper to deposit a few drops of rubbing alcohol onto the print
head connection where the ink cartridge fits. I also put a few drops
into the ink cartridge opening where it connects to the print head.

My neighbour sometimes forgets to change his Epson cartridges when told
to and they have dried when he comes to use them and the new one
doesn't work. He tries a test print every day and it does start agin,
the longest it took was 5 days. I would have posted this before but you
had ordered a new head.