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Laser Printer - keeps printing weird pages

sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre -  
kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   -

Hello everyone,

I have a problem with my HP Color Laser Jet Pro MFP M281fdw printer, it keeps printing pages like this. It's very complicated to print anything, it's been doing this for 3 days. I unplugged the printer overnight, but it didn't change anything. I can't keep it plugged in otherwise it keeps printing these pages.

No matter how much I click on cancel, it takes a long time to stop or it freezes the screen with cancellation spinning endlessly.

Thank you very much for your help

15 réponses

Réponse 1 / 15
contrariness Posted messages 338 Registration date   Status Membre Last intervention   6 240
 

Can you try turning off the printer's direct WiFi and leaving only the USB connection?
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Réponse 2 / 15
kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

How is it that this driver issue changed overnight when our printer was working perfectly until this problem?

Probably a user mistake
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Réponse 3 / 15
contrariness Posted messages 338 Registration date   Status Membre Last intervention   6 240
 

How are you connected to this printer?
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Réponse 4 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Hello @contrariness StatutMembre

Thank you for your response. I am connected via USB to my PC, but sometimes my wife might be using Wi-Fi (it seems to me, but I'm not sure at all)
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Réponse 5 / 15
kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

Hi

You need to start by clearing the spooler

Start === run (or Windows key + R key)

In the dialog box that opens, type cmd /k net stop spooler then click ok

Leave the black window that has appeared open

Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

Delete the files that are there

Return to the black window and type net start spooler then press the Enter key

Restart the PC, print a test page and then, if it’s good, one of your documents
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Réponse 6 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Good evening @kaumune StatutContributeur,

Thank you very much for your help.

I followed your instructions and deleted the files in the printers folder. I then typed the text in the window but it shows access denied. Here is a screenshot

Thanks again
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

Restart the PC, it'll do the same thing

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Réponse 7 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Unfortunately, it always happens, she always gives me just as much paper. At least 20 sheets because I tried to print 3 documents.

When I want to print a document, sheets come out before and after, and when I try to cancel, the panel freezes like in the photo.
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

Error 5 with the command net start spooler is due to the fact that this command must be typed in a command prompt (cmd) in administrator mode, which I forgot to mention to you.

You probably couldn't delete the files in the spool.

To open it in admin mode, type cmd in the search box at the bottom left, then on the right, choose "Run as administrator."

This should give you this window:

Once the cmd window is open in admin mode, redo the step of emptying the spooler.

Type net stop spooler then press the Enter key.


Go to C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS

Delete the files that are there.

Provide a screenshot of the contents of the folder C:\Windows\System32\spool\PRINTERS.

Return to the black window and type net start spooler then press the key.

Restart the PC, print a test page (Printer Properties == Print a test page) and then, if everything is fine, one of your documents.

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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156 > kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention  
 

Missing the Enter after net start spooler then press the key

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Réponse 8 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Good evening,

thank you for your response. I just followed the steps you asked me to, but unfortunately it still prints pages with strange writing and multiple pages in a row. I was able to print the demo page, which is a hot air balloon.

I tried printing a document again and the same thing happened; it still prints the same pages. Another observation, it seems like when I try to print, my page comes out among all the printed sheets, and the page I want to print is printed upside down. When I try to cancel the prints, it is just like yesterday on the small screen of the printer; it stays on canceling for several minutes.

You will find the screenshots attached.
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

Hi

Does the printer still print sheets if the PC or PCs are turned off and you restart the printer?

If so, it has pages in memory in its internal spool.

You need to clear it via the printer's control panel if you find this function in its menus, or reset it.

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Réponse 9 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Hello @kaumune StatutContributeur and @contrariness StatutMembre

Thank you for your responses

Yes, I just got back from a trip and I turned on my printer. It spit out 15 pages, the computer was off. Same when I turned it back on because I had documents to print, still a bunch of sheets coming out and not the documents I asked to print.

Where can I find the internal spool in the printer's control screen?

I turned the printer back on and it's printing pages directly. I don't have access to the control panel. To make it stop, I have to open the paper tray.

It seems to me that the wifi is not connected because there is a warning triangle with an exclamation mark at the top left of the control screen where there is a wifi antenna symbol.

I just managed to press cancel and it stopped in less than a minute. I was able to press reset and go to wifi. See the photo.

In just a few minutes, I'm nearly at 100 printed pages :(

Here’s a photo with several sheets and several pages printed with different texts.

thank you very much for your help
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

Restore factory settings: page 100 of the user manual

Note, the Wi-Fi configuration will likely need to be redone

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Réponse 10 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Thank you @kaumune StatutContributeur,

I just did it. I turned on the printer. Nothing happened. So I decided to start printing the first document. It printed, then 2 sheets came out with the inscriptions. I requested to print a second document, it printed but 2 sheets also came out with the writings.

I pressed cancel. The panel displayed canceling for a few moments and then it returned to the classic menu on the screen.

The printer is on and no more sheets are coming out, unlike before when it never stopped and kept printing sheets.

The problem is still there but reduced for now.

I should mention that I printed via a USB cable.
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

Still the same data on the unwanted sheets?

I would uninstall the driver and then reinstall the latest one.

What version of Windows is it running on?

Which version of the driver are you using?

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Réponse 11 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

I use Windows 11 Home, version 23H2, and updates are regularly done on my Dell PC, Intel 11th gen i7 processor, 2.80 GHz and 16 GB of RAM.

Yes, it's always similar data because the numbers and labels differ each time.

I don't really know what a driver is, where and how I can uninstall it, and where to find it in order to install the new one?
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 
  • Windows key + I key (I for India)
  • Bluetooth & devices
  • Printers & scanners
  • Click on your printer
  • Printer properties
  • Advanced
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Réponse 12 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

So I've had this printer appearing twice since I got it, and I never dared to touch it because it was working fine.

I went into both printers, and here are the drivers. They are different. How do I delete them and install newer ones?
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

Delete the one that you don't use for printing

Apparently the second one (copy 1) with oddly the HP Smart driver (????)

It is not impossible that this driver is causing the trouble

I have a doubt because the first one doesn't seem to be connected via USB

What do you have in the Ports tab, on both?

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Réponse 13 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Hello,

I haven't returned home yet and I won't be next to my printer until Sunday evening or Monday morning.

However, I have completed the search you recommended, here are the 2 screenshots

I know that sometimes I have to change printers because it doesn't work, but it's rare, about 2 to 3 times a year.
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

You have both network and USB

Normally they can coexist, although it’s a bit silly to use the network one if the printer is directly connected via USB to your PC

Make sure that the driver used is the one shown in the first screenshot yesterday at 4:23 PM on both

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Réponse 14 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

I modified the driver on printer copy 1 an hour ago. It printed a page with strange characters and some documents I had requested to print a few days ago, then another strange page again.

I restarted the PC, one page came out and then nothing. I was able to print about ten documents for work, no problem. Everything printed without extra pages. Apparently, the issue was with the driver. I printed via USB, I did not reset any Wi-Fi settings or codes.

Thank you so much for your help, I would have never managed without you.

I await to see if the issue is definitively resolved; I will leave my printer on all day.

Another question, what should I do with the other printer that has the same name?

Can you tell me why I had this problem all of a sudden? My printer has worked perfectly for the last few years.

Once again, thank you very much.
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kaumune Posted messages 22596 Registration date   Status Contributeur Last intervention   5 156
 

You keep both printers

You set the one connected via USB as the default printer

The Wi-Fi one will serve as a backup

In the printer properties, you can rename them

For the first one, you add Wi-Fi at the end of the name, for the second one USB

As for the problem encountered, I suppose it’s due to the use of an inappropriate driver that was sending a PDL (page description language) to the printer that it couldn’t understand

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Réponse 15 / 15
sangohan36 Posted messages 12 Status Membre
 

Hello,

Thank you for this additional information, I just did what you indicated previously by renaming the 2 printers.

I removed the printer's Wi-Fi via its control screen last time, but I can reconnect it if needed.

How is it possible that this driver issue changed overnight since our printer was working perfectly until this problem?

Thanks again for your help, and I wish you a good day.
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