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Question

Difficulty: MediumPrinter and Multifunction Device Issues

An administrative assistant attempts to print a multi-page PDF document to a newly deployed network printer. Instead of printing the document contents, the printer continuously feeds paper and outputs dozens of pages containing random symbols, unreadable characters, and raw programming code. Which of the following is the most likely root cause of this issue?

  1. An incompatible or incorrect print driver is installed on the user's workstation.Answer
  2. B
    The fuser assembly has failed to reach its required operating temperature.
  3. C
    The Ethernet cable connected to the printer is experiencing excessive packet corruption.
  4. D
    The printer's internal memory (RAM) is corrupted and requires an immediate NVRAM reset.

Answer

An incompatible or incorrect print driver is installed on the user's workstation.
When a workstation uses an incompatible print driver (such as sending PostScript commands to a printer that only understands PCL), the printer cannot process the incoming stream as graphical instructions. Instead, it prints the raw control codes, resulting in pages filled with garbled text, symbols, and unreadable output.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the reported symptom.
The printer hardware operates normally and feeds paper, but prints endless streams of random characters and symbols.
This behavior indicates that the printer is receiving data formatted in a Page Description Language (PDL) it does not understand, causing it to print the raw code.
2
Identify the component responsible for converting print jobs into printer language.
The client-side print driver converts document data into formats such as PostScript or PCL.
If a generic or wrong driver (e.g., PostScript driver sent to a PCL-only printer) is configured, the data stream will be misinterpreted.
3
Select the appropriate resolution step.
Installing the official, model-specific printer driver resolves the formatting mismatch.
Ensuring the client driver matches the printer's supported PDL allows valid print jobs to render correctly.

Key Concept

Printing garbled text or symbols is caused by an incorrect or corrupted print driver mismatched with the printer's Page Description Language (PDL).
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Printer and Multifunction Device Issues

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