DeskJet printer error when laptop boots 1

[Weezie62]

I'm working on an HP DeskJet 920C. It is connected through LPT1 to a Compaq Armada E500, running Windows 95. If the laptop is turned off and I turn on the printer, the printer looks good--the green power light is on. AS SOON AS I hit the power switch to turn on the laptop, the printer starts making noise, and the middle light (orange error light) lights up, and I have to hit the button below the error light, and the printer spits out a blank page. This occurs before the laptop ever has a chance to start the boot process--it's an immediate laptop power on issue. After the blank page spits out, it prints fine.

If I power up the laptop and then power on the printer, the first time I try to print something, I get the orange error light, hit the button, it spits out a blank page, and then it prints fine.

I have tried a new cable between the laptop and the printer and, just for yucks, I reinstalled the printer drivers. I even blew some compressed air into the printer to clean it out. I've run out of ideas. Please help! Thanks.

 

[Snickle]

Be sure to go into the BIOS at bootup and set the printer port to Bi-direction, EPP, or PS/2. The laptop is sending signals to the printer that are not being interpreted correctly. And an IEEE1284 printer is required on most all inkjet printers made lately, most of the HP9xx series is very new, I have an old one, 970 from 2.5 years ago.

 

[Weezie62]

I checked the BIOS--it was already set to Bidirectional. Nonetheless, I went ahead and changed it to EPP and tried it--I still get the printer error at power on. I changed it back to Bidirectional--still have the error. The cables I tried were all IEEE1284. Any other suggestions?

 

[genrlj1596]

Hey from what you have said this problem sounds like a manufacturing defect,unless it works fine with other systems you know that it is the printer,if it does the same thing with another computer and it is new get your receipt and run back to the store.

 

[dinosnake]

This seems normal with HP printers - a client purchased a 972 and it does exactly the same thing. It is because they try to make the printer too smart for its own good - it has bidirectional communications and when the driver and printer do not communicate it gives an error - even if one or the other isn't running because it isn't turn on!

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

According to HP if you leave the power 'Off' (it is actually asleep) and send it a print job it will turn on automatically while not reporting a error. You, of course, have to make sure bidirectional communications is turned on in the BIOS (use ECP if you can) and the driver.

If that works for you then simply ignore the power button. If it doesn't the you will, seemingly, just have to live with it. Your mileage may vary...

 

[Weezie62]

HERE'S THE SOLUTION!
I had pretty much figured out, as Berton confirmed, that the issue was with the laptop, and not with the printer. The laptop was sending a signal to the laptop, but I couldn't figure out how to make it stop. I learned through another source that by putting a setup password in the BIOS, it would stop the laptop from sending a signal to all of the ports at power up. This has resolved the problem! Thanks for all of your efforts.
Weezie62