Resolving Printing Problems
If you need to resolve a printer problem, first ascertain if it is a hardware or software related problem. If it is hardware related, resolve the problem run a test print. If it is software related, Windows 9x has a Print Troubleshooter that can be used to resolve such problems. This tool can be found by clicking the START button, then selecting HELP. This opens the Windows Online Help. Click the CONTENTS tab, select TROUBLESHOOT, and display the topic: If You Have Trouble Printing. The troubleshooter asks a series of questions that lead you through the problem and provides possible solutions.
If the Print Troubleshooter does not solve the problem, you can try the Enhanced Print Troubleshooter that is available with some versions of Windows. This program is found on the installation CD in the /EPTS folder. Copy it with its files from the installation CD to the hard disk drive. Then start the program epts.exe. This program operates in the same way as the standard version, but is much more detailed.
Also, if the printer takes a long time to print, make sure print spooling is enabled and that Windows is spooling; make sure the drive on which Windows is installed has enough free hard disk space; Defragment the hard disk if necessary; make sure the computer has sufficient system resources; check for updated printer driver on the manufacturer's the Web site; and make sure Windows is sending TrueType fonts as outlines and not bitmaps.
If your printouts contain random characters, make sure the printer language and type is correctly identified for the print job; verify that there is enough printer memory to perform the print job; use raw spooling instead of Enhanced Metafile Spooling (EMF); sent one print job to the printer at a time; make sure the printable area is not larger than what is supported by the printer; verify that a printer driver is installed and update the driver if possible.
If you cannot print from an MS-DOS program, deactivate Spool MS-DOS Print Jobs option on the printer's properties sheet.