A920 Problems

Question

AIO Printer A920, Dimension 2400, Intel P4 CPU 2.4Ghz, Windows XP Home SP3

All the above have worked perfectly for 5 years, up to & including yesterday. Today the A920 failed to print a doc; print queue showed the doc pending for ages so I cancelled it to try again. Error message then said 'printer cannot communicate with computer; try these solutions - disconnect and reconnect printer's power cable, ditto USB cable, then restart computer'. This done, the printer power button flashed on/off slowly in formation with the print heads/cartridges moving to and fro between the printing and parked positions. I disconnected and reconnected again, but now the power button flashes rapidly on/off but print heads stay parked. Same error message throughout.

Seems as though the A920 is ruptured internally and a trip to the junkyard beckons, but if anyone has any suggestions for reviving it I'd be very grateful.

Best regards to all.

Mary G · Answer

I'd try uninstalling and reinstalling it. Could be a damaged driver.

copilot_d51ddf · Answer

I forgot to mention 2 other points in my original post; the flashing power button nonsense happens even when the printer/computer USB is disconnected both ends, and the printer won't switch off using the power button, only by unplugging from the supply. For these reasons I suspected the problem was printer innards rather than software, but following Mary G's suggestion I uninstalled (using the patch given in other posts) but when I tried to reinstall I got  'No printer atttached'. So thanks for the suggestion, Mary G, but I guess it's off to the junkyard after all unless there are any other suggestions out there!

PudgyOne · Answer

copilot,

I was away for a few days and I am trying to catchup.

First, try removing the power cord from the wall. Also remove the power brick from the back of the printer for 60 seconds. This will reset the printer from error messages.

What are the results? Any error messages? If so, what are they?

Rick

copilot_d51ddf · Answer

Thanks, Rick

Power cord removed from wall and power brick removed from printer for about 12 hours, but when I reconnected I got the same weird flashing power light etc that I had before. Printer is uninstalled from computer, of course, so not much scope for error messages but when I connected up the USB cable & tried to reinstall again (using original Drivers & Utilities CD-ROM) I got the same message as in previous post - can't install printer because it's not connected! Frankly, I've more or less given up - it never occurred to me that being without a printer for a week would be such a big deal, so I've ordered a replacement. So thanks, Mary and Rick, for your suggestions but I think we may as well mark this thread finished (albeit not solved!)

Tom

PudgyOne · Answer

Tom,

Try re-installing the printer this way. With Vista machines, the patch must be run to completely remove the printer from the computer. Before proceeding, please make sure that you have all the Windows Updates, especially the net framework, needed for most programs. Also make sure you have the latest Java.

Disconnect your printer. Download and run this patch to completely remove the printer from your computer.

Restart your computer.

Download the proper drivers.

XP Drivers

Vista 32-bit Drivers

All other drivers

Go to device manager(right click my computer, left click properties, left click hardware, left click device manager)

Go to the USB Controller section and click the + sign.

Starting at the bottom, USB Root Hubs, and working your way to the top, USB Universal Controllers, un-install everything in that section.

Restart your computer. Windows will find everything again and correct the problem one. Please be patient. The new hardware wizard may work 3-5 minutes before it's done.

Install the proper drivers. You'll be prompted when to connect your printer(powered on)

Scanning

Scanning using USB connection, open the Dell All-In-One Center, click on scanning and copying and scan from there.

Scanning wirelessly, use the scan buttons on the printer.

Rick

copilot_d51ddf · Answer

Thanks, Rick. Sorry, been away for a few days.

OK, done everything you suggest in your last post but still the printer continues with its flashing power light etc and will not switch off except by removing the power lead. And the computer still insisted the printer was not connected!. Meanwhile, a replacement printer has appeared and is installed and working, so I've officially abandoned the A920 and it will shortly be on its way to recycling. Thanks for your helpful suggestions, Rick, they were worth trying but I guess in the end the printer was just worn out!

Best regards,

Tom

PudgyOne · Answer

copilot,

Thanks for posting back. I was told by someone in another forum a printer usually works for a couple of years. Unknown the actual life of an Inkjet printer. I have an old 964. I haven't had any issues with this printer yet, but when the day comes, I will have to look at replacing it. I have a 3300 attached to the printer for wireless printing.

I gave it my best shot.

Rick

kozmart · Answer

remfg color cart caused problem, put old one back in and problem solved

silver surfer12 · Answer

Hi there

I have lost all signs of power to my beloved printer all in a second after a perfect print out last week

Checked the plug and supply

All ok

Have reloaded from disc and checked usb settings etc all ok still no power display despite changing plug fuse

Any other suggestions???

silver surfer 12

PudgyOne · Answer

silver surfer 12, Make and model of your computer and operating system is helpful. 32-bit or 64-bit? What virus program and firewall are you using? Rick

kozmart · Answer

MY PROBLEM WAS A FLASHING POWER BUTTON, THE REMFG COLOR CART WAS THE PROBLEM, PUT IN A NEW ONE AND IT WORKED FINE. TRY IT ON ANOTHER PC

silver surfer12 · Answer

Run XP on laptop (DELL Inspiron 1100) and have MacFee antivirus and SP3 firewall 32 bit

PudgyOne · Answer

silver surfer12,

Did you install/reinstall the operating system lately? If yes, did you install the drivers in the correct order? How to Download and Install Drivers in the Correct Order

First run Delete Print Jobs to remove any stcuk print jobs from the queue.

Disconnect the printer.

Download and run the patch(printer cleanup utility) until it prompts you to restart your computer.

Restart your computer.

Download the XP 32-bit drivers. Install the drivers. You'll get a message, the printer is not connected. Connect the printer at this time(powere on)

Links to the patch/drivers can be found at...

Dell A920 All-In-One Inkjet Printer owners thread (W7)

Also try reading...

Allow a printer past McAfee

Rick

silver surfer12 · Answer

I had a hard disc replaced in Feb and it has worked well since a professional installation. I will try this but the only drivers I have seen are for vista not XP.

I will let ypo know the outcome

Thank you

silver surfer 12

mf. · Answer

Date: 12.04.2016,

System: Windows 10

Hey

I had the same problem too. Solution:

Don't shut down your Pc and let the power button flash on/off, then that shows, that the printer is handling a problem by its self.

I let my printer and pc on for two hours and at the end, the printer worked again.

You have just to give some time and do nothing with it.

Printers

A920 Problems

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