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Dell 1250C problems with sleep mode
Hi there
When this printer (Dell 1250C) goes into sleep mode (amber light) and I boot up or restart the computer (Windows 7 x64), the printer is listed as offline. Sending a print job will not wake the printer, although the manual states that this is supposed to work. Even if I manually wake the printer by pressing a button on the unit, it is offline.
If I look in device manager, there is an error on the "USB printing suport" device. When I then switch the printer off and on, or remove and plug back in the printer USB cable, the printer is detected again, comes back online, and the error on "USB printing support" disappears.
This ONLY happens uning the Dell drivers from the website. They are the latest drivers, 1250c_DRV_ENG_02-04-02-00_02-04-02-00.exe (08/06/2012 MR3, A02).
If I remove these drivers and let Windows update detect and install its own drivers, the printer works perfectly and there is no issue bringing the printer out of sleep mode by sending a job. The problem with using this driver is that some features, such as manual duplex, are not available to select.
I have tried the printer with another computer and I have exactly the same sitaution. Many other people are having this same issue: http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/peripherals/f/3528/t/19435254.aspx
Updating the firmware and disabling “Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power” on the USB root hubs has not solved the issue. I believe that the Dell printer drivers are at fault. I have seen threads mentioning this issue with other printer models also.
It would be appropriate for someone from Dell to respond to this widespread issue.
Thanks for your help.
It's pretty clear Dell doesn't care about their customers.
When I emailed Dell Technical Support directly via the link on the website, entering my service tag in order identify the product ("Printer 1250c Color Printer"), this is the reply I received after 2 days:
"I would like to inform you that being part of Email Hardware support team, I don't have expertise to deal with Laser printers"
Dell this is pathetic. Please respond, refer the issue to the driver dev team and resolve the fault.
kiwironnie
2 Posts
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Posted October 3rd, 2012 18:00
Same problem here. This should have been resolve by Dell by now. With auto updating, Its relatively easy and cheap for Dell to distribute fixes, so really no excuse. Black mark to Dell!
Cheers
Kiwironnie
- Hi there; thanks for the suggestion. Are you using the Dell driver (allowing you to see toner levels and print duplex) or the Windows Update driver? I'm already on the latest firmware. If you're on the Dell driver I suspect that if you now reboot your computer (leaving the printer in orange-light sleep mode) and try to print, you will not be able to. You'll have to power cycle the printer or remove and reconnect the USB cable as described above. Please let us know.
Gadgetman496
11 Posts
1426
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Posted October 6th, 2012 05:00
The most recent firmware does not solve this problem :(
I think I may have got this working. I updated the firmware to A03/MR2 (version 0.62), I then did a "Reset to Defaults" in the Tools software, and finally changed both job cancel timeouts on the first settings menu to 0 (ie disabled). These are the two job timeouts below the Sleep and Deep sleep ones. It now bursts into life even if it has been in a deep sleep :-)
Thanks for the suggestion. I have now updated to the new latest drivers (A03, 15/11/2012) and firmware (MR3 / A02, 09/11/2012), and rebooted. I then followed whiskerp's instructions, and rebooted again.
I printed a document, then waited for the printer to go into sleep mode.
I then rebooted again, and guess what? Error on USB printing support, printing doesn't work. Printer stays in sleep mode. As usual.
Manually brought the device out of sleep mode, then unplugged and replugged the USB cable, and it works again.
Dell should be ashamed.
I don't know what I did then to get it working.
The printer is attached to an old PC running Ubuntu Oneiric Ocelot LTS running CUPS.
I can print remotely from Windows (XP & 7) IPP & LPR, I can print from Linux directly and via IPP from other Linux PCs and I have set up airprint to work with IOS 5 & 6 as well as Google Cloudprint. All of these cause the printer to burst into life even if left dormant overnight. The Xerox Phaser 6000B driver works fine and I have a RAW share for remote machines with local drivers.
Peter
Gadgetman496
11 Posts
1426
0
Posted September 29th, 2012 02:00
Hi,
I too am having exactly the same issue regarding the sleep mode (amber light) with 2 of these printers. One on XP and the other on Win7.
There are so many users complaining about this on many forums and nobody from Dell appear to be interested? I also suspect it's a driver related issue & think it's very poor C\S on Dell's behalf not to as much as acknowledge this issue and respond to this thread. All the users complaining can't all be wrong?
I'm sure that Dell's software engineers could put this to bed with minimal effort if the will was there? Or maybe Dell know something there customers don't? Maybe it's a fundamental hardware defect that Dell are aware of & have chosen to ignore? The 1991 movie "Class Action" springs to mind.