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What are common printer connectivity issues?
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Printer not found during installation or shown as offline/unavailable by the operating system.
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What is the first step to troubleshoot printer connectivity issues?
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Check for error messages or codes on the printer's control panel.
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What should you do if a printer shows as “offline”?
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Ensure the printer is powered on and set to "online." It may need user action or have detected a network error.
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How can you verify printer components and supplies are correctly installed?
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Ensure all components and cartridges are installed properly, service panels are closed, and at least one paper tray is loaded.
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What is the purpose of printing a test page from the printer's control panel?
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To determine if the problem lies with the connection to the computer or network.
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What should be checked if a printer is not detected over a wireless connection?
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Try connecting the printer to the computer using a USB or Ethernet cable to test the connection.
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What is a common cause of frequent paper jams?
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Using the wrong type of paper or improperly loading the paper.
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How should you handle a paper jam in a laser printer's fuser unit?
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Use release levers to free the paper safely to avoid damaging the rollers.
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What might cause multiple sheets to feed at once in a printer?
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Incorrect paper size, weight, or condition (such as creases or dampness).
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What does a grinding noise in a laser printer indicate?
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Possible issues with the toner cartridge, fuser, or gears.
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What could cause a laser printer to produce faded or faint prints?
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Low-density setting or a nearly empty toner cartridge.
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What might cause blank pages to print from a laser printer?
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Application or driver issues, packing seals on toner cartridges, or a damaged transfer roller.
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What is indicated by white stripes on laser printer output?
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Uneven toner distribution or a dirty/damaged transfer roller.
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What causes black stripes or an entirely black page in laser printer output?
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A dirty or damaged primary charge roller or faulty high voltage power supply to the developer unit.
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What should you do if there is loose toner contaminating the paper?
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Clean the printer's interior with an approved toner vacuum.
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What might cause double or echo images in laser printer output?
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A photosensitive drum that hasn't been properly cleaned.
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What causes incorrect color display in laser printer output?
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Misplaced cartridges, incorrect toner levels, or misalignment of the transfer belt or cartridges.
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What causes lines through printouts on an inkjet printer?
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A dirty print head or blocked ink nozzle.
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What causes smudged, wavy, or blurry output on an inkjet printer?
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Media problems or dirty feed rollers.
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What should you check if a dot matrix printer produces lines in its output?
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A pin stuck in the print head.
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How does an incorrect platen gap setting affect dot matrix printer output?
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Too wide a gap causes faint printing, while too narrow a gap causes smudging.
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What functions can a finisher unit perform on laser printers and MFDs (Multifunction Device)?
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Stapling pages and punching holes for binding.
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What could cause hole punch issues in a finisher unit?
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Exceeding the maximum number of sheets allowed for the hole punch.
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What is a print monitor's role in Windows?
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It sends print jobs to the printer and provides status updates.
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What steps should you take to resolve a backed-up print queue?
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Restart the print job, delete it from the queue, or stop and restart the Print Spooler service.
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What could cause garbled prints with random characters or blank pages?
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Errors in the print job processing or incorrect printer settings.
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How should you handle garbled prints to determine the issue?
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Cancel the job, clear the queue, restart the printer, and try printing again.