Ricoh has standardized there error code numbers of the years to help determine copier printer repair error code problem solving.  However, there are still some confusions on what do when you get failures related to the hard drive in the copier printer scanner.  The hard drive in the Ricoh Savin Gestetner and Lanier are used to store address, fax numbers and even documents to give you to have the ability to scan, fax and email.

When you receive SC945, sc991 or sc870 error which are all related copier hard drive failure.  The first step to resolve the problems related to repairing copier hard drive failures is to format the hard drive.  It will require somebody familiar withe the copier repair service mode access and usage.  Go into Ricoh Lanier Savin service mode and format the hard drive to try to resolve the sc945, cs991 and sc870 error codes of the copier printer scanner.

Once you complete the format you will need to test to see if the hard drive. Input some fax numbers, email address and even try to do document scan to email or computer for the copier printer scanner. Does it work? If is does then you will need to continue to use the scanner,m fax and email functions of the copier printer for a few days to make sure it does nto loose th4e format again.

If the Ricoh Savin Lanier Gestetner copier printer scanner  fails after a few days to does not format properly then you will need to replace the hard drive.  We do not recommend repaired hard drives for copier scanners if at all possible. However, do to the age of some unit you may be forces to repair the copier with a used hard drive. You will need to determine the type of hard drive needed (IDE or SATA)  and find one of he same type preferably one of the same size if possible.  Yes, you can use a larger hard drive but the machine will only use the first 40 to 80gb.  The copier repair error codes sc870, sc991 and sc945 will cause your copier printer to stop scanning, faxing and emailing documents. Copier repair of the hard drive failure should only take 45 minutes or less. If you have any questions please contact Advanced Business Computers for further answers or post a question in this blog.

One of the most common copier printer repair problem is related to the fuser assembly. Often questions are asked about replacing the units verses obtaining the PM kit or fuser repair parts for copiers printers.  On a small number of some model copier printers by Rich, Lanier, Gestetner, Savin, Sharp, Canon and other copeir printer scanners the user can actually replace the fuser fixing assembly.  the fuser or fixing assembly (both are the same thing) is the part that uses heat and pressure to fuse (Melt) the toner onto the paper.

The fuser contains gears, rollers, thermal control devices and heating elements. if you get a fuser error code many times it is cause by the copier printer thermistor or thermostat failure inside the fuser assembly. On most models the copier printer repair consists of replacing 2 to 3 thermal control devices. This requires complete dis-assembly of the fuser assembly which is not something most people can do on their own unless they are trained copier printer certified repair technicians. teh average time to do this task is 1 to 1.5 hours with copier repair parts ranging from $60 to $100 dollars depending upon your copier printer scanner model.

The second cause of fuser failure is worn out parts. This requires a complete copier printer fuser repair overhaul or replacement.  On some models the solutions is just to swap the fuser assembly to repair the copier printer problem which can be accomplished by a end user with limited repair skills.  However, with many copier printer scanner models by Ricoh, Canon, Toshiba, Savin, Gestetner, Lanier and other brands there is a maintenance kit design specifically to rebuild the fuser assembly. The maintenance kit requires a certified copier printer repair technicians to install and adjust. The repair takes approximately 1.5 hours with parts costs $290 to $500 depending upon your model and manufacture of the copier printer.

The copier printer maintenance kit usually contains 95% of all the wear and tear parts in the fuser assembly. Some additional parts that may be need are the fuser bushings, cleaning webs and fuser drive gears.  yes, you can purchase a whole fuser instead of the maintenance kit but be warned the whole fuser assemblies are very very expensive. The average costs of a complete fuser assembly on a mid size copier printers is usually $600 to over $1000 not including the labor to install and adjust the equipment. If your copier printer has a fuser error or paper jam at the fuser them it needs maintenance.  If you have questions please contact Advanced Business Computers or ask it on this blog for a quick response.  Copier printer parts and maintenance is important to keep your business running smoothly. Ask for a copier printer maintenance agreement service quote before you have problems to avoid expensive repairs.

Print head alignment of thermal label and ticket printers  is critical for image quality and reading by label or ticket scanners.  The print head gap is critical for clear even images on your sato, zebra, AMT, Datamax or  intermec printers. Thermal label and bar code printers use head to transfer the actual image to the paper. The print head is the heat source. Each thermal printer print head mas many points that are either turned on or off to form the actual ticket or barcode printer image. Also,  performing maintenance repair of the bar code thermal printer is critcal too.

First, the print head alignment is not for everybody.  the software alignment and top of form alignment is a user perform procedure on Sato, Intermex, Datamax, Zebra thermal label barcode printers.  If you start getting uneven prints, spots on the labels or if the ribbon starts to stick to the print head then the head made need to be properly gapped and aligned. Depending upon your thermal label ticket printer model you may need a thermal printer ticket printer repair service technician.

The physical alignment of the print head is more by fell than a exact science. Even a trained thermal ticket bar code printer repair technician takes time to perform this procedure. Between each adjustment the printer repair technicians needs to retest and adjust again the print heads.  Most models use a set of 4 screws to adjust the thermal printer print heads.  In addition, you have parallel adjustments too when repairing the thermal printers.

its highly recommended to clean the print head first before adjusting to make sure its not a dirty print head issue instead of an thermal printer repair problem for Sato, Zebra, Intermec,  Datamax and  AMT printers. If you need assistance in your repairs for the ticket or bar code printers please post a question here or contact Advanced Business Computers in Miami and other parts of south Florida.

Datamax, Zebra and Sato label printers and ticket printers require regular maintenance to produce quality prints. One of the most problem areas is a dirty or mis-adjusted print head, The print head of the thermal label barcode printers by Zebra, Sato and Intermec use heat to transfer ink from the ribbon to the actual label or ticket stock. The head is generated by the print head. If the prin head of the printer is not gapped properly you will get various problems.

The number on problem caused by bad print head gapping is either a line on the print out or a ribbon that creases.  The gapping procedure requires experience and patience to correct. The Sato,  Intermex, Datamax and Zero bar code printers all have at lease 4 screws that adjust the print head gap.  before you start the gap process check the label type. The thicker the label the more gap you need. Adjust the screws in pairs to keep the print head level from side to side.

If you are getting a ribbon that is binding then you need to move the print head away from the platen roller of he thermal label printer.  Only work in 1/4 turns of the screw in between label tests when doing the adjustment or you may cause other problems (light print, spots, etc.).  The gaping procedure to repair the label and bar code printer problems is not usually a end user procedure. Even a trained technicians have problems properly gaping the Sato, Zebra, Datamax and Intermec printers.

Print head lines are usually caused by dirty print heads.  When you remove the print head make sure you do unscrew the gaping screws that are recessed.  Look at your manual and only remove the ones holding the print head.  When the print head is remove from your thermal ticket bar code printer use a cotton swab to clean the lens. Make sure you take care and do not apply too much pressure against the print head.

After cleaning the print head use a magnifying glass to review the condition to see if you see cracks or pits. If  it is cracked or you see pits then you may need to replace the thermal printer print head.  Re-install the print head and test. If the line comes back after a few labels then you may have to gap the print head because the line may be caused by the ribbon being squeeze between the print head and platen roller.

Sata, Intermec, Datamax and Zebra thermal bar code ticket printers are designed for long reliable usage. However, without regular maintenance  of the print head they can fail during critical printing. If you are not 100% sure of your abilities to work and repair the printer then contact a professional.  If you have questions please post on this blog.  From your friends at Advanced Business Computers have a great Thanksgivings and Holiday season.

HP Plotters just like you care needs regular lubrication, cleaning and adjustments to remain in good working order. The main areas of designjet plotter repair maintenance are the carriage assembly, cleaning station and the drive belt.  HP plotters repairs are costly and you can prolong the time between maintenance of the designjets with simple procedures.

Most plotters used for drafting, blue printers, posters and other types of work are ink bases.  Just like you common ink pens they dry up over time if not used. The first thing you should always remember is to use your plotters at least twice a month to prevent the ink from drying and destroying your pint head and carriage unit. If you let you HP plotter sit then the ink will thicken and cause problems which could result in hundreds of dollars in repairs.

The next plotter repair maintenance step is lubrication of your carriage assembly drive shaft and belt.  The carriage assembly of your hp designjet plotter moves along a smooth metal shaft.  The shaft should always be free of paper fibers, link and it should have a slight greasy coating (very light).  Do not use WD-40 on you HP plotter. Use a Teflon base lubricant but always remember is should be a very very light used. You do not want t a build up of lubricant.

The carriage assembly drive belt of your HP plotter will wear out over time no matter what you do. However, you can prevent the rubber from cracking most of the time with simple HP plotter service maintenance. The plotter drive belt is a back rubber band with teeth designed to move the carriage assembly back and forth across the page. Plotter drive belt rubbers will dry out over time is not used.

Use WD-40 or other rubber rejuvenation to keep the plotter belt from drying out and cracking. Again, great care should be taken to prevent spraying other parts of the plotter. It’s better to remove the belt and lubricate it off the hp plotter.  If you are not sure of your mechanical skills get a certified plotter technicians to do the maintenance.

Maintenance of your HP plotter is critical to prolong the life of your equipment.  If you belt breaks during usage it can cause your plotter carriage assembly damage or even a short in your hp designjet electronic module.  Replace worn plotter carriage assembly drive belts. Lubricate your carriage assembly and use the plotter on a regular basis to prevent plotter head clogging. When you need help contact a certified plotter repair service and maintenance company or post a help question on this blog..

Do you own or lease  a color printer or digital copier? One of the most common problems with color printers and color copiers is understanding the causes of image problems and how to determine the printer copier repair image problem.  The one one problem is a repeated or light reprint of a previous image on the same page.

The first step is to determine which color or colors are causing the repeat printer copier repair problem.  Do the following to isolate the actual drum or toner repair problem  of your digital copier or printer scanner:

Step 1:  Print a normal word or excel document but only using the color black.  If some of the text is not in black temporary change it to black.  You do not want any other color except for the one you are testing.

Step 2:  Repeat step one but switch to only using yellow, blue and magenta colors.  This is  a way to isolate the actual cause of the printer copier problem so you can determine the correct repairs needed.

Step 3: Look at each print out. Which ones show the printer copier repair image problem? If you only see it on the black pages then the problem is related to the black toner or black drum unit.  Your color copier printer has one toner per color and in most systems one drum per color.  You are trying to determine if the printer copier problem is related to just certain colors or all colors.

Step 4:  If the printer repair or copier repair image problem follows certain colors then you will either need to replace the drum or the toner cartridge. If your color copier printer has separate drums and toners then replace the drum unit. Otherwise replace the toner which contains the toner and drum. If you are not sure contact us and we will look up the model of your printer copier problem and tell which one needs to be replaced.

Step 5:  f the Color printer copier image repair problem follows all the colors then the cause is either the fuser assembly or the imaging belt unit.  the replacement of the fuser or imaging may require a certified copier or printer repair technician.

If you have other copier printer repair image problems please fell free to comment or ask questions through this blog or contact Advanced Business Computers in Miami. Color image image problem solving does not require vast printer or copier repair expertise.

This is a simple yet common problem.  We just received a question about a hp laser printer printing pages of garbage random characters.  Laser printers copiers are mostly dumb devices. They sit there and want for a command from your computer network or individual desktop to print pages.

Each laser printer copier have software drivers that are installed on your computers to control the printing scanning and faxing through your printer copier fax multi-function device (MFD). Some copier printers will accept commands using universal PCL5 or PCl-6 printer commands.

The simplest causes of this printer copier repair issue is a loose printer cable. Make sure the cables going to the printer copier are secure.  If its loose or cut then secure and/or replaced the cable to solve the printer repair problem. If the cable is not loos then continue reading to solve the copier printer repair problem.

If  you print a document using the wrong or bad printer driver, the printer will either not print at all or it will print our garbage characters.  If this happens first see if the correct laser printer is selected in the properties page (select file, print and look at the selected printer).  Do this when you have the document that did not print right on your screen.  This is a simple printer repair problem. If you have the wrong printer selected then select the right one to fix the printer copier repair problem of printing garbage.

If you have the correct printer select you will need to reinstall the printer driver (first delete the old driver and then download a new driver).  It’s important that you DELETE the old printer and then DOWNLOAD from the Internet the most current copier printer drive to repair this problem.  Do not try to repair the printer problem with your current driver.

If  the above does not solve the printer repair problem then call a copier printer repair professional for further advice. the copier printer repair may entail more complicated network problem, corrupt print files or the copier printer controller repair. Or send a question through this blog for a quick replay.

Printer copier repairs and maintenance get costly with the wrong information or service company before you spend a dine on printer service repairs call the company ask ask for a quote over the phone.  Be prepared to explain the problem  with your printer, copier or scanner in detail. Is it jamming? Where is the printer jamming?

If you are having an image problem have a copy of the bad print out in your hands. if its a line on the page is it vertical (up and down) or horizontal (across the page). How many lines on the printer image problem?  Can you smear the toner on the page? If you printer repair problem is a mark how many times does the mark appear on the page?

Or are you getting a printer repair or maintenance error code? Have the error code ready WORD FOR WORD as it appears on the screen of the copier printer.  It’s always better to be at the printer or copier that needs repairs.  Simply put the more information you provide about your copier or printer repair problem the better the maintenance repair estimate. Also, ask the company if they provide maintenance agreements and if you do the copier printer repair will they give you a break in the repair cost if you place the copier printer under an maintenance agreement.

Now if you call your printer or copier repair maintenance company and they can not provide an accurate quote over the phone than go someplace else.  Printers copiers and scanner repair is not rocket science.  If a technician has been working on them for a couple of years then he/she can provide the quote over the phone without you spending a single cent.  If you are not sure ask a question here with as much detail as possible and get the right answers.

If you are in south Florida contact Advanced Business Computers for a 100% free over the phone quote.  Determine before you spend any money on the repair service call if the equipment is worth repairing. Times are tough so be careful before you place a service repair call for your printer, computer, copier or scanner.

The most common problem with HP Designjet plotter repairs is the belt replacement. The plotter belt is the part that moves the carriage assembly of the plotter across the page. The carriage assembly is the part which holds the plotters ink cartridges.

It’s important that you always check your HP plotter carriage belt for damage. Check to see if you are getting small rubber pieces in the unit. Check for cracks on the plotter belt too.  Plotter repairs are costly when not maintained. If you do not check your plotter belt and it BREAKS or cracks it could damage you carriage assembly and triple the cost of the repair. If like you car tires, if it goes flat is can cause a major accident.  It’s important to stop using a HP plotter when the belt is flaking, cracked or shows wear to prevent expensive plotter repair problems.

The average plotter belt repair replacement takes 1 hour plus additional time to lubricate and perform maintenance on the plotter.  Never use a USED belt or a compatible belt.  Some HP plotter belt replacement kits include a pulley and a wedge which needs to be replaced at the same time.

HP charges $150 per hour usually with a min of 3 hours plus the part. However, if you live in south Florida the rate is less through Advanced Business Computers Inc – ask for a free phone quote. If you need further assistance or have questions please contact for printer plotter service maintenance or add to this post. Just remember to always check your HP plotters carriage belt to prevent major repair bills.

HP maintenance kits are design fro end user installation.  The printer repair kit consists of the majority of the wear and tear parts that causes a printer service repair problem.  The parts included in the kit includes the printer fuser assembly, hp cassette pick up rollers, printer separation rollers and corona transfer roller. when installing the HP printer repair maintenance kit you should always disconnected the printer first and allow the fuser to cool down before removing.

Once the HP printer power is off and the laser printer cooled down remove the fuser assembly  repair part from the rear of the HP printer.  If you are saving money on the printer maintenance kit but sending back he fuser core make sure you wrap it back in the original packing that came with eh new/rebuilt printer fuser assembly from the maintenance kit.

Next remove the transfer corona using the blue plastic tool provided withe kit or another tool to pop up the old printer corona roller. The corona transfer roller is the part that charges the paper so it will accept the toner. Make sure both ends of the printers maintenance kit corona transfer roller are in place before closing the printer lid.

The last HP maintenance repair kit parts to replace are the paper pick up rollers and the separation rollers or pads depending upon your hp printer scanner copier model.  The paper pick up rollers and the separation pads work together to pickup and squeeze one sheet of paper at a time from the paper tray and drawers.  depending upon your HP printer model you may need to order extra sets of paper pick up rollers and separation rollers/pads when you do the printer repair. If  saving on your printer maintenance interest you plus get a longer warranty than HP’s 30 days contact Advanced Business Computers for a quote.  Depending upon your model you will get a 3 to 6 month warranty on the printer maintenance kit with the return of the fuser. if you have any printer repair questions please post them here fro a quick response!