[Buck_W]

I have an Epson C64 printer connected (via ethernet network) to an eMac and Cube. All of a sudden whenever I print a document, the printer prints a bunch of symbols, etc. at the top of every page before printing the actual document. The problem started when the eMac (which is actually connected to the printer - USB) was shut down in the middle of a printing job for the Cube on the network.

I thought it might be a corrupted preference, so I have deleted everything associated with Epson from my eMac and reinstalled the software for the printer. But that did not solve the problem. Is it possible that I've screwed up the printer itself (i.e. hardware problem)?

I tried troubleshooting the problem on Epson's website, but did not get anwhere. Does anyone here have any suggestions? Thanks

[brickcam]

The first step I'd take in troubleshooting would be to eliminate other possible factors -- in this case, the network. Plug the printer via usb directly into your eMac (or Cube)... do you get the same strange results? Is is possible you missed one of the printer files when you were deleting everything? It seems unlikely that the hot-unplug you mentioned would damage the hardware.

[Buck_W]

Originally posted by brickcam:
The first step I'd take in troubleshooting would be to eliminate other possible factors -- in this case, the network. Plug the printer via usb directly into your eMac (or Cube)... do you get the same strange results? Is is possible you missed one of the printer files when you were deleting everything? It seems unlikely that the hot-unplug you mentioned would damage the hardware.

Thanks for the response. The printer is directly connected to my eMac via USB (the eMac is then connected to my network via ethernet/router). I have no idea whether I missed some printer files. I simply did a search for 'Epson' and deleted all the files associated with it. Can you think of any other files that would not have come up under that search?

[brickcam]

Hmm. I have a file in my library/prefs folder named
com.apple.print.printerproxy.stylus_c84.plist
that I guess you wouldn't have hit with an 'epson' search. I honestly don't know... what sort of symbols do you see? and yet it prints the requested document as well, with the symbols overlaid?

It would be a good test if you could disconnect the printer from your eMac and use a third machine (borrow a laptop?) to try and print. You'd have more data about where the problem is. Shrug.

[Buck_W]

Originally posted by brickcam:
It would be a good test if you could disconnect the printer from your eMac and use a third machine (borrow a laptop?) to try and print. You'd have more data about where the problem is. Shrug.

Okay. . . I disconnected my eMac from the network but still had the same problem. I then connected (hardwire via USB) my laptop to the printer and the printer is still making the following symbols at the top of each page (although the pattern seems to be different every time):

$&g{Me@tV@

I'm at a loss at this point. It strongly seems that there seems to something wrong with the printer. Anyone else have any ideas?