HP printer will not print text documents!

[JimC]

I have an HP Deskjet 842C printer (USB) and Windows XP Home. Have the latest XP compatible driver from the HP support website installed. The printer prints the test page (which has text) fine. I think this test page is an HTML document, though. It only prints text if it is text in a web page...I guess only if it is in HTML format. When I try to print out any Word document (.txt, .doc, etc.) the paper is blank. I opened control panel and checked on the selected/active printing device properties. Did
not find anything in the settings and options that could resolve this. It was doing this with an older HP driver also, and I was hoping installing a new HP driver would get it fixed, but it didn't. Obviously this has to be a software configuration problem. The PC got a trojan virus a couple of months ago, and the video driver failed, then the printer started printing blank pages. So I ended up reformatting the boot drive and re-installing WinXP, then I updated the HP driver. SO I have had this problem both before and after re-installing the OS. VERY strange. Any ideas?

[Jenni]

The printer's test page is internal, and not generated by your PC at all. It would print the test page if it wasn't even hooked to a computer. Sounds like you have a problem where the info isn't even getting to the printer, such as a parallel port or USB (whichever you are using) configuration problem, or a bad cable.

[glc]

The Windows test page is generated by the computer. I'd look at repairing or reinstalling Word if this is the only app that does this - what happens when you print a document in Notepad or Wordpad?

[morriswindgate]

Have you tried printing in a differant color text? I had a problem with my 882C printing text when I upgraded to XP. Turned out the cartridge just happened to pick that exact time to give up the ghost

[Jenni]

If he's talking about the Windows test page, then yes, that is generated by the PC. But every printer also has an internal test page. He didn't specify which test page he's talking about.

Also, he said he reformatted and reinstalled XP, therefore he would have had to reinstalled Word already. And if the test page prints fine, then both cartridges are working.

Just a thought, have you made sure that Word is set to print to the right printer? Also, try hooking it up parallel, if that's possible.

[Tuf]

After reading this question it seems like something that could/would happen to me and I had no clue as to an answer or even a reasonable suggestion. But I know a guy who has this same printer and it does the same thing intermittently.

So I spent a couple of hours plowing through HP support documents. I have always liked HP Products but their site is a mess. It rivals Compaq's for being difficult to find anything that any help for anything.

I think I would contact HP by telephone, I did this once for a scanner problem. They were very helpful with a weird problem maybe they can offer up something.

P.S. According to their site any problem can be solved by A: replacing the cable, yours is defective or you bought the wrong one or B: You have no clue as to how to operate the printer or you installed one of about a million apps that conflicts with their very friendly driver

[JimC]

Thanks, all. Interesting that others with same printer are having same problem. The last two of you are dead on it. it can't be an ink cartridge problem as it prints pure black text on a web page fine.
It is also not problem with Word, as printing from Notepad or Wordpad results in blank pages also. I do have Word 2000 and Dreamweaver 3, both of which will convert ASCII text into an HTML document, so I guess I can work around the problem that way.
Seems like the most likely culprit is some program installed in XP. I am going to try shutting down all apps that are not essential in Task Manager and see what happens.

[Tuf]

If you figure this out post back, I am interested to what fixes it.