Unable to print text-only documents.

[COOLBRITANNIA]

Recently, I found that I am unable to print text-only documents from Outlook Express, Word 2000, Wordpad, and Notepad. I can print webpages from Internet Explorer, and can print graphics from Adobe Photoshop, and also print files containg graphics from Word 2000. I am using Windows ME O/S, and printing from a Lexmark Z33 printer.

I have tried the following to no avail:
1) re-installed the most uptodate Lexmark printer driver.
2) disabled bi-directional communication.
3) tried to print using the generic printer drive.
4) tried to print in safe mode.
5) disabled print spooling.
6) done Word 2000 self-repair.
7) run defragmentation and a full scandisk.

Please could any one advise me, as to any other solution to this problem, or could it be a problem with the win.ins file?

[TwoRails]

Hi COOLBRITANNIA,

Welcome to PC Mechanic !!

Sounds like you've tried everything but a different printer. I know that in the days of DOS, you use to have to tell the printer to print in either text or graphics mode. It may be the same in today's printers, meaning maybe "text" mode is not working properly in your Lexmark.

HTH

TwoRails

[GaryRouth]

Hi CoolBrittania,

[. . . and another welcome!]

I know this is an obvious thing to check, but you might want to pop out and then pop back in your black ink cartridge (or try replacing it if you have another). Also run the ink-nozzle cleaning routine from either the printer driver or from that "Lexmark Solution Center" icon (it would be in your system tray if you installed the full driver).

It sounds like either the cartridge is bad, out-of-ink, not recognized, or simply has a blocked-up nozzle. Ink jet nozzles dry up if they aren't used for six weeks or so, and the dry ink in the nozzle just clogs up the works. Sometimes running the cleaning routine three or four times will clear a nozzle, even if it's been clogged for months (I've had to do that one a few times).

A quick test to see if it's a problem with the cartridge: select a section of text, and from Format/Font/Color: change it to something like bright blue - if you suddenly see you text, it was the cartridge.

Also make sure that the Lexmark is the default printer in Word, and not anything else ( like a virtual printer for faxing documents). And make sure only one version of the Lexmark Z33 is in your Printers folder (so that you're not sending to a previously broken installation that didn't get removed).

If you've tried all this already, I apologize ahead of time.

[If you can get a graphic to print out as black&white, then it's unrelated to the cartridge. If the trouble is truly recent, and worked fine before, you can try using WinMe's System Restore feature (details are in Help & Support) to a restore point from before text started it's disappearing act]

Best of luck
. . . Gary

[COOLBRITANNIA]

Thank you very much for your advice, Gary and TwoRails. As suggested by Gary, I have tried to print text in a different colour. I can print text, from Word, in different colours. I have cleaned the ink nozzles twice, as suggested, but still cannot print black text. I will install a new black ink cartridge, and see if this solves the problem. I will let you know of the outcome.