Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!cmcl2!sbcs!eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu!mfader
From: mfader@eeserv1.ic.sunysb.edu (Michael Fader)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.misc
Subject: Re: Printer on drugs
Message-ID: <1991Feb24.020136.26512@sbcs.sunysb.edu>
Date: 24 Feb 91 02:01:36 GMT
References: <91052.113934U33695@uicvm.uic.edu>
Sender: usenet@sbcs.sunysb.edu (Usenet poster)
Organization: State University of New York at Stony Brook
Lines: 27

In article <91052.113934U33695@uicvm.uic.edu> U33695@uicvm.uic.edu (John Walsh) writes:
>
>
>I have a Mac 512E (upgraded to 2 meg with a Dove upgrade), hooked to an Epson
>LX-800 with a Grappler cable.  Every once and a while (say, every few months),
>the printer starts to produce gibberish (lots of weird characters, page feeds,
>most anything but the text I'm trying to print). I've tried checking cables,
>turning the machine on and off, and most everything I can think of. This goes
>on for several days/weeks, until one day it stops Has anyone had this problem?
>I had similar problems with an ImagewriterI I had before. Does anyone know how
>to fix it?

Sounds like the famous Imagewriter hex dump problem (still occurs with the
Imagewriter II). Try this (Imagewriter users -- take careful note of #4):

	1)  Replace your printer driver with a fresh copy.
	2)  Use the Chooser and check your printer selection.
	3)  Boot your system from an init-free disk, if possible.
	4)  Turn on your printer AFTER starting up your Mac; preferably, don't
	    turn on the printer until AFTER starting your word processor.

You said that you tried turning the printer on and off; I don't know about the
Epson, but turning on and off the Imagewriter II doesn't always cause a full
reset.  If your printer is already on, turn it off and wait at least 30 seconds
before turning it back on.

Hope that helps.