Troubleshooting

Verify your printer is compatible with your computer.

The printer supports Windows Vista™, Windows^® XP, and Windows 2000 only.

Windows ME, Windows 98, and Windows 95 are not supported by this printer.

Make sure you turned on both your printer and your computer.

Check the USB cable.

• Ensure the USB cable is firmly connected to your printer and your computer.

• Shut down the computer, reconnect the USB cable as shown on the Setting Up Your Printer poster, and then restart the computer.

If the software installation screen does not appear automatically, install the software manually.

1. Insert the Drivers and Utilities CD.

2. In Windows Vista, click ® Computer.

   In Windows XP, click Start® My Computer.

   In Windows 2000, double-click My Computer from your desktop.

3. Double-click the CD-ROM drive icon, and then double-click setup.exe.

4. When the printer software installation screen appears, click Using a USB cable or Using a wireless network.

5. Follow the instructions on your screen to complete the installation.

Determine if the printer software is installed.

In Windows Vista:

1. Click ® Programs.

2. Click Dell Printers.

In Windows XP and Windows 2000:

Click Start® Programs or All Programs® Dell Printers® Dell 968 AIO Printer.

If the printer does not appear in the list of printers, the printer software is not installed. Install the printer software. For more information, see Removing and Reinstalling Software.

Correct communication problems between the printer and the computer.

• Remove the USB cable from your printer and your computer. Reconnect the USB cable to your printer and your computer.

• Turn off the printer. Unplug the printer power cable from the electrical outlet. Reconnect the printer power cable into the electrical outlet, and turn on the printer.

• Restart your computer.

Set your printer as the default printer.

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Control Panel.

   2. Click Hardware and Sound.

   3. Click Printers.

   In Windows XP, click Start® Control Panel® Printers and Other Hardware® Printers and Faxes.

   In Windows 2000, click Start® Settings® Printers.

2. Right-click the Dell 968 AIO Printer icon.

3. Select Set as Default Printer.

Printer won't print and print jobs are stuck in the print queue.

Check for multiple instances of the printer installed on your computer.

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Control Panel.

   2. Click Hardware and Sound.

   3. Click Printers.

   In Windows XP, click Start® Control Panel® Printers and Other Hardware® Printers and Faxes.

   In Windows 2000, click Start® Settings® Printers.

2. Check for multiple objects for your printer.

3. Print a job to each of these print objects to see which printer is active.

4. Set that print object as the default printer:

   1. Right-click the Dell 968 AIO Printer icon.

   2. Click Set as Default Printer.

5. Delete the other copies of the print object by right-clicking the printer name and selecting Delete.

   To prevent multiple instances of the printer in your Printers folder, make sure you always plug the USB cable back into the same USB port that was originally used for the printer. Also, do not install printer drivers multiple times from the Drivers and Utilities CD.

Ensure the printer power cable is firmly connected to the printer and the electrical outlet.

Determine if the printer has been held or paused.

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Control Panel.

   2. Click Hardware and Sound.

   3. Click Printers.

   In Windows XP, click Start® Control Panel® Printers and Other Hardware® Printers and Faxes.

   In Windows 2000, click Start® Settings® Printers.

2. Right-click the Dell 968 AIO Printer icon.

3. Make sure Pause Printing is not selected. If Pause Printing is selected, click it to clear the option.

Check for blinking lights on the printer.

For more information, see Error Messages.

Ensure you installed the ink cartridges correctly and removed the sticker and tape from each cartridge.

Make sure you loaded the paper correctly.

For more information, see Loading Paper.

Make sure the printer is not connected to a PictBridge-enabled camera.

For more information, see Printing Photos From a PictBridge-Enabled Camera.

Make sure you loaded the paper correctly.

For more information, see Loading Paper.

Use only paper recommended for your printer.

For more information, see Print Media Guidelines.

Use a smaller amount of paper when printing multiple pages.

For more information, see Print Media Guidelines.

Make sure the paper is not wrinkled, torn, or damaged.

Check for a paper jam.

If the paper jam is near the paper input tray:

1. Remove the paper tray.

   

2. Pull firmly on the paper to remove it.

3. Replace the paper tray.

   

4. Press the Select button .

5. Resend your print job to print any missing pages.

If the paper jam is not visible:

1. Turn off the printer.

2. Lift the scanner base unit.

   

3. Firmly grasp the paper, and gently pull it from the printer.

4. Close the scanner base unit.

5. Turn on the printer, and print the document again.

If the jam is located in the duplex unit or near the rear access door:

1. If you have a duplex unit, remove it.

   

2. Open the rear access door.

3. Firmly grasp the paper, and gently pull it from the printer.

4. Close the rear access door.

5. Reinstall the duplex unit.

6. Press the Select button to continue printing.

If the paper jam occurs near the ADF:

1. Lift the ADF cover located to the left of the ADF input tray.

   

2. Firmly grasp the paper, and then gently pull it from the printer.

3. Close the ADF cover.

   

4. Press the Select button .

5. Resend your print job to print any missing pages.

Check the ink levels, and install new print cartridges if necessary.

For more information, see Replacing Ink Cartridges.

Make sure you remove individual sheets from the paper exit tray.

To avoid ink smudging when you are using the following media, remove each sheet as it exits, and allow it to dry:

• Photo paper

• Glossy paper

• Transparency

• Labels

• Envelopes

• Iron-on transfers

Extend dry time when duplexing print jobs

If ink is smeared on the bottom of the pages of your duplex print jobs, extend the time for the printed side to dry before the duplex unit feeds the paper back into the printer, and prints on the other side.

NOTE: You will need to wait a few seconds longer for your duplex print jobs to finish if you turn this feature on.

To make this feature a default for all duplex print jobs:

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Control Panel.

   2. Click Hardware and Sound.

   3. Click Printers.

   In Windows XP, click Start® Control Panel® Printers and Other Hardware® Printers and Faxes.

   In Windows 2000, click Start® Settings® Printers.

2. Right-click the Dell 968 AIO Printer icon.

3. Select Printing Preferences.

   The Printing Preferences dialog box opens.

4. Click the Advanced tab.

5. From the 2-Sided Printing area, select Extend dry time.

6. Click OK.

To apply this feature to your current duplex print job only:

1. With your document open, click File® Print.

   The Print dialog box opens.

2. Click Preferences, Properties, Options, or Setup (depending on the program or operating system).

   The Printing Preferences dialog box opens.

3. Click the Advanced tab.

4. From the 2-Sided Printing area, select Extend dry time.

5. Click OK.

Free up memory resources on your computer when print speed is slow

• Close all applications not in use.

• Try minimizing the number and size of graphics and images in your document.

• Consider purchasing more Random Access Memory (RAM) for your computer.

• Remove fonts that you rarely use from your system.

• Uninstall the printer software, and then reinstall it. For more information, see Removing and Reinstalling Software.

• Select a lower print quality from the Printing Preferences dialog box.

Make sure you loaded the paper correctly.

For more information, see Loading Paper.

Check for blinking lights or error messages on the printer.

For more information, see Error Messages.

Make sure the scanner glass is clean.

Gently wipe the scanner glass as well as the thin strip of glass beside it with a clean, lint-free cloth dampened with water.

Remove image patterns from magazines or newspapers.

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Programs.

   2. Click Dell Printers.

   3. Click Dell 968 AIO Printer.

   In Windows XP or Windows 2000:

   Click Start® Programs or All Programs® Dell Printers® Dell 968 AIO Printer.

2. Select Dell All-In-One Center.

   The Dell All-In-One Center opens.

3. Click See More Copy Settings, and then click Advanced.

   The Advanced Copy Settings dialog box opens.

4. From the Image Patterns tab, select Remove image patterns from magazine/newspaper (descreen), and then click OK.

5. Click Copy Now.

Make sure the document or photo is loaded correctly on the scanner glass or into the Automatic Document Feeder.

For more information, see Loading Original Documents.

Check paper sizes.

Make sure the paper size being used matches the size you selected on the operator panel or the Dell All-In-One Center.

Check for blinking lights and error messages on the printer.

For more information, see Error Messages.

Check the USB cable.

• Ensure the USB cable is firmly connected to your printer and your computer.

• Shut down the computer, reconnect the USB cable as shown on the Setting Up Your Printer poster, and then restart the computer.

Determine if the printer software is installed.

In Windows Vista:

1. Click ® Programs.

2. Click Dell Printers.

In Windows XP or Windows 2000:

Click Start® Programs or All Programs® Dell Printers® Dell 968 AIO Printer.

If the printer does not appear in the list of printers, the printer software is not installed. Install the printer software. For more information, see Removing and Reinstalling Software.

Correct communication problems between the printer and the computer.

• Remove and then reconnect the USB cable from your printer and your computer.

• Turn off the printer. Unplug the printer power cable from the electrical outlet. Reconnect the printer power cable into the electrical outlet, and turn on the printer.

• Restart your computer.

Change the scan resolution to a lower value if scanning takes too long or freezes the computer.

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Programs.

   2. Click Dell Printers.

   3. Click Dell 968 AIO Printer.

   In Windows XP and Windows 2000:

   Click Start® Programs or All Programs® Dell Printers® Dell 968 AIO Printer.

2. Select Dell All-In-One Center.

   The Dell All-In-One Center opens.

3. Click See More Scan Settings.

4. Select a lower scan resolution from the Select Scan Quality menu.

5. Click Scan Now.

Change the scan resolution to a higher value if the scanned image quality is poor.

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Programs.

   2. Click Dell Printers.

   3. Click Dell 968 AIO Printer.

   In Windows XP and Windows 2000:

   Click Start® Programs or All Programs® Dell Printers® Dell 968 AIO Printer.

2. Select Dell All-In-One Center.

   The Dell All-In-One Center opens.

3. Click See More Scan Settings.

4. Select a higher scan resolution from the Select Scan Quality menu.

5. Click Scan Now.

Remove image patterns from magazines or newspapers.

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Programs.

   2. Click Dell Printers.

   3. Click Dell 968 AIO Printer.

   In Windows XP and Windows 2000:

   Click Start® Programs or All Programs® Dell Printers® Dell 968 AIO Printer.

2. Select Dell All-In-One Center.

   The Dell All-In-One Center opens.

3. Click See More Scan Settings, and then click Advanced.

   The Advanced Scan Settings dialog box opens.

4. From the Image Patterns tab, select Remove image patterns from magazine/newspaper (descreen), and then click OK.

5. Click Scan Now.

Choose another application if scanning to an application fails.

Using the operator panel

1. From the main menu, press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Scan, and then press the Select button .

2. From Scan To, press the left or right Arrow button to choose another application.

Using the computer

1. In Windows Vista:

   1. Click ® Programs.

   2. Click Dell Printers.

   3. Click Dell 968 AIO Printer.

   In Windows XP and Windows 2000:

   Click Start® Programs or All Programs® Dell Printers® Dell 968 AIO Printer.

2. Select Dell All-In-One Center.

   The Dell All-In-One Center opens.

3. From the Send scanned images to: drop-down menu, choose another application.

   NOTE: If the program you want to use is not listed, select Search for more in the drop-down menu. On the next screen, click Add to locate and add your program to the list.

Make sure the document or photo is loaded correctly on the scanner glass or into the ADF.

For more information, see Loading Original Documents.

Make sure the scanner glass is clean.

Gently wipe the scanner glass, as well as the thin strip of glass beside it, with a clean, lint-free cloth dampened with water.

Make sure you turned on both your printer and your computer, and the USB cable is properly inserted.

Ensure the printer is connected to an active analog telephone line.

• When using DSL broadband service, make sure you have a DSL filter installed on your phone cord. Contact your Internet Service Provider for more information.

• Make sure your computer is not connected to the Internet by dial-up modem when trying to fax using your computer modem.

When using an external modem, make sure it is turned on and it is correctly connected to your computer.

When the printer's memory is full, print a fax activity report and resend pages that were not transmitted.

When sending color pages, set the printer to scan the original documents after dialing.

1. From the main menu, press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Fax, and then press the Select button .

2. Press the down Arrow button to scroll to Fax Setup, and then press the Select button .

3. Press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Dialing and Sending, and then press the Select button .

4. Press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Scan, and then press the left or right Arrow button to scroll to After Dial.

5. Press the Back button to save the changes.

   NOTE: This setting is applicable for all subsequent fax jobs.

If caller ID is not working, make sure that you selected the correct Caller ID pattern.

The Caller ID detection pattern is determined by the country or region you selected during initial setup. If phones in your country use two detection patterns, call your telecommunications company to determine which pattern it subscribes to.

1. From the main menu, press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Fax, and then press the Select button .

2. Press the down Arrow button to scroll to Fax Setup, and then press the Select button .

3. Press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Ringing and Answering, and then press the Select button .

4. Press the down Arrow button to scroll to Caller ID pattern, and then press the left or right Arrow button to select an option.

   • Select Pattern 1 if telephones in your country subscribe to a detection pattern using frequency-shift keying (FSK).

   • Select Pattern 2 if telephones in your country subscribe to a detection pattern using dual tone multifrequency (DTMF).

5. Press the Back button .

Set the quality of the outgoing fax to Ultrafine.

1. From the main menu, press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Fax, and then press the Select button .

2. Press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Edit Fax Settings, and then press the Select button .

3. Press the up or down Arrow button to scroll to Quality, and then press the left or right Arrow button to scroll to Ultrafine.

4. Press the Back button .

If the quality of the received fax is still poor, the fax machine at the receiving end may be limiting the fax quality. Any adjustments that you make on your printer do not affect the quality of faxes received at the other end.

Check power

Make sure the printer power light is on.

Check cable

• Make sure the power cable is connected to the printer and to the electrical outlet.

• Make sure the USB cable is not connected.

Check your network connection.

Make sure the printer is connected to a working network connection.

Reboot the computer

Turn off and restart the computer.

Remove and reinstall the network adapter

1. Turn off the printer, and unplug the power cable from the electrical outlet.

2. Grasp the adapter by the side tabs—not the antenna—and pull to remove it. For more information, see Removing and Reinstalling the Adapter.

3. Reinstall the adapter following the installation instructions. For more information, see Installing the Adapter.

Check the network adapter documentation for setup and usage information.

Make sure that the type of memory card you are using can be used in the printer.

For more information, see Printing From a Memory Card or USB Key.

Insert only one memory card at a time.

Insert the memory card until it stops.

The printer will not read the contents of the memory card if it is not properly inserted into the memory card slot.

When printing images from a memory card, make sure the file format of the images is supported by the printer.

Only images in JPEG and a limited set of TIFF formats can be printed directly from the memory card. Only TIFF formats created directly from digital still cameras and not modified by any application are supported. If you want to print photos stored on the memory card in a different file format, the photos must be transferred to your computer before printing.

Make sure the printer is not connected to a PictBridge-enabled camera.

For more information, see Printing Photos From a PictBridge-Enabled Camera.