printer burning up usb cable?

Sweed · 06-03-2010, 04:29 PM

Looking for a little help with an issue I had come up this morning. I was scanning and copying some photos, with a Dell AIO 926, to my computer to email to my son.

Last night I scanned approx. 10-15 photos with no issue and sent them. This a.m. I started scanning some more and after 2 or 3 I got a message the computer couldn't communicate with the printer with a list of things to check(no photos would scan, also couldn't print any thing).
To make a long story short after troubleshooting it turned out to be the usb cable from printer to computer. I found this by replacing mine with the cable from my wife's printer. All is well I finish the photos and send them.

This afternoon I found a few more to send and started scanning. After two pictures I get the same computer can't communicate with the printer message, wtf? Two usb cables going to pot while scanning pictures?

Any thoughts on what the hell is going on? Printer itself going to hell? Something with a usb port?

Thanks.

Doug5984 · 06-03-2010, 04:32 PM

Did you put your non-working USB cable on your wifes printer to make sure it was fried? (I have no real computer trouble shooting experience but I'd try that to make sure it's killing the cables if that's possible)

Sun Tzu · 06-03-2010, 04:34 PM

Hmm...Sweed. I would try connecting the printer to your wifes computer, as well as the option Doug proposed. It sounds like it could just be a driver issue with your computer. I've never heard of a printer burning up a cable before, let alone two in short time.

Alan T · 06-03-2010, 04:37 PM

Unless you have the cable in a poor placement that could put it at risk of being cut/broken/bent/whatever usually the cable itself doesn't just go bad like that. If it is not being bitten by a pet or being poked by some nail or cut by something sharp, it probably is not the cable itself. Usually if/when they do go bad it is either because they are poorly designed and the connector parts are not making clean contact, so if you have to jam it into your device or force it in, that is a possible issue, or you could have broken the adapter on them. That usually doesn't have extra strain however simply from printing though.

I would do as Doug suggested and test the cable on a different system and see if it works still. USB cables if bad aren't going to work on and off (unless you have a bad connection on them and they are getting wiggled/moved). If the cables are constantly having problems, see what happens if you replace the cable with the original again. If it suddenly starts working once more, you probably have some software driver issue possibly instead and simply unplugging and plugging back in the cable might be resetting the adapter perhaps.

Sweed · 06-03-2010, 04:48 PM

Thanks guys for the advice. Hadn't thought of trying my wife's printer to check the cables. Should have but didn't

I'll give these a shot if time permits tonight. Kind of pressed for time as we're getting ready to leave for my son's wedding. He's getting married Saturday and the pictures were for something he and his fiance were preparing to use at the reception.

Thanks again.

MizzouRah · 06-03-2010, 06:09 PM

Sounds like something funky with your printer and switching the cables "reconnected" the printer to your pc.

OldGiants · 06-05-2010, 11:44 AM

Is the printer a Sabre?

06-03-2010, 04:34 PM	#3
Sun Tzu Pro Starter Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: In the thick of it.	Hmm...Sweed. I would try connecting the printer to your wifes computer, as well as the option Doug proposed. It sounds like it could just be a driver issue with your computer. I've never heard of a printer burning up a cable before, let alone two in short time. __________________ I'm still here. Don't touch my fucking bacon.

06-03-2010, 04:37 PM	#4
Alan T Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mass.	Unless you have the cable in a poor placement that could put it at risk of being cut/broken/bent/whatever usually the cable itself doesn't just go bad like that. If it is not being bitten by a pet or being poked by some nail or cut by something sharp, it probably is not the cable itself. Usually if/when they do go bad it is either because they are poorly designed and the connector parts are not making clean contact, so if you have to jam it into your device or force it in, that is a possible issue, or you could have broken the adapter on them. That usually doesn't have extra strain however simply from printing though. I would do as Doug suggested and test the cable on a different system and see if it works still. USB cables if bad aren't going to work on and off (unless you have a bad connection on them and they are getting wiggled/moved). If the cables are constantly having problems, see what happens if you replace the cable with the original again. If it suddenly starts working once more, you probably have some software driver issue possibly instead and simply unplugging and plugging back in the cable might be resetting the adapter perhaps. __________________ Couch to ??k - From the couch to a Marathon in roughly 18 months.

06-05-2010, 11:44 AM	#7
OldGiants College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Location, Location, Location	Is the printer a Sabre? __________________ "The case of Great Britain is the most astonishing in this matter of inequality of rights in world soccer championships. The way they explained it to me as a child, God is one but He's three: Father, Son and Holy Ghost. I could never understand it. And I still don't understand why Great Britain is one but she's four....while [others] continue to be no more than one despite the diverse nationalities that make them up." Eduardo Galeano, SOCCER IN SUN AND SHADOW

06-03-2010, 04:32 PM	#2
Doug5984 College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Louisiana	Did you put your non-working USB cable on your wifes printer to make sure it was fried? (I have no real computer trouble shooting experience but I'd try that to make sure it's killing the cables if that's possible)

06-03-2010, 04:48 PM	#5
Sweed College Benchwarmer Join Date: Oct 2003	Thanks guys for the advice. Hadn't thought of trying my wife's printer to check the cables. Should have but didn't I'll give these a shot if time permits tonight. Kind of pressed for time as we're getting ready to leave for my son's wedding. He's getting married Saturday and the pictures were for something he and his fiance were preparing to use at the reception. Thanks again.

06-03-2010, 06:09 PM	#6
MizzouRah Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Troy, Mo	Sounds like something funky with your printer and switching the cables "reconnected" the printer to your pc.

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