# Dell A940 Printer not printing



## Gone2Kiev (Dec 13, 2009)

I have Dell computer, Windows XP 98 Home Edition and A940 printer, circa 2002. The printer stopped printing, and also won't copy. There have been no error messages and the printer shows that the cartridges are almost full. Through printer troubleshooting I was able to print out a complete test page and black and color printing was fine. I have turned the printer off, unplugged it totally, waited, put it all back together, taken out and replaced the printer cartridges, run a test alignment which was partially successful, but then it wont copy a page I put on the screen, or print a document. I uninstalled the printer and reinstalled it, turning everything off as necessary. The printer "thinks" it's printing out but the pages are blank....and yet that troubleshooting test page was fine. I am using a refilled Series 2 black cartridge and an original Dell color cartridge. Any ideas?


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## alfredjr18 (Dec 15, 2009)

I can think of two things. One, did you remove the sticker on the
air hole of the cartridge. Yellow usually. If not probably a dried cartridge
or a clogged cartridge. There is a youtube video here
http://www.youtube.com/printcountry#p/u or you can use this
http://www.printcountry.com/troubleshooting-guide.asp to help you.


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## Gone2Kiev (Dec 13, 2009)

Thanks for your suggestion. I shall check out the youtube video's you mentioned. In the meantime a friend ran a test and was able to print out in red, so he suggested that I replace the black cartridge - the one that had been refilled. I went to Staples, bought a new Dell cartridge, and now my printer works fine. I spent more than 3 hours trying to get my printer to work and it turned out to be the cartridge! I hadnt thought it would be that because I was able to print out the Dell troubleshooting test page in color and black without problems. 
I have not had much luck using refilled cartridges. On some occasions they work fine, some they work for a while, and some wont even work to print one page. Guess I shall stick with Dell cartridges from now on and accept that I have to pay 3 times as much...$32.


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## alfredjr18 (Dec 15, 2009)

Good to hear that good luck..:wave:


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## bryanwheeler1 (Jan 11, 2010)

This is the problem with the refilled cartridges which i always seen.There is no guarantee on refilled cartridges that for how much time it will work.Some time it will work for a month or some time dried in three or four days.
So it is a better decision to go for an OEM cartridge.


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## oscer1 (Jan 27, 2010)

i have same printer, bought refill ones, same problem thats why i will never buy refils agian. found that out the hard way. the printer itself is a great printer.


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