L7780's ADF won't create 8 page pdf files and it has lousy ink cartridge & printhead yields [ Edited ]

[Rick800]

I have an HP L7780 all-in-one printer with an automatic document feeder (ADF).  The unit was purchased new in March of 2008 and has firmware version R2004NxNxeN.

The HP L7780 will successfully scan as many pages as I want into one pdf file IF I load each page on the scanner glass instead of using the automatic document feeder (ADF). I've tried multiple times to scan an 8 page original using the ADF with the same result every time - an error message which reads

"format error: not a PDF or corrupted"

So I took the last page out of the deck and scanned 7 pages again using the ADF - that worked successfully.  So I substituted a different original in place of the last page so I had the 7 original pages plus a different eighth page - that got the error message again.  Then I added a ninth page and guess what - it scanned successfully using the ADF!  Last, I took eight new pages that came right out of the printer so they were in pristine condition and used the ADF and got the error message again.  Last I took my original 8 page set of originals and added the second set of 8 page originals for a 16 page document and used the ADF and it successfully scanned it into a pdf document. I also successfully made a half dozen 2 page pdf files using the ADF.

Has anyone else noticed this problem and if so did you find a cure?

Second issue: lousy printhead longevity. I'm on my 2nd set of printheads with only 3500 copies made so far and I'm having problems with horizontal white lines again which suggests at least one of them needs replacing again.  I ran the printhead cleaning, align printhead and linefeed calibration procedures with zero success - I still have the white lines running horizontally through the copies.  According to the HP website I saw before buying, a printhead is suppose to be good for 41,500 copies.What are other people seeing for printhead longevity?

Third issue: incredibly high ink usage.  While the HP webpage for the ink cartridges claims that each black 88XL cartridge is suppose to have a yield of 2450 pages, I'm on my 5thgenuine HP 88XL cartridge.  Of the 3500 pages I've printed so far maybe 200 of them were in color.  I've enabled the print all text in black option in the advanced preferences.  What are other people seeing for black 88XLcartridge yield?

At the rate this thing is burning through supplies it's the most expensive to operate printer I've ever owned.

Message Edited by Rick800 on 01-21-2009 09:07 PM

[fwelland]

whoa!

I just posted a thread about corrupted PDFs from an L7780....I am getting the same error you are!!!

AND  my original is 8 pages!    AND on Monday (3/9) & Tuesday (3/10) I had done some fairly heavy scans to PDF via ADF    (52 pages, dbl sided for 104 pages total)    in one BATCH  - it worked OK (not perfect -- but not too bad)...

I am stumped on THIS TO -- ABSULTELY REDICULOUS.    Any luck with a work around or fix???   (yep I will test do a 7 page followed by a 1 page to get me over the hump -- But still.....)

 FWIW:  I don't have my firmware to report -- but I do know my unit is older (I think I got it about Father's day of 2007)  than yours and the latest firmeware on HP site is newer than what I have...But the flasher program doesn't work  (yet another issue)....

AND

I have about 11,000 pages on my l7780  and I have gone thru many many cartriges -- but still have same print heads.   So I agree about the ink issue...but I am good with the print heads.   

Love to know if you have a resolution for the 8 page issue?

[Rick800]

The problem I was having with the ADF not wanting to create 8 page pdf files was on my first no charge warranty replacement printer that HP sent me about 6 months after I bought the first unit back in March of 2008 - again because of printhead problems.  Because of the ADF and printhead problems on the first total replacment unit HP sent me a second total replacement unit.  The ADF mechanism on the second total replacement unit didn't work at all so they sent me a third total replacement which cured the ADF 8 page pdf problem as well as the printhead problem - at least so far. This latest unit has firmware versionR200NxNxeN0

Another big improvement I noticed with both the second and third total replacement units is the very shortened startup time. The original L7780 and the first total replacement units took 3 to 5 MINUTES to go through their startup gyrations before they were operational.  The second and third units took lest than a minute!

[fwelland]

wow -- i guess you are (sorta) lucky -- you've gotten replacements and now the only issue you have is the thing seems to eat ink........(maybe par for the course....seems all printer manu like to make $$$ on ink).   I say 'sorta' -- cause you shouldn't have gotten a bum unit to start with...

Alas I am out of warranty from HP -- but I might have bought a extended warranty on the unit...(I have had 2 other HP AIOs and actually needed the extended warranty -- on both---hmmmm)..

Interesting to note -- my unit does take 3-5 minutes to start...

Do you know if there was some sort of service buletin (bug id) on 8 page issue?     Or something I could use as info on that issue when I communicate with HP about this...

thanks for your info....

[Rick800]

Nobody at HP I've spoken to - and that's a lot of peope over the last year - ever admitted to having heard of the ADF 8 page problem.

[andy_h90]

Just had exactly the same problem.

Scanned in a single page test document 9 times with different settings (light/dark, DPI,  format) and all worked fine.

Got the 8 page document, scanned in each page one by one worked fine.

Scanned page 1, 12, 123, 1234, 12345, 123456, 1234567 worked fine.

12345678 nope.

Added a blank page to the end (now nine pages) and worked fine.

Thanks guys, was about to pull my hair out!!

Sorry HP but this is a real bug.

HP Officejet Pro L17700 Series

Product Model Number:  CB039A

Firmware:  R0040xxNxeN0

Regards

Andy

[CouvBorn]

for the 8 page pdf problem, if you haven't updated your firmware to the latest version available, I'd suggest you get the firmware update and apply it.  I believe this problem is corrected with the latest update.

here's the link for the L7780:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareDownloadIndex?softwareitem=mp-62339-2&lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&...

good luck. please reply to the thread with your results so others in the forum community can benefit from your experience.

[fwelland]

that would be great --- if the firm ware would install.  

I have tried numerous times and the flasher program refuses to locate my printer...

any hints...

[CouvBorn]

How is your PC connected to the L7780? 

if you're connected via wireless, I'd suggest temporarily switching to either a wired ethernet connection, or USB.  And I would use the USB port on the back of the unit, not the port on the front of the unit.

if you are connected via ethernet, try temporarily disabling your firewall.

also, there are some specific directions on the firmware download page that talk about what to do if your printer isn't detected. They are kinda hidden, so maybe you haven't seen them (click on the "View directions" link at the top of the page under the "download only" button ), have you tried that?

[fwelland]

Hi,

Well I tried wireless (where the XP workstation I was on was wireless to an AP and my l7780 was wireless to the same AP), but then realized that was silly.  

So I tried wired  and strung a wire from the l7780 to the router (which is/was also the WAP)  and tried that.  

I am pretty sure I even strung a wire from my XP workstation to the same router (so wired all the way thru to L7780). 

None of that worked -- the firm ware program said it couldn't find the printer

On the same work station, I could print and otherwise connect to the web application built into the printer   (I believe this to be the cass in all three tries from above).   

I don't have a firewall installed on my XP workstation (nor did I have a virus checker) and I don't have any of the built-in XP firewal stuff turned on.

At some point, I also did a usb cable to the back of the printer  (never thought about using the USB port on the front i assumed that was only for flash memory drives)   -- same thing, can't find printer.   

I don't recall reviewing the directions you sent out, but I do recall using the 'Find Printer' button repeatedly -- with no luck.    I recall using this button on almost ever try listed above...

maybe there is something else going on... 

any further thought would be much appreciated....