Manual Feed Tray prompting after migrating printer to new server

[jfdpratt]

We had this LaserJet M604 on a 2008 print server that we are phasing out of service.  In doing so we have migrated all of our printers over to a new 2016 server.  So far all of our printers have been fine, however this one is giving us issues and I'm not sure what else to try.

When I moved it to the new server I updated the driver from the "HP Universal Printer PCL 6" driver to the downloaded "HP LaserJet M604 PCL 6" driver.  As soon as we tried to print envelopes to the installed Envelope Feeder, we get a prompt each time on the printer asking us to Manually Load Tray 1, or press OK.  As soon as we press OK it prints from the Envelope Feeder.  This was not the case when the printer was on the 2008 server.

I rolled the drier back on the 2016 server to the same driver on the 2008 server, and we still had the same issue.  I also updated the firmware on the printer to the most current version.  Since we still have the 2008 server in production, I have reverted this department back to that server and everything is working fine.  I need to get this resolved so that I can shut down the old server.

We have rebooted the computer, printer, and print server with no change.  We have also went through tab by tab to see if there were any setting changes between the two drivers, and there were none.  I don't know what would enable the printer to start asking for us to manually feed something when the Envelope Feeder is there and full.   I even removed the Feeder and use the Tray 1 Manual Feed tray and received the same prompt result.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[jfdpratt]

I have been reading about this off and on, and I still can't find anything that I haven't already tried.  I performed a Factory Reset on the Printer thinking that maybe it was related to a printer setting. . . Still not change.

[dansdaduk]

>> ... to Manually Load Tray 1, or press OK ...

Is this the exact message?

I'd have expected it to include reference to a paper size and paper type.

If so, what are those values?

Do these attributes correspond to what the printer thinks is in the envelope feeder?

I don't have access to a LJ M604 printer, and none of my printers have an Envelope Feeder accessory, so I don't know what settings (in terms of size and type) are available for this input source.

For comparison, this is the Paper Setup page on the Embedded Web Server of a LJ M475dn:

... and this is the equivalent Manage Trays dialogue on a PageWide x556h printer:

[jfdpratt]

When I try and print an envelope it displays Manually feed: Tray 1 on the screen, then cycles to Manually fee: Plain, Env#10.

I have not made any changes to the printer during this process since it worked with the old server.  Here are the settings in the printer for the Trays and Paper.

[dansdaduk]

I'm not quite sure (as your picture is somewhat blurred) but it appears that you have configured all of the cassette trays, and the envelope feeder, with the blanket "Any Size", "Any Type" settings.

Perhaps you should try configuring each of the trays to represent what they actually contain.

In particular (given the prompt you receive) configure the envelope feeder to contain paper size = Envelope #10 and paper type = Plain.

[jfdpratt]

If you open the attached image in a new tab it opens full screen, and isn't blurry.  All of the trays are currently set as default, but I have tried setting the Envelop Feeder and Tray 1 for Envelope #10, Tray 2 as Letter, and I got the same response.  I even tried using Tray 1/Maual Feed with Envelopes and I get the same response.

I have tried multiple settings in the driver as well with no change.  I need to start noting what I change so I don't get carried away with things.

[dansdaduk]

>> ... If you open the attached image in a new tab it opens full screen, and isn't blurry ...

I tried that and it was still blurry.

But i've just tried it again, and it's now clear!

>> ... All of the trays are currently set as default, but I have tried setting the Envelop Feeder and Tray 1 for Envelope #10, Tray 2 as Letter, and I got the same response ...

I'd start by setting unique (but representative) size and type attributes for each of the paper sources; for example:

• Envelope feeder: size = Envelope #10 and type = Plain to match what it appears (from your prompt) the print job is requesting.
• Tray 1 (the drop-own tray): size = Any and type = Any, although it might be worth (temporarily) setting something like size = A5 (or soime other size you will not be using).
• Tray 2: the size (other than Any) should be detected automatically via the paper size sensors in the tray) - set it to the loaded paper size (e.g. A4 or Letter); set the type to Plain (or perhaps Letterhead if it is preprinted media).

Of course, it's possible that the appliction and/or printer driver settings on your workstation is (for some as yet unknown reason) explicitly requesting "manual feed", or selecting the paper source explicitly (rather than, or in addition to, using size and type attributes).

To check exactly what paper source is being selected, you'd need to 'capture' a small sample print job.

On a Windows 10 system, you'd do this by selecting the 'print to file' option in the Print dialogue (although i'm unsure just what complications the "server" element might introduce).

Then 'analyse' the content of the resultant .prn file to see just what the printer is being asked to do.

The PRN File Analyse tool in the PCL Paraphernalia application, available via http://www.pclparaphernalia.eu can assist with this analysis.

[jfdpratt]

I set each tray up like suggested, and I received the same result.  If I have time today I'm thinking of installing the printer locally on their computer, and seeing if I get the same result.  At least that way I can take the server out of the equation.  

[jfdpratt]

I finally had some time today, so I revisited this issue.  For the life of me I can not figure out what the deal is.

I have one on a print server running Server 2008, with the HP Universal Printer PCL 6 driver.  It works, with no issues.

I have one on a print server running Server 2016, with the HP Universal Printer PCL 6 driver as well as the HP Laserjet M604 PCL 6 printer driver, and neither will work.

I have installed the printer locally with both the HP Universal Printer PCL6 and HP Laserjet M604 drivers, and it will not print either. 

I'm assuming it has to be a setting in the printer driver at this point, so I matched the settings from the 2008 server to the local installation, and it still does not work.  I'm getting the error to load tray one on the printer, and on the computer I get a pop up that says the printer is out of paper.

[dansdaduk]

Until we know just what selection attributes (in terms of paper size, type & source) the driver is including in the print job, I don't think that I can offer any more relevant advice.

If we knew for certain what those attributes are, we may (but, of course, may not) be able to work backwards from there to work out what may be happening.

I explained how you might be able to get this information in a previous response:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

To check exactly what paper source is being selected, you'd need to 'capture' a small sample print job.

On a Windows 10 system, you'd do this by selecting the 'print to file' option in the Print dialogue (although i'm unsure just what complications the "server" element might introduce).

Then 'analyse' the content of the resultant .prn file to see just what the printer is being asked to do.

The PRN File Analyse tool in the PCL Paraphernalia application, available via http://www.pclparaphernalia.eu can assist with this analysis.

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