Category Archives: Printer Repair

HP Printer Security: How Secure is Your Printer’s Hard Drive?

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HP Printer Security

HP Printer Security: HP Secure Erase for Imaging and Printing

HP Printer Security: To meet the needs for higher levels of print and imaging security, Hewlett-Packard created HP Secure Erase technology for Imaging and Printing. This capability allows the administrator to select how data is erased from storage devices, including print, scan, fax, and copy jobs.

Several levels of erase security are provided. The capability is provided as a standard feature on supported HP multifunction peripherals (MFPs), digital copiers, and printers when used with HP’s Web Jetadmin (available separately).

HP Secure Erase technology provides a choice of three different modes of erase security, each of which can be configured by an administrator and may be protected from unauthorized changes with a password. The three erase security modes are:

• Secure Sanitizing Erase mode: Conforms to the U.S. Department of Defense 5220-22.M specification for deleting magnetically stored data. Secure Sanitizing Erase uses multiple data overwrites to eliminate trace magnetic data and also prevents subsequent analysis of the hard disk drive’s physical platters for the retrieval of data.

• Secure Fast Erase mode: This mode completes the erasure faster than Secure Sanitize mode. Secure Fast Erase mode overwrites the existing data once, and prevents software-based “undelete” operations on the data.

• Non-secure Fast Erase mode: The quickest of the three erasing modes, , Non-secure Fast Erase mode marks the print job data as deleted, and allows the MFP’s operating system to reclaim and subsequently overwrite the data when needed.

HP Secure Erase technology is applied in two different ways to remove data from storage devices.

• Secure File Erase erases files on a continuous basis as soon as they are no longer needed to perform the requested function.

• Secure Storage Erase removes all non-essential data from storage devices in a manor consistent with preparation for decommissioning or redeployment. This operation can be initiated on demand or scheduled for a later date and time.

Download the HP Disk Erase White Paper

HP Printer Support: HP LaserJet Printers Could Let Hackers In

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HP LaserJet Printers Security Risk
HP Printer Support: HP Security Warning / Printer Vulnerability

HP has issued an urgent support notification to HP LaserJet printer owners warning of a vulnerability that could allow hackers unauthorized access to 50 printer models.

HP says that no reports have been made of the affected laserjet printers being accessed through the vulnerability, but has posted a web page with the list of affected printers and instructions for fixing the bug.

The company offered little details about the vulnerability, which makes it possible to remotely install unauthorized printer firmware on the affected LaserJet printers “on a public Internet without a firewall, or for LaserJet printers in a private network, if a malicious effort is made by a party on the private network to modify the firmware of the device.”

Some of the affected LaserJet printers require a firmware update that implements code signing to verify that firmware updates are properly signed and not malicious, while other devices on the list do not appear to require this step.

All of the printers should have their Remote Firmware Update capability disabled, though for some LaserJet printers, this appears to require yet another separate firmware update HP is providing that allows the function to be turned off.

LaserJet printer owners should check out HP’s list of affected printers and security bulletin, and if the process of applying the fix proves too complicated, contact US Laser, Inc. at 888-875-1737 or service@uslaserinc.com.

Printer Repair: HP P4014, P4015 and P4515 Upgrading Performance

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Printer Repair: HP P4014, P4015 and P4515 (Firmware / Formatter)

HP p4014, p4015 and p4515 Printer Repair

HP p4014, p4015 and p4515 Laser Printer Problems:

  1. When printing envelopes, toner does not always fuse correctly which results in either smearing or the toner flaking off the envelopes.
  2. When printing from trays 2, 3 or 4 the control panel reads “processing”.  However, the printer does not pick up the paper or complete the job. The display will return to a “ready” status.  No error is displayed or generated in the event log.
  3. When the printer displays “perform printer maintenance”, the option to reset the error is not available.


Solution: To resolve these issues you will need to upgrade your firmware to the level of 4.060.7 or higher to correct these problems.

Firmware / Performance Upgrade:
US Laser, Inc. offers a replacement formatter that has the latest firmware.  Replacing the formatter will resolve the above issues and upgrade your p4014 or p4015 to a 4515 printer capable of printing at 62 pages per minute!

HP p4014, p4015 and p4515 Formatter Replacement Instructions:
This is a plug and play upgrade that will resolve the above issues and can increase your printers speed.

  1. Remove the formatter cage
  2. Move any memory modules over to the new formatter
  3. Install the new formatter

 

Our printer repair technicians can walk you through this process if you purchase the formatter from US Laser, Inc.  Call 888-875-1737 for help with installing your new formatter.

Important differences between the HP p4014, p4015 and p4515:

  • HP p4014 printer does not support the use of the high yield toner cartridge.  The high yield toner will not fit into the p4014 .
  • The p4015 / p4515 models have a numerical keypad.
  • Print speed: the P4014, is rated at 45 pages per minute. The P4015 at 52 pages per minute and the P4515 at 62 pages per minute.

 

Printer Repair Tip: Is your toner defective?

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Printer Repair: “Half Cycle Test” troubleshoot defective toner / image defects

Trouble Shooting Printer Image Defects

The “half cycle test is the best printer repair tools for determining if you have a defective toner or other image quality issues within your laser printer.  A half cycle test is basically stopping a print job in various areas of the print cycle.  Inspecting the print at different points of the print cycle helps to eliminate possible causes for the problem.

Before even attempting this test inspect the toner cartridge for obvious defects.  Open the flap on the toner cartridge and inspect the drum surface. If the drum itself appears to be damaged the toner cartridge is probably bad.

How to Perform a “Half Cycle Test”:
From the control panel, print a test page using the manual tray.  As you hear the print job make it’s way through the printer open the top cover to stop the printer.  Remove the print job and examine the paper at different stages in printing (stop print job before the page goes into the fuser assembly). If it’s good before entering the fuser, the fuser is probably bad. If it’s bad on the paper but good on the drum, the issue is either the transfer roller or high voltage power supply. If it’s bad on the drum it is probably the toner cartridge but in a rare case could be the formatter or scanner assembly.

Tips:

  • It may take several tries to get the print job to stop in the correct spot.
  • Opening the printer during the print cycle will cause a paper jam.
  • Remove the paper with care to not damage other components of the printer.
  • The toner will not be fused to the paper when you remove it, therefore this can get messy.

For assistance use our Printer Service Request Form, call 888-875-1737 or email service@uslaserinc.com.