hp 4250 duplexer installation

[schuberth]

I have several 4250's networked in my office. I recently purchased a used duplexer and hoped that the installation would be easy. I inserted it in the back of one of the printers and then configured the printer screen to "duplexer on" and also configured the printer properties on my PC to "duplexer on". However, this doesn't seem to work. I think that I haven't yet "installed" the duplexer correctly. Do I have to go to the main server and configure the driver there? (which I don't know how to do!)

Thanks for help,

Ken

[Big Al]

Try a cold reset and see if the printer picks it up?

Al

[cs_steve]

2 things:

-- 1st, open up Control Panel, Printers & Faxes, double-click your printer, then click on "Printer" menu, click "Properties", go under the Device Settings tab, and scroll down to "Installable Options" ... change the "Duplex Unit" option to say "Installed".

-- 2nd, make sure that you ordered a 4250 duplexer, not a 4200 duplexer ... they are different!

[mixmaster]

Unless you have a 4250 that has a "D" on the name plate on the front of the printer, you're NEVER going to get that duplexer to work with your printer.

The option for duplexing has two parts to it: the duplexer (which you have) and a bit of coding that enables duplexing within the formatter itself (more importantly, the firmware.)

So, in order to use the duplexer accessory, the printer has to have the option for duplexing enabled. If enabled AND the duplexer is installed, then you can duplex your print jobs.

[redcow]

If you get the option for duplexer on the printer control panel, then the printer should see it.
Print a config page and see if the duplexer is there.
You shouldn't have to load any drivers on the server.
The "d" on the name plate only means that that particular printer was put together and sold with a duplexer.
As far as I know, the firmware is not broken down as far as printer options are concerned. Firmware for a 4250 is the same for all the 4250's.

Just print the config page and see if the duplexer is seen.

Report back

[prntrfxr]

4200 and 4250 duplex units look identical but they dont work that way. Are you getting an error when you install or is it not seeing it completely.

[mixmaster]

Folks,

People seem to think that adding a duplexer to a 4250 is like adding a duplexer to an older LaserJet.

It is not.

The duplexer is NOT AN ACCESSORY for the 4250/4350 and a whole slew of others. You have to BUY a duplex enabled printer.

As I tried to explain before, the printer's firmware has a "switch" in it. This "switch" is either "DUPLEX ENABLED" or "DUPLEX DISABLED". This "switch" is set at the factory, during assembly. That's why I said, unless your printer has a "D" on the nameplate, you are not going to be able to enable duplex on the printer.

With older printers, the LaserJet 4, 5, 4000, 4100, 5000, 5100, just adding a duplexer gave you the ability to duplex. It is no longer that way with printers manufactured the last 2-3 years.

Also, most duplex enabled printers MUST have a set amount of RAM. A base 4250 wouldn't have the amount of RAM to duplex. You would have to add more memory. But that still doesn't help you if the duplex "switch" in firmware hasn't been activated.

Sorry about the bad news.

[cs_steve]

Sorry, mixmaster, you're wrong on this one. ..

HP has not changed the way they handle duplexers...
You can still "plug and play" a duplexer...you do not need a special printer, extra memory or a specific formatter.

In fact I just did this with a 4250 duplexer this morning ...put a 4250 duplexer in a 4250TN model and it worked fine.

[mixmaster]

It's been a while since I worked on these printers so I'll admit that I made a mistake on the 42xx/43xx printer line.

But, I will still point out that without the right amount of memory, the printer will not duplex. You see, the printer must have a RAM disk in order to store both sides of one printed page. The standard amount of RAM for a base 4250 isn't enough to hold all the firmware code, format the print code for a page, store that page AND format the next page of the print job; there just isn't enough memory to handle it all.

With a 4250TN, you have more RAM (64 Mb) than a base LJ4250 (48Mb). By default, a LJ4250tn will have a RAM disk enabled and thus have the memory resources to generate a duplex print job.

Just my experience...if duplex isn't showing up on the configuration page of a printer, it's either that the duplexer isn't working properly or the formatter doesn't have enough memory. Those are the main culprits.

[prntrfxr]

Any 4200/4300/4250/4350 can use a duplex unit. I rebuild these and neither of my test printers have a d after the model number. I rebuild about 15 a week of the two types, which is the main problem. The only two ways I've found in telling them apart is:

#1
A= 4200/4300 unit has R73-5053, RU5-8086 part numbers on the unit
B= 4250/4350 unit has R73-5047, RL1-4088 part numbers on the unit

#2
Test unit in 4250 - if it recognizes it without errors its type B. If it fails test in 4200/4300
Test unit in 4200 - if it works, it is type A. If not, it is either defective, the connector to power supply is bad, or power supply is bad.

I never had a formatter that needs more memory, but then I use the same printers all the time and they have extra memory. It is a posibility and I dont claim to know everything about them as I'm still learning.

[schuberth]

I have a confession to make! The printer is a HP 4200 and the duplexer is a Type A so they should be compatible. I have configured the printer panel to have duplexer on and when I print a font page it prints double sided in duplex form, so the duplexer must be installed correctly! When I go to my PC workstation and try to configure it through printer properties, I can see the duplexer check box, but it is in the light gray mode which will not allow me to click it....any suggestions?
THANKS FOR ALL OF YOUR SUGGESTIONS SO FAR!!!
KEN

[cs_steve]

Your computer's printer driver does not know you have installed a duplexer ...

Open up Control Panel, Printers & Faxes, double-click your printer, then click on "Printer" menu, click "Properties", go under the Device Settings tab, and scroll down to "Installable Options" ... change the "Duplex Unit" option to say "Installed".

[schuberth]

Thank you very much Steve! When I log in to my printer and go to device settings, I can see the option to install the duplexer, but it is light gray and will not allow me to click on it! So, I don't seem to have access to this option through my desktop work station. Is it possible that I have to do something at the server to change program settings to allow installation?

Also, a second problem has shown up. when I try to print collated jobs, i get an error notice that says printer cannot store data and it will only print one copy of each page. It prints out using, the duplexer, a message that says:
Error: Unable to store job at printer
Reason: Printer not configured to collate
Solution: Install an EIO hard disk.

This printer was given to me without manuals.

Thanks for anyone's help!

[cs_steve]

Try downloading a different driver from HP ...