How Do I Clear a Canon Printer with Error Codes? – Here’s How You Can Fix It
Canon printer error codes can be tricky to fix. That’s not to say that you can’t get your printer back up and running again on your own!
As long as your printer is filled with the right paper, has ink, and you’ve hooked everything up correctly, it should be operating correctly. If not, the issue could be pretty technical.
Before you send your printer back to the manufacturer for a replacement or send it to a repair service, you can try to resolve the issue at home by yourself. Be careful not to take any actions that may void your warranty. If you still have the manual that came with the device, you’ll be able to find your warranty terms there.
Fixing a Canon printer with error codes can be relatively simple once you know how to diagnose the problems. We’ll help walk you through steps that you can take to fix the error codes of your Canon printer.
What Could Cause Canon Printers to Get Error Codes?
After you’ve selected the document you want to print and loaded your printer with paper, it should be ready to print. If trying to print produces an error message on your computer, take note of it.
Canon printers produce error codes for one of several reasons:
- The settings for your printer might not be compatible with the document you’re trying to print
- The loading bay for your paper might have become lodged with paper or you’re using the wrong type of paper
- The ink for your printer might be running low and may need to be replaced
How do you fix these issues if you don’t know how to identify them?
Generally, all Canon printers present a specific number for the error code you get. With the error code, you’ll get a string of information that describes what the error is or how it occurred.
Once you know what the error code is, you can usually cross-reference that information with your owner’s manual.
The Steps to Clear Canon Printers with Error Codes
Fixing Canon printer error codes is simple but may require some self-inspection and handwork to resolve. You won’t need any special tools to fix the error codes, so just follow along with these simple steps.
1. Check the Number of the Error Code You’re Getting
Within the box that pops up on your screen, there will be a string of numbers with (or without) a letter following the “Support Code” label.
Check the error code number in your owner’s manual.
- If you have the paperback user’s manual on hand, find the section that includes error codes. If you don’t have the paper manual, you can find it online from the manufacturer.
- Find the support code of the error you’re getting. The error code should be listed in the manual.
- There will be a message next to the error code in the manual that describes the problem.
Now that you’ve found out what is causing your printer error, we’ll go through how you can fix them.
2. Inspecting the Source of a Printer Error
There are generally three common types of error codes for printers that we’ll help you locate (settings, jams, or ink cartridges).
For printer setting errors:
- Open the “Run” box: You can do so by holding down the “Windows” key + the “R” key on your keyboard. It will bring up a small box in the lower left-hand corner of your screen.
- Type in “control panel” in the bar and hit “OK”: Leave a space between the two words and don’t include quotes.
- Locate Devices and Printers in Control Panel: After you hit “OK,” a large box will open up with several menu items. Locate “Hardware and Sound.” Underneath it, click on “View devices and printers.”
- Scroll down to locate your printer and right-click for more options: After you’ve right-clicked on your printer in the menu, a small list should pop up. Select “Printing Preferences.”
Here you will find several default settings for your Canon printer, which you will alter according to the documents you’re trying to print. If the settings don’t match the dimensions or type of paper you’re trying to print out, you may get an error code.
For paper jams: You will be able to locate paper jams within either the cartridge access door on the front of your printer or within the paper loading bay in the back of your printer. Paper jams are apparent when you can spot crumpled or torn paper.
For ink cartridges: You can find the type of cartridge and level of ink in the cartridge in your printer settings. Follow the same procedure as before to find your printer settings, except this time, right-click the printer in your “devices and printer” menu and select “printer properties.”
Click on the “Maintenance” tab and then click on “View Printer Status”: This will bring up a small box on the right-hand side of your screen that shows your printer ink levels. Our example is currently offline, so the ink levels are not displayed. Otherwise, other information here would display the ink level.
Now, we’ll go ahead and try to resolve the error codes by addressing their issues below.
3. Addressing Error Code Issues in Canon Printers
Since we’ve located the correct place to fix the error codes, now we can go ahead and fix them.
For printer settings: You need to adjust the size of the paper, the type of paper (media type), paper source (location), and print quality in the printing preferences menu. After you’ve finished, click, “OK.”
For paper jams: You’ll need to unhook the power from your printer first. After you have done so, you can open the ink cartridge tray in the front of the printer to get leverage on the paper that has become jammed inside. You may also use the paper loading tray area to grasp lodged paper. Gently pull the paper out until it comes out.
For ink cartridges: If your ink cartridge is low on ink, you need to purchase and insert the replacement back in the slot. Open the front panel of your Canon printer and locate the two printer cartridges in their holders. Push the holder in and lift to expose the ink cartridges. Replace the ink cartridges.
How Bad Drivers May Cause Printer Error Codes
Although directly addressing printer error codes works sometimes, the printer driver software can also cause error codes to occur. Driver software can be hard to fix if the wrong version is installed on your computer. Attempting to remove incorrect drivers on your own without expertise can result in more issues for your system and printer.
The driver software for your Canon printer is responsible for communicating information to your computer so it can handle your printing requests. If you’re using incompatible or outdated drivers for your printer, error codes may pop up mimicking the issues we’ve mentioned above.
Oftentimes your operating system will attempt to replace outdated or missing drivers. The problem with this is that you will sometimes get incompatible drivers with automatic updates. Many times, after removing that driver, Windows 10 will automatically install the wrong driver again.
An easy solution to fix this problem is to download your drivers from a reputable driver provider. Downloading drivers online from disreputable sources can result in viruses or malware infecting your computer. You also run the risk of downloading a driver that isn’t compatible with your printer.
Automatically Update Canon Printer Drivers
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