Error message with grinding noise as driver cycles

Hi,

For the ALPS printers, make sure you are using Windows XP SP2 or older. There are no Win 7 drivers and there can be problems with a Win XP SP3. Join the Yahoo ALPS group. In the files section they have a full description of the problem along with a work around. It usually is a conflict with the bi-directional communication and the LPT port. The LPT port needs to be motherboard based - not an add-on card.

I hope this works.

Probably not. It is likely that the gear train has dropped out of sequence, and that is extremely difficult to reset.

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Here is a tip that I wrote about dryers and noises...

It will help you determine what is happening there...

Dryer Repair Squeaks, Grinding, Clicking and Knocking Noise


heatman101

Asker's Testimonial "That answer was very informative - thank you for taking the time to educate me. " - teresa241964

All ALPS printers make noise when they are turned on. The error light is not normal. Do you have cartridges in the printer? there are two kinds: ones with gray plastic cassettes and ones with dark blue plastic cassettes. For the 1000, you want the gray ones. Are the cartridges installed correctly? Side B should be facing up.

After 8 yrs..........Get a life and new printer! Inkypete

I have had similar problems with my "Older" R-series R60 and the jam was usually accompanied by a "grinding" sound from the printer mechanism. I found to be the problem was the cartridge drive belt/home positioning have been misaligned by usually inadvertive moving of the cartridge either when changing cartridges or whatever may prevoke movement. My resolution by accident, was repositioning the cartridge a little bit in either direction. And power cycling the printer until I found the position "Sweet spot" when no grinding is heard as the printer finds its home position. Maybe this will work for your unit as well if you encounter it again. It beats dismantling and still having the problem, right?

Remove the 4 screws holding the main feed tray. Then GENTLY pry the tabs on both edges of the printer. They are really tight! The fit is great but once you break the "seal" so to say the whole cover just pops off.

My Alps printer makes a grinding noise and won't pull the paper through much less print. What do I do - I print diplomas with this printer.

Please ignore courtdate & creamgetmonE. Here's why:
creamgetmonE - If you're using the XP driver, you are using something so crippled, it should have been aborted. USE THE ALPS DRIVER!!!!!!!!
courtdate, oiling the carriage rail will not change a thing, apart from gunking up the printer, and ENSURING it will fail sometime in the future.
TO FIX YOUR PROBLEM:
There is a sensor under the anti-curl veil. Clean it.

Several things about these printers.......

1. Do NOT use the MS XP driver for these - it has limited functionality. Download the Alps driver, which you can find in the files section at the Alps YahooGroup (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Alps/files/)
2. The printer requires bi-directional comms in order to feed back the printer status to the computer. While this is not an absolute requirement, it means that without bi-dir comms, the error light will flash, and you won't know what the problem is.
3. The driver is hardcoded to only communicate bi-directionaly with Alps virtual LPT ports - run this with a non-Alps cable (And all of the cables on FleaBay are non-Alps), and you will not be able to monitor the printer status.

Now, how to install.....

1. Plug in the USB cable to the computer (But not the printer), and let it install. Reboot if required (Unlikely)
2. Install the Alps driver you downloaded fron the Alps YahooGroup. Reboot if required. If you now look at Printers in Control Panel, you will see a nice Alps printer there, waiting to be used. Make a note of what it named.
3. Plug in the printer and turn it on. XP will now tell you it has found new hardware, and install the MS driver. Reboot if required
4. Go back to Printers in Control Panel. You will now see you have TWO Alps printers! The MS driver will be called something like "Alps MD-1000 (MS)". Rename (DON'T delete!) this driver to something like "Alps MD-1000 (DO NOT USE)". If you delete it, it will come back to haunt you every time you switch on the printer, and screw up your settings.
5. Open the properties page of the driver you made a note of in step 2 (Control Panel -> Printers and Faxes -> right click on printer, and select "Properties"), and click on the "Ports" tab.
6. Check the checkbox next to the port created for your USB-// cable, and uncheck the other box that will be checked.
7. Uncheck "Enable bidirectional support"
8. Click on the "Advanced" tab
9. Select the "Print directly to the printer" radio button
10. Click on the "Print Processor" button
11. Select ALMD224S as the Print processor and select RAW(FF AUTO) as the Default data type
12. Click Apply.