At work, one of our HP LaserJet 4250tn printers started to have a print quality problem. The print down the middle would be extremely light compared to the rest of the page.

• I tried using a different toner cartridge.
• I ran a few cleaning pages.
• I interrupted a print job before it hit the fuser to see if that was the problem, but it wasn’t.

Since the warranty ran out from HP, all they would offer is email support. However, after these troubleshooting steps, they ceased their free email tech support.

So, I called The Printer Works for tech support. After explaining what I’ve tried, they suggested I clean the laser scanner and emailed me comprehensive instructions.¹

I took my time disassembling the printer to reach the laser scanner assembly, gently cleaned it with glass cleaner and cotton swabs, and put everything back together.

Then came the moment of truth.

I plugged it back in, powered it on, ran a test page, and held my breath.

Success!

Unfortunately, that didn’t do the trick.

After the proper drivers were install on a fresh Windows XP foundation, it still froze on me. It wasn’t a blue screen, and I wasn’t even doing anything processor-intensive.

After that, I did the following (within my Ultimate Boot CD):

• Ran the extended test with the Western Digital hard drive diagnostics software
• Ran MemTest86+ v1.07 for two passes, which took about 40 minutes.

He’s ready to buy another computer, so I’m not worried. I just want to exhaust all other options.

Other than the motherboard finally gone bad, what else could it be? How do you test a motherboard?

I was reading the upgrade article in the PC Magazine you gave me and this link [to CPU-Z] was one that was suggested to test performance. I downloaded it and my CPU speed looked very low.

I started looking though the FAQ and Forums and saw a response that suggested that maybe the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet was not activated. So I went to AMD and downloaded the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet Dashboard to double check the first results. Sure enough, the power savings were maxed and the CPU voltage was at minimum. The CPU speed was stuck on 50%. So, not knowing if I already had the AMD Cool ‘n’ Quiet software, I read the installation instructions first.

To enable the software, it said to go Start > Control Panel > Power Options, and change the power scheme to “Minimal Power Management”. Eureka! Both dashboards immediately showed the CPU reacting to the demand of the programs and would kick up to 100% to run my video software! Now I’m going to run a test video project to test this new discovery. I’ll [sic] let you know Monday how it worked.

…

Man, I don’t know how I did it, but I must have changed the settings some time ago. I’ve been worried for months that something was wrong with my [computer] because the video processing had slowed so much. I’ve been bugging the guys at work, telling them that everything works great on my computer except that it was slower on the videos. They would give me suggestions; I would run all the virus scan, spyware scans, defrag, everything we could think of. I could never find one thing wrong and I didn’t have any viruses or spyware. And I never even use half of the memory on anything I do, so that wasn’t it.

I just ran a test video and I am back to as fast as it was when new! I just doubled the speed of my CPU for free!

[I] just wanted to tell you of my good fortune in case you ever have to correct a computer that belongs to a “dangerous user” like me. (Someone who knows more than they understand!)

I’m not sure what article he read from PC Magazine. In any case, I hope this helps if you’re trying to troubleshoot speed problems with a fast AMD-based processor. Thanks Robert Bray!

Additional Links

• How to Enable Cool’n'Quiet Technology
• Cool’n'Quiet™ Technology Overview

Feel free to add more notes in the comments section…

I’ve tried the following:

• Ran MemTest86, twice, and found no errors
• Ran SpinRite 6.0 (Level 4)
• Clean Windows XP SP2 install

I haven’t changed any hardware. So, it’s something on the motherboard. (That narrows it down nicely, huh?)

Hopefully, I’ll get a replacement computer tomorrow night from a relative. (He also works in IT.) I’m not sure about the specifications, but he mentioned that it’s a clamshell Dell Optiplex GX270 with 1GB DDR RAM. Not sure about the processor speed, but I’m running an AMD Athlon 1600+, so it’s likely to be faster than what I have right now.

I’m not sure what to do with the old computer. Who knows if the power supply is starting to go? What if the video card is starting to go bad? I’m glad I backed up my data to the external hard drive, but I’m still uneasy.

For my next computer, I want a small form factor machine. This Antec case is a beast, so I’ll either sell it or store it away towards building a PVR system for home. It’s tough to troubleshoot a large computer because it’s a bit tougher to pickup, turn around, and so on. I’ll have to save for awhile, of course.

Or, should I get a Mac?

Any suggestions on how to troubleshoot further? I’d love to hear it!

Note: I’m on the trouble machine writing this. I booted off an old Knoppix Live CD, writing this. It’s running fine. Any ideas on that? In emergency cases like this, it’s probably a good idea to download and burn a copy of Knoppix. It runs pretty well.

Update 12/12/2006: I got the new system, and installed everything last Thursday. Back to normal? Basically! It’s a Dell Optiplex GX270 (clamshell), so it’s not the most customizable system.

• Pentium 4 2.39 GHz
• 1 GB DDR SDRAM
• 24x CD-RW
• Integrated video
• USB 2.0
• 56K modem

He had a 60GB hard drive installed and ready to go, but it was manufactured in 2001. I was a bit scared, so I replaced it with my current 120GB hard drive, which I bought earlier this year.

For now, I’m going to stick with using USB 2.0 instead of Firewire. I’d have to buy a low profile Firewire PCI card if I really need it. At the moment, my iPod syncs just fine, and I don’t mind if synchronizing my external HD takes a bit longer.

If I want to use my Lite-On 52x CD burner, I’ll need to buy this Bytecc BT-200 USB 2.0 to IDE cable adapter. I’ll probably buy a DVD burner from Newegg, too. In any case, my CD burning speed will stink until then.

So, my system isn’t crashing anymore, and I’m happy!

I’ll still save up for a new system. I don’t love the one I’ve got right now, since I don’t have Firewire capability. I’ll most likely save up to build my own PVR first, then possibly get a Macbook.

When I went to plug in the cord to the power strip, I knocked the power adapter to my D-Link DI-614+ wireless router out of its socket. After replugging the router back in, I looked at it only to find that none of the lights on the router were lit.

No way.

I unplugged it again, let it sit a few minutes, then replugged it back in. Nothing.

*silence*

In a matter of three days, I had lost my speakers and my wireless router. You know, if I’m going to lose things, I’d wish the loss would be spread out over a period of time. Good grief…grief indeed.

*sobs*

For shame! ATI tries to sell a crock about their reduced warranties. We point out the cracks in the crock.

So why does that mean a lot to me? Because I’d like to know the companies behind the parts I use are trustworthy. When I build a computer for somebody, if I’ve got nothing to back it up, I definitely can’t use it. I’m not a huge company, and I don’t have financial backings. I need those warranties in place. If I have to explain something shady like that, it makes me look bad.

The Process of Hardware Troubleshooting

First and foremost, the Ultimate Boot CD is one of my favorite tools for troubleshooting systems.

I’ll test the memory first. Memtest86 does this job well, and doesn’t require any user intervention. Basically, after booting the CD and selecting the program it’ll run forever. The Memtest86 website states:

The time required for a complete pass of Memtest86 will vary greatly depending on CPU speed, memory speed and memory size. Memtest86 executes indefinitely. The pass counter increments each time that all of the selected tests have been run. Generally a single pass is sufficient to catch all but the most obscure errors. However, for complete confidence when intermittent errors are suspected testing for a longer period is advised.

I’ll basically run this test overnight. In the morning, hopefully Memtest86 will have gone further than Pass #1. If that’s the case, and there’s no errors, I’ll move on to hard drive diagnostics. I’ll go into the BIOS, find out what type of hard drive(s) are in the system, and boot into that software utility. There, I’ll take time to do both quick and extended tests.

If that tests out fine, I don’t know where to go from here. It’s most likely a motherboard issue, but how do you test that?

The Process of Software Troubleshooting

If there’s a spyware problem, I’ll tell the person that the only way to get 100% cleanliness is to clean install Windows. That in itself will probably take 2+ hours, including the hard drive format, Windows install, drivers, Windows updates, and whatever essential programs that needs to be installed. The two cons with this is the time and that all the data will be wiped out. So, you’d need to backup all important files (e.g. documents, photos, music).

However, if the person wants to do everything possible to try and clean Windows as much as possible before going the more drastic route, I use the instructions listed in the Majorgeeks forum thread “Basic Spyware, Trojan And Virus Removal“.

After doing all the steps outlined, I’ll check the programs installed and make sure they’re running the latest versions.

What else?

I don’t know. Like I said above, I’m open to more suggestions. If there’s something better, I’d love to hear about it so I can do my job more efficiently. Thanks!