HP OfficeJet 3830: blinking power light won’t stop!

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I’ye been using an HP Officejet 3830 for a year or so with acceptable results.

 

This morning, sent a one page document to the printer via the “print function”. The printer had a stroke: became completely non-responsive, jst continuously flashing it’s power light one and off.  When I tried cycling the power, it would not turn off, no matter how long I held the power button down!

 

HP “support” website completely useless: I don’t “fit” into having a proper problem category, so no advice given . . . SORRY!

Anyone run into this before, or do I need a new printer?

 

-Peter

 

 

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Did you try unplugging it?

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Thanks. Yes, I did. I also tried rebooting the entire system. When I plugged in the printer again (the only way to turn the thing off!), it went right back to the flashing power light.

My guess is that something in the printer’s circuitry got fried. 

 

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Not to be discouraging, but I had a problem some two years ago with an HP OfficeJet printer that almost every single day, since the day I bought it, had a paper jam. My solution, after a month or so of this and getting no useful help from HP, was to buy a new older-model printer, the HP OfficeJet 4650, then still available, that a friend recommended; and this one, in all the two years since, has given me no trouble at all (knock on wood!)

P.S.: This experience reinforced considerably my already poor opinion of the recommendations of products in Web sites that review computer equipment and software.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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WSpfeldmann

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Your solution to continuous paper jams in a new printer, was to spend more money on a new printer from the same manufacturer?

cheers, Paul

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PKCano

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Yes, of course, absolutely, because, as I already have explained in my comment, it was recommended to me by a good friend who (I did not mention this detail there, so I do now) has the same make and model of printer. And also I did it anyway, because I am swimming in cash. So I hope that people who read this and learn this vital fact do not ask me again why I spend my money on anything.

Ex-Windows user (Win. 98, XP, 7); since mid-2017 using also macOS. Presently on Monterey 12.15 & sometimes running also Linux (Mint).

MacBook Pro circa mid-2015, 15" display, with 16GB 1600 GHz DDR3 RAM, 1 TB SSD, a Haswell architecture Intel CPU with 4 Cores and 8 Threads model i7-4870HQ @ 2.50GHz.
Intel Iris Pro GPU with Built-in Bus, VRAM 1.5 GB, Display 2880 x 1800 Retina, 24-Bit color.
macOS Monterey; browsers: Waterfox "Current", Vivaldi and (now and then) Chrome; security apps. Intego AV

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Have you seen any errors on the screen, or indications that the printer was attempting to do anything?

Are you able to see movement of the printer’s ink carriage after opening the cartridge access door (unable to post a link to the support document)?

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WSpfeldmann

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As a suggestion search for HP Print Doctor, install and run.  I tried to send you a link but it was blocked by Askwoody by “clean talk” ?????? as spam.  Me thinks someone has been dicking with settings again. An un-necessary frustration.  I hope my suggestion is helpful.

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WSpfeldmann

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Print Doctor aplied new downloads of drivers. That fixed the problem.

 

Thank you.

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RockE

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I’d like to add one note to this discussion:

The flashing power light issue popped up again today.

I logged in as administrator and turned to the HP Print Doctor program again.  As it fired up, it generated a blue line indicating progress (we’ve all seen this a thousand times.) The line zoomed halfway across, then slowed down incrementally; the closer it got to the right end, the slower it went! (Reminded me of Zeno’s Paradox). The program hung. It would not even close – had to use task manager to get rid of it.

Tried it again – same result!

Flash of inspiration . . . I PULLED THE POWER PLUG from the printer and again ran the DR program. This time, it worked!

So, if you get an HP3830 with flashing power lights, pull the power (it’s the only way to turn off the printer in this state anyways) before running HP DR. Geeze!

 

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Apologies!  I’ve whitelisted you in CleanTalk.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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