Canon 5185c - weird characters

[Dexor]

The machine occasionally begins to print hundreds of copies with either one character or one line of weird characters. It sometimes happens when the client sends a print job, but often it's just after idle time of few hours - it begins to happen. Wrong format? Is there something in the hd that needs to be taken out?

[zoraldinho]

The machine occasionally begins to print hundreds of copies with either one character or one line of weird characters. It sometimes happens when the client sends a print job, but often it's just after idle time of few hours - it begins to happen. Wrong format? Is there something in the hd that needs to be taken out?

Usually is wrong driver.

[Fer]

interference on the network cable?

[SCREWTAPE]

The machine occasionally begins to print hundreds of copies with either one character or one line of weird characters. It sometimes happens when the client sends a print job, but often it's just after idle time of few hours - it begins to happen. Wrong format? Is there something in the hd that needs to be taken out?

Can you post an image?

[costd]

I agree - wrong or corupted driver. Can also happen when they send a print job of a document that uses a character set that is not supported by the printer but that was more common years ago with printer only units.

[Canuck]

I agree....un-install the drivers and install newest ones.Are they using PostScript,PCL or UFRII?

[KenB]

I deal with weird characters every day...except they're not printed on paper!

[mrfixit51]

It is going to be a driver issue, or, years ago there was a virus specifically targeted at printers, called "bugbear" if I recall correctly. It was a pc virus that captured printer and printed nonsense till the paper ran out or customer intervened.