How can I use a multi function printer without the printing?

[OM2]

Something that popped into my head: how do I use a printer without the printing facility?

Let me explain: I have 2 MP830's, one of them faulty - faulty one I got from eBay for 0.01!

I'd love to use JUST the scanning facility of the faulty one
Is this possible? For any multi functional printer?

I think it's very naughty that the manufacturers STOP the printer from working at all JUST because the printing isn't working
Like for example, my original one needed it's print head replacing - printer now completely out of action

Have any clever people figured out ways of bypassing the built in hardware checks?
Maybe somehow trick the printer into no knowing about other errors and thereby allowing other functions of the printer to still work?

Thanks!


Omar

 

[stratman]

No. AFAIK, the printer must either be repaired or it is only good for parts or as a paperweight.

 

[The Hat]

stratman it is only good for parts or as a paperweight.

Some *?*!* Paperweight.
Nice one..

 

[Osage]

I wonder if this is totally true with all models of canon multifuctionals. For example I now have a non functional Canon MP730. Due to a bad printhead and who knows what else, it can no longer print or directly output a in coming fax. But it works perfectly fine to do to an outgoing fax.

When my MP730 died, I replaced with a monochrome multifunctional laser. Which works fine for standalone sending and receiving of incoming or outgoing faxes, but it can also color scan to a file too. Which leaves me the option to print the scan using a black and white laser, or take the color scan file and then to print the file on my Canon pixma ip4000 in full color. And because I refill, I could print the file on the my ip4000 in full color for less than my laser could do a monochrome page.

And if my needs were only in outgoing faxes, I have two perfectly working but too expensive to feed, multifunctiomal ink jets that acts as spare outgoing fazes. But to answer those questions regarding a MP830, I suspect all the options are buried deep in the fine print of the operators manual. And unless the not working MP830 is not hooked to the computer, the question is how do you output the scan?

 

[fotofreek]

I know that the multifunctional printers are very popular, but this is the reason I've stayed with individual single function devices! I can select each device based on the needs I have for each function. If I had a space problem in my office, however, I'd probably have to consider an MF printer.

 

[OM2]

thanks for the replies guys - i didn't get a chance to reply to the replies

i think it's a crying shame that manufacturers do this and i think it should be illegal!

for most people, they wouldnt want to keep the mp830 because it's sooo big
i'm ok with it and as i said, would have been happy to keep just for the adf scanning

spare parts: apart from the print head, what other spare parts would i need or could i possibly use in future??

thanks

 

[fotofreek]

Perhaps I am stating the obvious. My guess is that the entire multi-function printer is built around its primary function - a printer. When that fails the assumption is that the user would want to replace it for its primary function.

 

[OM2]

Perhaps I am stating the obvious. My guess is that the entire multi-function printer is built around its primary function - a printer. When that fails the assumption is that the user would want to replace it for its primary function.

couldn't disagree more!
not everyone is weird like me and wants to keep an elephant of a printer *just* for the scanning

- your using your printer and an ink cartridge runs out: all operations are ceased and nothing else can be done - ink cartrdige must be replaced before anything be done with the printer

- you buy a NEW genuine cartrdige - it works for 2 weeks, but then all of a sudden, it's no longer recognised - end of all operations, ink cartrdige must be replaced before anything be done with the printer

- one day, you're not doing anything, harming anything or anyone and your ink head goes + at the same time you've won the lottery but have only got 10 minutes to scan something and send to them - you lose out on the lottery win because you can't scan because the printer has shut down

the other functions of the printer have nothing to do with the printing. therefore they should still be allowed to continue in my humble opinion

i could go on and on with my arguement...

 

[The Hat]

OM2 the other functions of the printer have nothing to do with the printing. therefore they should still be allowed to continue in my humble opinion

Back to the paper weight idea then.

When is a printer not a printer?

When it run out of ink silly..

 

[OM2]

that's a good joke and quite funny
when i become president, i'll stop the practices of canon and the other printer manufacturers
until then, we all must suffer