Troubleshooting Laserjet Printer Issues | CompTIA A+ Core 1 Exam

Identifying Printer Problems

Question

A user reports a laserjet printer is not printing properly.

A technician prints a test page and notices the toner is smeared on the page.

The technician confirms the toner cartridge is installed correctly and the paper in the tray is the right size.

Which of the following printer components is the MOST likely cause of the problem?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

A.

Based on the scenario, the technician confirms that the toner cartridge is installed correctly, and the paper in the tray is the right size. However, the toner is smeared on the page, which indicates that the toner is not being fused correctly onto the paper. Therefore, the most likely cause of the problem is the fuser.

The fuser is a printer component responsible for melting and fusing the toner onto the paper. It consists of a pair of heated rollers that apply pressure to the paper as it passes through the printer. If the fuser is not working correctly, it can result in toner smudging or smearing on the page.

The roller is another printer component that could cause printing problems, but it is less likely to cause toner smearing. The roller is responsible for feeding the paper through the printer, and if it is not functioning correctly, it can cause paper jams or misalignments.

Memory is unlikely to cause printing problems related to toner smearing because it is responsible for storing print jobs and not for the actual printing process. If there were an issue with the printer's memory, it would likely result in incomplete or garbled printouts.

Finally, while the toner cartridge contains the toner that is used to create the printed image, it is unlikely to be the cause of toner smearing. If there were an issue with the toner cartridge, it would likely result in faded or incomplete printouts rather than toner smudging.

In summary, based on the scenario provided, the most likely cause of the problem is the fuser.