Hi. I'm new here and I have a long term problem with my printer that just got more interesting. I apologise for the length of this post; I just want to make sure I've included any relevant info.
Printer: Samsung CLP-315
Desktop: Acer Aspire TC-710
Laptop: Dell Latitude E7250
OS: Windows 10 Home, v 10.0.19041, gets all the updates.
A couple of years ago I replaced the toner cartridges in my printer with generic brands. I had finally run out of toner after 9 years with the original Samsung cartridges. The new toner has had a tendency to spill a little.
After a few Windows updates it developed lines of toner that transfer onto the next pages printed. The print outs have been way too dark. I found that that changed depending on which application I was using to print with. Some applications would print out nearly normal.
In November 2020, the computer went to the repair shop (it had been dropping connections to the external drives and needed a new power supply) and the technician reinstalled Windows 10 and the drivers (some had been Windows' and he replaced them with Acer drivers). When I print now, the images are now so dark that they're nearly black. The toner is thick and shiny. That's on draft setting. My toner is disappearing incredibly fast. I can't print photos, and if I have to make a graphic I have to lighten it up or make it nearly transparent to get it to look not-so-bad.
My printer reports that yellow is nearly all gone. I've had to replace black. I don't even use that much yellow, and the cartridges should have lasted many more years.
A few months ago a friend gave me his second-hand laptop. I had to reinstall Windows 10 on it. I didn't try printing with it before the re-install, but now I have and whatever I print is so incredibly light that it looks like I'm nearly out of toner. I know that's not true because the desktop still prints extremely dark.
If I print from the desktop computer, the printer inserts a blank page between every printed one. I don't have that in printer settings. That doesn't concern me as much as the toner issue.
I assumed that because I have to have the printer plugged into a computer and turned on, that the driver was on the printer. But I think each computer lists a different printer driver;
Acer Aspire TC-710 says it's Samsung CLP-310 Series Class 3 Driver
Dell Latitude E7250 says it's Samsung CLP-310 Series Class Driver (maybe it's just not listing the whole name?)
I installed the printer software onto both computers with the CD that came with the printer (I got it in 2010). The Samsung/HP website doesn't have anything new to offer me in terms of drivers.
The printer worked great with the old Samsung cartridges, but I don't think that's the entire issue. Before the desktop was taken to the shop and had everything replaced, I could work with the images. Now it's just a melted pool of (mostly black) toner. And the laptop print outs are too light.
I'm pretty sure this is a software issue. Can anyone work with me to help me find and fix it?
Thank-you.
