Solved DeskJet 5550 has suddenly switched to Very Slow Printing Mode

[Hikermann]

Windows 7 / HP Deskjet 5550: Printer has been working fine, but for some unknown reason it has decided to change over to Excruciatingly Slow Printing Mode: instead of hearing the carrier busily scurrying back and forth, it now trundles once across, then takes a long rest, then heads back the other direction. Now, I'm getting on up in those "senior years" and so my walk-abouts and hikes are becoming more and more like that too . . . but after running HP Print & Scan Doctor and trying every reset procedure I know of, the 5550 is not up to speed here; replaced the USB cable, but that made no difference; have gone through the "HP Printers - Slow Printing (Windows)" page of instructions, but nothing there made any difference.

Any suggestions toward a solution?

Many thanks. Appreciated.

 

[fireberd]

Other than a hardware problem the only thing I can think of its set to the "best photo" mode (or whatever HP calls it) and will take longer to print.

BTW, I'm a "Florida retiree" and will hit 80 later this month.

 

[Hikermann]

Crazy: After trying all of the this-n-thats recommended on several forums, I simply changed the black ink cartridge and . . . YUP! Problem Solved. Hadn't considered that one!

Anyhow, many thanks for comments, suggestions and discussions. Very much appreciated. Now go and have yourselves a particularly refreshing end of the year holiday season!

Blessings.

 

[fireberd]

I hadn't thought about that either. You should have got some type of low ink warning. What it was doing was using the colors to create the black printing and what was taking so long.

Merry Christmas.