Troubleshot a HP Laserjet 1100 Persistent Paper Jam

The HP LaserJet 1100 is a great printer due to its small footprint, inexpensive cartridges, and relatively easy install process on Windows machines. These features have caused many consumers to question why an upgrade to a different printer is needed. If you can overcome some minor flaws with the printer, the HP 1100 should last a really long time.

As a technician, I've come across two main concerns with the 1100 series. First, the strange port on the back is called mini-centronics and many people don't know where to find the proper connector to it. Next, this printer's paper is gravity feed so it moves in a downward motion for printing. This type of paper feeding caused a problem with the separation pad and many HP 1100's developed an issue where more than one piece of paper would feed through the printer at once. This article helps to address these two main issues and provide some possible solutions so that your HP 1100 printer can continue to be the workhorse it is.

First, HP introduced the mini-centronics connector on many printers including the Color LaserJet 4600, the LaserJet 3200 all-in-one, and the LaserJet 1100 series. This port was no doubt a way for HP to sell many of its cables and charging a premium for this product since no other manufacturer was using this port at the time.

Since HP has stopped supporting these printers, many people wonder where they can find an adapter. The best thing to do is search online for a "mini-centronics to centronics adapter" and you'll find there are still many retailers online that offer this product. You can also get a USB to parallel adapter and attach a centronics to mini-centronics adapter to it. This essentially provides a connection to those newer computers that only have a USB port available.

Next, the dreaded multiple feeding pages issue causing persistent paper jams. A while ago, HP lost a class action lawsuit about this problem and released a "fix" which consisted of installing a new pad over the existing pad. This just caused more problems down the road because it put undo pressure on the feedroller requiring a visit to the tech shop.

For a more permanent fix, the HP 1100 needs to have a full "separation pad kit" installed. It's not for the faint of heart because it involves taking off multiple covers and gaining access to the right components for a proper replacement. This process takes time and a trained professional usually needs about 15-20 minutes to install the separation pad, the guiding pads, and a new feed roller.

After this process is done though, the HP 1100 will last much longer and will require less maintenance so replacing the pads is highly encouraged by good technicians (instead of an upsell to a new model).