Pages that come out blank or covered in gibberish. A new toner the printer refuses to accept. A scanner that sent files to a shared folder for years and then just stopped. This page covers the Dell printer problems that don't have an obvious name, and how to figure out what's really behind them.
What This Page Covers
Some Dell printer problems are common enough to have their own guide. If yours is on this list, you'll get further there:
This page handles the rest: blank or garbled output, poor print quality, new noises, toner the printer won't recognize, older models that Windows no longer supports, and scanning that quit working.
A bit of background explains a lot of Dell printer headaches. Dell stopped making and selling its own printers in 2018. Every Dell printer you'll find today is at least several years old, and most are out of warranty. Some older models never got drivers for current versions of Windows. The good news is that Dell still sells genuine toner for many of its laser models, and the user guide for nearly every Dell printer is still a free download on Dell's support site.
Start Here: Two Test Pages That Narrow It Down
Before you change any settings, print two pages. Together they tell you which side of the problem you're on.
1. A settings page from the printer itself. The printer creates this page on its own, so your computer isn't involved at all. On models with a display, open the menu and look for an option called Report/List, Reports, Print Reports, or Machine Info, then choose the printer settings page. On models without a display, the steps are in your user guide, usually in the chapter on reports or menus.
2. A Windows test page. In Windows 11, go to Settings, then Bluetooth & devices, then Printers & scanners. Select your Dell printer and choose Print test page. In Windows 10, the same option is under Settings, Devices, Printers & scanners, then Manage.
Here's how to read the results:
- Both pages print cleanly: The printer and the driver are fine. The problem is in the program or file you're printing from.
- The settings page prints but the Windows test page doesn't: The printer works. Look at the driver, the port, or the print queue on your computer.
- Neither page prints correctly: The problem is inside the printer, so start with the hardware sections below.
Keep the settings page handy. It lists the printer's IP address, firmware version, and page count, and several fixes below ask for one of them.
Blank Pages or Pages Full of Random Characters
Your test pages already told you where to look. If the settings page came out blank, the printer can't get toner onto the paper. If the settings page was fine but your documents come out blank or full of symbols, the problem is the data the computer is sending.
If the printer's own settings page is blank:
- Check for packing material. New Dell toner cartridges and drums ship with protective tape, a seal, or a plastic cover. If the blank pages started right after you installed a new cartridge, take it out and make sure every piece of packing is gone.
- Reseat the cartridge and drum. Pull the toner cartridge out and push it back in until it locks. On models where the toner sits inside a separate drum unit, such as the E310dw, E514dw, and E515dw, make sure the toner clicks into the drum before the pair goes back in.
- Read the display. A printer that's been running past its toner warning can print pages that are faint or completely white. Replace the cartridge if the display or your printer software shows it as empty.
- Look at the drum. On models with a separate imaging drum, a worn-out drum can produce very light or blank pages. If the printer is asking for a new drum, replace it.
If the settings page prints but your documents come out blank or garbled:
- Pages of random symbols almost always mean the wrong driver. When the computer sends print commands the printer doesn't understand, it prints them as text instead. This is common after someone installs a generic driver or a driver for a similar Dell model. Remove the printer from Windows and install the driver made for your exact model. Our Dell printer driver guide walks through it.
- Check the file. Spreadsheets with print areas that run past the data, and documents with stray page breaks at the end, often send a few blank sheets along with the real pages.
- Try another program. If a PDF prints blank from your web browser but fine from a PDF reader, the browser's built-in viewer is the problem, not the printer.
Faded, Streaky, or Smudged Prints
On a Dell laser printer, poor print quality nearly always traces back to the toner, the drum, the paper, or the fuser. What the page looks like is your best clue about which one.
- Everything is light, even with plenty of toner. Check whether toner saving is on. On Dell's E-series you can turn Toner Save on or off from the control panel under General Setup, then Ecology, and it's also a setting in many Dell print drivers. With it on, every page prints lighter by design. If that isn't it, check the print density or darkness setting and make sure the print resolution isn't set to a draft level.
- Faint vertical white streaks on an E310dw, E514dw, or E515dw. Take out the drum and toner assembly. Clean the corona wire by sliding the small tab on the drum unit from one end to the other and back a few times. Return the tab all the way to its home position, or you'll get a dark streak instead.
- A line or mark that repeats at the same spot on every page. Something on a roller is transferring to the paper, usually a scratch or debris on the drum. If replacing the toner doesn't fix it, the drum is next.
- Toner smears or rubs off under your thumb. The toner isn't being fused to the page. First make sure the paper type in your print settings matches what's in the tray, especially for heavy stock, labels, or envelopes. If the settings are right and smudging continues, the fuser is likely worn.
- Colors look offset or text looks blurry on a color model. That's usually a color registration problem. Most Dell color lasers have a color registration adjustment in the maintenance menu or the printer's software tool.
- Spots, gray backgrounds, or a general dirty look. Loose toner inside the printer or a leaking cartridge is the usual cause. Turn the printer off, let it cool, and check the cartridge area for spilled toner.
One safety note: the fuser at the back of the printer gets hot enough to burn. If you're reaching inside, turn the printer off and let it cool first.
Strange Noises From Your Dell Printer
Laser printers are never silent. Motors turn during warm-up, rollers spin as paper moves through, and the cooling fan often keeps running for a while after a big job finishes. What deserves your attention is a new sound: a grind, squeal, click, or knock that repeats with every page or gets worse over time.
Dell's own troubleshooting for abnormal noise points to two sources. The first, and by far the most likely, is a consumable part that's damaged or not seated properly. The second is a worn motor, gear, or clutch inside the printer.
- Turn the printer off and reseat every consumable. That means the toner cartridges and the imaging drum. On color models it also means the waste toner box, the transfer belt, and the fuser, if your model lets you remove them. A part that isn't fully locked in can grind or rattle.
- Look over each part as it comes out. A cracked gear or a broken tab on a cartridge or drum is easy to spot once it's in your hand. If you have a spare cartridge or drum, swap it in to see if the noise stops.
- Check the paper trays. On several Dell models, grinding or squeaking comes from the pickup rollers or a tray that isn't sitting correctly. Pull each tray out, make sure the paper guides are set to the paper size, and push it back in firmly.
- Clear out debris. A torn scrap, staple, or paper clip left behind from an earlier jam can rub against moving parts. With the printer off and cool, open the covers and check the paper path with a flashlight.
If the noise continues after you've reseated the consumables and cleared the paper path, a motor or gear is probably wearing out. That's a repair job. Since most Dell printers are several years old now, compare the repair cost with the price of a new printer.
If your printer just runs louder than you'd like, the E310dw and several other Dell models have a Quiet Mode. It lowers the noise, but printing slows down while it's on.
"Non-Dell Toner" and Cartridge Not Recognized Messages
Many Dell color laser printers check each toner cartridge when it goes in. The printer may stop with a message about non-Dell toner, an unsupported cartridge, or a toner ID error. That happens when it can't read the cartridge or finds one that isn't Dell-branded.
Start with the simple checks:
- Reseat the cartridge the message names. Pull it out and push it back in until it locks. A cartridge that's slightly out of position can't be read.
- Confirm it's the right cartridge. Dell sold similar-looking cartridges for different printer families, and one made for a different model won't be recognized. Check the Dell part number against your user guide.
- Clean the contacts if your model has them. Some cartridges carry a small chip. Wipe it gently with a dry, lint-free cloth, since dust or a fingerprint can interrupt the connection.
If you're using a compatible or refilled cartridge:
Many Dell color lasers include a setting called Non-Dell Toner that lets the printer keep working with third-party cartridges. On the C1760nw, it's on the control panel under the Admin Menu, then Maintenance. On models like the C2660dn and H625cdw, it's in the printer's maintenance settings, which you can reach from the Tool Box or the printer's web page.
Before you rely on it, know what Dell says about it. Dell recommends only genuine Dell toner. It warns that non-Dell cartridges can disable some printer features and reduce print quality and reliability. Dell describes the setting as a way to keep printing while a replacement cartridge is on the way. Users have also reported that on some models the setting doesn't clear every cartridge error, so it isn't a guaranteed fix.
If a genuine Dell cartridge still isn't recognized after reseating, check our Dell error codes guide for the exact code on your display.
Older Dell Printer With No Driver for Windows 10 or 11
Because Dell no longer makes printers, it isn't releasing drivers for newer versions of Windows. Whether your printer works on a current PC depends on whether it was supported before Dell stopped.
How to check your model: Dell keeps a compatibility list for Windows 10 and Windows 11 on its support site. For each model, it shows whether a driver is available as a download, included with Windows, or not supported at all.
What that list tells you about common models:
- Laser printers: Many Dell laser models are supported, including popular ones like the E515dn, H815dw, S2830dn, S5830dn, H625cdw, H825cdw, and S3840cdn. The oldest lasers, such as the 1100 series mono printers and the 3000cn and 5100cn series color printers, are listed as not supported.
- Inkjet printers: Only two Dell inkjets, the V525w and V725w, are supported. Every other Dell inkjet on the list is listed as not supported, including the V313w, V515w, V715w, P513w, P713w, and the 900-series all-in-ones.
If your model isn't supported:
- Try the last driver Dell released. Dell notes that installing a driver made for an earlier version of Windows, in compatibility mode, may work. Some or all of the printer's features may still function. It isn't guaranteed, and scanning is usually the first feature to break.
- Try Windows' built-in drivers. Connect the printer by USB, or add it by IP address, and let Windows look for a driver. Basic printing sometimes works even when Dell's full software package doesn't.
- Think about the cost of supplies. Cartridges for unsupported Dell inkjets are getting harder to find. If you're fighting driver problems and hunting for ink, a new printer may cost less in time and money.
Our Dell printer driver guide walks through downloading and installing the right driver for supported models.
Scan to Folder or Scan to Email Stopped Working
When scanning worked for a long time and then stopped with no one touching the printer, the cause is almost always on the other end: a Windows update, a changed password, or a new security rule from your email provider.
Scan to a network folder
- Look for a 031 error code. On Dell lasers, codes that start with 031 mean the printer couldn't connect to the network folder. Dell says these often appear after a Windows update. Windows 10 and 11 don't install SMB 1.0 by default and remove it if it goes unused. Older Dell printers that only support SMB 1.0 can't reach the folder.
- Use SMB 2 or 3 if your printer supports it. Dell recommends SMB 2.0 or 3.0 when the printer supports them. Check the printer's web page or firmware notes for an SMB version setting. Turning SMB 1.0 back on in Windows Features also works, but it's an old protocol with known security weaknesses, so only do it if your IT person agrees.
- Update the saved password. Scan to folder signs in to the destination computer with a stored username and password. If that Windows password changed, update it in the printer's address book entry.
- Watch for Windows 11 version 24H2. That update requires SMB signing by default and blocks guest access on Pro editions. A scan folder shared without a password may stop working after it. So may an older printer that can't handle the new requirements. Sharing the folder through a real user account is a safer fix than loosening Windows security.
Scan to email
- Gmail or Google Workspace. Google no longer accepts a regular account password from devices like printers and scanners. Turn on 2-Step Verification and create an app password for the printer, or ask your Workspace admin about Google's SMTP relay service.
- Microsoft 365 or Exchange Online. Microsoft is phasing out basic authentication, meaning a plain username and password, for sending mail from devices. Under its current plan, basic authentication is switched off by default at the end of December 2026. An admin can turn it back on until Microsoft sets a final removal date, which it plans to announce in the second half of 2027. Most older Dell printers don't support Microsoft's newer OAuth sign-in. The long-term options are an SMTP relay or a different scan destination.
Dell Document Hub
If your H625cdw or H825cdw used Dell Document Hub for cloud scanning, that service is no longer available. Users started reporting it offline in late 2021. Scan to a local folder, network folder, or email instead.
The Printer Looks Fine, but Nothing Prints
The printer shows Ready, there's no error anywhere, and your job never comes out. A few quick checks cover most of these cases.
- Restart the right way. Turn the printer off, unplug it, and wait at least 30 seconds before plugging it back in. That's the wait time Dell recommends, and it clears glitches that a quick off-and-on can leave behind. Restart the computer too.
- Confirm you're sending to the right printer. Windows can pick a different default printer on its own. Check which printer is selected in the print dialog, and look for duplicate copies of your Dell, such as one ending in "Copy 1."
- Check the IP address. If your router gave the printer a new address, your computer keeps sending jobs to the old one. Compare the IP address on your settings page with the port listed in the printer's properties in Windows. If they don't match, update the port.
- Clear a stuck queue. If jobs pile up and won't delete, the Windows Print Spooler service may be stuck. Our Dell print job stuck in queue guide has the full reset steps.
If Windows lists the printer as offline or in an error state, our guides for a Dell printer offline and a Dell printer in error state go further.
