Setting Up a Lexmark Printer: Common Setup Problems

A new Lexmark that shows an error code, makes a loud noise, or jams on its first page usually isn't defective. Here's how to find what went wrong during setup and get your printer working.

Most Lexmark setup problems come down to one of three things. A piece of shipping packaging is still inside the printer. The network connection never actually finished. Or your computer added the printer with a driver that doesn't give you everything you need.

The packaging problem catches plenty of people, and it's easy to see why. Lexmark locks moving parts in place with screws and clips for shipping, and some of them sit where you'd never look unless the setup sheet sends you there. When one gets left behind, the printer usually lets you know with an error code or a noise the moment it tries to move that part.

This guide follows setup in the order it happens: packaging first, then the printer's own settings, then the network, then your computer. Menu names vary a little between Lexmark models, so if a button on your screen reads slightly differently, go with the closest match.

Lexmark Printer Setup Issues and Their Causes

Setup trouble shows up in one of two ways. Either the printer tells you something is wrong, or the printer looks fine and your computer can't find it or print to it properly.

When the printer shows an error, makes a noise, or prints badly

On Lexmark's larger office printers and multifunction models, such as the CS92x and CX92x color series, leftover packaging tends to trigger a specific error code. These are the ones Lexmark ties to missed packaging:

Smaller desktop Lexmark printers usually skip the code and show a plain text message instead, such as Remove packaging material. That means something is still on a supply item like the toner cartridge or imaging unit, or somewhere else inside the printer.

When the printer seems fine but setup still isn't working

• Your computer can't find the printer. The printer never joined your network; it joined a different network than your computer, or an Ethernet cable is still plugged in while you're trying to use Wi-Fi.
• There's no wireless option in the menu. Some larger Lexmark models don't have Wi-Fi built in and need an optional wireless print server first.
• The printer was found once but now can't be reached. The printer picked up a new IP address after a router restart, and your computer is still looking for the old one.
• It prints, but options like stapling or tray selection are missing. Windows set the printer up with Microsoft's built-in driver rather than Lexmark's full software.
• Pages expect the wrong paper size. The wrong country or region was picked in the initial setup wizard, and that choice sets the printer's default paper size.

Quick Fixes for Lexmark Printer Setup Issues

Work through these in order. If your printer is already showing one of the error codes above, start with the packaging fixes (1 through 5). Nothing else will behave properly until that part is sorted out.

1. Do a full packaging check before anything else

Even if you're sure you got it all, a second look takes a few minutes and rules out the most common setup problem.

1. Turn off the printer and unplug the power cord.
2. Open every door, cover, and tray you can open by hand. Look for tape, foam, plastic film, cardboard inserts, clips, and screws that don't match the rest of the printer.
3. Take out the toner cartridges and the imaging unit or photoconductor, and check them for packing material too.
4. If you added optional trays or a finisher, check each one on its own. Options ship with their own packaging.

Keep the illustrated setup sheet from the box next to you while you look. It shows where the packaging sits on your exact model. Already recycled the box? Look up your model on Lexmark's support site, which has the same setup guides and, for many models, setup videos.

2. Fix error 824.00 by removing the scanner shipping screws

Error 824.00 means the printer couldn't find the scanner lamp in its home position when it started up. On a brand-new multifunction printer, the usual reason is that the screws locking the scanner lamp for shipping are still in, so it can't get where it needs to go. You'll often hear a loud noise from the scanner area at the same time.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Use your setup sheet to locate the scanner's shipping screws.
3. Remove them. Hold onto them, and if you ever need to ship the printer, check your user guide to see whether they should go back in first.
4. Make sure no other packaging is left around the scanner, then turn the printer back on.

If 824.00 returns after every screw is out, see When to Stop and Call for Service below.

3. Fix error 383.63 by removing the stapler packaging screw

A 383.63 error, often along with a loud noise from the finisher, means the stapler inside the finisher is still held by its packaging screw. Lexmark's staple, hole punch, and combination finishers each come with setup instructions showing where that screw is.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. If the finisher is already attached, follow its setup guide to take it off so you can reach the stapler.
3. Remove the packaging screw from the stapler.
4. Reinstall the finisher, making sure it's fully seated the way the guide shows, then turn the printer on.

4. Fix error 202.93 by removing the transfer roller clips

The second transfer roller is where toner moves from the printer's transfer belt onto the paper. Lexmark ships it with two clips attached. If either one stays on, paper can't pass through cleanly, and you'll get a 202.93 paper jam, print quality problems, or both.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Open the door that gives you access to the transfer roller. Your setup sheet shows which one it is.
3. Remove both shipping clips. It's easy to pull one and miss the other, so make sure you have two in your hand.
4. Clear any paper that's stuck, close the door, and turn the printer on.

If paper keeps jamming after the clips are out, our Lexmark printer paper jam guide walks through clearing each jam area.

5. Fix a "missing plane" print defect by checking the black photoconductor

If your first prints come out with part of the image missing, and Lexmark's print quality guide describes it as a missing plane, check the black (K) photoconductor for protective material that never came off.

1. Turn off the printer and open the door to the photoconductor units.
2. Take out the black (K) photoconductor.
3. Remove any packing material, film, or tape still on it.
4. Slide it back in, close the door, and print a test page.

Hold the unit by its sides or handles. Don't touch the drum surface, and don't leave the unit sitting out under bright light. Your user guide lists the exact handling limits for your model.

6. Run the initial setup wizard again

The first time a Lexmark printer powers on, it walks you through language, country or region, date and time, and on many models, Wi-Fi. If you tapped through those screens quickly, one wrong pick can cause strange problems later. The country or region you choose sets the default paper size, for example, so the wrong choice can leave a printer in the US expecting A4 instead of Letter.

To run the wizard again:

• Newer models: on the control panel, go to Settings > Device > Preferences > Run Initial Setup and choose Yes.
• Older models: go to Menus > Settings > General Settings > Run Initial Setup.

If the wizard doesn't start right away, restart the printer. Then take each screen slowly.

7. Connect the printer to your network

If your Lexmark connects by Ethernet, plug the cable into your router or network switch and skip ahead to fix 8. For Wi-Fi, take care of two things first:

• Unplug any Ethernet cable from the printer.
• Set the active adapter to Auto under Settings > Network/Ports > Network Overview > Active Adapter.

Then connect using whichever method works best for you. On models with a two-line display, start from Menu instead of Settings.

• From the control panel: go to Settings > Network/Ports > Wireless > Setup On Printer Panel > Choose Network, select your network, and type the Wi-Fi password.
• With the Lexmark Mobile Assistant app: on the printer, open Settings > Network/Ports > Wireless > Setup Using Mobile App to see the Printer ID. Open the app on your phone, connect to the printer's network when the app asks, then choose your own Wi-Fi network and enter its password.
• With WPS: if your router supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup, go to Settings > Network/Ports > Wireless > Wi-Fi Protected Setup > Start Push Button Method and follow the prompts on the printer's screen.

Can't find a Wireless menu at all? Some larger Lexmark models, including the CX92x series, need a MarkNet wireless print server installed before Wi-Fi shows up. If your printer has Wi-Fi but setup keeps failing, our Lexmark printer not connecting to Wi-Fi guide covers the fixes in detail.

8. Confirm the connection with a network setup page

Before you do anything on your computer, make sure the printer really is on your network. One printed page tells you.

1. On the control panel, go to Settings > Reports > Network > Network Setup Page. On some models, it's Reports > Network Setup Page.
2. On the printed page, check that the status reads Connected.
3. Write down the printer's IP address. It's four sets of numbers separated by periods, like 192.168.1.25.

What to look for on that page:

• The network name isn't the one your computer uses. The printer joined the wrong network. Go back to fix 7.
• The IP address starts with 169.254. The printer didn't get an address from your router. Restart the router, then the printer, and print the page again.
• Everything looks right. Type the IP address into a web browser on your computer. If the printer's Embedded Web Server (its built-in settings page) opens, your computer can reach the printer. If you use a proxy server, turn it off for a moment while you test.

9. Add the printer on Windows 11

Lexmark gives Windows users two ways to go: let Windows add the printer with Microsoft's built-in driver, or install Lexmark's full software.

Option A: Let Windows add it

1. Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners and click Add device.
2. When your Lexmark appears, click Add device next to it.
3. If it doesn't show up, click Add manually, choose Add a printer using an IP address or hostname, and enter the IP address from your network setup page.

This route uses Microsoft's IPP Class Driver. It handles everyday printing, and it's where Windows is heading. Microsoft stopped publishing new third-party printer drivers through Windows Update in January 2026, and Windows now defaults to its own class driver when you add a printer. The tradeoff is that advanced options like finishing, tray management, and toner darkness may not be available.

Option B: Install Lexmark's software

1. On Lexmark's support site, open Drivers & downloads and search for your printer model.
2. Download the recommended package for your version of Windows.
3. If you're setting up a USB printer, connect the cable to your computer. Then run the installer and follow the prompts.

On a multifunction model, this package installs the print, scan, and fax drivers together.

Xerox acquired Lexmark in July 2025, and Lexmark's Windows 11 downloads now include the Xerox Print and Scan Experience app. It works alongside Microsoft's class driver and brings back the detailed job controls. If your computer uses Windows protected print mode, which only allows class drivers, this app is the route Lexmark recommends. On a work computer, check with your IT team before you change drivers.

For download help, see our Lexmark printer driver guide. If the printer worked fine until a recent update, go to Lexmark printer issue after Windows update.

10. Add the printer on a Mac

Many Lexmark printers support AirPrint, so your Mac can usually print to them without installing anything.

1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners and click Add Printer, Scanner, or Fax.
2. Select your Lexmark from the list. To add it by IP address instead, click the IP tab, enter the address, and choose IPP as the protocol.
3. In the Use menu, choose AirPrint, or the Lexmark driver if you've installed it, then click Add.

If you need features AirPrint doesn't offer, Lexmark has a macOS driver for macOS 10.15 and later that runs on both Apple silicon and Intel Macs. You'll find it on the same Drivers & downloads page.