#copierservices

The CBS Evening news recently broadcast a story called "Copy Machines a Security Risk?" The information presented in the story was alarming to say the least, but CBS only scratched the surface of the topic.  For companies who rely on securing confidential and proprietary information from competitors or hackers, there's much more you need to know about the inconspicuous digital copier.  In this article we'll look at five areas where confidential information may be compromised.

If you haven't seen the CBS story please click on this link at the bottom of this page and view the five minute broadcast before you continue with this article.

In addition to the risks presented by the CBS story here are 5 additional areas where copiers can compromise your security.

1. Many digital copiers are also network printers that store network information such as IP addresses, subnet masks and gateway IP's. These settings are not stored on the hard drive and are not cleared by the digital copier "Purge" feature. Network settings must be manually cleared.  Security experts will tell you to keep your network configuration private.  You don't want competitors or hackers to know your internal network configuration.  The more information about your network infrastructure that's accessible to hackers the less they have to figure out on their own and the sooner they can compromise your network.

2. Many digital copiers store the IP addresses of your DNS servers and/or Domain controllers. Depending on the type and model of your copier, this information may not be cleared by your copier "purge" function.  You definitely don't want competitors or hackers knowing the IP addresses of your Name Servers or Domain Controllers.

3. Many digital copiers store email addresses and some even download your entire Email Global Address List to the copier.  Again, you don't want this to be accessible to those outside your company.

4. The "purge" function used by older digital copy machines doesn't delete any data from the copier hard drive.  It only renders the data inaccessible to the copier software.  It either deletes a file we techies would call a "file allocation table" or it will use other tactics to render the data unreadable to the copier software.  The "Purge" button merely gives an allusion the disk has been cleaned. However, the data is still there and can be removed as shown on the CBS story.  Most copier security policies rely on this built-in Purge function and think their data is cleared.  It is not cleared.  It can still be accessed with free scanning tools available on the internet.

5. If your copier has a fax capability, the copier also stores all the phone numbers it dialed and numbers that dialed it along with any information you provided in your Fax phone book.  Again, the "Purge" function will not clear this information.

One of the biggest obstacles surrounding this whole issue of Copier Security is the apathy and ignorance of the Manufacturers.  Most copier technicians today still believe the built-in Purge function deletes all information on the copier.  To make matters worse, most copier technicians don't know where the different type of information is stored.  Some data is stored on the hard drive, some data in flash memory, and some data is stored in firmware.  Sensitive information is stored in different places depending on the manufacturer and model of copier.  Just when you think it can't get worse.  Let me drop the final shoe.  There are no utilities that will scan a copier and certify that it has been completely purged from older digital copy machines.

As I mentioned earlier, this CBS news story only scratched the surface of the real risks associated with digital Copier Security.  The Copier Security pioneers who were interviewed in the CBS story, Digital Copier Security inc., have done extensive research on these security risks and are working to provide services and resources to help companies thoroughly purge their older copy machines.  I applaud Digital Copier Security for bringing this issue to the attention of Corporate America and for working diligently to address this significant security hole.

I encourage the Copier industry to take responsibility for ensuring new copiers have the capability to purge themselves of all sensitive information and to provide a certification report indicating what has been purged.  This should be a standard feature on all Digital Copiers and not an add-on feature that comes at an additional cost.  Additionally copier technicians should be trained to thoroughly purge all Digital Copiers.

Until such a time, Corporate America must take necessary steps to ensure their own safety.  They must ensure they are not exposing themselves to unnecessary security risks or even breaking Privacy Laws. Digital copiers must have processes defined (and documented) that ensure appropriate actions are taken before copiers are released to third parties.

In this day and age, any professional nowadays that have copiers, they have been a staple in almost every white collar job out there. This is for a number of reasons such as documentation, filing or just simply reproduction of data.  Producing copies from copiers are generally cheaper and less time consuming than recreating new versions of them.  The only catch is that, the copiers themselves cost a small fortune, and you would need a few years of using it before you can actually feel the return of investment for these copiers.

A new trend nowadays is buying used copiers rather than brand new ones. Investing in used copiers can benefit anyone in many ways and that's why many people are shifting to used copiers rather than saving up for brand new ones.

A used copier is very easy on the pocket book.  A quality used copier can cost about one third the price of a brand new one and even one half the price of the latest versions.  This would allow you to spread your investments into other things like another copier or other equipment all as the cost of one brand new copier.

Used copiers although old, can still offer the same quality copies as brand new ones. Especially if you do not need any high end graphics and details to be copied, used copiers could be more than enough for you.  Any quality used copier can handle and text documents with little or no difference from a brand new one.

Many used copiers in Chicago offer competitive prices for any type of professional.  Whether for work or personal use, you will be sure to find a quality used copier in the Chicagoland area.  Used copiers in Chicago cost much less than used copiers sold elsewhere, so it would be best to take advantage of this offer if you are living in the Chicagoland area and go get your used copier.  You need not worry about having a hard time finding a used copier in Arlington Heights.  You can find a used copier in Chicago at almost any computer hardware store there. You can also inspect the used copiers if they are up to your caliber In quality.

Stains in general are one of life's many annoyances, especially when it's something near impossible to remove.  Clothing is pretty expensive to begin with, and then you get stains and it's a whole different cost to get the dry cleaners to remove them--if they can.

If you've ever been elected as the lucky individual to change the toner in the Xerox copier at work (usually on the day you when you decided to wear that crisp white shirt and freshly dry-cleaned khaki's), you know that unless you're wearing a hazmat suit, you'll probably end up with some toner- from change induced battle stains.  Usually, this would mean throwing out the item and going shopping, with a chip on your shoulder all because of the stupid copy machine and its Xerox Toner needs.

Keep in mind though, next time you find yourself in that boat, just refer to the handy guide here to help you treat the stain and salvage your stained item of clothing.

Xerox toner is so hard to get out of clothes because of the special powder it's made of; which contains a highly concentrated amount of pigments and dyes.  Toner melts when heated, thus causing it to bond firmly to paper in the printing process.  When toner comes in contact with clothing it doesn't form an indelible bond right away, you have a window of time to treat it, and salvage your item of affected clothing.

Here are 5 steps to treat Xerox Toner stains in clothing yourself:

1) Remove the article of clothing as soon as possible and shake it out.  The sooner you attend to the stain, the less time the stain has to settle into the fibers of the item.  Shake it to get as much loose toner out as possible.

2) Use a Vacuum with an attachment to vacuum out those loose particles in the clothing.  The more Xerox toner you can get out without water, the less likely the stain will be to set.

3) Fill the sink basin with cold water and immerse the item.  Work with the item to try to get more toner out.  Drain the sink and run more cold water over the item, trying again to get more Xerox toner out.

4) Wash the item in a washing machine on the cold water setting with mild detergent only.

5) Air-dry the article in the shade or indoors.  You're air drying primarily because if there's any toner left, the heat from the dryer which will probably set the stain permanently.  This will make it much harder or down-right impossible to remove.

More Tips and Warnings:

Avoid touching the toner with your hands when removing the stained article of clothing.  This prevents the toner particles from accidentally being spread.

If you get Xerox toner on your clothing, shake out the article of clothing outdoors.  This avoids the Xerox Toner particles landing on other easily stained items like carpet, furniture upholstery, and other items of clothing.

DO NOT use warm or hot water when washing the item, as it will set the stain most likely permanently.

If the item is dry-cleaning only, inform your cleaners that toner was spilled before they dry-clean it.  They may also need to know what kind of toner was spilled on it to ensure proper treatment, based on the makeup of the toner.

Copier machines today do not just copy documents; they now offer different features such as scanning, faxing, finishing as well as printing.   As machines become more advanced, it is hard to decide which machine would suit your needs.  Knowing the important features that the company needs however, can change that and make it easier to find the right copier.

That being said, to find the copier machine that would suit your needs, you must have a checklist or a guideline about the type of machine you need as well as other considerations such as budget, purpose and where you will be placing your new copier.

Analog Copier

If you are on a tight budget and would only need the most basic photocopying services, then an analog copier machine would suit you.  Analog copiers are more affordable compared to color and digital machines.  Copies made can be of good quality depending on the brand and specifications of the machine that you would buy.

Digital Copier

On the other hand, if you want more functionality but have a limited budget, a digital photocopying machine is your best option.  Digital photocopying machines usually come with two or three features such as fax and print features in one unit.  They are a bit more expensive than the basic copier but are slightly lower in price than a color copier.  Digital copiers are stable and produce less noise than the analog ones and the printing quality is better.

Colored Copier

If you want the latest features combined with functionality and budget is not an issue, then a colored copier is the best machine for you. Colored units are also preferred for advertising companies or those that specialize in fliers, brochures or magazines and ad campaigns.

The multi-functional copiers can be a real ROI for the company.  These machines include three or four functions such as scanning, printing, faxing and photocopying in one unit and they are ideal for big companies who require all the functions.  Some multi-function copiers include only two or three functions and are cheaper compared to a four- or five-in-one multi-function copier.

Purchasing your Copier

Now that you have a basic overview of the different types of copiers, the next thing to do is to check the size of the copier.  Do consider the location of the copier.  Will you place it on top of a table or in a corner as a standalone?  Shop around to compare prices.  There are several brands that you can choose from.  Examples of brands are Canon copiers, Toshiba, Sharp, Ricoh and Xerox.  Refurbished copiers are also available; they are cheaper and the best buys if you are not a heavy user.

Printers have become a daily essential for anyone who has a computer - after all, we all need to produce hard copies of our electronic data.  Choosing which printer serves your needs best can be tricky.  Here's a 101.

Kinds of printers

Whether you need to print documents, photos, stickers, large banners or any other data that needs to be printed, there is a printer that can suit your needs.

o Card Printer - for printing plastic cards

o CD Printer - for printing labels directly onto the CD

o Check Printer - for printing text on blank checks

o DVD Printer - for printing labels directly on the DVD disc

o Inkjet Printer - usually used for basic printing needs (i.e. documents, photos, etc.) in the home, school or office.

o Laster Printer - has similar functions with the inkjet, only faster.

o Photo Printer - the printer especially designed and made for printing high-quality images.

o Portable Printer - for use with mobile devices like laptops and other mobile computers

o Postcard Printer - for printing images and text on postcards and other novelty papers.

o Poster Printer - for printing bigger media (i.e. posters, banners, etc.)

o Thermal Printer - typically used for printing receipts and labels

o Wireless Printer - utilizes Bluetooth technology to connect to your computer instead of traditional cables, which makes it ideal for small spaces with computers.

Before you buy that printer...

No matter what your printing needs are, make sure you take into consideration the following features when choosing a printer:

o Power source

o Connectivity

o Printing size

o Format (what it can print)

o Speed of printing

o Efficiency

o Paper types and sizes it can accommodate

o Security features

o System requirements (ensure your device is compatible with it)

The world today has been incredibly altered by the developments of technology.  You'll be amazed at the many different innovations and modernization's that technology has produced for different machines.  All the mechanisms around us are becoming even more useful as time passes by.  Computers are some of these useful devices, and an HP or a Canon printer would definitely make the set complete.

A lot of printer makes and models have been released in the market, and most of them offer various new features and technological developments.  Each model has a different purpose in printing, but there is one thing you can be sure of: good printers have good reputations.  Examples are Hewlett-Packard and Canon printers.  The two names are well-known because of the excellent features that they offer.

They may be popular, but HP and Canon drove a long way before getting to where they are now.  Making a respectable image in the industry takes a long time, even several years, to establish.  The question now is: which one is better, Canon or HP?  It may not be that easy to tell because the companies have different sets of printers.  In order to find out, let us compare their models.

Firstly, HP and Canon do not have much difference when you talk about conventional printing. The trademark of HP in inkjet printers, the DeskJet series, and the inkjet printers of Canon are quite similar to each other.  The Business Inkjet 2800 from HP and the PIXMA iX7000 from Canon have the same business-quality performance that provides excellent document quality, professional prints, and colorful photos.

Having a photo printer of your own makes printing pictures very easy, and HP and Canon's photo printers are excellent for this job.  HP's Photosmart D7100 and Canon's PIXMA iP6220D are excellent photo printers that offer great features like a 2.5'' LCD color display that allows you to view and edit your photos and print them without a computer simply by inserting memory cards in the memory card slots.

For multi-functional features that are perfect for the office, an all-in-one printer where you can print, fax, scan, and photocopy is the best choice.  An example of this is the K7100 from HP's Officejet 4500 All-in-One series and the PIXMA MX7600 Office All-in-One printer from Canon. You can use these two machines to print, copy, and fax in full color and receive documents and images in perfect hue.

If you want the latest in printing technology, laser printers offer the best printing quality and speed.  The Color LaserJet CP4025dn printer from HP and the image CLASS LBP6300dn from Canon allows you to save up to 50% of paper with their duplex-printing feature, and save time as well with printing speeds of 30-35 pages-per-minute.  These devices are also network-ready so you can connect and print straight from the internet.

As you can see, HP and Canon printers have a lot in common.  They may have different technologies but their features are a lot alike.  The only difference that they might have would be their prices.  For a more affordable selection, choose HP; but if you don't mind the costs, choose Canon.  Your decision makes the final statement.

Despite being reliable printing machines and despite your best of efforts, HP printers often malfunction. Why? There can be multiple reasons for HP printers to malfunction and display error messages.  Here we have listed 10 common HP printer problems and their solutions.

Toner smears or does not fix to the page

Check the fuser.  If it is nearing the end, replace it.  If you don't know how to replace a fuser, refer to your HP printer support manual that originally came with the HP printer setup kit. Sometimes, fuser displays a Clean Fuser Input message.  It is a clear indication that fuser needs a cleanup.  Open the front door on your HP printer.  Check if you see a blue brush inside there (there must be one). Take the toner cartridge out of the printer to reach the fuser input assembly.

The assembly locates on top of the black toner cartridge port. Take the blue brush out and clean the assembly.  The cleanup procedure is intended for a HP Color LaserJet 5500 printer.  If you have a different printer, refer to its manual. If it's not fuser, it may be the toner cartridge which is either defective or nearing the end of its life. In that case also, you will need to replace it.  If the toner is neither defective nor nearing end, clean the toner cartridge assembly.

Paper Jams

Paper jams are the commonest printer problems, not just with HP printers, but with all the printer brands and models.  Paper jam can occur due to a number of reasons from torn paper bits, wrong paper tray selected, wrong paper type selected, loose paper roller, and to a lint of dust etc.  Look carefully inside the paper tray and at the exit end of the print paper path.  If there are any bits of paper stuck inside, remove them.  Check that the paper tray has the right type of paper, that is listed in the control panel of the printer.

If it is different, the printer will experience a paper jam problem.  Make sure that the paper type matches what is in the printer properties. If not, correct it.  Also, make sure that the printer prints to the right paper tray.  Failure to which it will lead to a paper jam.  If the roller seems to be loose, tighten it carefully.  If the roller looks shiny, it may need a replacement. Besides, never pull paper in the opposite direction that it feeds in.   Always pull it in the paper path direction.

Windows sends print jobs to a wrong printer

It happens when Windows selects a default printer by itself.  If you are using Windows 7, click the Start button and point to Devices and Printers.  You will see various printers listed under Printer and Faxes. Right-click the desired printer and click Set as default printer.  If prompted, confirm the action and exit Devices and Printers.  Restart your computer and printer.  Test a print page and check back.  Windows should print to the right printer now.

If you are using Window XP, click the Start button and point to Control Panel.  Double-click Hardware and Sound and then Printers.  Look for the printer that you want to set as default, right-click it and then choose Set as Default Printer.

Print Spooler service stops working

This is again a common problem with HP printers.  To get rid of this problem, click the Start button and point to Run.  When in Run dialog box, type 'services.msc' (without quotes) and hit Enter.  This will take you to the Services window.  On the right hand side, look for Print Spooler, right-click it and select Restart.  When prompted, confirm the action and exit the Services window.  If prompted, restart your computer.  When done, test a print page.

50.4 error message

The error message indicates a power supply problem and generally occurs when the power cord of your printer is plugged into a power strip or the UPS.  To get rid of this error message, plug the printer directly into a power outlet.

Printouts are too light, have spots

Often a printer starts printing light or spotty when the ink\toner cartridge is either dried up or clogged. Remove the ink\toner cartridge.  Take a soft cloth and dip it into either hot water or alcohol.  Now rub the soft cloth cautiously against the print head.  Also, rub it on  the underside of the nozzle of the printer.  It will soften the ink and let the printer print properly.  Put the ink cartridge back in place.  Print a test page and check back.

Error message 69.x

This shows a temporary glitch on your printing device.  To make this message disappear, you simply need to power off your printer, wait for 10-15 seconds and then power it on.  This will reset the configurations and make your printer start working again. In case the message still appears, power off both printer and computer and then turn them on.

Error message 10

The error indicates a Supplies Memory Error.  Depending on your HP printer model, the error can occur due to various reasons.  To get rid of the problem, power off your printer and unplug it from the power outlet. Wait for 10-15 seconds before plugging the printer back in.  When done, plug the printer back into power outlet, power it on, and let it warm up properly.  When done, print a test page and check back.  Your printer should start working fine now.  There may also be a problem with your printer's memory.  Replace its memory stick.

Cannot fit more text on the page

You may want your print page to have a substantial text amount, but your default printer settings may not let you do so.  Sometimes, you may also face a problem when shrinking the text on a sheet.  To get rid of this problem, go to Printer Properties in Control Panel.  Change the printer settings to accommodate more pages for each sheet.  For example, click the drop-down menu under Pages per sheet and posters and select it to 2 or 3 as desired per pages.  Click the OK button.  The settings may differ according to your printer model.  Refer to your HP printer support manual for correct settings.

Wireless printer problems

Wireless printers are great for home or office use.  However, they cannot beat wired printers when it comes to speed.  Wireless printer users often face printer slow problems. To make sure that your wireless printer works at a decent speed, use a unique channel number in your router. Besides, place your printer close to your Wi-Fi router.  Keep gadgets like cordless phones, security alarms away from your wireless router. These gadgets create electrical interference and cause your printer to function slowly.

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