Printing error message ID=-6911 - What is that?

Question

OK - another question. The Epson 900G printer we got new with our computer in 2000 is basically obsolete - noisy, can't get ink for it anymore, talks to the computer when it feels like it, and freezes up the computer often when printing. We retired it. Husband found a Lexmark Z600 in the box that is compatible with the OS 9.0.4, but after printing one page and sometimes two pages it asks me to "see finder" and I get an error message ID = -6911. Any ideas why this happens?
Thanks again.
iMac Dv   Mac OS 9.0.x  

Answer 1

JoyStitch... we have the Snow iMac and it has been well used over the years by the whole family, all of us using the various features in different ways. It is only over the past year that we have found that we are unable to use the computer as easily as in the past ...Therein may be at least part of the trouble. Before asking the iMac to take on a different environment (OS and other upgrades) it is a Good Thing to sweep the floor, and to dust and rearrange the shelves. It is a good thing just as routine practice, and may often get the kitchen organized enough for little problems to disappear of their own accord.
How full is the internal drive? 85% of total capacity is best not exceeded, and it is worthwhile to delete, or archive off to CD or an external drive, enough files or unused applications to remain below that Plimsoll line. If the drive has not been defragmented (bits of files rearranged contiguously) in a while, doing so will save the drive's heads a lot of hopping about, enable the file directory to keep track of files much better, and leave room enough for the 'scratch' files generated during use of the iMac.
The utility DiskWarrior 2.1.1 (from Alsoft) will do the first two of these. Before using DW, however, it will be good practice to run Disk First Aid and Drive Setup (from Applications::Utilities)—to make sure that the drive's logical structures are in order—and to rebuild the Desktop (hold down [command-option] keys together from startup until the relevant window seeks confirmation of the command). This will be most surely carried out if you boot from your present OS install CD to do so.
Extensions Manager is an application, and should show in System Folder::Control Panels. It is designed to be accessible also by holding down [space bar] at startup, thus allowing you to switch between different configurations, if you have them, or to make temporary changes to configuration. If EM does not presently load, or if it crashes the machine, check that its extension, EM Extension, is activated (checked) in the extensions list, and that it appears first in the list in System Folder::Extensions. Trash its preferences (Extensions Manager Prefs) in System Folder::Preferences, thereby forcing the app. to create an entirely new (and reliably non-corrupted) preferences file. This exercise should also be carried out while the iMac is booted from the install CD.
The above may not give you immediate access to your new printer, but it will provide a good foundation for installation of a newer OS 9.x version that may support your printer. Do post back, especially if any of the above is less than pellucid.
Apple IIe; 68K: 11DT + 4PB; PPC: 5DT + 3PB; G3: 6DT     System 6.0.8 to OS 10.4.x