[X4U] Secret code for printers

[Randy B. Singer]

On Dec 13, 2011, at 1:24 AM, Paul Moortgat wrote:

> A repairman here has revealed that printers contain a counter which  
> when reached will block the printer.
> He's fired and therefor he revealed the secret on radio.  It's now  
> in the newspaper.
> Because it's probably to expensive to repair, people usually buy a  
> new printer.
> One has to search the internet to reset the code which will give  
> the printer a new life.
> He also did it for iPods.  One need the key combination to unlock  
> the device.
> Brother has admitted it, but told reporters that it's for maintenance.
> The local PC Magazine has told that it's also done for the ink  
> fillings.

Funny, I have an office full of variously aged Brother printers, and  
none has "locked up" yet.  My oldest one is over a decade old.

All Brother printers have a counter that will tell you when the toner  
cartridge is empty, and/or when the imaging drum is worn out, and  
it's true that their reporting doesn't often coincide with these  
consumables actually having reached the end of their life-span, but  
both counters can be easily reset.  The sequence to do so isn't  
exactly a "code" and is by no means "secret" as it is pretty easy to  
find in most Brother user's manuals.

I think that what you heard is simply hyperbole that the  
sensationalist media naturally loved.


___________________________________________
Randy B. Singer
Co-author of The Macintosh Bible (4th, 5th, and 6th editions)

Macintosh OS X Routine Maintenance
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html
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