Xerox Phaser 6100 printer in Mountain Lion?

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Level 1

16 points

Xerox Phaser 6100 printer in Mountain Lion?

My migration from old hardware and OS 10.4 is almost complete but I have found no way to drive my Xerox Phaser 6100 printer. Xerox recently (belatedly!) released a long list of Mountain Lion compatible drivers which were included in the latest system update. However, although there were multiple Phaser 61XX drivers, 6100 was not one of them.

I really hate to scrap this useful machine. Any ideas?

MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012), OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.2), Apple since 1979!

Posted on Dec 8, 2012 5:50 AM

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Answer 1

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Dec 8, 2012 7:00 AM in response to GeneMike

Ask Xerox if they'll help you upgrade your machine to one that is compatible. You would think that a 6110 is just a 6100 with some added bells and whistles that the printer company can easily add.

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Answer 2

GeneMike Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 8, 2012 8:00 AM in response to a brody

Xerox has one of the worst support policies in the industry. Free calls are only offered for products still under warranty. After that, calls are $25 apiece. I would pay that if I knew I could get an answer but I don't want to throw another $25 at this. Emails are free but they warn that you may or may not get an answer. So far, mine have not been answered.

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Answer 3

Dec 8, 2012 10:53 AM in response to GeneMike

Did you try adding the printer using the Generic PostScript or Generic PDL PPD?

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4549443?answerId=20442101022#20442101022

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Answer 4

GeneMike Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 9, 2012 11:27 AM in response to John Blanchard1

Thanks, but that didn't work. I appreciate the guidance to the location of the generic drivers Like LisaNH in the referred thread, those do no appear in the choice window of Print and Scan. I had missed that thread in my search because it was not a Phaser 61XX printer. While I tried both, I was pretty sure that the Generic .ppd would not work because the Xerox Phaser 6100 printer is not a Postscript. I had hopes for the Generic Printer.pd but, alas, that did not work either, Neither driver even stirred the devil!

BTW, the printer does show up in the Print & Scan selection window. So, I know the connection is there.

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Answer 5

Eric Root

Level 10

684,027 points

Dec 9, 2012 12:11 PM in response to GeneMike

Maybe this will help. If you monitor the "More Like This" box, other solved threads appear. Opening them usually displays other threads.

http://www.4shared.com/file/jMpSGsRm/XeroxPrinterDrivers.html?refurl=d1url

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/3193803?answerId=17254970022#17254970022

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Answer 6

GeneMike Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:06 PM in response to Eric Root

Eric, None of the "solved" related articles are about the Phaser 6100 (sll some other 61XX) except one solved by using an old computer and sharing. That's a little awkward! The 4shared download is nothing more than the printer drivers from the Snow Leopard OS.

To all: I found a Phaser 6100 driver for Linux. Anyone think that would work for Mountain Lion??

Message was edited by: GeneMike

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Answer 7

Eric Root

Level 10

684,027 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:35 PM in response to GeneMike

You can check this Apple article:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3669

Working on my iPad, so difficult to check the page.

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Answer 8

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Dec 9, 2012 7:47 PM in response to GeneMike

Yes it is possible. Many Linux Gimp/Gutenprint related printer drivers have worked in every version of Mac OS X since 10.4, as is explained from* http://www.macmaps.com/printersx.html

The big question is finding out which one.

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Answer 9

GeneMike Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 11, 2012 12:12 PM in response to GeneMike

I finally got a response email from Xerox:

"Thank you for contacting the North American E-mail Support Team.

We have searched the Online Support Assistant and verified that the

Phase 6100 does not have support for Mac Mountain Lion. ..."

P.S. The Linux drivers did not work! Anyone want a slightly used Xerox Phaser 6100 Color Laser Printer??

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Answer 10

a brody

Level 10

82,841 points

Dec 11, 2012 12:45 PM in response to GeneMike

Return it to the store you bought it from. If they won't take it, explain the documentation was poor as to its compatibility, and that it isn't compatible with the most current operating system.

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Answer 11

Dec 11, 2012 1:03 PM in response to GeneMike

The latest Mountain Lion driver support begins with the Phaser 6130N. Tough break on the Phaser 6100.

Xerox has a page with links by operating system to PDF files containing all US Xerox printers compatible with the specific OS. There is a Mountain Lion link there.

If instead, you are wondering what supported non-Xerox printer to buy, look at the manufacturer specific driver updates on apple/support/downloads. Click the name of the driver update, rather than download it. You will see a link to a kb article that lists all currently supported printer models. For that manufacturer and other vendors.

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Answer 12

GeneMike Author

Level 1

16 points

Dec 11, 2012 2:39 PM in response to a brody

a brody wrote:

Return it to the store you bought it from. If they won't take it, explain the documentation was poor as to its compatibility, and that it isn't compatible with the most current operating system.

You should try comedy! I bought this machine directly from Xerox in 2006 - for $256!

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