Default Password Review

Posted on by | General Information, Security, Support Tools | 0 comments

The default password as we have known it is now a thing of the past.  Let’s clear up some confusion about the new default password on Xerox printers and why you are just now seeing the change. 

First, here’s a quick explanation of why the change was made. On January 1, 2020 a law in California changed the way passwords are handled for any device connected to the internet.  The new California state law (SB-327) states that manufacturers of any device connected to the internet (IoT-device) that want to sell their products in California have to equip the devices with  security features that include a unique password for each device manufactured.  Manufacturers failing to do so will face enforcement from the California Attorney General and local officials. 

Even if you are not in California you may be affected by this law.  Manufacturers cannot make this fundamental change to just the products going to California, so the change will be seen everywhere. 

What this means to your Xerox printer is that the default password will now be the serial number of the machine. The password on most devices is case sensitive, so if your serial number contains letters, please use the correct case. The system administrator should then change the password to something unique and memorable. Be sure to store this new password in a secure location. You may have been prompted by the device for this new default password if the software/firmware is updated. 

Instructions for changing the password are found in the online knowledgebase for your printer at www.support.xerox.com. If your machine defaults to the serial number as the password, you should then change it to something else that will be secure and unique and that you can remember.

Below is a video on changing the system administrator password. The steps are similar on most Xerox printers and multifunction devices.

Xerox® VersaLink® Changing the System Administrator Password

Once you change the password from the default, if the new password is lost or forgotten a service technician visit may be required to reset it to the default.  If this occurs, contact your local support centre for further assistance. 

The main take away here is that depending on when the device was manufactured or the software/firmware version installed or upgraded, the default administrator password may be the device serial number instead of the original default.  Now you know!!

Xerox Support on Social Media

Posted on by | General Information, Support Tools, Technology | 0 comments

Xerox Support uses several types of Social Media to keep you up-to-date and informed on all things Xerox Support. Xerox is proactive in connecting to our customers through many different forms of social media.

Our goal is to get information to you quickly to keep you in the loop about what is going on in our ever-changing business.

How You Can Connect to Us

Subscribe to the At Your Service blog using the subscribe section. Enter your e-mail address and choose the notifications you would like. We will notify you with an e-mail when this blog and only this blog posts a new article. You can choose the digest option to get a monthly notification. You may also unsubscribe at any time, though we hope you don’t.

Register for the Xerox Customer Support Forum and join the conversation. The forum is a peer-to-peer forum where you, the customers, help each other with answers to questions about Xerox printer, software and app products. The forum community is a helpful support resource available to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The community includes a search feature to find answers to your questions. You must be registered to post, but you can look at posts and search without registering.  Once registered you can post a question, post a reply to other posts and tailor subscriptions to posts that you want to follow. While you are at the forum maybe you will have an answer to share with another user.

Subscribe to our channel Xerox Support on YouTube. You can watch videos about how to use your machines and how to troubleshoot problems you may run into while using your printer(s). There are videos on installing consumables like toner and the waste toner, cleaning parts of the machine, and clearing jams.  There are prebuilt playlists that will take you through all the videos on one subject or printer family. New videos are uploaded regularly so if you subscribe you will know when new videos are added. 

Follow XeroxSupport on Twitter to keep up-to-date on the latest things going on at 280 characters or less. Please remember we cannot place service calls for you through Twitter, nor can we solve complex support issues.  We use Twitter to provide you with information about new firmware available, driver updates and notices about other things that might affect your printers.  Our Twitter feed is not monitored 24/7. Replies will be sent out during business hours 9am to 5:30 pm in the Eastern time zone in North America. 

Stay in touch and in the know, subscribe to us, follow us, and check out our channel, or bookmark for all the Xerox Support on Social Media sites.

Xerox® Smart Start

Posted on by | Printing, Support Tools, Technology | 2 comments

Xerox® Smart Start is an installer that helps you, the user, begin printing and scanning quickly.  The installer is great if you are not sure what driver to install for your printer or multifunction device.

Smart Start Quick Install discovers new printers on your network, allows you to choose the printer you want installed, downloads the best driver from Xerox.com and creates the printer.  The installer will also easily upgrade your drivers with the newest driver releases as they become available.  There is support for Microsoft print architectures with Type 3 or Type 4 print systems.  Quick install does not install scan drivers.

To install scan drivers, select the Advanced Install feature.  The Advanced Install feature in Xerox Smart Start (XSS) will allow you to choose which print system, Page Description Language (PDL), and scan driver you want to install. XSS will recommend which options provide the best print experience.

Xerox Smart Start supports Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7. Please note Windows 7 does not support Type 4 print drivers. Therefore, XSS cannot install Type 4 print drivers on Windows 7. The installer is not compatible with Mac iOS or Mac PCs. 

For information on installing XSS and to see if it is compatible with your printer model, please see the Xerox Smart Start User Guide. The compatibility table is at the end of the user guide. 

The video below shows how XSS assists you in finding your printer on your network and setting up simple scanning. 

Give Xerox® Smart Start a try to install your printer and to keep your drivers updated to the latest releases.  You can download the installer from the Drivers & Downloads tab for your compatible printer at the Xerox support site. If you have additional questions remember you can contact the Customer Support Centre in your area.

Important Firmware Updates for VersaLink Printers, WorkCentre 6515 and Phaser 6510

Posted on by | Security, Support Tools, Technology | 20 comments

Important firmware updates are now available for VersaLink C400, C405, B400, B405, C500/C600, C505/C605, B605/B615, B600/B610, WorkCentre 6515 and Phaser 6510.  Firmware upgrades deliver the latest features and solutions to keep your machines running smoothly and securely.  It is recommended that all customers apply these updates to their machines.

The latest updates are customer installable and are available in the form of a Service Pack. A Service Pack contains important new features and fixes that have been developed after the latest general/manufacturing release. The details of the latest Service Pack (PL7-R4) upgrade are found in the Product Enhancement Document.

Let’s explore the ways to obtain these important firmware updates.  It varies slightly by model and if your device is on a network.

VersaLink C400, C405, B400, B405, C500/C600, C505/C605, B605/B615, B600/B610 can be setup to check for software updates on demand or routinely, and download the file directly.  This is a convenient way to make sure your device is always at the latest and greatest firmware level. To take advantage of this feature, the device needs to be setup on a network with internet access.  You will be notified when an update is available and will need to accept the end user license agreement before installing.

Firmware and Service Pack updates can also be downloaded from the product’s Drivers & Downloads webpage on support.xerox.com to a computer and transferred to the printer/multifunction printer (MFP). Installation instructions are packaged with the firmware in the downloadable file. 

There are two methods to transfer the file:

  1. Using a Firmware Install Utility: Download the utility from the Utilities and Applications category of the product’s drivers and downloads page.  This will allow the file transfer to occur over USB or network connection.
  2. Using Embedded Web Server (EWS):  This method is supported by VersaLink models only, and requires that the printer/MFP’s webpage is accessible from the computer.  This is possible when the computer and printer/MFP are on the same network or have a wi-fi direct connection.

Please note that your machine must be at a certain level of firmware before it can upgrade to the latest Service Pack. Check your machine’s current firmware level; if it is below the required level a bridge release will need to be installed first.  If your machine is setup to check for updates directly, it will automatically install the bridge release first, and then install the service pack the next time it checks for an update.  If you are downloading the file from support.xerox.com and transferring it to your printer/MFP, follow the two-step process laid out within the Service Pack download file.  The Service Pack download contains links to obtain the bridge release, if required, and the latest update.

Follow the links below to obtain the updates from support.xerox.com and the comprehensive knowledge base articles that explain how to update your device’s firmware.

Service PackHow To Update
VersaLink C605 Multifunction Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink C605 Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink C600 Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink C600 Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink C505 Multifunction Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink C505 Multifunction Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink C500 Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink C500 Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink C405 Multifunction Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink C405 Multifunction Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink C400 Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink C400 Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink B605/B615 Multifunction Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink B605/B615 Multifunction Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink B600/B610 Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink B600/B610 Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink B405 Multifunction Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink B405 Multifunction Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
VersaLink B400 Printer Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileVersaLink B400 Printer – How To Update the Printer Software (Firmware)
WorkCentre 6515 Service Pack (Firmware) Download FileWorkCentre 6515 – How to Update Firmware Using the Firmware Download Utility
Phaser 6510 Service Pack (Firmware) Download FilePhaser 6510 – How to Update Firmware Using the Firmware Download Utility

Cybersecurity and Safe Return to the Office

Posted on by | Security, Support Tools | 0 comments

Cybersecurity in the work environment should be top of mind—perhaps now more than ever. As more employees begin returning to offices, revisiting basic cybersecurity practices are encouraged, something your IT staff is already trained on.  We know that information security is important to you and to Xerox.

Best Practices We Recommend Reviewing

  • Access Controls — review and revise employee access controls to networked devices to reflect changes to roles, responsibilities, etc.
  • Password Changes — updating passwords across your devices according to your company policies or follow guidelines for password complexity. 
  • In a Networked Environment — make sure only necessary devices are connected and securely configured (e.g., authentication required, disable unused ports, enable image overwrite on MFPs where applicable, etc.).
  • Software Updates — as an ongoing practice regardless if you are back in the office or working from home, ensure you have the latest security related software/patches on your multifunction devices or printers.  You can access security bulletins for your Xerox product and sign up for RSS feeds on the Product Security page.

For more information on how to configure your Xerox devices securely, please refer to the Secure Installation or Security Guide for your printer model here. Please also refer to our “Helpful Tips to make your Xerox device more secure” for more on securing your Xerox device.

Security is everywhere. Please do your part to secure your Xerox devices.

Unable to Scan After Windows Update

Posted on by | Features, Support Tools | 0 comments

A recent Microsoft Windows update raised questions about no longer being able to scan, which is affecting all brands. Users cannot scan to file or scan to PC and might see a message or fault code that begins with 018-xxx after their Windows update.

The issue seems to be that the share settings are reverted back to the defaults after the Windows update.  So, let’s fix that. Review these tips and check that your settings are correct.

Tips and Settings To Review:

  • Ensure you are using port 445
  • Confirm that Password protected sharing is disabled
  • In File Explorer Options, select the View tab uncheck Use Sharing Wizard in the advanced settings section
  • Right click the folder for scans on your PC and select properties, then select the sharing tab.
    1. Select Advanced Sharing.  Make sure “Share this Folder” is checked. 
    2. Select Permissions to confirm that the group Everyone has check marks in the allow box for Full Control.
  •  If you continue to have trouble scanning, searching for “scan to a folder or PC” on the support page for your product and redo the set-up from the beginning. 

Watch the following video from our YouTube Xerox Support channel to see a walk-through of some of these settings.

These are the current tips to try and restore scanning to working order after a Windows update.  They may not all need to be changed on your PC but these are things we have found so far that may affect your ability to scan. If you have no success after trying these suggestions, please consider contacting your local support center for additional assistance. 

Remember you are not the only one experiencing these types of issues after the Windows updates. Several multifunction machines from various manufacturers are experiencing the same inability to scan. Once the problem is ID’d, you’ll be scanning again soon.

Fault Code Lookup in Online Support

Posted on by | Online Support Assistant, Support Tools | 9 comments

We have all been there. You are going about your business, printing or copying or scanning and a fault code displays on the Xerox printer. Your pulse quickens and your mind reels, you begin wondering what did I do? What should I do? Is the fault code my fault? Has anyone seen me here? Can I get away without anyone seeing me? Well calm down take a deep breath and let’s try to make this a little easier.

A fault code on your Xerox printer and or multifunction device is not always as disastrous as you might imagine. The fault code is just a way for your machine to tell you there is a problem and it needs some help. Write down the complete code and any accompanying error message, the fault code will be numbers and/or letters and may include commas, periods or hyphens. Example: xxx-xxx or xx-xxx-xx. Then find a device on which you can access the internet.

At the computer or smart device go to Xerox.com, select Customer Support and then from the drop-down menu select All Support and Drivers. For those of you that have been with us for a while you will see displayed the new home screen for online support.  For the newbies this will be the screen you have always seen.  You have a couple of options here, you can either enter the model of your printer displaying the code or you can just enter the fault code. 

In the example below I just entered the fault code 010-420. The articles about that code will be displayed and the list will include any product that might display that fault code.  To the left you can narrow down the results by selecting your product model number.  The article specific to your machine will be displayed.  Click on the article and follow the steps or options found in the article. 

Important Tips to Remember

  • Enter only one fault code at a time
  • If you have no success finding the code enter the message that may accompanied the code and search that message.
  • Not all fault codes require service. Many can be solved by the operator, that’s you.
  • The first digits on most fault codes indicate the area or system of the machine that experienced the error. In our example 010 indicates fuser errors. 
  • Fault codes warn you about printer conditions that prevent the printer from printing or degrade printing performance.

Don’t slink away and leave a fault for someone else. Look it up and give resolving the issue yourself a try. It will get your machine up and running sooner and make you the office hero.

But as always if you can’t get it working, contact us at Xerox support and support will do what they can to fix the error or dispatch service if it is indicated. 

Mother’s Day, Cardstock and Templates

Posted on by | Color, Printing | 0 comments

Mother’s Day, cardstock and templates have an obvious connection: Mother’s Day greeting cards. With Mother’s Day this weekend, how about printing your own card?  It will be like the good old days when you made her one in school, but without all the glue and glitter.

In the Small Business Resource Center, we have templates for Mother’s Day cards that you can personalize and print. Make cards for your mom, grandmother, significant other, or even pet moms!! You can print them on your Xerox printer or multifunction device. Printing on cardstock ensures your greeting card looks and feels like it came right from the store.

Please use a cardstock that is on the recommended media list for your machine. You can also find paper specifications in the online support for your machine. Simply search on “Paper” and the paper specifications will display.  There are a few heavier weights of paper, such as Lightweight Cardstock (60 lb/163 gsm), Cardstock (80 lb/216 gsm), and Heavy Cardstock (100 lb/270 gsm), which are used for different applications, such as printed greeting cards.

It should be noted that when loading the paper and configuring the machine, heavier paper weights require the correct setting to ensure proper function of the printer. Failure to correctly configure the correct settings can lead to the following issues:

  • Printer internal components adjust pressure and speed for thicker paper – The printer electronically sets charges, heat and pressure depending on the paper weight setting. An incorrect weight setting can cause issues with friction applied and the print speed of the paper as it passes through the printer. This can cause paper to skew, slip, misfeed, jam, create image quality issues, or cause rapid wear to internal mechanics such as rollers.
  • Heavier paper fuses at a higher temperature – A heavier paper weight means the paper has more mass. A paper type with more mass means that it requires more heat for the paper to heat during the fusing process, which lets the toner properly bond with the paper. An incorrect weight setting can lead to issues such as images smearing or rubbing off.
  • Toner applied differently to different paper weights – Differences in paper weights require the toner be deposited using different charges to the paper. Incorrect tray settings can cause image quality issues such as mottled prints, deletions, poor print resolution or light or dark output.

There is a vast array of greeting cards templates for use on Mother’s Day and many other holidays and occasions. And don’t forget to adjust those settings to ensure great finished products.

Happy Mother’s Day and happy printing!!

Arbor Day – Xerox, PrintReleaf and Trees

Posted on by | Printing, Recycling, Technology | 0 comments

In celebration of trees and Arbor Day (celebrated this year on April 30), it’s an ideal time mention the partnership between Xerox and the PrintReleaf program. Based on the concept “you print one, we’ll plant one,” PrintReleaf guarantees every sheet of paper used will be reforested. It’s not one-to-one, but the rate of 8,333 sheets of standard letter (8.5 × 11″ 20lb paper) equates to a 37.16kg tree (40ft height × 7in width or 12.192m × 0.1778m).

Xerox Intelligent Workplace Services (formerly MPS) participants opt in to our PrintReleaf partnership. The program is similar to a carbon offset program. Paper usage reporting is equated to the number of trees needed to reforest the paper usage in geographic areas of need.

PrintReleaf tracks paper usage reports to determine the number of trees needed to reforest. Intelligent Workplace Services (IWS) participants can pick the forest project(s) to support. The trees will be planted there to offset your paper use.  The PrintReleaf program can help meet sustainability goals and contribute to the reforestation of the world’s forests.  

Since launching the program in 2018, more than 1 billion pages have been offset. Stack 1 billion sheets of paper, and it would stretch more than 63 miles above sea level – or essentially outer space. Also, with one tree absorbing more than one ton of carbon dioxide in its lifetime, this program will offset hundreds of millions of pounds of carbon dioxide for generations to come.

The trees are planted in geographic areas of need. The global reforestation projects are in the following locations: (click links to read about the individual projects)

The United States project is in South Dakota on the Pine Ridge Reservation of the Oglala Lakota Native Americans.  The Pine Ridge Project is addressing the need for greening the landscape in two historical wildfire areas totaling 20,000 acres to combat a wide range of environmental challenges.

Enjoy your Arbor Day and do your part to save a tree or plant a new one.  The earth and our future generations will thank you.

Earth Day 2021 Restore Our Earth™

Posted on by | Features, Recycling, Technology | 0 comments

In celebration of Earth Day let’s look at some of the ways you and your Xerox products can contribute to this year’s mission of Earth Day – Restore Our Earth™ – by using conservation features already on your products. As I have said for years, every day is Earth Day at Xerox.  Xerox has been committed to sustainability and preserving the planet even before the founding of Earth Day in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin as a teach-in about the environment. 

Whether you have a Multifunction Printer or a Printer you can save paper. To do that you can copy or print in duplex / two-sided mode.  You will cut your paper consumption in half.  See how quickly I did that math!!  Duplexing is standard on most of our printers and an option on others.  Please consider using duplexing on all your drafts and any jobs you can.  Other ways to save paper are turn off the banner pages and use the sample set feature to make sure your job is correct before printing out multiple copies.

Earth Smart Feature

Some of these features are combined in the Earth Smart feature of the product specific drivers and the Windows only Global Print drivers. The earth smart features can be accessed in the driver by selecting the small green box in the bottom left corner of the printing properties screen or selecting the earth smart tab.

Another Earth smart feature is Print Job ID which prints the job/user information in the margin on the first page. Print job ID can eliminate the need for costly and wasteful banner pages. Not all machines have the Earth Smart built into the driver, but you can still set the individual settings or, if compatible, use the Global Driver.  Please look at the support pages for your products for instructions for using these earth-friendly features. Search on the term Earth Smart.

Some other things you can do to help the environment include:

  • Change your font to save ink. 
  • Use recycled paper products and recycle all paper when possible.
  • Return used supplies to Xerox for recycling.
  • Upgrading to a new machine? Always consider a Multifunction device to cut down on the number of fax machines, copiers and printers you have in your office.
  • If you are upgrading or getting rid of a Xerox product we have several ways to recycle  Xerox equipment.  If you would like to donate your equipment instead of returning it to Xerox, we have partnered with the National Cristina Fund to provide a way to do so. The equipment must be in working condition to qualify for donation. The foundation can also accept donations of used working computers, monitors, and other peripheral equipment such as scanners and fax machines. National Cristina Foundation, Inc. — GuideStar Profile
  • ConnectKey multifunction printers with Cisco EnergyWise®, an energy management solution that allows IT operations and facilities to measure and fine-tune power usage to realize significant cost savings. Energy management Cisco EnergyWise®, enabled by Xerox® Power MIB (Management Information Base), you can control, manage and report your device’s power consumption information, and set optimal power states and timeout intervals

The list goes on, but these are some of the highlights.  Xerox has been working toward sustainability for over 50 years.  We have created suggestions to plan for a greener office.  Please head to the Create a More Sustainable Office website and learn more.

More Resources you might like:

We Reduce Energy Use to Protect Our Climate

Environment, Health, Safety, and Sustainability at Xerox

Eco-Friendly Printing Guide

Xerox Green World Alliance

Chemical Use in Products

Xerox Receives ENERGY STAR®’s Highest Honor

On this annual Earth Day do something to Restore Our Earth™!