G4 Stopped Printing With Epson, G4 & printers Options

[Bloot]

We have a G4 with OSX connected to an Epson CX6200.
Of recent the G4 shows a blank panel and doesn't SEE the Epson in it's print menus - and yet if we tell the G4 to scan something, the 6200 responds, and then will print the scanned item.
Using the printer utility, the G4 sees the printer, but still won't transfer that over to the ordinary print menus.
Two options we thought might influence it were that one of the ink carts needs replacing (but that shouldn't stop the [process??), and also that we have an unpowered USB2 splitter which shares the available USB between the printer and the keyboard/mouse combo (it worked when originally set up).
Any ideas?
TIA Fred

[lepetitmartien]

You should really try without the hub to see if it's the cause. nevermind the 15 minutes it'll break your local wireless network, if it works like a charm without the hub, then you're fixed.

Next move if the hub seem in cause, is to adjoin a power supply, ask around you, you don't know how much of these are lying around unused. check the proper polarities, same voltage, amps can be a little higher in case (if you find the right one exactly, don't look elsewhere). Try again the printer thru the powered hub and if it's working then you know. If not it's really either the hub itself or something fishy in the software.

Now, If trying without the hub doesn't change a thing, it's time for some maintenance on the G4:
- check with different USB cables first. Just in case, it sound always silly but…
- repair permissions (Apple disk utility)
- clear caches (use OnyX)
- Reset PRAM and NVRAM
- Reset the motherboard (hence the USB ports) It's either here (AGP/gigabyte ethernet) or there (PCI graphics), depending of your G4. Note, press the button only ONCE, no more.
- If you have a voltmeter, check if the lithium battery is still within 0,2V of the mandatory 3,6V (mesure while the battery is in place not outside its place). If it's not, change it (electronics shop, radiospares, tandy and the like should have the thing, at a normal price)

And keep us udpated