IBM Aptiva Reference Manual page 50

If the problem is...
Printer error
46
Here's what to do...
1 Make sure the printer is turned on.
2 Make sure the printer cable is correctly and securely
connected to the printer and to the parallel (printer)
port on the back of the system unit.
The parallel port has this symbol next to it:
3 Make sure the printer power cord is securely
connected to an electrical outlet.
4 Make sure the printer is ready for printing. (On some
printers, if the ready light is on, but not flashing, the
printer is ready.)
5 If a printer driver is required, make sure the correct
printer driver is selected in the software. For
instructions on selecting a printer driver, see the
online help files that came with the operating system.
6 Make sure the paper and the cartridge containing the
print material (ink, ribbon, or toner) are loaded
correctly.
7 Turn off the printer and computer and wait
15 seconds. Then turn on the printer first, followed by
the computer.
8 If you are printing from Windows, look in the Device
Manager to see if any error symbols appear for the
port used by the printer. For information on Device
Manager, see the online help files that came with the
operating system.
9 If you are printing from DOS, make sure the Parallel
Port option is not disabled in the Setup Utility. For
information about Setup Utility options, see the
Configuration topic in the Aptiva online help.
Note: The printer may not support ECP mode. Set the
parallel port to Standard Operation Mode in the Setup
Utility.
If any of these problems continue after taking the actions
listed, run the diagnostics programs that came with your
computer. If you need service, see "HelpWare support and
services" on page 79.
Solving hardware problems