Advantage Business Systems, Xerox Northeast

Xerox error 016-799: what it means and how to fix it

The controller received a print job it could not interpret, usually because of a driver or PDL mismatch. What causes Xerox fault code 016-799, the steps you can safely try yourself, and the point where it needs a technician.

What's actually going on

016-799 sits in the network and controller chain. The first three digits identify the subsystem and the digits after the dash identify the specific fault within it.

The job was sent with a page description language, paper size or finishing option the installed configuration does not support.

A generic or mismatched print driver is the most common source. Windows update replacing a Xerox driver with a generic PCL one causes a wave of these.

It is a job-level fault, not a hardware fault. The machine itself is healthy.

What to do in the next 48 hours

  1. 1Write down the full code — 016-799 — before clearing anything, along with the machine's serial number and current meter reading.
  2. 2Cancel the job at the machine and clear the queue on the workstation that sent it.
  3. 3Print a different document from a different computer. If that works, the fault is the original job or driver, not the device.
  4. 4Reinstall the correct Xerox driver for the exact model from the device's own support page, then remove the generic driver from the workstation.
  5. 5If it only happens from one application, print to PDF first and print the PDF — this isolates an application-level rendering bug.
  6. 6Check that stapling, hole-punch or tray selections in the job actually exist on the installed finisher.
  7. 7If the identical code returns within a day of clearing it, stop clearing and log a service call. A code that comes back is a component telling you it is finished.

The honest tradeoffs

  • Working around this by printing from another machine is fine short term, but the underlying cause does not resolve itself and usually spreads to other users.
  • If 016-799 appears from multiple computers with correct drivers, the controller configuration needs to be reset by a technician.

Your next step

Rather just talk it through with someone local?

203-777-0011Or request service

Questions people ask next

What does Xerox error 016-799 mean?
The print controller received job data it could not process — normally a print description language, paper size or finishing option mismatch. It is almost always a driver problem on the sending computer rather than a fault in the copier.
How do I fix 016-799 permanently?
Remove the generic or outdated driver from the workstation, install the model-specific Xerox driver, and make sure the driver's installed-options list matches the accessories physically fitted to the machine.
Do I need a technician for Xerox error 016-799?
If 016-799 appears from multiple computers with correct drivers, the controller configuration needs to be reset by a technician. Send us the code, the model and the serial number and we will tell you honestly whether it is a five-minute fix you can do yourself.

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