ImageClass MF753Cdw II – Error 853 on PCL6 & PS3 Test Pages After Firmware Reinstall (UFR II OK)

[JRV]

My brand-new ImageClass MF753Cdw II is consistently returning Error 853 on all PCL6 and PS3 print jobs, including Windows 11 25H2 Test Pages printed directly from the driver properties. However, UFR II prints successfully.

Firmware Version--

Main Controller: 02.02
Boot ROM: 02.02
DCON: 10.02
Language: 01.04

UFR II, PCL6 and PS3 driver versions all v3.30

To eliminate software variables, I have performed the following:

• Tested from multiple applications

• Tested over both USB and network

• Printed Windows Test Pages directly from the driver properties (no application involved)

• Reinstalled Canon drivers

• Cleared all print queues

• Verified no secure print jobs are stored

• Performed a full firmware reinstall via USB using the Canon User Support Tool

  • The printer displayed a progress bar

  • The tool displayed a progress bar

  • After rebooting into DOWNLOAD MODE, pressing Stop returned the printer to normal mode (expected behavior)

Current behavior:

• UFR II test page: prints normally

• PCL6 test page: Error 853

• PS3 test page: Error 853

• Same result over USB and network

• Same result from multiple computers

• Same result after firmware reinstall

Canon’s published documentation for Error 853 lists causes such as insufficient resources, spool region full, job cancellation, or maximum received data size exceeded. However, in my case:

• I am printing a single Windows Test Page

• There are no other jobs queued

• The failure occurs over USB, so network spool settings are not involved

• The failure occurs immediately, not after large data transfer

• The failure persists after a full firmware reinstall

Because UFR II continues to work normally, while both PCL6 and PS3 fail consistently, the issue appears isolated to the internal processing path used by PCL/PS data.

I am requesting assistance determining whether this indicates a hardware‑level issue on the formatter board or another internal processing subsystem, since all software‑side causes listed in Canon’s documentation have been ruled out.

TIA

[ronrosenfeld]

I am having the same issue. Hopefully someone from Canon will chime in.

[shadowsports]

Greetings @JRV,

For our benefit, can you please confirm you are running W11 25H2?  I understand UFRII is working.  Is there a reason you need to print with PCL6 or PS3?  What are you trying to accomplish.  

What drivers did you install?  Be specific, you may use this link for reference:

Canon Support for imageCLASS MF753Cdw II | Canon U.S.A., Inc. https://share.google/PTNYuNB2hM6Wu7LZi

Just FYI, reinstalling existing firmware (firmware the printer is currently using) does nothing and will not change the behavior you might be experiencing.

Lastly, what are you doing to "cause" windows to use PCL6 or PS3 drivers to print?  What steps are you performing to make this happen?

[JRV]

Shadowsports, thanks for your reply!

Re Windows version--

Re driver source--

Ran this download, selected UFR II, PCL6 & PS3 when prompted.

TBH, not sure why that matters. I paid good money for a printer claiming to print industry-standard PCL6 and PS3. If it prints UFR II, well, that's just a nice bonus. And that's more-or-less the use case for PCL6, and I expect Canon to make good on it. But PostScript, in particular, is essential for proofing before spending the big bucks on printing. Also useful for printing marketing collateral in-house and product packaging in-house. But not going to debate this. The printer simply needs to work with PCL6 and PS3.

Reinstalling firmware is (a) somewhat likely to be on Canon's 1st-tier tech support script and (b) if a firmware update was executed before the problem manifested--which it was--and that update borked, reinstalling would be the first thing to try. Note that I'm not saying I didn't have the problem before the firmware update: I had not tried it yet. But when the update was presented after the machine had been running for a bit, I accepted the update. And then I tried PCL & PS.

Re method to invoke printing PCL6 or PS3, in the simplest and most diagnostic case, clicking here in Windows Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Printers & Scanners--

--and here--

Thanks!

[ronrosenfeld]

I contacted Canon customer support by telephone this morning and they were not helpful in getting the PCL6 driver to work (and ran out of time after about 45 minutes). However, I found a solution to my actual problem of not being able to print partial sheets of checks in the printer using the UFR II driver, so I don't need the PCL6 driver anymore.

I hope you are able to solve your problem.

[JRV]

Thanks, Ron!

Small sample size here in this thread, but as quick as your "me too" was posted, I do find myself wondering if anyone with the current v2.02 firmware and v3.30 drivers can print PCL or PS with this printer. Particularly since I was asked if I really needed PCL or PS. That didn't give me a lot of hope!

And I dread the 45-minute (and likely longer) phone call where I slog through the 1st-tier's "Is it plugged in?" script. Retired after 4 decades in IT and have had more of those painful calls than I care to remember!

Probably faster to just return it and buy something else. Hopefully will have the magic right answer soon--and without that dreaded 1st-tier support call--before I do that.