There are two different Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) chips in a Lexmark printer. One chip is on the controller board (also called the RIP board or formatter board) and holds the firmware for the internal 10/100 print server (in network models). The other NVRAM chip is on the engine board and holds the printer's firmware - rather like the bios in a PC.

Because the Lexmark firmware is stored in an NVRAM chip rather than an EPROM, the firmware can be updated by sending an appropriate file to the printer via the parallel port, the USB port or the onboard print server (network card). However, this raises the possibility that the firmware can be corrupted by a power surge or similar event. If the engine code is corrupted you may be able to recover the printer by resetting the NVRAM on the engine board. If this fails, you can try sending the printer an appropriate firmware update file obtainable from Lexmark.

If you suspect that the printer's print server firmware may have been corrupted, follow the instructions for resetting the network card on a Lexmark printer. If this fails, try updating the print server firmware. You will find the relevant instructions elsewhere on our support pages.

Resetting the NVRAM on the engine board effectively restores the printer's factory default settings. As well as helping to resolve issues associated with an Error 954 Invalid Engine Code, it is also useful if you inherit a printer with a password set which effectively prevents you from changing the printer's settings. The procedure is suggested by Lexmark (Lexmark Knowledge Base).

1. Turn the printer off.
2. Press and hold down the right Menu arrow button (>), the Select button, and the Go button They are numbered 2,3 and 5.
3. Continue to hold all three of these buttons down and then turn the printer on .
4. Keep holding down the buttons until the printer displays Clearing NVRAM or Restoring Factory Defaults. This indicates that the printer is performing the NVRAM clear.
5. Release the buttons.
6. When the printer has finished the NVRAM clear, it should return to the Ready mode.
7. If the printer has not gone back to Ready in fifteen minutes, turn off the power and then turn it back on again as you normally would.

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