Glossary
Firmware
The software that lives inside the printer. It is what draws the panel, speaks to the network and drives the motors. Updating it replaces the program, not the drivers on your computer.
Boot block
A small, separate program that starts first and knows how to install firmware. It is the reason a half-updated printer can usually be saved. Damage the boot block — almost always by cutting power at exactly the wrong second — and the device needs a new board.
Engine firmware
Separate software for the mechanical side: motors, fuser, sensors. Some packages update it in a second pass after the main firmware, which is why a device may reboot twice.
Configuration page
The self-printed report listing model, serial, firmware versions, network settings and counters. Print one before and one after every update.
DLM / FUL / FMW
Vendor file extensions for a firmware package — Xerox, HP and Epson respectively. They are not interchangeable, and a package for a neighbouring model is not a near-enough match.
Service mode
A hidden menu with adjustments and counters, reached with a key combination at power-on. It can flash firmware on some models. It can also reset things that should not be reset — leave it to technicians.
Staged rollout
Updating one device, using it normally for a day, and only then updating the rest. It costs a day and saves the week where every printer in the building has the same new bug.
Version string
The identifier on the configuration page, such as 002.2537A or 73.66.21. Higher is newer within one model and means nothing across models.