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The HP Community is where owners of HP products, like you, volunteer to help each other find solutions.
Archived This topic has been archived. Information and links in this thread may no longer be available or relevant. If you have a question create a new topic by clicking here and select the appropriate board.
HP Recommended
After researching competing products from Epson and Brother, it appears all printers in this category will refuse to print B/W when any color cartridges are empty. So I was able to buy a "non-working" Photosmart C7280 for $20 on eBay - it had the same failed Chinese capacitors as all the other ones - and used it for spare parts to fix my old one. Reuse, recycle!
HP Recommended

My color cartridge is perfectly fine, an HP product, I have checked it over and over, and also followed all of the troubleshooting multiple times.  Yet I cannot print only in black, despite my brand new black HP cartridge.

 

The HP reply stating that the printer will not print in black, even though print setting is sent to black, with out each of the other colors in tact- because doing so could damage the printer- I don't have any cofidence whatsoever that is true.  And if it is- the probability that it "possibly could damage" the printer is likely miniscule.  And even if the probability is high- that would be because HP designed the printer this way on purpose, to make the  purchasers of this product be forced into buying an extra (uneeded)  HP product- just to print a black copy.  Why?  Because HP cares only about making as much profit possible, and does not truly care about the hardworking people- who used a portion of their family budget- on an HP printer.  Maybe the very fine print somewhere on the box or online does use ambiguous language which states that this printer absolutely will not print in black- if any of the other cartridges are empty/missing.  Because folks would have chosen a different printer.  Maximum profit is the most important  goal.

 

Surely the HP corporation has exceptionally talented and brilliant tech creators who knew how to design this printer to safely print using only black ink when the color cartridges were empty, or removed.  Or at least include a dummy cartridge, to insert in place of the magenta cartridge that suddenly became empty, so that the printer could safely print in black.  Maybe create a dummy cartidge- made from recycled cartridge- for the HP printer owner to keep on hand, so that that they are not forced to leave the house at midnight searching for an open store that sells the exact HP cyan cartridge required, in order to print in black.   Oooooh- that would avoid so much time and frustration for the printer owner, and save him money too. But that would shave a tiny bit off of the HP profit. 

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Just spent two days and over $30.00 on the xl black cartridge to finally get to this forum.  We've all  been using ink printers too long to believe this nonsense.  I will be changing over to laser, not HP at that.....  Purchased this because of its alleged ability to print extensively in black......  Where is the solution from HP here?  Software update shouldn't be so difficult!!!!!!

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Sir, 

 

Your explanation of this problem is laughable, unsatisfactory, and insulting to all of us who have spent years using inkjet printers. 

 

My disappointment and frustration with your company's product is only exacerbated by the fact that it's now 1 a.m. and I'm stuck at my desk with a completely useless HP product and important documents still to be printed. 

 

Either HP's engineers have become lazy and incompetent, or the management a bit too greedy, or both. 

 

After two decades of being a loyal HP customer, I'd like to inform you that I will never spend another dollar on anything produced by HP, and will proactively advise all my friends to do the same. 

 

I urge all existing and potential future customers of HP to vote with their dollars and say NO to these exploitative practices. It’s a great thing that bad news travels fast.

 

#No$$$toHP

 

 

 

HP Recommended

WRONG !! "NOT SOLVED" !! ...for all the reasons stated by the posters. The solution would be to make available a driver to enable printing in black ink even when the color cartridges are empty or depleted. Otherwise, HP, your practice of disabing black printing when the color cartrides are depleted/disabled with this printer is simple LARCENY.  Congratulations, HP thieves.

HP Recommended
PS: I'm getting the "depleted cartridge" messages a couple weeks ago, even though I purchased new cartridges less than 3 months ago, 8/30/13, and I do not print in color. HP, you are a disgrace.
HP Recommended

After spending probably 20 hours+ trying to figure this out, only to discover this "problem" is an HP intended design, along with the absolutely unacceptable "technical" response,  I will NEVER again purchase any HP product and will make EVERY effort to share that position with anyone I can.  In today's plutocracy, that's the consumers' only recourse to dealing with such big bully business practices we are expected to accept in the name of progress.  If and when you go down the tubes HP,  that collective cheer you hear will be from the many victims of your unethical practices.

HP Recommended
Course now thos is becomming a trend. I am a tech and have foundba new Lexmark laser that came with a less that optimal filled tonner and a new Epson with starter cartridges. I guess one does it they all decide itbis OK to scam consumers.
HP Recommended

I totally understand why the color cartridges need to physically installed, but why does it it stop working and say the colored ink needs replacing when I only print in black? Our printer is connected to a medical analyzer that only prints text. I don't have a computer to change any settings, anyway. Where does the colored ink go?

HP Recommended

I think the ink does dry out. Most of the crtridges have a little tab you pull off that covers a hole, I think to supply air for the escaping ink durring printing. Let a printer sit long enough and the ink just dries out.

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