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HP Recommended

Just replaced yellow ink in Photosmart 5180 -- I'm sure its the right thing, its brand new and I shook it and some ink came out-- but printer insists there is no yellow ink.

 

Ideas?

 

 

17 REPLIES 17
HP Recommended

I feel your pain. I have a new 6500 (six months I've used it). Everytime I insert a brand-new GENUINE HP cartridge - these happen to be 920's - the printer does not recognize it. Says it's "damaged" or whatever and tells me consult manual.

 

The manual (at least on 6500) says to clean the little "window" on the cartridge. Mind you, this is a brand new freshly unwrapped EXPENSIVE HP catridge and I gotta do maintenance on it before I stick in the machine? So I get some eyeglass cleaner and rub it on the little "window" (it's very cloudy and dark for a window, looks like solid plastic) and then the printer accepts it. Like it just saw its passport and determines its not an illegal alien cartridge.

 

BUT - and here's the rub (no pun intended)...even after I did that three times or more on a cyan cartridge, the 6500 would still not accept it. I didn't have time to mess around anymore so I bought a new one. Fortunately, that was accepted. I put the cyan that wouldn't work in a baggy and sealed it.

 

After Christmas, I called HP at the toll free number in the manual (1-800-474-6836). On the phone for an HOUR OR MORE! First, with some guy who couldn't speak clear English (although I think it was an India support center) and then he gave me to his supervisor, a "Lisa" who, when I then asked, "Am I the only one on the planet with this problem?"  She says, "Honestly, this is the FIRST I've heard of this."

 

Give me a break...not only are 6500 owners complaining on this but so are owners of other HP printers like yourself.

 

Back to the cyan in the baggy:  The one I installed successfully was now empty and before buying a new one I opened the baggy and cleaned the livin' H out of that window with alcohol. This is after I drank some of the drinkable kind of alcohol. ALAS..the 6500 finally accepted that cyan cart from the baggy. Then I had another drink in celebration.

 

But, come on, HP, do I have to go this crap every time I try to install a brand new cart? With HP lacking advice on this, my next move is to talk to the Cartridge World shop in town and see what they know about the 920s. That might be an idea for you, 'cause, so far, HP is of no help.

 

If this keeps up, I'm going out and buying Canon's $99 (at Walmart or Best Buy) new all-in-one and seeing if I can peddle the 6500 to somebody who loves to do play the  "let's see if this HP cartridge will work" game every stinkin' time a cartridge is loaded. Frankly, I don't have that kind of time or patience and it would be worth the cost of one HP ink 4-pack to go back to Canon, a manufacturer that did not give me these problems on my last printer.

 

Good luck.

The Wordchipper

HP Recommended

No, you are right, you are not the only ones who have experienced this.  I have a Photosmart printer.  I changed out the color ink cartridges.  The magenta worked but the cyan and yellow did not.  I took it back to OfficeMax and they replaced it.  I brought the new set home and now the cyan and photo black will not work.  I called HP and the guy, also barely speaking English, tells me that I need to take my ink cartridges back to OfficeMax and tell them that my particular printer was made in China, therefore I can only use ink cartridges that are made in China.  You can imagine the looks on their faces when I told them the guy suggested they open all their boxes of color print cartridges to rifle through them for one made in China.  They were kind enough not to laugh in my face, instead they politely suggested I call HP back and tell them to forget it.

 

So, I did.  The new guy informs me that the other guy was And now, even though the printing mechanism itself worked before I changed out the cartridges (nevermind that it is supposed to be wireless but everytime I use it I have to sit right next to it to get it "online" again).  Now they tell me that the printer is just broken.  I asked them what they suggest I do now and the guy had the nerve to give me a sales pitch on a new printer.  It is just two days out of warranty. 

 

I also have a notebook from HP.  It runs (term used lightly) Vista and has a multitude of problems and it's not even a year old yet.

 

Needless to say, I am done with HP forever and I make sure everyone who is making a computer or printer purchase knows it.

 

T

HP Recommended

I am fed up with my photosmart too.   I buy the brand new HP cartidges at Office Depot...sometimes they work - but lately they don't. It says it doesn't recognize them  and locks up.  So what type of printer do you recommend?  I cannot endure this any longer. 

HP Recommended

Hi alikat

Are you getting a 'cartridge empty' message on a new cartridge? If so, try following the steps in the link below ('Override the false error msg')

 

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c00819086

 

Please let me know if that works

Thanks, Ciara

I am speaking for myself and not for HP. Twitter: @Ciara_B_27
HP Recommended

Hi wordchipper

Is the message you're seeing 'Printhead missing or damaged' OR 'Cartridge missing or damaged'?

Thanks, Ciara

 

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01661383

 

 

http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02073774

I am speaking for myself and not for HP. Twitter: @Ciara_B_27
HP Recommended

Hi mrsNottingham

What Photosmart model do you have?

You've said the printer doesn't recognise the cartridges and it locks up - do you know if there is a particular error message?

 

Thanks

Ciara

I am speaking for myself and not for HP. Twitter: @Ciara_B_27
HP Recommended

I had the same problem when I upgraded the printer driver to Windows 7 from Windows Vista.  I found a patch that solves errors for the Windows 7 driver on the HP website.  It is on the same page I downloaded the Windows 7 driver from.  Problem solved now for me.

HP Recommended

If your HP 6500 doesn't recognize the ink cartridge, the chances are that the printhead is dirty in the side part you can't get to. I take mine to OfficeMax. They have a jewelery cleaner that they drop it in for 3 minutes & it works wonderfully!

 

"HelloMyNameIsLarry" with HP Support was absolutely no help. All he wanted to do was sell me a refurbished machine.

 

If that doeesn't work, then 1) take the cartridges out of the printer, 2) turn the machine off, 3) unplug it from the back, 4) leave the machine unplugged for at least 5 minutes. Then reverse the steps.

 

Those 2 steps should fix it. If it doesn't, then try buying a new print head.

HP Recommended

my HP printer does not recognize my new ink cartridges.

How can I fix it?

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