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Changed the ink cartridge ...checked Alignment.

Now EVERY time I try to print ANYTHING....the first paper to come out the Align test page. I do the alignment process all over again. Try to print the page I want and the New Cartridge Align the printer notice reappears. Then freezes all printing jobs...have to delete printing jobs in Control Panel....restart computer...and then the original page I wanted printed prints out. 

EVERY time I want to print something this happens!!! I've had the printer 4 years and this has never happened before.

34 REPLIES 34
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Please read this post then provide some details. What printer model?  

 

 


Bob Headrick,  HP Expert

I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.

If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button 

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I'm getting a similar  message- both print heats are out of alignment  and it keeps giving me the same message not matter what.  I can't seem to do anything to solve the problem. I have  reset, cleaned heads, powered off. So, I'm very interested in the answer as well.

gmorty

HP Recommended

 


@gmorty wrote:

I'm getting a similar  message- both print heats are out of alignment  and it keeps giving me the same message not matter what.  I can't seem to do anything to solve the problem. I have  reset, cleaned heads, powered off. So, I'm very interested in the answer as well.

gmorty


Same answer - please read this post then provide some details. What printer model? Without the printer model it will be very difficult to provide useful information.  

 

Generally there are three types of alignment.  In all the cases but the manual method the alignment must be printed on clean white plain paper and it is necessary for the black printhead and one of the colors to work properly.


 

  • Automatic, where the printer prints and automatically read the printout.  This typically uses the black and either cyan or yellow to perform the alignment.  Examples include the Deskjet 990, Deskjet 6500 series and many others.
  • Semi-automatic, where the printer prints an alignment page which must be placed on the scanner glass and a button pressed to complete the alignment. Examples include the PSC 1315 and similar low end all-in-one products. Requires black and cyan or yellow (depending on the model) to work for the alignment to succeed. 
  • Manual.  The printer prints a test pattern which must be manually inspected for the best alignment pattern. In some cases the pattern is selected with front panel controls (example:  the Officejet 1150) in other cases the driver toolbox must be used to input the date (examples: Deskjet 600, 700 and 800 series printers).  Typically black and magenta are used to print the alignment pattern.
Printers with automatic or semi-automatic alignment printing will generally print an alignment page when a cartridge has been noticed to change.  This may be an actual cartridge change, or in some cases a cartridge that is not making good electrical contact with the printer or a cartridge that is failing electrically may appear to have a different ID, triggering an alignment page.  The alignment page will print again if the alignment fails.  The reprint may be triggered by several options: depending on the printer model it may occur at the end of a print job or at a power-on cycle.
An automatic or semi-automatic alignment will fail if one of the colors it uses is not properly printing, or if the page is cancelled while it is printing, if the page is not printed on clean white paper or in the semi-automatic case if the paper is not loaded on the scanner bed and the button pressed within a specified time.

 

 


Bob Headrick,  HP Expert

I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.

If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button 

If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.


HP Recommended

This is a classical example of failed tech support and answers. They want a kudos star and didn't even answer the question. At least say "I DON"T KNOW" how to stop the align printer commands if you can't give a method of stopping them. Thanks Techees.

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@freedbygrace1 wrote:

This is a classical example of failed tech support and answers. They want a kudos star and didn't even answer the question. At least say "I DON"T KNOW" how to stop the align printer commands if you can't give a method of stopping them. Thanks Techees.


As mentioned above there are different methods of performing the alignment depending on the printer model.  Without knowing the printer model it is difficult/impossible to give advice.

 

If you have a question lease read this post then provide some details.  What printer model? What operating system? 

 

In general the alignment page will print until the alignment process has been completed.  If you have a semi-automatic alignment like used in the PSC 1315 for example you will need to load the sheet with the proper orientation in the scanner bed and press scan.  Failure to do this will cause the alignment to fail and be repeated at the next power cycle.  Even if the page is properly loaded the alignment may fail if the black or color cartridge is not printing properly.


Bob Headrick,  HP Expert

I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.

If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button 

If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.


HP Recommended

ok, lets try it this way:  How do I disable the meaningless incessant printer alignment page message?  I have a HP Deskjet 1051 and love it but this constant idiotic error message is ridiculous and quickly pushing me to buy a nother manufacturerer's printer!   

 

How do I disable this dead wrong message every time I want to print.  there have been no power failures, the message appears every print job and completely disables networked print requests with timeouts due to the error message apprearing on the server!  

 

Thanks in advance...

HP Recommended

@txtmblweed wrote:

ok, lets try it this way:  How do I disable the meaningless incessant printer alignment page message?  I have a HP Deskjet 1051 and love it but this constant idiotic error message is ridiculous and quickly pushing me to buy a nother manufacturerer's printer!   

How do I disable this dead wrong message every time I want to print.  there have been no power failures, the message appears every print job and completely disables networked print requests with timeouts due to the error message apprearing on the server!  

Thanks in advance...


The proper way to eliminate the recurring alignment message is to complete the alignment.  The document here may help.  The printer needs to properly print black and cyan, and after the page is printed it needs to be loaded on the scanner bed and the Start Copy Black button pressed to complete the alignment.

 

If the alignment is not completed (or fails due to black or cyan not printing) the alignment page will continue to print.

 

 


Bob Headrick,  HP Expert

I am not an employee of HP, I am a volunteer posting here on my own time.

If your problem is solved please click the "Accept as Solution" button 

If my answer was helpful please click "Yes" to the "Was this post helpful" question.


HP Recommended

I found a workaround for Windows users. I tried and tried to align my printer and it always fails, but the pages I print always look fine. Here's what to do:

 

Go to http://www.snapfiles.com/get/clickoff.html to download "clickoff" and install it (click the BLUE download now button). The program is designed to eliminate annoying "nag screens". Once you install clickoff, send a page to the printer. When the alignment dialog pops up on your screen, HOVER your mouse over the "Do Not Align" button (or "Ignore" whatever button you press to disregard the warning). Don't click the button. Instead, with your mouse arrow pointing at the button, hold down the CTRL and ALT keys, then press the D key. This trains clickoff to automatically click that button when the dialog pops up. On my computer, it happens so fast that I don't even see the alignment screen anymore.

 

I realize this doesn't resolve the root cause of the problem, but it fixes the annoying symptom. HP should put in an option to ignore alignment checks.

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Great solution dlsspfld! Worked a treat.

 

The printer is a good one, but the alignment scam is irritating. The technical support guy simply refused to tell people if you could disable the meaningless alignment request, persisting with his `You really should align` motto. In the absence of a technical support guy who actually is willing to help people disable the idiotic message, Clickoff is the way. Many thanks.

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