Bought Used Printer

[MarenG76]

I purchased a used OfficeJet Pro 9015, but it didn't come with cartridges. Because of that, the printer is not letting me connect to the wifi. I can't add it to my HP account without wifi. Do I need to purchase a one-time set of cartridges before I can enroll in Instant Ink? And if so, can I buy a third-party brand or does it need to be HP branded cartridges? Thanks for your insight!

[NonSequitur777]

@MarenG76,

Welcome to our HP Community forum!

Yes, I'm afraid that you must purchase a set of standard cartridges to get the printer past the hardware lock and connected to Wi-Fi. They must be genuine HP-branded cartridges, as third-party alternatives will fail the initial initialization.

The Technical Requirements:

• The Hardware Lockout: The way this is set up by HP, your HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 locks out network and Wi-Fi features until it detects a complete, working set of valid ink cartridges.
• HP Genuine Requirement: Due to HP's Dynamic Security firmware features built into this model, the printer requires genuine HP-branded ink chips to complete its startup. Third-party cartridges will trigger a hardware error during initialization, keeping you locked out of the menus.
• Avoid "SETUP" Cartridges: Since the printer is pre-owned, it has likely already been initialized once. You do not need to hunt down rare "SETUP-labeled" cartridges; regular retail HP 962 cartridges will work perfectly.

How to Proceed:

1. Buy Regular HP 962 Ink: Purchase a standard, genuine retail set of HP 962 black and color cartridges such as offered for sale at Amazon.
2. Bypass via the HP Smart App: Insert the new ink. If the printer's screen remains frozen or tells you to complete setup, do not use the front panel. Download the HP Smart App on your phone or PC. Connect your device to the printer's temporary setup Wi-Fi signal and let the app force the network connection and Instant Ink Enrollment from there.

Unless you are you planning on using Instant Ink for high-volume printing, here are the steps to disable HP's firmware locks so you can use third-party ink in the future:

To successfully use third-party ink in the future, the user must disable three distinct built-in HP restrictions:

Automatic Firmware Updates, Cartridge Policy, and Cartridge Protection.

Because your HP OfficeJet Pro 9015 features "Dynamic Security" firmware, skipping any of these steps will eventually allow HP to automatically download a patch that permanently locks out aftermarket chips.  This is, at least in my opinion, a less desirable outcome.

You can disable these locks directly through the printer's touchscreen using the following steps:

Step 1: Kill Automatic Firmware Updates:

This is the most critical step. It stops the printer from quietly installing a new update that will block non-HP chips.

1. On the printer control panel, swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Dashboard dashboard.
2. Tap the Setup (gear) icon, then swipe up and select Printer Maintenance.
3. Scroll down and tap Update the Printer (or Upgrade Printer).
4. Select Printer Update Options.
5. Tap Do Not Check and confirm by selecting No.

Step 2: Disable Cartridge Policy:

This restriction stops the hardware from automatically rejecting third-party cartridges on sight.

1. Go back to the Setup menu on the touchscreen.
2. Select System Setup and then tap Supply Settings.
3. Locate Cartridge Policy and change the setting to Off.
4. Tap OK or Apply to save the changes.

Step 3: Disable Cartridge Protection:

This feature chemically "locks" a cartridge to a specific physical printer so it can never be refilled or swapped into another device. Disabling it ensures third-party remanufactured cartridges can be read properly.

1. Under the same Supply Settings menu, locate Cartridge Protection.
2. Change the setting to Off.
3. Tap OK or Apply to confirm.

Alternative Method: The Web Browser (EWS):

If the printer's physical touchscreen menu is hard to navigate, these options can be modified from a computer web browser:

1. Print a network configuration page to find the printer's local IP Address.
2. Type that IP address directly into a web browser address bar to load the HP Embedded Web Server (EWS).
3. Navigate to Settings > Supplies > Supply Settings.
4. Turn both Cartridge Protection and Cartridge Policy to Off, then click Apply.

Note: Just to remind you that you must still complete the initial printer setup using genuine HP ink first. Once the printer is connected to Wi-Fi and functional, these settings will permanently safeguard their ability to use third-party cartridges down the road.

Hope this was helpful.

Kind Regards,

NonSequitur777

[BeemerBiker]

In addition to what @NonSequitur777 mentioned, possibly this video might be helpful if the printer wants "setup" cartridges and rejects yours.