OfficeJet 6978 stopped printing black

[cadre]

The black ink cartridge on my 6978 just stopped working. The cartridge, purchased from Staples, is nearly full, though the colors are very low. From what I've read I should be able to print black even if the others are low. I removed the cartridges and did a hard reset, to no avail. I ran the Print Doctor diagnostic and it said there was an issue with a driver but that wouldn't have an effect on the ink, would it. I primarily print in black and I would hate to spend money on new cartridges if there is another way to resolve this.

Thanks.

[DavidSMP]

Hi @cadre,

Thanks for stopping by the HP community. A very good day to you.  I reviewed the post regarding assistance with installing the printer on Windows 10.  Superb description and stupendous diagnosis of the issue before posting. Kudos to you for that. 🙂

For better clarity and to assist you better I would require more information regarding this:

• Did you uninstall and reinstall the printer again and check?
• Did you make 2 copies directly from the printer and check if it copies correctly?

Please make 2 copies directly from the printer without any communication from the computer.

If it copies correctly, try to uninstall and reinstall the printer software and drivers and check if it gets fixed.

• Uninstall the printer from "programs and features" which can be accessed by doing a right-click on the Windows button (Please have the printer Off and disconnected during uninstallation.)
• Check in device manager, if the printer is listed there, please delete it. (Right click on the Windows button to access device manager)
• Go to devices and printers, select any printer listed there and you will get some options on the top.
• Click on print server properties.
• You will get a popup, click on the drivers tab and delete all the HP printer drivers listed there if any.
• Delete all the instances of your printer listed in devices and printers.
• Restart the PC.
• Once the PC is on the desktop, press Win + R, it would bring a Run dialog box,
• Type %temp% in the run box and click Ok or hit the Enter button.
• It would bring up the temporary files folder. Delete the files in the folder (You might not be able to delete all the files).
• If possible, delete the printer from the registries using Regedit or using any other 3rd party application.
• Ignore the Regedit option if it cannot be done.
• Restart the PC again

• Then download the latest full feature driver from  http://hp.care/2ueWb19   and install it on the computer after selecting the correct operating system.
• Connect the printer to your computer only when the setup prompts for the printer.
• This should fix the issue.

•  
• If this does not do the trick, please download the Windows Built-in drivers by following instructions from this link: http://hp.care/2o3acvH
• This will resolve the issue for you.

If it fails to copy correctly follow all the relevant steps to fix print quality issues from this link: http://hp.care/2uj3ylS and check if it gets resolved.

If the issue continues, contact HP phone support to get the cartridges replaced.

HP Technical Support can be reached by clicking on the following link: http://hp.care/2r9wSvP

• Once the support page opens please select the country in which you're located. Next, enter your HP model number on the right.
• Next, choose the 'Contact Support' tab at the top and scroll down to the bottom of the 'HP Support- Contact' page to fill out the form provided with your contact information.
• Once completed click the 'Show Options' icon on the bottom right.
• Lastly, scroll down to the bottom of the page and select 'Get phone number.' A case number and phone number will now populate for you.

They will be happy to assist you immediately.

If the unit is under warranty, the manufacturer’s warranty should take care of it for you.

Please perform all these steps patiently as it is critical to resolving the issue. The trick is to remain patient. Going by your technical expertise and competence I am sure you will be able to perform these steps without breaking a sweat. 🙂

Hope this helps. Let me know how this goes. I genuinely hope the issue gets resolved without hassles and the unit works great.

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care now and have a terrific week ahead. 🙂

[cadre · Accepted solution]

Hi DavidSMP,

Even though the OfficeJet 6900 series isn't listed under "HP Printers - Cannot Print When One of the HP Ink Cartridges is Empty" (https://support.hp.com/sk-en/document/c04331666), I went ahead and bought and installed new color cartridges and now the black is printing fine.

Thank you.

cadre

[DavidSMP]

Hi @cadre,

I reviewed the post. You've displayed commendable troubleshooting skills and immaculate patience to try and get the issue fixed. Kudos to you for a job well done.:)

Based on your previous post I gave you the steps to perform that would have fixed the issue. Replacing the cartridges did the trick as suggested in the previous post.

I am really glad that the issue has been resolved.  It has been an absolute privilege to share this platform with you and to work with you. 

If you think my information helped in any way, then to simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care and have a blessed year ahead. Stay healthy and smile big. 🙂

Cheers!

[Larry_L_814]

I have an HP6978, which went out of warranty last week (literally!).  I have an HP Instant Ink account, and the cartriges were replaced about a month ago.  They all show more than 3/4 full.  The printer refuses to print an Excel spreadsheet.  I ran the head cleaning routine twice, all the way down to the 3rd level clean.  On the first cleaning, no black came out at all.  By the end of the second 3rd level cleaning,  the black was nearly perfect.  I printed 2 PDFs, 8 sheets of labels, and then a spreadsheet that I have been using for over a year.  The first page was streaky, and the last 2 pages were blank.

What is going on??

Thanks.  Larry

[kevin-t]

Hello,

Thank you for posting in this thread. Unfortunately based on when the last response was made, I have closed this thread to help keep comments current and up to date. We recommend starting a new thread for your issue by clicking here.
To be more helpful with your post, you can add key information if you desire: 
1. Product Name and Number (please do not post Serial Number)
• Example: HP Pavilion DV2-1209AX or HP Deskjet 3000 Printer CH393A
2. Operating System installed (if applicable)
• Example: Windows XP, Windows Vista 32-bit, Windows 7 64-bit
3. Error message (if any)
• Example: ""Low disk space"" error in Windows
4. Any changes made to your system before the issue occurred
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Thank you