Ink Extortion

[secretigoo]

I purchased this printer in March 2021 and have never had any ink service from HP.  Now, of course, the "updated" drivers have bricked my printer unless I buy HP brand ink, despite the printer being well outside the warranty period.  I've found a number of instructions on how to return to an earlier driver, but HP appears to have found a way to prevent that.  The earlier drivers now are "too old" to use and the system won't let me install them.  Any new ideas?  This is flat out extortion.  "Nice printer you have there.  It would be a pity if you couldn't use it because you don't pay us money."

[Pallipurath]

Hi @secretigoo 

Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query.

I understand how frustrating this situation is, especially when the printer has been working for years and the issue appeared only after a driver or firmware update. However, the behavior you're describing is typically not caused by the Windows/macOS print driver itself. On HP printers, third-party cartridge blocking is generally controlled by the printer's firmware and features such as Dynamic Security rather than the PC driver.

If the printer was previously working with the same non-HP toner cartridges and stopped after an update, I would request you to confirm:

• Did the issue start immediately after a printer firmware update?
• What exact error message appears on the printer display (for example, "Cartridge Problem," "Supply Problem," or "Non-HP Chip Detected")?
• Are the cartridges remanufactured/refilled HP cartridges or completely compatible third-party cartridges?
• What firmware version is currently installed on the printer?

Unfortunately, HP does not generally support downgrading printer firmware once a newer version has been installed, and many printers prevent reverting to older firmware versions. If the issue is firmware-related, reinstalling an older PC driver typically will not restore cartridge compatibility.

Take care and have an amazing day!