Non-hp chip/ print quality

[Daz55]

Having such a bad experience with this printer and it has been impossible to get a human to help me. The quality of my color printing has been really faded even with all brand new cartridges. Now i replaced the black even though i still had black left with my old black cartridge. I went to clean the print head for the thousandth time and it says "the indicated cartridges have been blocked by the printer firmware because they contain a non-HP chip...." i have instant ink so it comes directly from hp. S

[Raj_05]

Hi @Daz55,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

I'm sorry to hear about the frustration you're experiencing with your HP OfficeJet Pro 6978 printer. It sounds like you're encountering multiple issues, from faded color printing to cartridge compatibility problems.

• Firstly, regarding the faded color printing, there could be several reasons for this, including clogged print heads, low ink levels, or incorrect printer settings. Since you've mentioned that you've already tried cleaning the print heads multiple times, it might be worth checking the printer settings to ensure that you're using the correct print quality settings for your desired output.
• As for the error message stating that the cartridges have been blocked by the printer firmware due to a non-HP chip, this is a common issue that can occur with printers that have been updated with new firmware. The printer may detect non-genuine cartridges or cartridges with non-HP chips and prevent them from being used.
• Since you're enrolled in HP's Instant Ink program, it's important to use genuine HP cartridges to ensure compatibility and avoid issues like the one you're encountering. 
• In the meantime, you might also want to check for any firmware updates for your printer, as HP occasionally releases updates that can address compatibility issues and improve performance. Updating your printer's firmware could potentially resolve the issue with the blocked cartridges.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

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Alden4

HP Support