Printhead Problem

[alldurra]

Hello! I inherited an old 9015 printer. At first it was just low ink, so I bought new ink cartridges. Now it says "The printhead appears to be missing. not detected, or incorrectly installed. Reinstall the printhead. If the problem persists, contact HP Support".

I tried rebooting the printer and restored it to factory setting. I tried cleaning the printhead with a dry lint-free rug.

What should I do?

[Meghana_10]

Hi @alldurra

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

We understand how concerning it is to keep seeing the “Printhead Missing” message even after carefully following all the reset steps you listed. You’ve already been very thorough, and that effort deserves appreciation. 

Since the printer still does not recognize the printhead, let’s focus on the areas that most often cause this error.

Steps to help the printer detect the printhead

1. Inspect the printhead contacts

• Power off the printer and remove the printhead again.
• Look closely at the copper contacts on the printhead and inside the carriage.
• If you see ink, dust, or residue, gently clean them with a lint‑free cloth lightly dampened with distilled water.
• Allow them to dry completely before reinstalling.

2. Reseat the printhead firmly

• Insert the printhead into the carriage and press down until it clicks into place.
• Make sure the latch is fully locked. A loose fit can trigger the “missing” error.

3. Check cartridges

• Reinstall all cartridges, ensuring each click into place.
• The printer requires all cartridges to be present for the printhead to be recognized.

4. Run printer diagnostics

• On the control panel, go to Setup > Printer Maintenance > Printhead Cleaning.
• If the option is available, run Printhead Alignment.
• If the printer still reports “missing,” proceed to the next step.

5. Power reset with cartridges installed

• With the printhead and cartridges in place, unplug the printer while powered on.
• Leave it disconnected for at least 10 minutes.
• Plug back in and power on.
• This forces the printer to reinitialize the printhead detection sequence.

If the error persists

• If cleaning and reseating do not resolve the issue, the printhead itself may be faulty or incompatible.
• At that point, replacement of the printhead is the next step to restore functionality.

Have a great day!