New printer with empty cartridge

[The-Countess]

I've struggled to set this printer up and now the colour cartridge is empty, so it appears I can't set it up without buying a new one.  I  bought the printer reconditioned with 6 months-worth of ink, and in view of the trouble I'm having, I don't want to buy more cartridges until I know the printer is going to work.  Is there a way I can set up the printer with only one viable cartridge?  I have Windows 10 - number of bits unknown.

[Deep_World]

Hi  @The-Countess,
 
Welcome to the HP Support Community!

Thanks for reaching out!

I  understand how  it must feel to be stuck in setup mode when you were expecting smooth sailing with your reconditioned printer. 
 

To help me guide you better, could you please share the exact printer model ? 
 

Here are a few steps you can try right away:

1. Check single-cartridge mode: Many HP printers can operate with just one cartridge installed (usually the black one). If your model supports this, you can bypass the empty color cartridge for now. - (More info on Print with one or more empty ink cartridges - Click here )
2. Run setup with empty cartridge: Some printers allow you to complete the initial setup even if one cartridge is low or empty, as long as it’s physically installed. Try reseating the empty cartridge firmly in its slot.
3. Update printer drivers: On Windows 10, make sure you’ve installed the latest HP drivers/software. Outdated drivers can sometimes block setup progress.
4. Use HP Smart app: Download the HP Smart app it often provides clearer guidance and can sometimes override cartridge warnings during setup.
5. Perform a hard reset: Turn off the printer, unplug it for 60 seconds, then plug it back in and restart. This can clear setup errors.
   Also kindly confirm if your enrolled to Instant Ink Subscription ?

I hope this helps.