Original Toner not recognized after FW Upgrade

[valy007]

Hello,

after a recent FW update to the latest version, none of my original toner are recognized anymore. I'm trying to find an older firmware to downgrade to. I searched the web for at least 2 hours and can't find any download.

If you happen to have one for the Color LaserJet Pro Color MFP M277 series - please let me know!

Thanks

Valy 

[zoey7886]

@valy007, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding cartridge issue! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

I understand how frustrating it must be to have your original toner cartridges suddenly not recognized after a firmware update. I’d be happy to help clarify the situation and guide you toward a solution.

Why This Happened

HP releases firmware updates to improve security, enhance performance, and sometimes enforce compatibility with genuine HP cartridges. In some cases, these updates include changes that might affect how older cartridges are recognized, even if they were previously working fine.

Firmware Downgrade Availability

HP doesn’t officially provide older firmware versions for download, so rolling back to a previous version isn't something we can directly support. However, there are a few things you can try:

Check Cartridge Compatibility

• Ensure your toner cartridges are genuine HP and compatible with the M277 series printer.
• If you have replacement cartridges, try inserting them to see if they are recognized.

Power Cycle the Printer

• Turn off the printer, unplug it for a few minutes, then restart it.
• Sometimes, a simple reset helps the printer re-detect the cartridges correctly.

Perform a Hard Reset (Resets the printer to factory defaults)

• This can sometimes help if the firmware update caused a configuration issue.
• Keep in mind that this will erase any custom settings, so note down important configurations beforehand.  

Let me know how it goes!

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[valy007]

Hi Zoey,

thank you for getting back to me, I appreciate your help.

But first of all, let me express my frustration with HP, jeopardizing my money that I’ve just spent on toner cartridges. It was all working fine. The color toners are at 60%+ capacity. The black toner is brand new. This is a lot of money that has just been „erased“.

It’s the exact same toner models I’ve always used. Therefore yes, they are 100% compatible with my M277 and genuine HP toner cartridges. I have pictures and serial / product numbers.

I‘ve reset the printer to factory at least 10+ times via its menu. Or is there another way to „hard reset“ it? I‘ve taken them out, put them back in many many times. In different order, with and without power, etc.

I‘ve restarted the printer as often as 20+ times. Working with the chat bot, installing and re-installing the latest firmware, re-installing drivers, over and over and over again. 

I have some of my old cartridges but none of them would work anymore. Looks like the FW has completely shut down my printers sensors for recognizing any toner cartridges. 

I can’t believe this happened. How can HP just do this? This is the most aggressive way to lose loyal customers I’ve ever experienced with any brand. At this point I’m ready to sell all my HP equipment and never in my life touch this brand ever again.

This is the info of my black toner cartridge

HP 201A / CF400 A, S/N: 4F27H3Bb 20240627

I have the info of all other cartridges if required.

I‘d appreciate your support in supplying me with an old firmware. Especially as the printer has an option to enable a FW downgrade, I don’t understand why this functionality exists if HP would not supply me with such firmware file.

best regards

valentin

[zoey7886]

@valy007, thank you for getting back to me! I really appreciate your patience.

First of all, I’m really sorry to hear about the trouble you’ve been facing with your toner cartridges after the firmware update. I completely understand how frustrating it must be, especially after investing in genuine HP cartridges and seeing them suddenly not work. That’s a lot of time and money, and it’s completely valid to feel upset about it.

I’d like to be upfront with you — HP doesn’t officially provide older firmware versions for download, so downgrading the firmware isn’t something we can support directly. I understand this is disappointing, especially when it feels like the update has caused more harm than good. But I’m here to help you work through this and hopefully find a solution that gets your printer back on track.

Let’s try a few things that might help:

Power Cycle with Cartridge Removal

• Turn off the printer and unplug it from the power source.
• Remove all toner cartridges.
• Wait for at least 5–10 minutes before reconnecting and powering it back on.
• Once powered on, insert the cartridges one at a time and see if they’re recognized.

Reset the Printer Using a Hard Reset

• A hard reset is different from a factory reset through the menu. If you haven’t already tried this specific type of reset, let me know — I can walk you through the steps.

Check Cartridge Chip Contacts

• Sometimes, the cartridge’s chip or the printer’s sensor can have dust or a misalignment issue. Carefully wipe the chip contacts on the cartridge with a soft, dry cloth and check for any visible damage.

Also, just to understand the situation better and provide more targeted advice:

• Have you recently changed any printer settings (like security settings) after the firmware update?
• Does the printer show any specific error codes or messages when the cartridges are inserted?
• Have you tried installing a new set of cartridges to see if the issue persists with different toners?

I know this has been a frustrating experience, but I’m confident we can figure out a way forward. Let me know how it goes!

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

Did we resolve the issue? If yes, Please consider marking this post as "Accepted Solution" and click "Yes" to give us a helpful vote - your feedback keeps us going!  

Regards, 

[valy007]

 Dear Zoey,

I've spent again another few hours. I'm really sick of this 😞  

I've removed the toners multiple times. Didn't work.

Found the instructions for the hard reset online. Didn't work.

Cleaned the chips with Isopropylalcohol. Didn't work.

This is ridiculous. This has destroyed toner worth 250+ Euro plus my printer. How can HP do this? This is absolutely ridiculous. I need a Firmware NOW that reverts whatever you have changed that bricked my printer incl. toner.

PLEASE - THIS IS RIDUCULOUS

[zoey7886]

@valy007, Welcome to the HP Support Community! 

We're here to help you tackle that Original Toner not recognized after FW Upgrade! Don't worry, we've got your back! 

To get you the best assistance, we need to take this conversation to a private chat. We're inviting you to a private message to protect your privacy and ensure that any sensitive information remains confidential. 

To access your private message, just click the little blue envelope icon on the upper right corner of your HP Community profile, next to your profile name.  

We're looking forward to helping you resolve this issue! 

Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience! 

Regards,