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- HP Community
- Printers
- Printer Setup, Software & Drivers
- Printer Hardware Factory Reset Without Admin Password

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03-19-2024 10:44 AM
Hello,
We have got two HP Printers with changed admin password. We do not know what the password is and the person responsible for the password change has been gone for over two years now and there is no way of contact. We never really needed to go into the printer options until now as changes have been done on the network and I need to add new entry into access list but its blocked by admin password which is understandable.
I am looking for a way to restore the printers to factory settings. Printer models:
1x M454dw
1x M426fdn
I have read the manuals. I have looked through the solutions on here, youtube, google and I am still unable to find anything that would help me with our issue.
Solved! Go to Solution.
Accepted Solutions
03-19-2024 11:08 AM - edited 03-19-2024 11:16 AM
There is a secret to this as explained here
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Archive-Read-Only/Reset-M426fdw/td-p/5529395
let me know if it still works as new firmware may change the secret reset
Secret factor reset: Hold down to the right of the ? while unplugging and then powering on
Full feature software 426
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software13/COL61843/ma-149276-10/HP_LJ_Pro_MFP_M426-M427-PCL_6_v3_Win...
Full feature software 454
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software13/printers/LJ/M453-M454/Full_Webpack-48.6.4642-CLJM453-M454_...
Wi-Fi setup using smartphone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwM7ojvt27I
Thank you for using HP products and posting to the community.
I am a community volunteer and do not work for HP. If you find
this post useful click the Yes button. If I helped solve your
problem please mark this as a solution so others can find it
03-19-2024 11:08 AM - edited 03-19-2024 11:16 AM
There is a secret to this as explained here
https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printers-Archive-Read-Only/Reset-M426fdw/td-p/5529395
let me know if it still works as new firmware may change the secret reset
Secret factor reset: Hold down to the right of the ? while unplugging and then powering on
Full feature software 426
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software13/COL61843/ma-149276-10/HP_LJ_Pro_MFP_M426-M427-PCL_6_v3_Win...
Full feature software 454
https://ftp.hp.com/pub/softlib/software13/printers/LJ/M453-M454/Full_Webpack-48.6.4642-CLJM453-M454_...
Wi-Fi setup using smartphone
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwM7ojvt27I
Thank you for using HP products and posting to the community.
I am a community volunteer and do not work for HP. If you find
this post useful click the Yes button. If I helped solve your
problem please mark this as a solution so others can find it