second hand 9720e stuck in preparing during setup

[zireael224]

bought a used hp officepro 9720e however after factory reset it will not go past the preparing stage - the printer stays in preparing mode for hours with no moving forward. I have tried to hard reset multiple times with no luck, reinserting paper and ink cartridges also multiple times, but after 'checking printer' and a couple sounds from the printer it stops and gets stuck in preparing mode. im at a loss this is my third day trying to set this up and no matter how many times i do a hard reset still nothing.  

[Meghana_10]

Hello @zireael224, Welcome to the HP Support Community.

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding the HP Officejet 9720e printer.

We understand how concerning this can be, especially after spending several days trying to complete the setup.
 

Since the printer remains stuck on "Preparing" after a factory reset, we are sending you a private message with the steps to skip setup cartridges and complete the printer's initial setup. Please check the mailbox icon at the top-right corner of this screen. Private Messages - HP Support Community

We hope this helps resolve this issue completely.

[Meghana_10]

Thank you so much for your response.

For non-HP+ printers
 

Control panel displays Use SETUP Cartridges message.
 

1. On the control panel, press * # * * buttons.

 Note: You must press the buttons within 4 seconds.
 

2. Open the printer access door.

3. Close the printer access door.

The cartridges should get accepted.

4. If the issue persists, repeat steps 1-3.
 

For HP+ printers

Control panel displays Use SETUP message.
 

1. In the highlighted area, click 4 times.

 Note: You must click 4 times within 4 seconds.
 

2. Open the printer access door.

3. Remove the trade cartridges.

4. Close the printer access door.

5. Wait until the printer control panel displays Cartridges Missing error.

6. Open the printer access door.

7. Reinsert the trade cartridges.

8. Close the printer access door.

The cartridges should get accepted.

9. If the issue persists, repeat steps 1-8.

Have a great day!

[zireael224]

hello, i’ve tried to method a couple times and unfortunately still stuck in preparing. after two hours it says for security reasons they have stopped the setup and would i like to continue, then the message changes to “the hp software is still trying to set up your printer” and this goes on for another two hours. when i reset the printer it also goes straight to the setup QR code without asking me about language etc. Is there anything else i can do? again the printer was second hand and sat in a box for a few months but i know it worked perfectly fine before so its not damaged. i am using the cartridges the previous owner gave me from that exact printer also.

[Meghana_10]

Thank you so much for your response @zireael224 

Since all troubleshooting steps have already been performed and considering that the issue still persists, we recommend having it evaluated at an authorized HP service center where our certified technicians can provide a thorough diagnosis and offer the best solutions to address the issue. 
 

You can locate the nearest HP service center using our Service Centre Locator:

🔗 HP Service Center Locator

If you need further assistance or have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Take care and have an amazing day!

[zireael224]

hello, is there anyway i could do this online? there are no hp service centres in my area. thank you 

[Meghana_10 · Accepted solution]

Thank you for your response @zireael224 
For online assistance you could check this link for further support: https://support.hp.com/us-en/contact.