HP Officejet Pro 8600 - Now won't print in Black Ink Only!

[Janney1]

I am very upset by this. It's late and I need to finish my work. PLEASE fix this.

Thank you,

[HowardSim]

I have the same problem. It's really upset me especially when I needed to print urgently! HP is violating the consumer right and force customer to replace color ink even we don't need it!! 

[groot]

I to have been a loyal HP customer and purchased my 8600 a few months ago.  I to am having the same problem not being able to print black only.  After reading everyones comments if HP doesn't fix this problem like yesterday I will be changing companies also.  I have recommended HP to my employer and now wish I hadn't.

[jadedk]

very annoying when i have plenty of black ink, yet a message indicates i must replace empty yellow cartridge before i can print in black. for one week it allowed me to overide each copy by clicking ok to black ink only. how thoughtful that you give us a week to purchase what we don't need???? this is obviously a scam to sell more ink. when i click on COPY MODE and try to switch to black ink it won't let me. it stays on color only to force me to buy more of your expensive ink when i don't even need it. one of the above messages from a hp worker indicates you need color ink to make quality black copies??? really, you think we are stupid. for years only black ink was available and printed fine. if this were true why is there an offering of fast draft, low quality, black ink only? why during the overide period of one week do the copies look fine?

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[jadedk]

oh by the way all hp 8600 consumers, if you go to you tube, there is an asian girl that will show you how to put ink levels at full all the time. she takes out the box that holds all the cartridges and simply unscrews the back and scotch tapes three toothpicks or any thin wire you have laying around the 3 level indicators, screws the lid back on inserts the so-called empty cartridges and the levels go up to full on all of them.

i will be doing this today

[FEDUP2013]

For the last two days I've been trying to use my HP 8600 in black only mode. I took the time to register on this poorly named "support forum" to add my voice to those who are FEDUP (I notice I am not the first person who selected that screen name :-() I love the post about the YouTube video describing how to defeat the cartridge indicators. My first stop tomorrow is the grocery store for a box of toothoicks :-))))))))). No way am I going to reward HP for their predatory design practices by buying color cartridges just so I can print in black.

[Ben_Had]

"If a color cartridge becomes empty or registers as empty during a print job, then the unit will finish this job before requiring the cartridge change." - Jason

If the printer can finish print jobs with empty color ink cartridges then do all my prints with empty ink cartridges!

God %$#@ HP

[amearican]

Wow, not only am I not the only one, there was already a post on this issue this morning. I have a different problem. I bought the cheap cartridges on ebay, which I've used before without an issue, but there was defect in a new one I popped in today. The chip at the end of the cartridge was put in backwards to where the little back bubble was facing forward and must have ruined the chip receiver as I inserted it. I took it out and put a new one that was done correctly and it didn't work. Put an HP one in and it didn't work. Got to get with print cartridge supplier now 😕

So, I've been trying to figure out how to print in black ink only. If I can't get it to work, I have a $150 toy for my kids (the paper tray could be a trundle bed for barbies, the output tray could launch aircraft, the ink cartridge bay could hide GI Joes, and the scanner receiving tray could hold their drinks while their playing).

All goofing aside, there has to be a way to get this desktop deathstar operational again. The Ewoks are getting restless.

PS, although this is my fault and not HP's (since i have a multiyear supply of this ink), do be careful about buying the knockoff cartridges. Now with all the money I've saved, I get to pour it into a new printer and hope I have better luck next time.

[Lynda3]

HP has lost another customer, me! I have never had a printer that wouldn't let me print because ink is depleted. At the least I can print black only on other printers, not HP. I tried selecting black ink only and it wouldn't allow me to print. This is a scam and a rip-off. I don't mind warnings, I don't even mind it telling me that it won't print because those colors are out. I am okay with that, however, I should be able to print with black ink only. In fact the printer should tell me it won't print color until the color cartridges are replaced and the give me the option to print black only! If the black is out then it won't print at all. That is okay with me, what is happening is not! HP this is despicable!

[Looksha]

Add me to the list of the disgruntled users that are outraged at the greedy ripoff for ink cartridge sales.  This is the first printer I have had in 35 years that will not print black only on a new black cartridge, when a color cartridge allegedly runs out.  By the way, I am intelligent enough to know when a color cartridge runs out--I do not need your software to tell me, and to then block all block print jobs. 

This is my last HP printer purchase.  I will go to Canon or Epson or Brother next time.