ink cartridge missing or damaged?

[jbrauninq]

I have an HP PhotoSmart c309n-s with a screen that's showing "Ink Cartridge Problem" and goes on to say that my yellow ink cartridge is missing or damaged. I tried reinstalling the yellow cartridge, removing and reinstalling all the cartridges, and replacing the yellow cartridge outright. At various points I also got complaints that the blue cartridge was bad too, and for a time I got a message that all five cartridges were "missing or damaged." I've tried unplugging the printer as well. If it helps, we had a power failure yesterday for about 15 hours ... but I'm unsure whether that matters. 

For now, it's still complaining that the yellow cartridge is missing or damaged. The print head moves every 15 seconds or so, but nothing prints. Help! 

[MissTeriLynn]

Hi jbrauninq,

I understand you have a Photosmart C309n that is telling you the yellow cartridge, and sometimes others, is missing or damaged. I'm sorry to hear this, but I will certainly do my best to assist you!

I would recommend that you follow through this 'Incompatible Cartridge' or 'Ink Cartridge Problem' Message Displays on the Control Panel document and hopefully it should be able to get your printer to recognize all of the cartridges. If this does not work I will suggest you try manually cleaning your printhead as well.

Hope this helps, have a great day!!

[LarsAhlstrom]

A normally PERFECT printer , the D7160.  (no I do not want to throw away this one!)

I am doing an important print of our beloved passed away mother-in-law for the church ceremony, and suddenly this joke for printer say "Missing or bad Cyan cartridge". And there is no way to get pass it.

Now, the printout of diagnose, is USING the Cyan color...  What about that idiocrazy??

I have tried the "reset printer routine" and  60 seconds power off...  No way. Same **bleep**.

I have got this "Enter Special Key Combo" coming up, but have read a hundred different key sequences, for different Photosmart printers (a standard key whould be REALLY smart)    and tested a 1000 sequences myself. 

Theres a lot of ink in this Cyan cartridge, it is OK in the test printout, BUT the date is like "01/01/00" and "supply ID=0 (shoild be "2".  Compared with the others.  I have only refiled ink cartridges from my local store, and they have always worked beautiful.

So - please tell me what this sequence is after the "Enter Special Key Combo" shows up ?   On a D-7160.

And is there a new Firmware to download from somewhere?  I have "PR5R441H-KAOS"   (kaos...  🙂  )

Please advice!!    I am getting another stroke here....!    😃


/Lars

[LarsAhlstrom]

Ok.  So I solved my own problem, and post it to be found whenever necessary again, and perhaps to som use for you other guys!  😉   

Ok. Here we go:

Printer:  Photosmart HP D7160

    Error:  It says that your x color is missing of bad.   To be exact:
                               "The Following ink cartridges appears to be missing or damaged"

Relax.  This is what you do...

#1. Reset if you want.  (HP support favourite answer....)

You can always try to reset it, as HP says when you ask them, by pulling the plug, and wait for 2 minutes. That will NOT beat this problem.  As you cannot pass this window.  If you press a lot of keys at the same time the printer may print out a "Extended Self Diagnostics"  should be 2 pages, but I did not ever make two.  I had probably too few papers in the printer. And the forst report , it printed with this BAD ink...  BLUE lines.  My error cartridge was Cyan (Dark).  Which tells us that this a ghost problem made so you may kill the machine or buy a new ORIGINAL ink cartridge this time.....

NO...  #2. is the way...

#2. Put the printer in MFG_MODE.

Switch on the printer, and when this screen shows up,  enter the MFG_MODE.  As you are now in USER_MODE.  To do that you will have to press your  ["Cancel" + ">"] , i.e.  the "bent over arrow" = cancel, plus the right arrow.  When you hold these two, hit the ["PhotoFix"] button - and you get this in the window:  "Enter Special Key Combo".  Then you press as a sequence:  "<" , "OK" , ">".  One after the other. Not at the same time.  
You are now in service mode, so be careful with what you hit here.  You should press [">"] i think one or two times, to come to the MODE setting, but it actually says "boot code"  Hit [OK}.  Select with [>] key.  You can switch between USER or MFG (manufacturing)  Mode.   Select MFG_MODE and hit [OK].  Hit [Power] button once short. You will see a square pattern on the LCD screen. Wait until you see the color bars.  Then hit [Power] again...  and your IN !!! 

#3. Clean printheads. 

The MFG_MODE is all quiet.  It does not prepare the printer as in USER_MODE, so you have to clean the printhead manually.  It is easy, but it takes a white A4 paper each time. So load 4-5 normal copier papers for this reason first of all.
Go to "Settings"  in the home window.    Scroll to "Clean Printhead",  press [OK] and just wait.  When it is finished, you got a quick printout of some different font-sizes, and some color squares, so you can see that the printer is fit for print. If not, you may se banding etc in these color tests.  This lets you print until cartridges are really empty.  (wow!)

This will enable you to print whatever you like...as before.   When you are ready and done... goto #4.

#4.  Power off when you are done printing.  (could be tricky if you do it wrong)

Press [HOME], so you see the four main options.  Press [Power] and keep it pressed until you see "Shutting down" in the LCD window, then you can take your finger from the printer and watch it go to sleep.  Ready againg when you want it.

*  *  *  *  *

Thats it!   You even got a better printer!  😉

If you ever buy a new cartridge, for that who stopped you initially, you can try  enter the USER_MODE again.  The printer will then work exactly as before.  But nags on ink cartridges almost from they are brand new...

Take care now,  and remember to help each other, solidarity is the way forward,  egoism...   (Thatcherism, Reaganomics, Milton Friedmans fantasies, and all their royalistic neoliberalism)   ...is going backwards...  That is of course MY opinion. (HP is certainly a company, and has no opinions)   But I believe we humans are all one, and has ever been. So it MAY be your opinion too...   😉  
Never forget:  Love each other!    😉    And buy HP stuff when you can. They are top noch for the money, after all !   😉

Lars Ahlstrom 

Your alter ego

[Parando]

I have the same problem using a HP Photosmart C4380. Applied what proposed by HP (cleaning and removing the print cartridge) but with no results. Do you know how to go in MFG Mode for this printer or similar ?

Thanks

[LarsAhlstrom]

Hi,
Yeah I found this:

http://www.out-of-warranty.com/how-to-reset-hewlett-packard-hp-all-in-one-printers/

Resets for all HP all-in-one printers with keypads:

1. Without turning the unit off, unplug the power cord from the back of the product.
2. Press and hold “# and 6″ keys.
3. While holding those keys plug the power cord back in.
4. Wait until the screen goes blank before you release those keys.
5. Follow on printer screen instructions.

For Box-type models (No Keypads):

1. Unplug the power cord from the printer.
2. Wait for 30 seconds.
3. Plug the power cable back in the printer and turn it on.

Reset HP Photosmart C4200 series, C4300 series and C4400 series Procedure: HP Photosmart C4200 Series:

• HP Photosmart C4205
• HP Photosmart C4210
• HP Photosmart C4240
• HP Photosmart C4250
• HP Photosmart C4270
• HP Photosmart C4272
• HP Photosmart C4273
• HP Photosmart C4275
• HP Photosmart C4280
• HP Photosmart C4283
• HP Photosmart C4285

HP Photosmart C4380 Series Includes:

• HP Photosmart C4380
• HP Photosmart C4383
• HP Photosmart C4385

HP Photosmart C4400 Series Includes:

• HP Photosmart C4435
• HP Photosmart C4440
• HP Photosmart C4450
• HP Photosmart C4472
• HP Photosmart C4473
• HP Photosmart C4480
• HP Photosmart C4483
• HP Photosmart C4485

Steps:

1. Press Cancel and Power, at the same time.
2. Then, the Unit will ask for a Key Combo, press blue, green, gray buttons (in order) for this.
3. “Support Menu” should appear.
4. Go to Resets menu and use the semi-full reset.

Support Menu
(Blue for Up, Gray for Down and Green for OK)

* Firmware Revision (hint: push gray button to move to the next menu item)
* Scan Diagnostics Menu
* Reports Menu
* Print Tests Menu
* System Configuration Menu
* Resets Menu
* Information Menu

Alternate reset procedure (for older products):

1. Unplug the power cord from printer.
2. Hold both o.k and Cancel simultaneously.
3. Plug the power cable while holding the buttons.

Reset for the Photosmart C5100 Series:

* HP Photosmart C5140 All-in-One Printer
* HP Photosmart C5150 All-in-One Printer
* HP Photosmart C5175 All-in-One Printer
* HP Photosmart C5180 All-in-One Printer
* HP Photosmart C5183 All-in-One Printer
* HP Photosmart C5188 All-in-One Printer
* HP Photosmart C5190 All-in-One Printer

Steps:

1. Unplug the power cable from printer while the printer is powered on.
2. Press and hold OK and HELP buttons while plugging in the power cord. Wait for the screen to go black or blank before releasing the keys.
3. Just turn on the printer and configure your printer new

Reset the HP Officejet Pro 8500A e-All-in-One Printers

Resetting the Officejet Pro 8500A e-all-in-one printers requires you to press a sequence of combo keys. Note that this printer does not have keypads like most OJ pro series printer. Follow the link for instructions.

[Parando]

Hi, thanks for the information provided but after having tried nothing is changing. After the semi full reset the same error is on the printer screen.

If nobody has other suggestions I'll try to send the printer to a PC assistance center.

Thanks

[LarsAhlstrom]

I am sorry to hear that. Did you try this one?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euzrPLMqDNcI

[Bob_Headrick]

Be aware that the special sequences are "at your risk".  See the post here for information.