Disconnected encoder strip HP OfficeJet Pro 7720 printer

[baphec]

When clearing a paper jam, I inadverentenly puled out a very thin plastic strip with a triangle at one end and a circle and smiley face at the other.

The printer has the error message: 'Carriage jam - The print cartridge cannot move'

I think that the plastic strip is called the encoder strip. Anyone have easy step by step instructions as to how to put the encoder strip back into the printer?

I have had a look elsewhere on this and other forums, but I cannot equate pictures of other HP printers with the OfficeJet 7720.

Trying to see if there are do it yourself solutions, as the cost to send this to a place to repair may be almost as expensive as a replacement printer.

Many thanks

[Copier-Pro]

Hi I would like to assist to the best of my ability to solve your problem.I hope the information i supply will be of help.Just for information some technical information is protected by HP and is not allowed to be answered.This is unfortunate and you will have to contact a HP repair shop for the help in this case.The encoder strip just feeds through the head from left to right.I have asample picture of a different model that might just help.Hope this will help.

[baphec]

Thanks for kindly spending time replying.

The problem with the HP Office Jet Pro 7720 printer is that, unlike other HP printers, the printer does not lift up from the top as in the printer that you show in the picture.

I appreciate that I may be missig something basic, but on the HP Office Jet Pro 7720, it appears that you can either only go in from the restricted front, where I cannot see hooks that you attach the plastic strip to (which on another similar thread on another HP printer, the illustratons clearly showed such hooks), or in the back, which only appears to open as far as paper rollers. I do not know if I need to unscew parts of the printer outer shell.

The other thing is that what I was referring to as the encoder strip is not anywhere near as wide or thick as the picture you sent. It is no wider than 1/2 cm / 1/4 inch wide and some 52 cm / 19 inches long, grey clear plastic. If this is not what is called an encoder strip, my apologies, but without this being in place, somewhere, the printer gives an error message that the cartidge cannot move, and will not work.

Does this give you, or anyone else more information to work on?

Many thanks