HP printer error 79 caused by empty printer tray (out of paper)

[William2595]

My Lasetjet Pro 200 color MFP M276mw kept restarting and showed error 79. Showing language selection and within a few second was restarting constantly. 

Looking on the internet and came to corrupt RAM modules, disassembled printer, couldn't find any modules to remove or replace. Assembled printer again, still same of course.

Ready to take printer to scrapyard, my wife says : "Remove the paper, we can used it for new printer".

But there was no paper in tray, my wife says : "Isn't that the problem", it said : "No it will give a proper error".

My wife will keep reminding me of this for the reset of my life. 

My daughter said : "He can fix complicated machines of million of euro's, but can't fix  a printer"

Thank you HP

[Max3Aj]

@William2595, Welcome to the HP Support Community – it’s great to have you here!

I appreciate you taking the time to share your question. I'm more than happy to assist with this and provide a solution that works for you.

Thank you for sharing your experience, your story gave me a good chuckle, and I must say your wife and daughter have a great sense of humor! You're definitely not alone; printer quirks can surprise even the most seasoned tech experts.

About the Error 79 on your HP LaserJet Pro 200 Color MFP M276mw:

Error 79 is typically a firmware-related issue, often triggered by:

• Corrupt print jobs
• Communication errors
• Hardware faults
• Or, as you hilariously discovered, something as simple as an empty paper tray!

Your wife was absolutely right, an empty tray can sometimes confuse the printer during startup, especially if it’s trying to resume a previous job or initialize with a pending task. While it should show a “Load Paper” message, in rare cases, it may misbehave and throw a 79 error instead.

Steps to Resolve HP Printer Error 79 (especially for M276mw):

Power Cycle the Printer:

• Turn off the printer.
• Disconnect the power cord from the wall and printer.
• Wait for 60 seconds.
• Reconnect and power it back on with paper loaded in the tray.

Cancel Pending Print Jobs:

• On your computer, go to Devices and Printers.
• Right-click your printer > See what’s printing.
• Cancel all jobs in the queue.

Update Firmware (if accessible):

• If the printer stabilizes after loading paper, check for firmware updates:
  • Visit: Official HP® Support
  • Download and install the latest firmware for your printer model.

Check Network/USB Connection:

• If connected via USB or network, disconnect and try booting the printer standalone.
• Sometimes, corrupted data from a connected device can cause restart loops.

Factory Reset (if needed):

• If the issue persists, a factory reset may help. Here's how:
  • Turn off the printer.
  • Press and hold Right Arrow + Cancel while turning it on.
  • Keep holding until the printer shows “Permanent Storage Init” this will reset the printer to factory defaults.

Final Thoughts:

Your troubleshooting instincts were solid, disassembling the printer shows dedication! But sometimes, the simplest solutions (like adding paper 😄) are the most effective. You’ve earned a lifetime of gentle teasing from your family, but you also helped others by sharing your story.

You may refer to this document - 79 Error (or 79 Service Error), Turn off then on | HP® Support

I hope your issue is now resolved. If not, feel free to reply and we’ll continue helping until everything’s sorted!

If the post helped, please click “Accepted Solution” to help other users easily find it. And if you’d like to say thanks, just tap the “Yes” button!

Cheers,

Max3Aj

HP Support