My 9 yr old HP Officejet Pro 8600 printer showing printer failure problem w printer or ink system

[JEFF2149]

My 9 yr old HP Officejet Pro 8600 printer called for replacement of the 951 Majenta cartridge.  I replaced all 4 cartridges with oem replacement cartridges and then new HP cartridges.  Printer is now reporting a “printer failure problem with the printer or ink system”.  I’ve turned the printer off and also unplugged power to the printer, powered back on and restarted with no correction.  I’ve also uninstalled and reinstalled the printer drivers from my PC.  Printer failure will not clear.

[Raj_05 · Accepted solution]

Hi @JEFF2149,

Welcome to HP Support Community.

Thank you for posting your query, I will be glad to help you.

The "Printer Failure" or "Problem with Printer or Ink System" error on your HP Officejet Pro 8600 can be caused by a variety of issues, including faulty cartridges, a clogged printhead, or even internal hardware problems. Since you've already tried some troubleshooting steps, here are additional steps you can take.

Reset the Printer

• Unplug the printer while it is still on.
• Wait for at least 60 seconds.
• Plug the printer back in and turn it on.

Check the Ink Cartridges

• Ensure that the cartridges are correctly installed and seated.
• Remove and reinstall the cartridges to ensure proper contact.
• Inspect the cartridges for any visible damage or ink leakage.
• Clean the electrical contacts on the cartridges and inside the printer with a lint-free cloth and a bit of distilled water.

Clean the Printhead

• Remove the printhead from the printer (if possible).
• Gently clean the printhead contacts with a lint-free cloth moistened with distilled water.
• You may also soak the printhead in warm, distilled water for about 10 minutes to dissolve any dried ink.
• Allow the printhead to dry completely before reinstalling it in the printer.

Perform a Semi-Full Reset

• On the printer's control panel, navigate to Settings > Printer Maintenance > Restore > Restore Factory Defaults.
• This will reset the printer to its default settings.

Update Printer Firmware

• Ensure that your printer firmware is up to date. You can do this by visiting the HP website, searching for the latest firmware for your model, and following the instructions to install it.

Try Another Set of Cartridges

• If possible, try using another set of cartridges, preferably a brand new set, to rule out any issues with the current cartridges.

I hope this helps.

Take care and have a good day.

Please click “Accepted Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution. Click the “Kudos/Thumbs Up" on the bottom right to say “Thanks” for helping!

Alden4

HP Support 

[mwh1949]

My Hp 8600 will not print.  The message says red and blue cartridge is empty.  I replaced with new cartridges, same message.  I print using black 99% of the time.  why do I keep running out of color ink.  I tried cleaning the heads and replaced with new ink cartridges, but same message.  Can anyone help me?  I cannot afford a new printer at this time.

[Retired_Rob]

Thank you for the suggestions.  Unfortunately, they didn't resolve the problem.  I tried the step-by-step process -- twice -- and it didn't resolve the issue.  In fact, now the "Printer Failure" screen appears right after you power on the printer and will not cycle past that screen.  The printer worked fine until one of the cartridges (cyan) went into a "Depleted" mode it won't return to operating condition.  I went out a bought a new set of HP brand color ink cartridges this morning and followed the instructions...it reacted as stated above with the "Printer Failure" screen.   You cannot get rid of that screen short of turning off the printer, and that of course, defeats my purpose.   I hate to spend somewhere between 3 - 5 hundred dollars to replace this printer that was working just fine just a couple days ago.

[DonCobblo]

I’m having same problem after all the steps and same frustration 

[GriffinM]

I've got the exact same problem.  I replaced a depleted HP Cyan cartridge with a NEW HP one, and it gave the same error.  I went out and bought another HP cartridge, and the HP 8600 is still failing with the same error "There is a problem with the printer or ink system."  It was working fine just a couple of days ago, and two NEW HP Cyan ink cartridges have failed in this manner.  When I put the old depleted cartridge in, there's NOT the same problem, but it does mark it as empty.  This sounds like an HP bug to me, and unless I get a response from HP where this gets fixed, I won't be buying HP products anymore.  The IT team at the office already doesn't trust HP, and I'm now understanding why. 

[dc3456]

Just had exactly the same problem with Pro 8600 printer about 9 yr old.  Problem appears linked to new HP Cyan cartridge purchased and installed. Reinserted the previously depleted cartridge and the failure message (which blocks all other functions) goes away. It is replaced by the depleted cartridge message but then at least it is possible to return to main menu and use non-print functions. Just replaced yellow cartridge with new HP one from same box as new Cyan and did not get failure message. So either the new Cyan cartridge is defective in some way or there is some other problem downstream of the Cyan cartridge in the printer assembly

[GriffinM]

Same here.  I replaced the Yellow cartridge with no issues (it was reading low).  Since I tried (and failed) replacing 2 new Cyan cartridges (purchased from two different stores in two different years), they might all be bad.  Or the old firmware in the printer has a bug that prevents these cartridges from working.  Also, I tried to do a software update for the printer, and it says it's "current" with the "latest" software.  It would be nice if HP released a software update to address this problem, but since it's an old printer (though it still was working nicely, prior), I'm guessing we're SOL.  Seems like it's time to buy a new NON-HP printer to replace this one.  

Anyone from HP care to comment on this issue??

[joe1dog]

Like others with this problem, all of the suggested fixes did not work. The problem with the printer happened suddenly and seems to be fatal. Very disappointing. It's been a good printer. And I just bought a new set of ink cartridges and I don't want to install them only to find out that won't help. They're expensive!

[GriffinM]

Hi Alden4,

The steps you provided do not work.  It seems that several of us on this discussion thread are having issues with the cyan cartridge, not the other colors; and we are having the same symptoms.  When the cyan cartridge runs out, NEW replacement cartridges don't work, and indicate a new printer needs to be purchased.  However, when we replace the empty cartridge, the printer indicates that a we need a new cyan cartridge.  I've tried 2 new HP cyan cartridges purchased from Staples (not clones), and both of them don't work.  The printer was working until the previous cyan cartridge ran out.  Can we all be experiencing the same catastrophic failure of the print system, or just a software bug that can't handle new cartridges?  Looking forward to your response.  Thanks.