OfficeJet 6600 Printer head appears to be missing

[printingpoems]

My printer has been working fine for a while and suddenly I started seeing this error on the touch panel which says "The printer head seems to be missing, not detected, or incorrectly installed. I am unable to go back to the main menu from this error. How do I fix this? I have tried doing a power cycle multiple times with no help.

[Jay_G24]

 Hi @printingpoems,

I'd like to help!

I understand you are receiving a printhead error.

Please try the below suggestions:-

Reset the product

• With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
• Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
• Wait at least 60 seconds.
• Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
• Reconnect the power cord to the printer.
• Turn the printer on. HP recommends plugging the printer directly into a wall outlet

Update the printer firmware

Updating the printer firmware might resolve printhead problems. Go to Updating or Upgrading Printer Firmware for more information.

Check the carriage for a printhead latch

Look at the carriage to see if it has a latch. The carriage is the part inside the printer that holds the printhead and cartridges. If the carriage does not have a latch (fixed printhead), then the only option is to service the printer.

1. Open the door to access the cartridges.
2. Wait until the carriage stops moving before you continue.
3. Look at the right side of the carriage to see if the carriage has a printhead latch (a handle that can be raised, which allows the printhead to be removed).
   • If your carriage has a printhead latch, continue to the next step.
   • If your carriage does not have a printhead latch (fixed printhead), skip to Service the printer. If the printhead is fixed, then there are no additional troubleshooting steps available.

 Reseat the printhead up to three times

You might need to reseat the printhead up to three times.

1. With the printer turned on, unplug the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. Lift the carriage latch, slightly lift the printhead, lower the printhead back into the carriage, wiggle the printhead left and right, and then lower the carriage latch to lock the printhead into place.
3. Close the cartridge access door.
4. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
5. Wait for the printer to start, and then look for the error.
   • If the error message persists, repeat the steps to reseat the printhead up to three times.
   • If the error no longer displays, you are done

You may refer to Printhead errors

If the issue persists, I'd suggest you contact HP in your region regarding the service options for your printer

Hope this helps! Keep me posted. 

And, Welcome to the HP Support Community. 

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