Officejet 4500 - Date/Time resets to default after every power cycle

[AFoolsParadise]

The date and time on my Officejet 4500 resets to default after every power cycle.  I set the proper time and date using the onboard set up menu, but every time I power down it resets to the default Jan 01 00 with a time of 00:00.

I have checked for software updates, but it says there isn't any new updates available. Otherwise everything with the printer is working great.

My PC is running Windows 7 Ultimate with service pack 1. The printer is networked, and attached to my PC via a USB cable.

[jason_h · Accepted solution]

The clock on the HP Officejet 4500 is resetting to the defaults whenever you restart the printer?

Usually this is caused by the internals of the printer getting confused. Resetting the printer can often fix this issue.

To perform a partial reset:
* Unplug the printer while the unit is powered on.
* On the Front of the printer press and hold the # and 3 buttons.
* While holding the buttons plug the power back into the printer.

Let me know if this fixes the issue.

[AFoolsParadise]

Thank you! So far so good!  I performed the steps you outlined, and the printer is holding onto the date and time so far.  I will report back after a few weeks and let you know if it continues (because it has held on to the date and time before for a few restarts, only to revert back to default again) to work.

Thanks again!

[AFoolsParadise]

This was the solution, thank you!  My printer has been keeping the correct date and time.

[AFoolsParadise]

The reset procedure above did allow me to set the date and time and the printer held this date and time for a while.  Today, it reset again to the default date/time and I had to repeat the reset procedure.  Isn't there a permanent solution?

[jason_h]

Check your inbox messages.

[EastAnglianMan]

I have the same problem - if my HP Officejet 4500 Wireless printer is not powered on for a few days the date and time revert to the default. This is annoying, particularly when printing out e-mails from Microsoft Outlook 2003 because the printer's date and time are added at the bottom of each page, and there is no way to turn this off.

If there is a solution I'd appreciate knowing what it is. I did try the partial reset as outlined above, but to no avail. TIA.

[AFoolsParadise]

I have tried both a soft and a hard reset, and my printer STILL will not hold the date.  It always ends up resetting itself to Jan 00.

[EastAnglianMan]

Thanks - it sounds like there is a problem with the design, and not with my particular unit.

My printer does hold the date provided that it is powered up every few days. I suspect that in the absence of power the printer memory is held up by a capacitor, rather than a battery, and that the capacitor is of somewhat limited capacity. I may try to establish experimentally how long the date is retained without a power cycle.

In fairness to HP this printer is good value for money, and it's perhaps not unreasonable that there has been an element of cost reduction in the design. The problem will only arise for relatively intermittent users, and typically they will print fewer pages and hence use less ink than more frequent users.

I suspect that the reset recommended above will do nothing more than waste time, but it was worth a try.

[paulphyl]

Found the date on the display of my HP Officejet 4500 reset to Jan 00 00 00:ooa.  I have tried the "unplug - #3-plug in" and it does not work.  I have Windows 10 OS.  What now?