Printer Error - Missing Cartridges

[joshl1423]

I have an HP Officejet 8025e printer. It requires that I use HP ink. I didn't know this until recently, when I bought non-HP cartridges (which were 1/5th the cost), and found that I was unable to print.

In reality I only need black ink because I never print color. I recently purchased a black ink cartridge from HP directly. I removed the other non-HP cartridges. When i try to print in black and white with the legitimate HP cartridge, it doesn't work. I see an error that states "One or more cartridges are missing or damaged. Until cartridges are replaced make sure the printer is turned on to avoid damage to the printer." Do I NEED to order/have color cartridges in order to print black ink? I've already disposed of the old HP cartridges. When I try to reinstall the non-HP color cartridges, I get a different error. 

This is frustrating and makes me want to get a new non-HP printer.

[zoey7886]

@joshl1423, Welcome to the HP Support Community!  

Thanks for reaching out about your query regarding your Printer Error - Missing Cartridges! 

We're thrilled to have the opportunity to assist you and provide a solution.  

For the HP OfficeJet Pro 8025e, the printer requires all cartridges (black and color) to be installed—even if you only print in black and white. This is because the printer performs maintenance tasks that involve all cartridges to ensure print quality and prevent clogging. Unfortunately, without all cartridges properly installed and recognized, the printer won’t function.

Since you've already disposed of the original HP color cartridges, you'll need to replace them with genuine HP cartridges to clear the error message and resume printing. I know that’s not the answer you were hoping for, but it should get your printer back up and running.

If you'd like, I can also recommend some settings once your printer is working again to help conserve color ink and make sure you’re primarily using black for printing. Let me know how you'd like to proceed—I’m happy to assist!  

Take care, and have an amazing day!  

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