This feature has been locked by the person who set up the printer

[Scooby9436]

Wanted to change the WiFi password but the printer is blocked:

This feature has been locked the person who set up the printer

 that was me....! And I did not lock anything....! What can I do to unlock the printer???

[DavidSMP · Accepted solution]

@Scooby9436,

Good Day. Thank you for taking an interest in the HP community. I understand that you require assistance regarding issues with the printer’s password locking you out. I will be really glad to assist you here. 🙂

Fabulous description and superb diagnosis of the issue before posting. Kudos to you for that. 🙂

To assist you with accurate information I would require more information regarding this:

• Did this happen after changing your router or ISP?

For now, try these steps:

• Please restore network defaults on the printer by following steps from this user guide: https://hp.care/2hM1Vuc (Please refer to page 134 on how to do it.)
• This should fix the issue.

If the issue persists, then please check your forum private message box for a message from me that gives steps to perform a semi-full reset on the printer that restores it to factory defaults.

• This will resolve the issue or you.

Good Luck and keep me posted. I wish you well. Please perform all these steps patiently as it is critical to resolving the issue.

Hope this helps. Let me know how this goes. I genuinely hope the issue gets resolved without hassles and the unit works great.

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help. If this helps, please mark this as “Accepted Solution” as it will help several others with the same issue to get it resolved without hassles.

Take care now and have a superb week ahead. 🙂

[DavidSMP]

@Scooby9436,

It has been a fabulous experience working with you. 🙂 I thank you greatly for accepting this as a solution.  You've been simply amazing with your technical expertise and thanks again for giving me the privilege to share this platform with you. 🙂

I hope the unit works great and stays healthy for a long time.

To simply say thanks, please click the "Thumbs Up" button to give me a Kudos to appreciate my efforts to help.

Please take care, stay healthy, keep smiling big and do have a blessed year ahead. 🙂

[Genemac]

I have a HP OfficeJet Pro 6968 which will not let me change the SSID for the network. I changed network router to  faster one and now I get "This feature has been locked by the person who set up the printer" when I try to do nework setup or if I try to restore settings in the maintenance page.

[gomesy]

This solution does not work for me as my "Maintenance" - "Restore" - screen is also plagued by the same message of "this feature has been locked by the person who setup your printer". Everything is locked, everywhere. How do I change my WIFI password?

[nigel0790]

I had this problem last year , its totally frustrating as the printer owner would not consider locking this option as it would futureproof the printer against new router or wi fi connections the owner may update.

Anyway I got through to the helpline and they reset it remotely fortunately  for me , I would of hoped HP would of made a software update to disable this locking feature by now.

Nigel

[gomesy]

I just received Customer Support help by a really patient associate by the name of Abhishek. Here's how he solved my problem:

From the Home Screen, go to the bottom-left and click on the return key (bottom-left). NOTE - - Even if you do not see the return key (as it often disappears and reappears) click on the location of where the return key should be 4 to 5 times until you reach the "Support" menu. Click on the words "Support Menu". Arrow down to the "Resets Menu". Click OK. Arrow down to the "Semi-Full Reset" option. Click OK. Your screen will go dark as the printer will start resetting itself. Eventually your printer will turn off. Turn it back on you will have to go through and set everything up like when you first took the printer out of the box. All of the features that had been "locked by the person who set up your printer" (which I'm pretty sure in everybody's case is not you) have now been magically unlocked. I know this is wordy but it is a frustrating problem than can be solved by following these instructions. It just cost me over an hour of my life but it was well worth it.

[MariaV1]

Thank you Richard Gomes. Your directions worked great. 

[hawaiianeyes1]

OMG, you really need to be commended.  This worked!!! MAHALO!!!!!

[Hdbabe]

 H.P has control of your printer, you can't use it unless you buy from them. You can cancel it but you have to buy cartridges from another store in order to use your printer  but you have to cancel with them first and take out their crappy cartridges also as after you cancel if. You still have a cartridge from them in your printer  they still have control of your printer!! I would cancel and take their cartridges out then buy cartridges from store thats the only you can your printer without them controlling your printer. They won't. Let me use hater of H.P. Either. Losey company!!!