How to reset HP ink cartridge expiration DRM
There is a (so far) minor publicity and legal storm surrounding the fact that HP ink cartridge have a feature which enforces an expiration date for the cartridge. Aside from bad publicity and user frustration, there has also been some legal action recently drawing additional attention to the issue.
In the meantime, there are methods for working around these features for now.
(via boingboing)
… two ways to fix the problem that presumably work are easily found online: …
1) Remove and reinsert the battery of the printer’s memory chip
..
2) Preemptive: Change the parameters of the printer driver
In the broader view, there’s an interesting problem here. HP and others make a healthy margin on ink cartridges. There are some legitimate reasons for encouraging users to use fresh cartridges, but virtually no user benefit from having this enforced for them. Perhaps a shareware-style “nag screen” reminding people that their cartridge were out of date every time they printed something would be perceived as somewhere between annoying-but-tolerable to actually appreciated.
In my personal experience with my reliable HP OfficeJet G95, I find myself wishing I knew exactly when the ink was actually going to run out (so I can safely start printing a long, colorful document), but I am also quite happy to leave the cartridges in place when the low ink warning goes on, since I find I can print and copy dozens of pages before it starts streaking, and many more usable pages for “draft” quality output if I put up with modest banding and streaking in the output. I also find a stray ink cartridge in a cabinet or storage drawer from time to time which has aged beyond its official expiration date, and am happy to use it, with no ill effect. It would be annoying if the cartridge simply refused to work, which is what appears to be happening to customers with more recent products than the ones I have.
There is substantial IP in the actual ink cartridges themselves, so they’re in no immediate danger of being cloned and commoditized. At the same time, the printer market is maturing enough that more players are able to print “good enough” vs “really good” or “excellent” output without investing as heavily as HP, resulting in a lower unit cost and cost per print.
So consumers, SMEs, and corporate purchasers have more choices than they used to, and some of them are starting to ask: What benefit does an expiration chip have to the user?
HP is committing legally robbery here with their ridiculous prices on refill cartridges, if they were more reasonable no one would have to bother refilling them.
People BOYCOTT HP printers plain and simple!!
I am guessing that this is based in the USA, so it may be of no use whatsoever, but I live in Australia and have NEVER purchased an ink cartridge for about 5 years, even though I have had 3-4 printers in that space of time.
I have just purchased a HP C5280, and the ink ‘cartridges’ I use is a continuous ink supply system. Before I got on to a CISS, I was using the equivalent of 5 cartridges PER WEEK!
If anyone wants to know more, here is the URL for the (Australian) company where I get my ink system:
http://www.rihac.com.au/
If you contact them, they might know of a retailer near you.
Where does the battery of the HP F4280 located? I am trying to look for a manual but it is unavailable. This Hp60 ink is really getting expensive.
ok, me like everyone else has a hp c5180, and i am tired of the printer disabling my computer. as soon as i am out of ink, the computer freezes. so i have no other choice but to go out and spend money. i too want to get in on how to disable this computer chip. please let me know, thanks.
Can the ink level be reset on the HP Officejet 7410? I refilled cartridge #HP 96 and it will not print anything in black as it does not recognize the cartridge.
I have the little, simple hp Deskjet D2530, which uses hp60 ink. Its easy to refill, I have lots of ink bottles left over from the past, so i refilled the color60 cartridge. Cute little printer just sits there with either it’s X or down arrow blinking, but won’t print. Tried pressing off the above, blinking stops but still won’t print! Turned off everything, restarted, won’t print! Anyone know what little place(s) on the cartridge need to be taped over, or whatever? so i can print again?
Thanks,
Gayle
We can do amazing things nowadays but we can’t accurately indicate the level of ink in a cartridge lol!
Ink levels are merely based on timers, and is not really an true reflection of the actually ink inside, that’s why one gets more out of a cartridge than it appears to indicate. One can only guesstimate when a cartridge will run out and there is no accurate way to indicate how much ink is left.
after re-filling epsom’s and using their resetter light gizmo i finally tried hp as the few cleanings on epson made a message needs techical repair so i tried hp..just used last cartridge and tried re-fill.Nothing so went to web site and golly so many techno refillers. I wonder what goes on with the chip resetter( EPSOM) what occurs to make it’s red lights go to green=ready? does it erase past stuff? I wonder if the pads in stores that swope purchases erase the hidden tags for theft..were we to swpie our catridges over such pads would they go blank(?new)? I dare not place a magnet: the chip dots. my finally purchased new cartridge HP D4160 will not read the $25/00 cartridge.any comments?
Same here HP C7180…does anyone know where the battery is? We have changed to a new ink but the dreaded orange blinking light won’t go away, even after resets suggested by HP. They’re only solution now is repair, estimate $150….
does anybody know where the battery is on the c7180. I have alot of ink in the black but says it out of date what a waste
Yes I to have the same problems as allredy mentioned and I am fed up to the back teeth with H.P. short answer folks
don’t buy any more,they will soon get the message Ron.
I am really having trouble in resetting the ink level of HP cartridge #60.. i cant afford to buy a 5ml original ink every now and then, anybody out there who can help.. thanks
Bimbs:
Did you ever get any replies to your HP60 Ink Cartridge problem. I have the same problem and looking for a solution.
John
HELLO. I HAVE A PRINTER HP C5200 WICH USES HP350(BLACK)AND HP 351(COLOR)CARDTRIGES. AFTER THEY WERE BOTH REFILLED THE PRINTER SHOWS ME THAT THE INK LEVELS ARE LOW OR EMPTY. I LOOKED ON THE INTERNET ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND I DIDN’T FOUND ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THESE TWO TYPES OF CARDTRIGES. ANYONE HAS AN IDEA ABOUT SHOWING THE INK LEVELS AFTER REFILLING. I WILL APRECIATE.
Thanks all you folks for the info. I was ready to clean my desk off with a sledge hammer.
I have a new HP L7590 that uses hp88 cartridges and have ran into the same problem. At least I think that’s my problem because this stuff is new to me.
Nice machine that works well but if HP don’t change their ways by the time this one fails I will be looking for something that doesn’t have built in BS in it. Can’t even switch to B+W and get a fax because I ran out of yellow. I phoned HP and there is no overide. Friggin Grrrrrr !!!
Thanks to some of you folks I’m learning.
I’ve spent hours looking but cannot find a rest for the D5160 HP #98 and #95 ink cartridges after a refill. There’s a lo out there but none for my printer or those cartidges. Anyone have a way to do this.
Thanks. Ken
I HAVE D1415 HP DESKJET AFTER REFILL USUALLY SECOND TIME OF CARTRIDGE COLOR HP22 I CANNOT GET RED COLOR ON PRINTS, EVENTHOUGH THERE IS MAGENTA PRESENT ON THE PRINTHEAD OF THE CARTRIDGE, PROMINANT RED STREAK. I THINK IT IS THE PRINTER NOT RECOGNIZING OR ALLOWING RED COLOR TO BE PRINTED. ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS.
Bethann,
I didn’t reattach the battery. I’m still getting the original print cartridge error message. I’m about to go get a new printer I think.
Thanks Gilbert…man, I was trying to take the whole machine apart! If you broke off one of the soldered tabs, how did you get it connected again? But then again, if the same message came up again, we can’t keep taking the darn thing apart! Argh!
Thanks again!
Bethann
Bethann, I found the battery in my 5510 after posting. If you take a small mirror and a flashlight you will be able to see it. Unplug the power cord. Hold the mirror inside the front where the ink cartridges are and point the light and mirror so you can see behind the front left panel, looking toward the bottom. You will see red and black twisted wires. Right next to where they attach the battery is soldered to connectors on the board. I reached in and pulled on the battery with a finger and just got it to move a little bit, then pushed it back. Repeated tries eventually broke one of the soldered tabs off the battery.
This corected the problem last week. But now it says “print cartridge error” again
Does anyone have other ideas?
Guru, I do not completely understand your solution. What is the chip on the cartridge?
Hi everyone HP Cartridge expiration problem solved
Model : HP Business Inkjet 1000 series
Problem : Cartridge Expired
Solution : Normally you can’t override cartridge expiration date problem but you can hack and overcome from the problem. As per the documents from the web saying this model can remember up to 3 cartridge of one particular colour. Normally each cartridge will expired within 2 1/2 years.
Mine also expired. To disable the link level feedback to system you have to unplug some cables inside of the printer. So you have to search web for that. I was also refilled the cartridge and reuse it upto 2 1/2 years. After that my 4 ink cartridges were expired and refuse to print even the ink levels were good.
How to overcome this problem. HP the International company’s cartridge protection technology having some loop hole in their protection. They want more business than what they are selling. They don’t like people refill and use their cartridge. They want to force the user to buy new cartridge get more profit.
Normally the each cartridges portion in the printer recognize and memorize the chip bottom of the each cartridge. For example the black cartridge part the printer recognize the chip fixed bottom inside the black cartridge. It won’t check or memorize the other color cartridge chips.
I just removed the chip of the black using a nice blade and swap the chip of the pink (double side glue is used to paste the cartridge chip. You have to very carefully do this. Otherwise chip will damage). Do the same trick to other two cartridge. After you swap note down which cartridges you swaped and keep it in safe place. Later it is useful to swap it again. Better swap (1 and 2) (3 and 4). At least you can swap and use the cartridge for 10 years.
Other model of Business inkjet you have to try it yourself. It may work. Best of luck.
I also need help finding the battery for my 5510, and also, how to take some of those screws out!!! We’ve tried to find some schematic drawings, but so far, cannot. We can’t seem to find a hex key to fit some of them. We were wondering if that is another of HP’s ways of controlling how we depend on buying new models instead of fixing them! Thanks for the help!!!
I cannot find the battery in my Hp 5510. Can anyone help me?