Any printer Wizards on BBS?

[K'Ehleyr]

I've got a HP K550 printer running from a HP G6000 laptop.
The yellow and magenta went ~ ink levels showed the others were fine. I know the ink levels are not a true reflection but the black and blue are relatively new.

After putting in the new/refilled (I hear the groans) yel and mag the printer worked fine for a couple of prints. The next time it was turned on it refused to work as it said the black cartridge was empty/incompatible. I had no problem with black before changing the others.

I rang the cartridge company and he suggested turning off at mains for 1/2 hour which I did and it still doesn't work. He's insistant it's not his problem but black was fine before I put his in. Now I have to buy another new black when the other is fine.

I know on a Mac you can overide ink levels and trick the printer but I can't seem to do that on this. I have tried to obligatory swearing and cursing and showing Priscilla the new cartridges but she is still stubbornly refusing.

Any advice very gratefully received

 

[Canadave]

I recommend finding a sledge hammer, rock, or other heavy item, and then repeatedly bashing the printer until it is a mangled heap of plastic and circuitry. I find that's the most effective way to deal with the average printer.

 

[Hermiod]

HP

<hyneman>Well there's your problem!</hyneman>

 

[DiSiLLUSiON]

HP

<hyneman>Well there's your problem!</hyneman>

HP printers are fine, hardware-wise. It's the drivers that are completely and utterly horrible.

 

[Luckyflux]

HP software is atrocious for sure!

Don't know much about inkjets, but sometimes the injectors on the cartridge would sludge up and trick the sensors in the printer. Take a hot damp paper towel, damp but not soaked, try to make the water hot, the take the black cartridge and kind of press the gold tipped injector part on the damp paper towel. You want to press down and lift up gently, don't rub or smear to clean, just press down and lift up a few times. Look at the paper towel to see if it is picking up any black ink, it should be.

After that give it a whirl. Hoping it works, if not we'll try to think of something else.

 

[USS Triumphant]

Try:

1. Reseating the black cartridge. (Shake it well while you have it out.)

2. Taking the new cartridges out, turning the printer off and back on without them in, and trying to print something in grayscale.

Either of those do anything interesting?

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Ok ~ did the Luckyflux thing and black ink spotted on paper.

Try:

1. Reseating the black cartridge. (Shake it well while you have it out.)

2. Taking the new cartridges out, turning the printer off and back on without them in, and trying to print something in grayscale.

Either of those do anything interesting?

Shook and put black back in. Removed new cassettes. Turned off/on. Now the two lights above the other cartridges are flashing and printer won't work.

Put old colour cassettes back in ~ lights shine above colours, go out and then blink above black.

Put new colours in ~ lights go out, light blinks above black and on printer on button.

Why do I think I'm playing Mastermind

 

[Plecostomus]

See if you can find a chemical called Dyechem. It's an ink remover.

If there are any machine-shops or metal-working shops around your area they should have some or the British equivalent. Also look for sign printing shops or T-shirt printing shops, they might have some solvents that you can try. See my warning below.

Borrow a squirt bottle of it. VERY CAREFULLY drip some down into where the ink things go and then let the printer sit overnight. If you have it, use a can of "blow off" to get all the solvent out of the printhead. If you don't, let it sit and evaporate.


This will clean the injector thingies, unstick the stuck thingies and hopefully get you back up and running. I make a few bucks on the side restoring old Lexmark printers this way.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU USE NAIL POLISH REMOVER, ACETONE, PAINT THINNER OR ANY PETROL BASED SOLVENT IT WILL DESTROY YOUR PRINTER AND POSSIBLY INJURE YOU AS WELL.


Oh and for the love of god make sure the printer is unplugged.
​

 

[Luckyflux]

Ok ~ did the Luckyflux thing and black ink spotted on paper.

Try:

1. Reseating the black cartridge. (Shake it well while you have it out.)

2. Taking the new cartridges out, turning the printer off and back on without them in, and trying to print something in grayscale.

Either of those do anything interesting?

Shook and put black back in. Removed new cassettes. Turned off/on. Now the two lights above the other cartridges are flashing and printer won't work.

Put old colour cassettes back in ~ lights shine above colours, go out and then blink above black.

Put new colours in ~ lights go out, light blinks above black and on printer on button.

Why do I think I'm playing Mastermind

You can reference what the blinking light error code indicates. It might want you to recalibrate the cartridges. See what the lights mean. It also might say something about there being 5 lights on the printer, don't believe them.

 

[K'Ehleyr]

... It also might say something about there being 5 lights on the printer, don't believe them.

It took me a few seconds but
Ok ~ Am resorting to reading the manual...

 

[K'Ehleyr]

You can reference what the blinking light error code indicates. It might want you to recalibrate the cartridges. See what the lights mean...

The blinking lights just mean replace the blinking cartridge which was blinking fine before I put the other blinking new cartridges in.
I deduce that the blinking new cartridges which weren't blinking have made my blinking old, fine and reliable blinking black cartridge feel blinking inferior and has led him to start blinking. I believe it to be a cunning blinking ruse by blinking ink manufacturers who have nothing better to do than to ruin my blinking day

Only thing to do is to buy a blinking new black and if that doesn't work take the blinking printer and throw it, blinking cartridges an' all, through the blinking shop window

Thanks all, I'm off to the blinking pub for a few blinking beers.

Do you know when you type something so much you really start to worry that you've spelt it right

Oh p.s. Luckyflux Did try to calibrate printheads but the blinking printer didn't want to know.

 

[Luckyflux]

Well, fixing printers after a few pints is always fun! Just not for the offending printer.

 

[Plecostomus]

You can reference what the blinking light error code indicates. It might want you to recalibrate the cartridges. See what the lights mean...

The blinking lights just mean replace the blinking cartridge which was blinking fine before I put the other blinking new cartridges in.
I deduce that the blinking new cartridges which weren't blinking have made my blinking old, fine and reliable blinking black cartridge feel blinking inferior and has led him to start blinking. I believe it to be a cunning blinking ruse by blinking ink manufacturers who have nothing better to do than to ruin my blinking day

Only thing to do is to buy a blinking new black and if that doesn't work take the blinking printer and throw it, blinking cartridges an' all, through the blinking shop window

Thanks all, I'm off to the blinking pub for a few blinking beers.

Do you know when you type something so much you really start to worry that you've spelt it right

Oh p.s. Luckyflux Did try to calibrate printheads but the blinking printer didn't want to know.

Run everyone she's on the blink again!

 

[K'Ehleyr]

Well, fixing printers after a few pints is always fun! Just not for the offending printer.

I'm not talking to her anymore ~ I'm sulking

And don't try to reboot me Plec *grrrr*

 

[Plecostomus]

Wouldn't dream of it.

 

[Jadzia]

I remember when printers were simple and responsive. Nowadays they throw a fit at the slightest thing. They're supposed to be cleverer, but ultimately that intelligence boils down to having more reasons to refuse to work.

 

[Alpha_Geek]

Ah yes, the good old Gorilla Bananna Dot Matrix printer... a bargain at only $199, and it was compatible with TRS-80 *and* Comodore *and* IBM!

*sigh* Nostalgia!

 

[Mallory]

My current HP inkjet printer/copier/fax cost me $19. I consider it disposable.

 

[TheWifeOfBrian]

Why on earth would anyone willingly buy an HP printer?

 

[K'Ehleyr]

I remember when printers were simple and responsive. Nowadays they throw a fit at the slightest thing. They're supposed to be cleverer, but ultimately that intelligence boils down to having more reasons to refuse to work.

Exactly, I don't want a clever printer ~ I don't want it to collate, print back and front, do cartwheels or make coffe. I just want one that recreates what's on the screen. Maybe I should just get a few monkeys?

My current HP inkjet printer/copier/fax cost me $19. I consider it disposable.

Why on earth would anyone willingly buy an HP printer?

I would be happy to buy one at that price ~ Heck Mallory the blinking ink for mine costs more than that