Ink Cartridge Refill Help Center
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HP 300, 301 Ink Cartridge Errors

NOTE 1: Empty”, “Low Ink”, “Out of Ink“, “? Marks“, “Counterfeit” and “Non-Genuine Cartridge”  alerts are COMPLETELY NORMAL for all HP 300, 300XL, 301 & 301XL black and color  ink cartridges which have been refilled!  While at first this may be an unusual workflow, it does allow print operations to proceed.

HP-Low-Ink-(C5200)-Warning_small

 

 

NOTE 2: HP 61/301 Instant Ink Cartridges are NOT supported for refilling due to HP software lockout on any printer enrolled in HP’s Instant Ink program.

HP-61-301-Instant-Ink-Cartridges_on-white_smallest     

3 Types of Alert Messages:

Information Alerts. When a refilled ink cartridge is installed it is normal to receive alerts such as ‘non-genuine cartridge’ or ‘used color/black cartridge’. These may be bypassed by selecting ‘Dismiss’, ‘Ok’, or ‘Continue’.

Information Alerts2

– Nuisance Messages. After a refilled ink cartridge is detected it is normal to receive alerts such as ‘low on ink’, ‘counterfeit’, ‘used’, ‘fraud’, ‘refilled’, or ‘depleted’ cartridge. These my be bypassed by selecting ‘Dismiss’, ‘Ok’, or ‘Continue’.

Nuisance Messages2

NOTE: If a “Non-HP Cartridge(s)” message, or similar message, cannot be bypassed then the cartridge may be suffering from marginal internal electrical performance and may need to be replaced with a new one. First remove and thoroughly clean cartridges electrical contacts & printer flex cable contacts and retest (refer to Printer Maintenance). If the problem persists then return cartridge to your refiller for analysis.

Ink Cartridge & Service Station Cleaning

HP60_ENVY-110_Unable-to-Bypass-Low-Ink-message

 

– Severe Errors. When an ink cartridge has poor connectivity (between contacts and flex cable inside printer) or is suffering from marginal internal micro-electrical performance, you may observe error messages such as ‘incompatible cartridges’, ‘print cartridges error’, ‘cartridge missing or not detected’, ‘refer to documentation’, ‘cartridge in left/right slot is missing’, etc. In addition, the power light may be blinking while the error message is displayed. In some cases, errors can be cleared by removing and cleaning the ink cartridges and printer flex cable contacts. If not, then it is suggested to run the cartridge health diagnostics (‘tap 41’) check or perform a cartridge error bypass (available on select printer models) to confirm that the ink cartridge is damaged.

Severe Errors2

– Cartridge Electrical Failures. Severe cartridge errors are primarily caused by an electrical breakdown at the cartridge’s nozzle plate. Ink penetration or corrosion into the nozzle plate will cause a failure of the tiny micro-electronics resulting in a variety of different error messages being displayed.

HP 61 Nozzle Plate_common problem areas2

– Cartridge Diagnostics. The cartridge’s electrical health can be verified by running the ‘Tap 41’ diagnostics at the printer’s control panel (NOTE: not available on all printer models).

Support Documentation:  HP 60 Problem Resolution   (PDF)

HP Nuisance Alert Messages

Following the installation of a refilled ink cartridge, nuisance or annoyance messages will typically be displayed after the initial ‘low ink’ or ‘non-genuine’ ink messages.

Common Error Messages

  • Blinking cartridge lights on the printer.
  • A message that says “Cartridge Missing or Not Detected”, “Incompatible Print Cartridge”, “Black/Color Cartridge Problem”, “Refer to printer documentation”, “Cartridge in Left/Right slot is not intended for use in this printer”, or similar, on your monitor or on the printer display.

Recommended Solutions

The contact between the ink cartridge and the printer must be clean for proper functioning.  If any dirt, ink or paper dust is on the contacts, the printer may indicate that the ink cartridge is bad.  To ensure a clean contact, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Remove and re-install the cartridge

Step 2: Clean the contacts on the printer and the ink cartridge

Ink Cartridge & Service Station Cleaning

Step 3: Run a self-test and/or re-set the printer. Refer to Printer Model page (if available) or HP Printer Diagnostics page from the selections above.

 

Advanced Diagnostics

To view advanced diagnostics tests for your printer, click here:

HP Printer Diagnostics

 

 

Poor Print Quality or Missing Colors:

If any streaks or missing colors appear on prints, thoroughly clean the cartridge’s electrical contacts and printer’s flex driver cable surface. If the cartridge is clogged then a warm water flush may be necessary to recover all colors. Click here for instructions.

Ink Cartridge & Service Station Cleaning

Partially Jetting Nozzles

 

 

NOTE 1: Replacing the ink cartridge is the best way to verify cartridge/printer performance.

NOTE 2: All integrated ink cartridges being repeatedly refilled eventually do fail.  Some cartridges/printers may encounter an unavoidable mechanical or electrical failure which is unrelated to refilling.  Check for physical damage on the cartridge.  Look at the print cartridge and see if there are any cracks, tears or missing elements.  Any one of these can cause a failure.  In these cases, you will need to purchase a new cartridge and start the refill process again after it has run out.

 

 

HP 300 & 300XL Compatible Printers:  

Deskjet D1660, Deskjet D1663, Deskjet D2530, Deskjet D2545, Deskjet D2560, Deskjet D2563, Deskjet D2566, Deskjet D2568, Deskjet D2645, Deskjet D2660, Deskjet D2663, Deskjet D2680, Deskjet F2400, Deskjet F2420, Deskjet F2423, Deskjet F2430, Deskjet F2480, Deskjet F2483, Deskjet F2488, Deskjet F2492, Deskjet F2493, Deskjet F4210, Deskjet F4213, Deskjet F4230, Deskjet F4235, Deskjet F4240, Deskjet F4250, Deskjet F4272, Deskjet F4273, Deskjet F4274, Deskjet F4275, Deskjet F4280, Deskjet F4283, Deskjet F4288, Deskjet F4292, Deskjet F4293, Deskjet F4400, Deskjet F4435, Deskjet F4440, Deskjet F4450, Deskjet F4480, Deskjet F4500, Deskjet F4580, ENVY 100 e-All-in-One, ENVY 100e-All-in-One D410b, ENVY 110 e-All-in-One D411a, ANVY 110 e-All-in-One D411b, ENVY 111 e-All-in-One D411d, ENVY 114 e-All-in-one D411c, ENVY 120, ENVY 121, PhotoSmart C4600, PhotoSmart C4610, PhotoSmart C4635, PhotoSmart C4640, PhotoSmart C4650, PhotoSmart C4680, PhotoSmart C4683, PhotoSmart C4685, PhotoSmart C4690, PhotoSmart C4700, PhotoSmart C4740, PhotoSmart C4750, PhotoSmart C4780, PhotoSmart C4783, PhotoSmart C4795, PhotoSmart C4799, PhotoSmart D110a

 

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