We come across many instances of people purchasing replacement cartridges from different suppliers and when they install them into their printer, they get the dreaded “Cartridge not Recognized” message. Of course this always happens when it is the last cartridge of that particular colour that you have and to compound matters, when you need to print something that is needed urgently. Its not quite the end of the world but it can certainly feel like it!
A major cause of getting “cartridge not recognized” messages is when people replace cartridges that are not empty or ready for replacement. For example you are replacing that empty black cartridge and it seems like a good idea to replace that “nearly empty” cyan cartridge at the same time. In some instances people will replace all four cartridges when one cartridge is empty, or when switching over from standard cartridges to refillable cartridges.
You should never replace a cartridge unless the printer has not told you that it is empty, it messes with the printer memory/firmware. Only replace that empty cartridge. If you are switching to refillable ink cartridges, good for you but follow the procedure below as you install them. A good supplier of refillable cartridges are www.cartridgeoutlet.co.uk
A quick solution that will resolve the “cartridge not recognized” problem in many instances, is to reset the printer and clear the printer cartridge memory. The procedure to do this is very simple and the instructions that follow are easy to follow.
1) If you get the “cartridge not recognized message” simply press the on/off switch and let the printer power down.
2) After the printer has powered down, remove the power lead from the back of the printer and leave out for 5 minutes.
3) After 5 minutes, re-install the power lead and turn the printer on using the on/off switch to power up the printer.
4) The printer will now complain that no cartridges are installed, at this point simply re-install your cartridges.
5) The printer will make noises for a while and then prime the heads and set itself up for printing.
Should you go through this procedure and find that the cartridges are still not recognized, follow the procedure again up-to step 4) and when you come to the point of installing the cartridges, install one cartridge at a time and allow each cartridge to register before installing the next cartridge. This method works well for the new Epson Expression printer models.
If you are still receiving the “cartridge not recognized” message, then you are probably dealing with faulty cartridges.