Would a damaged or bad ink cartridge cause all of this?

I hate to sound like I don't want help but I've tried that also and it will not print a test page. But, knowing how computers can be so ornery sometimes, I'll try it again. Will let you know how it went! I just can figure out what can be causing both printers to do this! Thanks!

 

Also make sure you are installing the ink cartridges correctly; that they are seated properly and latched down if applicable.

 

I have installed these ink cartridges so many times, I've lost count. I'm doing like I've always done when it did work but this time, it doesn't. I thought maybe I didn't have them installed correctly but from the videos I've watched and the way I've done it in the past when it did work, it looks like I did it right but who knows. Thank you!

 

Ok, I tried it and I got "print cartridge error" "mis-installed pen". Those are 2 different error messages from what I've been getting.

 

Did you try a different USB port?

 

No, I haven't tried that but I will! Thanks! I hope it works.

 

That didn't work either. I turned it on and it didn't start flashing it's red lights, etc. I got my hopes up but when I started to try to print a test page, the flashing lights started just like before. I guess it took it a few minutes to find where it is why it didn't start flashing immediately. This printer is so crazy!

 

Did you do a recovery to a point before the problem started? What kind of computer is it again? And you said you have tried HP Print Scan Doctor?

 

That's one thing I haven't tried. I thought about doing a backup of how it is now just in case I made matters worse and then doing a restore using a backup back when it was working. It is a HP Pavilion HPE h8-1360t CTO Desktop PC. Yes I tried the HP Print Scan Doctor and it wouldn't go any farther with either printer.

 

Here's a video from HP that describes how to clean the cartridges and contacts: http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c02473123 . Its for a different printer but shows the areas that need to be cleaned on cartridges. Obviously, use a different clean Q-tip for the cartridge contacts and the printer contacts.

Also for the D5160, are you using HP replacement cartridges and not re-fills or an off-brand?

 

Thanks, I'll check it out. As for refills or replacement, they are HP originals or it looks like they are. The cartridge packaging was the original HP packing although I didn't purchase them from HP and the expiration date is 2019. In the new printer that I tried, it was the ones that came with it. Both printers showed how much ink was in each one but it just won't print.

 

I tried that including the "resetting the printer" but none of it helped. It still shows the cartridges as having ink in them. It shows the tri-color as full and the black about 1/4 full. If it was the cartridges, would it be showing the ink levels? It printed on March 15th but the quality just wasn't good. I thought that maybe it was because it was low in ink. That"s when I ordered more. I thought about restoring my March backup, which was before March 15th, just to see it it would do it then. Should I try a backup before then? It was several months before then when I printed something last.

 

I would go back to when it printed good last. On March 15th you might have just had low ink.

Are you using the same USB cable with both printers?

 

I went back to my March 14th backup and restored it but it didn't help. It did the same thing. I thought maybe I just had low ink also so that's when I had ordered these cartridges that I'm "trying" to use now. Yes, I'm using the same USB cable with both of them. It's the same cable that has been working for years but......I guess it could have gone bad. But, I have tried plugging both printers into just a wall jack as HP suggest to do but I still get the flashing red lights. I'm beginning to think maybe I need to purchase another printer in a different brand.

 

I just tried another USB cable and it didn't change a thing.

 

Microsoft did a patch for a vulnerability for Win 7 in the Mar. cumulative updates. You can read about it here: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com...ation-of-privilege-exploit-for-cve-2017-0005/ .

Suspect this might be affecting HP drivers on Win 7 but have not seen any confirmation yet to that fact on the web. Maybe your best bet is to contact HP since the new printer you bought also is not working properly.

 

itman
she is not going to make no heads or tails out of that post. She bought another printer of same model. Not a more modern Model. An so she bought another printer that would have same issues with Win 7.

 

Oops. Didn't read the post close enough and thought a was a different model. In any case, the Win 7 driver for that model is ancient. HP never updates its drivers like it should.

 

I had thought that maybe the Windows updates were causing all of this so first, I uninstalled the update that was installed right before I started having problems. No, that didn't help so I did a restore of my March backup which was made before I installed the Windows updates. That didn't help either. I read the fine print on the ink cartridges of the "new printer and it reads they expired sometime in 2009. Could this be causing the problem with the new printer? Also, could a bad cartridge cause these problems in my "old" printer? Sometimes, it will show the black cartridge as about 1/4 full and sometimes it will show a question mark. But then, there are times it is showing as "ready" even though there isn't no more than a 1/4 of ink showing. Even though it says it's ready, it still won't print.

 

You're right, I couldn't "make heads or tails" out of it. If I had known that my old printer wasn't worn out I would not have purchased the same one again. I just thought my old one had too many miles on it.

 

Might be. Read this to determine what the actual "bad date" is: http://www.hp.com/pageyield/en-150/articles/inkExpiration.html .

-EDIT- Appears your printer is not on the list.

 

I didn't see it either so apparently that wasn't my problem. Thanks for helping!

 

Also a few novel cartridge cleaning solutions here: http://www.ebay.com/gds/How-to-Unclog-an-HP-Ink-Cartridge-/10000000205266390/g.html

 

Thanks but it didn't help either. I appreciate you and everyone trying to help me with these printers.

 

Try this:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Inkjet...idge-error-electrical-failed-pen/td-p/2228263