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

Discussion in 'hardware' started by chattycathy, Mar 25, 2017.

  1. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    I have a HP PhotoSmart D5160 printer with Windows 7 and it is giving me problems. It started when I tried to print a greeting card. This card came out very pale and the printer started flashing it's Attention light and the ink icons on the display. I thought it meant I needed to replace both cartridges so I ordered more. When I tried to replace them, at first, the carriage holder was over toward the left of the printer and would not come over to the right so I couldn't get to the cartridges to change them. I finally got it to move to the right so I could replace them. When I got them replaced, I got the error message that they had been used. I followed all of the steps HP says to take to correct this and then got the message that the ink cartridge was damaged. I followed the steps Hp suggests to correct this and now it says "carriage is stalled". I have followed all of those steps to correct also but it hasn't helped. When I turn it on, it sounds so rough when it gets to the right side. It's like it is slamming against the right side. I'm still getting "carriage is stalled", "cover open", when it isn't and the 2 blank ink drops are still flashing. There is nothing that I could see that was blocking the carriage. Plus, it will come on by itself. I turn it back off and it comes back on. I finally get it to turn off and i hear the carriage moving even though it is showing no power on. Sometimes, it will show the ink level of the colored cartridge as being full. The black one will show as empty sometimes and then sometimes it doesn't show anything. I have uninstalled it and installed it again using the Windows 7 drivers, etc. but that didn't help either. I'm thinking it's time to junk this printer but it has been so good at printing quality photos I hate to junk it if I don't have to. If I could find one that prints photos as good as this one has, I would not mind it at all. Before I junk it, I just wanted someone's opinion that knows more about printers than I do.
     
  2. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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  3. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    Thank you JR for your reply. I tried those steps but they didn't help either. I guess it's time for a new printer but thank you anyway!
     
  4. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    chattycathy, you're welcome! Printers are cheap today so you should find something comparable for probably less than what you originally paid. Best of luck; take care.
     
  5. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    Thanks! I have been looking at new ones and they're so cheap, I'm suspicious. The way everything is made cheap today, I just wonder about the quality of the printers and the photos, etc. Maybe I will get a good surprise and they will prove me wrong.
     
  6. JRViejo

    JRViejo Super Moderator

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    I bought an HP Envy 4500 at a Black Friday sale for $49 a couple of years ago, and for my low printing needs, it's just as good as the HP Deskjet 5600 series printer it replaced. If I get 3 years out of the new one, I'd consider myself lucky. Today's printer technology can be better than the old one, however, don't plan on keeping them long, especially at the cheaper pricing.
     
  7. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    [QUOTE=" Today's printer technology can be better than the old one, however, don't plan on keeping them long, especially at the cheaper pricing.[/QUOTE]

    I'm not going to. I was guessing the phrase "You get what you pay for" will apply to this purchase. But, if it does, at least I can say I didn't pay much for it.
     
  8. boredog

    boredog Registered Member

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    ink cartridges have an electronic circuit built in and so place that refill them do reset the cartridge. Do you know if yours are refills? Did you run the printers diags software?
     
  9. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    They are suppose to be originals and not refills. They were in the Hp box sealed up as I'm gotten before and they hadn't expired yet. The color one shows up as being full and sometimes the ink level will show in the black with a check mark beside it saying ready but it won't print. I tried running the diags software but it won't run. If the cartridges weren't so expensive, I would order a black one and try it again but I can almost purchase another printer for the price of another cartridge.
     
  10. boredog

    boredog Registered Member

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    Printers have become cheaper to buy now then the replacement cartridges. I have a portable printer I had had for years and found a good place that does refills. They explain a lot if you ask too which is what I like. Portables still are not that cheap though. I used it when I worked
    for a wireless bingo company.
     
  11. itman

    itman Registered Member

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  12. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    Apparently someone is trying to tell me to purchase a new printer because I can't get anything to work. I tried the diagnostic utility and I get the message "The HP Print and Scan Doctor supports XP SP3 and later OS's only." Well, I am using Windows 7 Pro SP1 so that should meet their requirements. When that didn't work, I tried changing the compatibility mode but that didn't help either. Thanks for the information anyway.
     
  13. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    Ok, tried the diagnostic utility again but using Vista SP2 or 3 and it worked. But, it didn't tell me anything that I don't already know. It says my carriage is "unable to move" which I have been getting Carriage Stalled messages and many others since the problem started. I still wonder if a bad ink cartridge can cause all of these problems.
     
  14. boredog

    boredog Registered Member

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  15. itman

    itman Registered Member

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    Also read an article where someone totally disassembled an ink jet printer and found a small wad of paper jamming one of the mechanisms.
     
  16. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    Yes, I've tried those steps also and I can't find anything blocking it. I've taken a flash light and looked down in it from the front, top and back but still I can't see anything. Now, I'm having to unplug it to make it stay off. It will just come on by itself if I don't.
     
  17. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    If that is my problem, it must be very small because I've checked it so many times.
     
  18. boredog

    boredog Registered Member

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    So you can move the carriage by hand? I take it is not still under warranty.
     
  19. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    That is another weird thing. There have been times I could move it by hand and times I couldn't but today it won't. It is in the home position and I can remove the cartridges but it will not move to the left at all. As for my warranty, I can't remember when I purchased it but I do know, I've had it too long.
     
  20. boredog

    boredog Registered Member

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    Did you try moving the carriage with it unplugged? Maybe the carriage motor is keeping it from moving when power is applied.
     
  21. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    Yes, I tried it so many times with it unplugged and just tried it again. It moved maybe an inch to the left and back completely to the right and now it won't move at all to the left. It feels like it is hanging on something but I can't see anything. I have removed the cartridges and sometimes the black cartridge feels like it is hanging on something but I eventually get it out and I can't see anything that could be the problem. The ink levels show the Tri-color as being full and the black shows a little in it but it is suppose to be full also.
     
  22. itman

    itman Registered Member

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    I just went to OfficeMax to buy a replacement drum/toner cartridge for my old HP 1012 Laser I have been running using a bogus driver hack on Win 10 since HP hasn't issued driver updates for it since XP. Ended up buying a new HP Laser printer for $10 more than a remfg. cartridge would have cost me for the HP 1012. OfficeMax was running clearance pricing on HP model I bought.

    Sometimes it is time to move on ................
     
  23. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    That's what I've decided to do. It looks like this one is junk now. I just hope I get the same quality of photos from it as I did with this one I'm about to throw out the door!
     
  24. chattycathy

    chattycathy Registered Member

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    I thought maybe this printer was just worn out but now I'm thinking that maybe it wasn't. I found a new HP D5160 for sale still in the original packaging, etc. I purchased it and inserted the cartridges that came with it and it is giving me the same problems. I have uninstalled the Windows 7 drivers and rebooted and installed again but none of it has helped. I ran the HP Print/Scan doctor and it will only go as far as checking the carriage on each one. Both of them give me the "carriage stalled" message. With the new one, the carriage is not stalled. It moves just fine. Just a few months ago, my old one was still working. In fact, on March 15th, it at least printed although the quality wasn't good but I thought maybe it just needed more ink. But, now neither of the printers will do that much. They both stop at the same place. What could be causing this? I uninstalled the March Windows updates but that didn't help either. Does anyone have any ideas as to what could be causing this on "both" printers? If it's the operating system, what could it be?
     
  25. itman

    itman Registered Member

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    As far as your old printer goes, I came across this tip I am posting below. Worth a shot. If you decide to try, go to Control Panel -> Devices and Printers and remove all entries for the D5160 and the new printer you just installed. Reboot.

    http://www.justanswer.com/printers/5ka8e-d5160-working-fine-months-ago-need.html

    Then go to the HP driver web site and download the driver for Win 7, 32 or 64 bit depending on your OS, for the D5160.

    HP has a complicated driver setup; especially for a USB connection. Check the installation instructions for the D5160. It usually involves the following:

    1. Power on the printer with the USB cable detached.
    2. Run the driver setup program you just downloaded.
    3. Install the USB cable to the printer when instructed.

    When installation completes, print a test page. If that is successful, you should be OK from then on.
     
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