Remanufactured Cartridge Not Recognizing Other Common Error Problem’s

Remanufactured Ink Cartridges are definitely advantageous when it comes to printing costs and are very helpful in preserving the environment. However, there can be certain issues with them. The most common issue is with their recognition. At times you might fall in a state where your printer resists to recognize the remanufactured/after-market ink cartridge. If this ever happens, do not worry. We are here to help you in resolving the recognition issues and also mentioned a few other common issues that may arise and help you in fixing them.

We all know that the remanufactured ink cartridges are produced by recycling the name brand or OEM cartridges. Once the original cartridges are exhausted completely, they are picked by the remanufacturing facility after which they are processed, cleaned, and refilled professionally with a decent quality toner. Most brands that are remanufacturing ink cartridges, will test them after the production process is completed. Even after the testing process, the users might still face issues in getting these recycled cartridges to work.

Having heard a lot from the users, we have decided to produce a complete guide that includes issues that might commonly occur to you while equipping remanufactured ink cartridges on your printers. Here we go!

Remanufactured Cartridge Not Recognized Other Common Error’s

The most common issue with the remanufactured ink cartridges/compatible ink cartridges is that they often go unrecognizable by your printer. However, in most cases, it isn’t going to be a serious issue as one can easily fix this.

How do I know that the remanufactured ink cartridge is not detected?

If your recycled ink cartridge is not detected you should face one of the following issues.

• Your printer displays a ‘toner is not compatible’ error.
• No cartridge installed error should be displayed on your printer screen (or a similar error should pop-up on the computer that your printer is connected to).
• Your printer flashes warning lights too often
• Though your cartridge is full, you will continuously get low or empty ink level alerts on your printer.
• Your printer throws ‘printer cartridge not detected’ error.
• In the case of HP printers, your printer should display ‘HP Cartridges locked’ or ‘Cartridge protection enabled’.

The most common reasons for your printer not recognizing remanufactured ink cartridge and ways to fix them

Not removing protective strips

It is very important that you remove all the protective strips before you install the remanufactured ink cartridge on your printer. Any leftover cover or plastic strip will prevent the printer from registering your cartridge. If your printer has an issue registering your cartridge, make sure you have removed everything. For most of you, this step should fix the issue.

Incorrect Consumable installed in one of the slots

There is a fair chance that you have mistakenly put one of the ink or toner cartridges in a wrong slot. Or there is an even better probability for mistaking a color ink or toner cartridge for an incorrect slot or purchasing a wrong model for your printer. If that ever occurs to you that your printer is not recognizing the remanufactured cartridge, make sure you uninstall it and recheck if you have the right toner or ink cartridge and in the right slot.

Damaged or Dirty contacts on the data chip

Each cartridge will contain a data chip with a number of metal contacts that directly connects to a similar number of metal contacts present on the printer. This ensures effective communication between the cartridge and the printer. If one or more of these mental contacts are damaged or are covered in dirt, the printer might fail to recognize the cartridge. This can be fixed by ensuring that the contacts are clean and are in good condition.

How to clean the metal contacts on the Aftermarket ink cartridges?

1. Before you remove the cartridge out of the printer, it is very important to unplug your printer from the wall socket.
   
2. Once you unplug the printer, carefully remove the cartridge from the printer and place it on any flat surface.
   
3. Locate the metal contacts on the cartridge. You can easily find it on the bottom part that sits inside the printer.
   
4. Now take a clean lint-free dry cloth and gently wipe the metal contacts on the cartridge as well as the printer. Make sure the contacts are dust-free. Avoid putting pressure as it might damage the contacts.
   
5. Once done, replace the cartridge in its place and plug the printer back into the socket.

Internal memory needs to be reset –

Every time you connect a new cartridge to your printer, the chip on the cartridge provides information about the cartridge to the printer which will be stored in the printer’s internal memory. The information includes the model of the cartridge, available ink levels, etc. Whenever you change the cartridge, the internal memory of the printer should be overwritten with that of the data from the new cartridge. However, in certain cases, this will not happen automatically. As a result, the printer still applies the data from the previous cartridge to the new cartridge and assumes the parameters from the old cartridge to be of the new. This can cause a serious issue. To avoid this, you should reset the internal memory of the printer manually.

Resetting Internal Memory of your Printer:

1. To reset the internal memory of your printer, first, remove your new cartridge and replace it with the old one and leave it untouched for over 10 minutes.
   
2. After leaving it for a solid 10 minutes duration, now replace the old cartridge with the new one again. Your printer should automatically notice the change in the cartridge and should update it to the data from the new cartridge.
   
3. However, if the above steps didn’t fix your issue, remove the new cartridge again and keep it in a safer place.
   
4. Now turn off your printer using the power button and unplug it from the wall socket. It is important to unplug it as most printers can remain in sleep mode even after switching them off locally. Once you are sure the printer is total, leave it for over 10 minutes.
   
5. Now, plug it back into the wall socket and insert your new cartridge even before you press the power button on the printer.
   
6. Once you have carefully inserted the cartridge, press the power button on the printer. Doing this should fix your issue.

A software update marked the chip data with an ‘empty’ status –

This is the biggest reason as to why your printer displays ‘cartridge not compatible’, ‘cartridge not recognized’ or ‘cartridge empty’ messages. Most modern printers with Wi-Fi or Ethernet connectivity connect to the internet directly and get frequent updates from the manufacturers. However, printers with no internet connectivity need to be connected to a computer and are to be updated manually. In the case of printers with internet connectivity, manufacturers use the updates to stop compatible or remanufactured cartridges from working in your printers.

The fixing procedure for this is different for different manufacturers. We have mentioned the ways to fix this for different manufacturers below.

Fix for HP Printers not recognizing Recycled ink cartridges

Follow the steps below carefully to fix the HP Printer, not recognizing remanufactured ink cartridges.

1. Gently remove the unrecognized cartridge from your HP Printer and insert the older cartridge.
   
2. Once you insert the older name brand/OEM cartridge in your printer, leave your printer in the turned-on state for over 10 minutes.
   
3. Now turn off your printer, and replace the older cartridge carefully. Once you are done, turn back your printer and it should work magically.
   
4. If this didn’t work, make sure the metal contacts on your cartridge as well as the printer are in good conduction and are free from dust. If not, clean them gently and reinsert the cartridge again.
   
5. However, if this didn’t work, you should consider turning off the HP Cartridge Protection from the settings.
   
6. To turn off the HP Cartridge Protection on your printer, head over to the printer settings. Once you are on the settings page, scroll down to the bottom to find the HP Cartridge Protection option. If you select the option, you should find an option to disable it. Click on the disable option and click on Apply and Save options.

Fix for Canon Printers not recognizing a new ink cartridge –

If your Canon printer shows the ‘ink has run out’ messages continuously even when the cartridges are full, this is because the data on the cartridge chip is stamped with an empty status. You can however bypass this message by holding down the stop/cancel button for 5 seconds.

On most Canon printers, the cancel button is marked in a red color triangle inside a circle.

Fix for Brother Printer not recognizing after-market ink cartridges –

If the above-mentioned methods couldn’t fix your issue, you should try and ignore the issue. That is where this trick comes in super handy. To reset your Brother printer, press down the power button 7 times. Doing this should clear the error message and the printer should run normally.

Fix for Epson Printer not recognizing new cartridge –

1. If your Epson printer doesn’t recognize remanufactured when you install it, try removing it and reinstalling it to ensure that it is installed properly.
   
2. And if that doesn’t fix, remove it again and clean the metal contacts present on the cartridge and the printer. Make sure that there is no dust or unevenness on the contacts. Once you are sure of these, try reinstalling the cartridge and get your printer running. This should fix the issue for most of you.
   
3. If the problem still persists, now try installing the OEM/original cartridge and leave it for over 10 mins. After leaving it for over 10 mins, replace it with the remanufactured ink cartridge and see if it is working.

Fix for Ricoh Printer not recognizing the new toner cartridge

When it comes to Ricoh Printers, the culprit in most cases is the firmware. As Ricoh printers suffer from known firmware issues that cause the failure in recognition for the toner cartridges, it is important to ensure that you are on the right firmware. Head over to the support page of your Ricoh Printer on the official website and check for the latest firmware. Flash the same on your printer using a computer. This should magically fix the issue.