Toner Giant has published a guide on “how to fix” HP Inc cartridges that are “locked to another printer”.
The article, by Web and Digital Marketing Manager Stuart Deavall, notes that an error “message such as ‘HP cartridges locked’, or any message that mentions something about HP cartridge protection [means] you have fallen victim to a printer firmware update, and you will definitely be having trouble using compatible or remanufactured inks”.
He adds users might also “see a message like ‘Used or counterfeit ink cartridge detected’, and stated that “we understand your frustration, and agree that everyone deserves to choose for themselves whether or not they want to use third-party inks in their printer”. He then moves on to state that he will show “how to fix this issue and bypass, remove or switch off HP cartridge protection”.
On why cartridges might be locked, and what cartridge protection is, Deavall adds that the message “appears on your printer when the ink cartridges that you are trying to use are not original”, and “either that your printer has the cartridge protection setting enabled and/or the chip on the cartridges you are trying to use are remanufactured from original HP cartridges that have been used in a previous printer with the cartridge protection setting enabled”.
This happens because “software and firmware” updates are “routinely installed”, and “can change the way your printer operates or as in this case add new features”. If you see the locked message “then it’s very likely that you have recently had a printer update to enable cartridge protection or you have a brand new printer with this feature already built in”.
HP Inc introduced this, Deavall adds, because “whilst HP cares about their customers and your satisfaction, they also above all else are a business and need to protect themselves”, with counterfeit cartridges “one of the largest issues that HP ha[s] as a business that costs them millions of pounds if not billions over the years”.
He notes “this is why HP introduced the update” last year, but “this does also stop the use of compatible or remanufactured cartridges […] however we are legally entitled to use a compatible or remanufactured cartridge if we choose to, so there is a way of switching off cartridge protection”. His instructions are that “you will need to use either the settings on the printer control panel (for printers not connected to the internet)” or the printer’s IP address for printers that are”.
For the former, users need to “find the devices and printers section in your control panel”, select their printer, find the “cartridge protection tab in the HP toolbox” and “click the disable cartridge protection option and save”. For the latter, users need to “find your printer’s IP address” in settings, “note this down and type it into a browser search bar, which will take you to your printer configuration page”, where they can “click settings and disable cartridge protection”.
After another update the setting could be “enabled again, so you can prevent updates by switching them off in the web services section”. Deavall adds that “this should resolve your issue”, and “any new cartridges that you install won’t be protected”, but if you “install a compatible or remanufactured cartridge that has been previously protected by another printer, this will not work and you’ll need to get a replacement”.
Printers with cartridge protection include: the Envy 4500; 4502; 4503; 4504; 4507; 4508; 5530; 5532; 5534; 5535; 5536; 5540; 5542; 5543; 5544; 5546; 5640; 5642; 5646; 7640 and 7644; Deskjet 1000; 1010; 1050; 1510; 1512; 1514; 1517; 2050; 2054; 2510; 2540; 2542; 2443; 2544; 2545; 2547; 3000; 3050; 3052; 3054; 3057; F2410; F2418; F2423; F2430; F2476; F2483; F2488; F2492; F2493 and F4583.
In turn, all OfficeJet Pro and Pro X models are affected alongside the Officejet 2610, 2620, 4630, 4632, 4634, and 4636.