Updating your printer firmware? Then plan on using genuine original OEM cartridges only!

WARNING!

Generally, updating firmware for your printer is a good thing. Firmware is software on your printer that

controls the basic hardware functions. The firmware is essentially the layer between your printer's hardware

and the print driver, controlling the basic hardware functions. Firmware updates generally fix hardware bugs,

improve printer/scanner performance, add new features and fix support issues. Recently however, we are

seeing more and more that these firmware updates do one more thing (a most important thing from the

manufactures standpoint)—they take away some printers' ability to read the remanufactured cartridges "chips".

This means that you must use the genuine OEM cartridges distributed directly by the manufacturer. If you

used to be able to use compatible / remanufactured cartridges, but no longer can, this is probably the reason.

Why is this a problem? Well if you like to save money, this is a major problem. In some cases compatible /

remanufactured cartridges can cost only a fourth of the OEM price. Over a year, that can save an enormous

amount of money. Over the course of the printer's lifetime, it's amazing how much money you can save.

Essentially speaking, these firmware updates make it impossible for printers to read anything but the OEM

cartridge chips.

Compatible / remanufactured cartridges are just as good as the OEM product. They last the same amount of

time, hold the same amount of ink or toner and produce the same quality images. Economical consumers know

that compatible / remanufactured cartridges make a lot of "cents"! No wonder manufacturers are trying to get

money from customers by making it impossible to use compatible / remanufactured products.

So far Dell, HP, Lexmark & Samsung are the only manufacturers that are known to have put these restrictors

on their products; however, there is always a chance these same scenarios

Checking the remaining ink levels in HP Inkjet & Office Jet cartridges

People always are curious about whether there is any ink remaining in their cartridges even though their printer is displaying a message that states they are in need of replacement.  Although some units make it very obvious when they are running low, other's do not. HP has designed a vast selection of Inkjet & Office jet printer models, and although on some models this information is very easy to decipher, there are other models that require you to have more due diligence with. Below is a basic explanation on how to check the amount of ink that remains in your cartridges. Although there are some HP printers this exercise won’t work on, it will work for the majority. The success of the following general instructions will depend on which operating system you employ.

*Check and make sure that your computer and printer are connected with one another by either USB, Ethernet or parallel port.

* Click on the “Start” button to display start menu option. Next click on the option “Control Panel”.

*Now double click on the “printer/fax” icon in your window. Then you will need to click on the correct icon for that specific printer, followed by clicking the “Preferences” tab.

*Once you have reached this point, click “Service this device”. You should find a button on the menu you now see.

*There will be an “Estimated ink level” tab and a graphic that appears which tells you exactly how much ink you have left in your cartridge(s).

*If you are using a DeskJet model, you will need to follow these same instructions, however instead of clicking “Control Panel”  you will need to choose “Print Settings” then “Printer Toolbox”. You will  have a similar option to display “Estimated Ink Level”.

Though not all HP inkjet printers can be tested by this method, most can. If these instructions does not display for you the current ink levels, then you may need to refer to your user’s manual for more detailed instructions.

HOW TO RESET YOUR INKJET PRINTER FIRMWARE TO FACTORY DEFAULT SETTINGS...

Major printer manufacturers such as HP in particular continuously try to thwart our ability to save money when using remanufactured ink cartridges. They accomplish this by periodically posting firmware driver updates and threatening that these updates must be downloaded in order for your inkjet printer to continue to perform properly. Nothing could be further from the truth! The truth is, if you download these firmware updates, you will only be able to use genuine OEM cartridges, as remanufactured versions will not perform properly. We guarantee our remanufactured cartridges will, in most cases, perform satisfactorily provided your machine is reset to its original factory default settings. If you have been "tricked" into downloading these firmware updates, we at DR. TONER, INC. have a remedy that will in most cases, allow the use of remanufactured ink cartridges. Please perform the following steps to perform a "HARD RESET" of your printers firmware back to factory default settings. "JUST SAY NO TO FIRMWARE & DRIVER UPGRADES!!!"


1) Remove cartridge(s) from the printer carriage.
2) Close cover and power off the printer.
3) Unplug printer from the wall ac power outlet.
4) Wait for approximately two minutes...this will completely reset the printer.
5) Plug the power cord back into the wall ac power outlet.
6) Power on the printer switch.
7) Once the printer is on, re-insert the cartridge(s) one at a time into printer carriage.
8) This reset excercise will allow the printer to accept the cartridge(s) in most cases.


Below is a list of various "in field" success rates after performing the above hard reset.


HP #21, 22,27,28, 56, 57... 90% success rate.
HP #90 series... 50% success rate.
HP #74, 75 & 901...30% to 40% success rate.
HP #60 series...5% to 10 % success rate.


Please note... individual results may vary from listed success rates.