Epson printer not recognising cartridges

mwd234

I have an Epson stylus photo R240 printer and have been using compatible cartidges for years without any problem. Have installed new ones but the printer is not recognising them and showing symbols as if the cartridges are empty. Have tried switching off and reinstalling them a few times but this has not worked. Can anyone help?

JustLikeThat

Did you change to a new make of cartridge? Not all compatibles actually work I have found with my Epson.

mwd234

No I am using the same ones.

sillygoose

Do you allow the driver to auto update the printers firmware? (it has to be disabled on each computer the driver is installed that uses the printer if its shared)

Because its been found that Epson use 'firmware updates' as a way to block compatibles by adding ways to spot them to the printers software.

If you click on the Epson monitor and check auto update settings, particularly firmware update should be set to never. If you have fallen victim to this your only option is to switch cartridge supplier until you find one with a particular chip Epson have not blocked yet.

mwd234

Thanks for the information. Have turned on the printer today after being off since yesterday afternoon and it has decided to recognise the cartridges and is printing well.

kwikbreaks

sillygoose wrote: »

Because its been found that Epson use 'firmware updates' as a way to block compatibles by adding ways to spot them to the printers software.

Strangely enough I had this issue a few days back but refitting them and power cycling the printer fixed mine straight away. I was cursing while doing it but strangely enough I hadn't resolved to buy genuine Epson cartridges I'd resigned myself to skipping the printer and trying a different brand.

Charlton_King

kwikbreaks wrote: »

Strangely enough I had this issue a few days back but refitting them and power cycling the printer fixed mine straight away. I was cursing while doing it but strangely enough I hadn't resolved to buy genuine Epson cartridges I'd resigned myself to skipping the printer and trying a different brand.

My highlights - no 'strangely' about it at all. My Epson D92 has likewise begun to refuse all generic cartridges... only, in my case, absolutely nothing seems to work to get the printer to recognise them. This is a completely deliberate, monopolistic and anti-competitive rip-off.

Like a previous poster, this Epson tactic designed to force users to buy their over-priced stuff will backfire with me.

Into the skip in a non-eco way with what is otherwise a perfectly serviceable printer which has years of life left in it...

... and start of hunt for a competitor brand. Will never buy their brand again a.for fear of similar dirty tactics and b. as a reprisal. I really hope this thread figures in plenty of search/google results.

Well done, Epson. Brilliant move. Great customer relations.

Kernel_Sanders

Charlton_King wrote: »

Into the skip in a non-eco way with what is otherwise a perfectly serviceable printer which has years of life left in it...

Can't you buy a kit and drill the original cartridge and syringe in ink? I've done this successfully with Lexmark, but now have another cartridge problem which received no response on here! https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4821929

50Twuncle

Charlton_King wrote: »

My highlights - no 'strangely' about it at all. My Epson D92 has likewise begun to refuse all generic cartridges... only, in my case, absolutely nothing seems to work to get the printer to recognise them. This is a completely deliberate, monopolistic and anti-competitive rip-off.

Like a previous poster, this Epson tactic designed to force users to buy their over-priced stuff will backfire with me.

Into the skip in a non-eco way with what is otherwise a perfectly serviceable printer which has years of life left in it...

... and start of hunt for a competitor brand. Will never buy their brand again a.for fear of similar dirty tactics and b. as a reprisal. I really hope this thread figures in plenty of search/google results.

Well done, Epson. Brilliant move. Great customer relations.

I though that this was illegal - forcing users to buy their own brand cartridges - I have always used "after market" cartridges in my Epson stylus and am happy in paying perhaps 99p for a cartridge - if they have conned me into "updating" my printer - effectively preventing me from using anything other than genuine £10+ cartridges - I will not be very happy...

sillygoose

Refilling won't work, some Epson cartridges have a level sensor that once exposed disables the cartridge even if refilled, they also use a chip that the printer stores how much ink has been used into - some use a combination of both. Again just refilling won't work as when it thinks its empty it won't work.

I suppose Epson would say they are protecting the design of their cartridges by deploying new codes in them and updating the firmware in the printer via internet updates to decode their new codes with no obligation to support other people clone cartridges.

Of course it undesirable to the users. Until the message gets out it going to keep happening to victims.

When you get an Epson printer you need to install the driver on each PC with the internet temporary disabled before.You then need to go into the driver settings and disable the auto update settings (I am surprised they even still let you do this!) Then you can put the internet back on.

It only needs you to slip up on this one time, such as installing the driver on your laptop too and you can be stuffed as the printer will be updated - I don't know of any way of downgrading it back to earlier firmware once done.

I get my ink running costs even cheaper, my compatible cartridges only cost a quid but I found that they actually contained nearly twice as much ink as the printer thinks. I got a small gadget (under £10) that you can hold against the cartridge when its part used and reset the chip so the printer sees it as full again. :cool:

50Twuncle

See :
http://www.wasteink.co.uk/epson-firmware-update-compatible-problem/


It appears that the compatible cartridge producers are working on new chips to allow continued use of cheap alternatives !!