Have you just bought a new cartridge or got it refilled, and now the printer is not detecting it? Usually, the ink cartridges work normally as they are supposed to, but sometimes they need a little effort. Let’s start by clarifying that there is nothing to worry about and you are not alone. Failure of ink cartridge detection is a common problem many people face and can be easily fixed. If the cartridge is not detected, your printer will display error messages like “cartridge not installed” or “no cartridge not detected” etc. Let’s see what the most common possible problems are and how to rectify the new ink cartridge not working issue.
Common Major Causes and The Fixes for new ink cartridge not working issue
How The Cartridge Was Place at The Shop?
Have you ever noticed how the cartridges are placed in the shopping store, especially the ones with a print head? They are usually placed upside down for months. Now, what is the problem? When print head cartridges are placed upside down for an extended period, the ink gets settled at the other side of the cartridge.
This makes it a little challenging to pull out the ink from the print head. But do not worry; the remedy to this cause is unbelievably easy. Simply take a damped paper towel and place the cartridge’s print head onto the paper towel.
The print head should be facing the floor, whereas the top side of the cartridge should be facing the ceiling. Gently shake the cartridges to unsettle the ink inside. When the ink gets pulled out of the print head onto the paper towel, plug it back in the printer and start printing your documents.
Reset Internal Memory of the Printer
You would be wondering why a printer has internal memory. It might seem odd to you, but the answer is yes. How do you think printers recognize the cartridges? How do they know the ink level of the cartridge? They use their internal memory to store these details.
Normally, when you install a new ink cartridge, the printer should reset its internal memory. But if this process fails for whatever reason, the printer would believe it is still using the old ink cartridge. To reset the internal memory, follow the following steps:-
Take out the new ink cartridge and install the old cartridge back in
Wait for ten minutes
Now, pull out the old cartridge and install the new one again
- If the issue still persists, follow these next steps
Pull out the new cartridge from the printer
Turn off your printer and remove the printer’s supply to shut it off completely
Wait for around ten minutes
After waiting, install the new cartridge into the printer.
Now, plug the cord back into the socket and turn on the printer.
This would hopefully fix the issue.
Did You Check the Metal Contacts?
Let’s try to understand first why metal contacts are used. Understanding the “Why” makes it easy to debug things. For the flow of electrical signals, or electricity in laymen’s terms, we need a conductor. By electricity, we mean a voltage ranging from 5 to 24 volts DC, not 220 volts AC. Metal is one type of conductor that allows the passage of electricity through it.
When the metal contacts of both the printer and ink cartridge connect or touch each other, they start to communicate. If there is dust on the metal contacts, this communication will be disturbed because electricity cannot pass freely. To clean the metal contacts, follow these steps:
Unplug the printer from the power
Take out the ink cartridge and locate the metal contacts. There, you can see a golden electronic sheet with thin copper lines. This is an electronic printed circuit board (PCB).
Similarly, locate the metal contacts inside the printer as well.
Clean those metal contacts if there is dirt on them. Ensure that they are neat and clean. Also, ensure that there are no dents or damages.
Install the ink cartridge and power on the printer.
With these simple steps, the printer should be able to detect the ink cartridge.
The Ink Cartridge is not Correct
You might know already by now that there are two slots in a printer for cartridges. One is for color ink, and the second is for black ink. If you have installed the cartridge into the wrong slot, the printer won’t be able to use it. Make sure you have installed the cartridges in the right slots.
Another possible issue is that you have purchased a cartridge of the wrong model. That model you purchased might not be compatible with a printer. Make sure you buy the cartridge that your printer supports. Additionally, also look if there is any physical damage on the cartridge. Physical damages or dents also prevent the cartridge from being detected.
Is There Any Protective Strip on the Cartridge?
Every ink cartridge has a protective strip or tape to protect it from dust and impurity. If you have not stripped them off, the printer would be unable to detect the cartridge, and how would it be? Ensure you remove the protective strip or tape before installing the cartridge.
Update Printer Driver
We have been diagnosing the issue on the hardware side, the printer, and the ink cartridges all this time. But what about the software side? Maybe the printer driver is obsolete and is behaving abnormally. If that is the case, you can easily update the driver to a newer version by following these steps:-
Open the Device Manager
Click on the Imaging devices and find your printer
From there, right-click on the printer. Now select the update driver option.
It will ask you whether to search automatically and browse on the computer. Go for the automatic search option if you have not downloaded the latest driver.
This will search for the latest driver updates and install them.
Get Technical Support
If you have tried every fix described and your still your new ink cartridge not working, then seeking out technical support from the supplier or any professional will be the last resort. Those professionals can easily discover the problem as they have mastered this field.
Wrapping Up
There are various problems related to printers, including paper being stuck, power issues, blurry images and texts, and much more. And this one is very common when the printer does not detect the ink cartridge. It might be frustrating, but it can be the most straightforward issue to fix when tackled technically.
This article discussed some common problems that might prevent the ink cartridges from being detected. For every possible issue, a few steps are provided that you can follow to get your printer back on track.
Experiencing difficulties with your Device, check out our “How To” page on how to resolve some of these issues.
