HP Waste Ink Tank Reset

The newer Hewlett Packard printers have included in the software that comes
with their printers, a “toolbox” that includes a section called Estimated
Ink Level. Its a great tool that allows you to keep track of how much ink is
left in your cartridges so you don’t start a big print job and get stranded
out of ink in the middle of it. The only problem is that has become quite troublesome
on those who wish to refill their cartridges. If you refill your cartridge or
have someone else refill your cartridge, it will read as low or empty when you
try to print with the cartridge. How does HP do it? They started embedding a
serial number in the contact strip located on the back of the cartridge. The
printer remembers that serial number and gives the message of low or out of
ink. The internal memory is located in the printers firmware and is not in the
software. It will remember the previous two cartridges ink level. We have posted
various ways to reset the ink levels so your Estimated Ink Level will read full
again. Click on your printer cartridge number below to find out how.

Reset the HP C6656A (#56) or HP C8727A (#27):

Reset Method 1:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Following the diagram at right, place a piece of adhesive tape covering
the only the light blue colored contact (a contact is the individual copper
square). Make sure that only that contact is covered and no others. *Please
note that the contacts shown are colored for illustrative purposes only. You
will not have blue or red contacts on your cartridge.

3. Place cartridge in the printer. The printer may tell you that there is a
problem with your cartridge. Ignore this message. The printer may print an alignment
page. If so, allow it to do so.

4. Take the cartridge out of the printer. Leave the tape from blue contact
on the cartridge. Place another piece of tape over the red colored contact.
Make sure that only that contact is covered and no others. *Please note that
the contacts shown are colored for illustrative purposes only. You will not
have blue or red contacts on your cartridge.

5. Follow step 3 again.

6. Take the cartridge out of the printer for the final time. Take the remaining
tape off and place back in the printer. The printer should print out an alignment
page and the estimated ink level in the toolbox should read full.

Reset Method 2:

If Reset Method 1 did not work on your printer, you can cycle cartridges through
to reset the level. You will need two extra cartridges and the one you refilled.
First, put the refilled cartridge in the printer. Allow it to recognize the
cartridge and print an alignment page. Take that cartridge out and place in
the first extra cartridge. Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page.
Take the first extra cartridge out and place the second extra cartridge in.
Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page. Take the second extra cartridge
out. Place the refilled cartridge back in the printer. It will print an alignment
page and then the estimated ink level will be reset to full.

Reset the HP C6657A (#57) or HP C8728A (#28):

Reset Method 1:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Following the diagram at right, place a piece of adhesive tape covering
the only the blue colored contact (a contact is the individual copper square).
Make sure that only that contact is covered and no others. *Please note that
the contacts shown are colored for illustrative purposes only. You will not
have blue or red contacts on your cartridge.

3. Place cartridge in the printer. The printer may tell you that there is a
problem with your cartridge. Ignore this message. The printer may print an alignment
page. If so, allow it to do so.

4. Take the cartridge out of the printer. Leave the tape from blue contact.
Place another piece of tape over the red colored contact. Make sure that only
that contact is covered and no others. *Please note that the contacts shown
are colored for illustrative purposes only. You will not have blue or red contacts
on your cartridge.

5. Follow step 3 again.

6. Take the cartridge out of the printer for the final time. Take the remaining
tape off and place back in the printer. The printer should print out an alignment
page and the estimated ink level in the toolbox should read full.

Reset Method 2:

If Reset Method 1 did not work on your printer, you can cycle cartridges through
to reset the level. You will need two extra cartridges and the one you refilled.
First, put the refilled cartridge in the printer. Allow it to recognize the
cartridge and print an alignment page. Take that cartridge out and place in
the first extra cartridge. Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page.
Take the first extra cartridge out and place the second extra cartridge in.
Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page. Take the second extra cartridge
out. Place the refilled cartridge back in the printer. It will print an alignment
page and then the estimated ink level will be reset to full.

Reset the HP 51645 (#45) or HP C6115 (#15):

Reset Method 1:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Following the diagram at right, place a piece of adhesive tape covering
the only the four blue colored contacts (a contact is the individual copper
square). Make sure that only those four are covered and no others.

3. Place cartridge in the printer. The printer may tell you that there is a
problem with your cartridge. Ignore this message. The printer may print an alignment
page. If so, allow it to do so.

4. Take the cartridge out of the printer. Remove the tape from the four blue
contacts. Place the tape over the four red colored contacts. Make sure that
only those four are covered and no others.

5. Follow step 3 again.

6. Take the cartridge out of the printer for the final time. Take the remaining
tape off and place back in the printer. The printer should print out an alignment
page and the estimated ink level in the toolbox should read full.

Reset Method 2:

If Reset Method 1 did not work on your printer, go through the same procedure
again, but this time using the green colored contacts in step 2 and the brown
colored contacts in step 4. This method is more commonly used for the #15 or
in the later officejet printers.

Reset Method 3:

If neither of the reset methods above worked, you can cycle cartridges through
to reset the level. You will need two extra cartridges and the one you refilled.
First, put the refilled cartridge in the printer. Allow it to recognize the
cartridge and print an alignment page. Take that cartridge out and place in
the first extra cartridge. Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page.
Take the first extra cartridge out and place the second extra cartridge in.
Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page. Take the second extra cartridge
out. Place the refilled cartridge back in the printer. It will print an alignment
page and then the estimated ink level will be reset to full.

Reset the HP C6578 (#78):

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Following the diagram at right, place a piece of adhesive tape covering
the only the four blue colored contacts (a contact is the individual copper
square). Make sure that only those four are covered and no others. *Please note
that the contacts shown are colored for illustrative purposes only. You will
not have blue or red contacts on your cartridge.

3. Place cartridge in the printer. The printer may tell you that there is a
problem with your cartridge. Ignore this message. The printer may print an alignment
page. If so, allow it to do so.

4. Take the cartridge out of the printer. Remove the tape from the four blue
contacts. Place the tape over the four red colored contacts. Make sure that
only those four are covered and no others. *Please note that the contacts shown
are colored for illustrative purposes only. You will not have blue or red contacts
on your cartridge.

5. Follow step 3 again.

6. Take the cartridge out of the printer for the final time. Take the remaining
tape off and place back in the printer. The printer should print out an alignment
page and the estimated ink level in the toolbox should read full.

Reset Method 2:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Following the diagram at right, place a piece of adhesive tape covering
the only the blue colored contact (a contact is the individual copper square).
Make sure that only that contact is covered and no others. *Please note that
the contacts shown are colored for illustrative purposes only. You will not
have blue or red contacts on your cartridge.

3. Place cartridge in the printer. The printer may tell you that there is a
problem with your cartridge. Ignore this message. The printer may print an alignment
page. If so, allow it to do so.

4. Take the cartridge out of the printer. Leave the tape from blue contact.
Place another piece of tape over the red colored contact. Make sure that only
that contact is covered and no others. *Please note that the contacts shown
are colored for illustrative purposes only. You will not have blue or red contacts
on your cartridge.

5. Follow step 3 again.

6. Take the cartridge out of the printer for the final time. Take the remaining
tape off and place back in the printer. The printer should print out an alignment
page and the estimated ink level in the toolbox should read full.

Reset Method 3:

If neither of the reset methods above worked, you can cycle cartridges through
to reset the level. You will need two extra cartridges and the one you refilled.
First, put the refilled cartridge in the printer. Allow it to recognize the
cartridge and print an alignment page. Take that cartridge out and place in
the first extra cartridge. Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page.
Take the first extra cartridge out and place the second extra cartridge in.
Allow it to recognize and print an alignment page. Take the second extra cartridge
out. Place the refilled cartridge back in the printer. It will print an alignment
page and then the estimated ink level will be reset to full.

Resetting the Hewlett Packard C5011A (#14) Black Ink Cartridge Estimated
Ink Level

The new HP OfficeJet D Series and CP 1160 Color Ink Jet series using the #14
black ink cartridges has an estimated ink level gauge that allows the user to
view the amount of ink remaining in the cartridge. This gauge must be shut off
in order to refill the cartridge. It is a simple procedure that can be done
in the matter of seconds.

To turn the ink level gauge off for the HP C5011A (#14) black cartridge used
in the OfficeJet D Series:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Press the < and > (also the + and -) at the same time, then release
quickly (the lcd panel must be showing the date or the procedure will not work)

3. On the keypad, press in order 7, 8, 9.

4. A message will appear asking if you want to override the ink level gauge.
Press 1 for yes (You can later turn the ink gauge back on if you install a new
cartridge by going through steps 2 and 3, then pressing 2 when prompted if you
want to override the ink level gauge).

Your ink level gauge is now turned off and can resume printing.

To turn the ink level gauge off for the HP C5011A (#14) black cartridge used
in the HP Color InkJet CP 1160 Series:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Press and hold down the power button.

3. While holding the Power button:

Press the Cancel button 12 times

Press the Resume button 1 time

4. Release the Power button

The ink gauge is now off and you can resume printing

Resetting the Hewlett Packard C5010A (#14) Color Ink Cartridge Estimated
Ink Level

The new HP OfficeJet D-Series and CP 1160 Color Ink Jet series using the #14
color ink cartridges has an estimated ink level gauge that allows the user to
view the amount of ink remaining in the cartridge. This gauge must be shut off
in order to refill the cartridge. It is a simple procedure that can be done
in the matter of seconds.

To turn the ink level gauge off for the HP C5010A (#14) color cartridge used
in the OfficeJet D Series:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Press the < and > (also the + and -) at the same time, then release
quickly (the lcd panel must be showing the date or the procedure will not work)

3. On the keypad, press in order 4,5, 6.

4. A message will appear asking if you want to override the ink level gauge.
Press 1 for yes (You can later turn the ink gauge back on if you install a new
cartridge by going through steps 2 and 3, then pressing 2 when prompted if you
want to override the ink level gauge).

Your ink level gauge is now turned off and can resume printing.

To turn the ink level gauge off for the HP C5010A (#14) color cartridge used
in the HP Color InkJet CP 1160 Series:

1. Refill your cartridge using your Ink Jet refill kit.

2. Press and hold down the power button.

3. While holding the Power button:

Press the Cancel button 12 times

Press the Resume button 3 times

4. Release the Power button

The ink gauge is now off and you can resume printing

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