How To Fix an Incompatible or Missing Cartridge Error HP Inkjet Printers HP

Learn how to fix an incompatible or missing cartridge error on HP OfficeJet, ENVY, and DeskJet 4500 and 4600 Printers. For more information about incompatible ink cartridge' or 'ink cartridges missing' error displays,

Follow these steps to fix an incompatible or missing cartridge error:

- Open the ink cartridge access door.
- Lift the lid of the Black cartridge.
- Hold the cartridge by its sides and remove it from the printer.
- Remove any protective tape that remains on the cartridge.
- Avoid touching the contacts and ink nozzles.
- Hold the cartridge by its sides and place it back into the right slot.
- Close the lid to lock the cartridge into place.
- Repeat this process to check the Tri-color cartridge, and then reinstall it into the left slot.
- Close the ink cartridge access door.
- If the error still displays on the printer control panel, continue to the next step.
- Clean the electrical contacts inside the carriage and reset the printer.
- Open the ink cartridge access door.
- With the printer powered on, disconnect the power cord from the printer and outlet.
- Lift the lid of the Black cartridge.
- Hold the cartridge by its sides and remove it from the printer.
- Repeat this process to remove the Tri-color cartridge from the printer.
- Dampen a coffee filter or lint-free cloth with water, and then squeeze it to remove any excess.
- In the slots where the cartridges were removed, wipe the electrical contacts to remove any ink or buildup.
- Allow the carriage to dry for at least ten minutes.
- Hold the Black cartridge by its sides and place it back into the right slot.
- Close the lid to lock the cartridge into place.
- Reinstall the Tri-color cartridge into the left slot, and then close the lid.
- Close the ink cartridge access door.
- Reconnect the power cord to the printer and outlet and the printer turns on automatically.
- If the error still displays on the printer control panel, continue to the next step.
- Replace one or both ink cartridges, as indicated by the error on the printer control panel.
- Open the ink cartridge access door.
- On the cartridge that needs replacing, lift the lid to release it.
- Hold the cartridge by its sides and remove it from the printer.
- Remove the replacement cartridge from its package.
- Pull the orange tab to remove the protective tape, avoiding the contacts and ink nozzles.
- Hold the new cartridge by its sides and place it back into its slot.
- Close the lid to lock the cartridge into place.
- If necessary, repeat this process to replace the other ink cartridge.
- Close the ink cartridge access door.
- Touch OK to confirm genuine HP ink cartridges are installed.
- For optimal print quality, perform an alignment. Touch OK to print the Alignment Page.
- Place the page face down in the lower right corner of the scanner glass, close the scanner lid, and then touch OK.
- With the alignment successful, touch OK, and then recycle the printout.
- If the error still displays on the printer control panel, service the printer.
- Contact HP for service and warranty options.

[LateNlght]

Theres a special place in hell for HP, the amount of faulty black ink cartridges ive gotten from them is disgusting

[Arcobite]

Seriously, HP printing technology is the biggest money mafia.

[OneMoreThing-mnht]

This helped me. No more "incompatible" reading. Thank You.

[katamichi]

What's crazy is they don't even let you use the scanner if the ink cartridges don't work

[brucejohnstone]

This was VERY VERY HELPFUL! Fixed the problem. THANK YOU!!!

[NarsilRenewed]

This offers NOTHING over the stardard steps, waste of time

[StarrCoburn]

Oh, wow. It worked as soon as I did the first steps. They crazy part. I've taken it out and put it back in several times and it didn't work 😂. Thank you so much

[susanh]

Absolutely useless. I've done all these steps multiple times and still get an incompatible error message with the new cartridge, but old cartridges don't give the error. How do I send back for replacement without having to re-buy? So frustrating.

[sandym]

Hp Officejet 100
Used solely for work.
Although this printer is fairly out dated now, the reason I stuck with it was that portable printers like this do not exist nowadays.
After having had only 4 sets of cartridges in its life it is going in the bin - Will not accept any cartridges and now it refuses to shut down.
For printers - anything but HP!

[crystasapp]

Step 5. Throw the piece of garbage printer away and buy a different brand all together. You deserve product that WORKS. This printer has been nothing but a headache from day 1.

[vikingson]

What it means is just buy a new printer and this time I am NOT buying HP ! Ink is far to expensive and don't except knock offs ...sooo much for the customer is always right ?

[sueallen]

Epson. I'm tired of fighting HP cartridges & buying XL HP ink & printer continued error codes.

[mp_]

Welp this just happened to me,

Nothing has helped and I already bought a new ink cartridge and still incompatible error

[juanitajohnson]

Need replacement lid for black cartridgr.

[pxmdthz]

I drove 30 miles and bought new HP cartridges for my HP 8625 Pro, put hem in the printer and still got the same message. Did you ever try to clean the contacts of the cartridges inside of a HP8625 Pro? I'll try to fix it again and then get a different printer.

[michellamontagne]

unfortunately, didn't work. I had the problem during printing... Replaced the cartridge with a new one... nothing worked, even after doing everything.

[sigmarepublic]

Most people buy the number wrong like 60 instead of 64 because HP intentionally made it all so deceptive and confusing so they could made a lot of money off their customers!

[Ray-umce]

I bought new ink color and black and it still blinks orange🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️

[robertgraham]

Add this to the things to check out: Make sure you bought the RIGHT cartridges! I was in the middle of a printing when my color ran out. The other day I anticipated an ink runout, and bought two non-HP XL cartridges (Black and a color). So I spent MORE time than I should have trying to get my printer to accept my new color cartridge - FAR MORE TIME. I event became angry thinking that HP was refusing my cartridge and demanded that I buy more.

Then I discovered that I had bought the wrong ones! Now I'm on my way back to the city to spend more money getting the correct cartridges. AND now I have to apologize to HP for thinking the worst of them. <sigh!>

[dixiesedgwick]

This did NOTHING. Listen you CAN use and refill your own cartridges, but HP wouldn't make any money off that....