HP 932, 933, 932XL, 933XL, 950, 951, 950XL, 951XL Ink Cartridge Usage Procedure for cartridges which did not get a replacement chip installed.

 

Installation – Cartridge Swap Procedure

If you do not have a replacement chip installed then you MUST have spare cartridges to activate refilled cartridges.

HP locks out the 932, 933, 932XL, 933XL, HP 950, 950XL, 951 & 951XL ink cartridges which have been newly refilled and immediately placed back into the printer.  But if any same-color spare cartridge is used in the printer prior to reinserting the new refill, then the new refill will work routinely. The spare cartridges are only necessary to activate the refilled cartridges, then they can be removed from the printer.* Refer to frequently asked questions (FAQs) below.

* Each color must be independently activated/re-set; this may occur one color at a time as you run out of each color. A spare cartridge can be a setup, new, empty or refilled ink cartridge of the same type/color.

HP 930/933/950/951 Refilled Ink Cartridge Swap Procedure*

HP 950-951 Spare Cartridge Swap_FAQs  (PDF)

 

You must have spare cartridges to activate your refilled cartridges

1. Keep a full set of spare cartridges.
2. As an in-printer cartridge is depleted, get a new refill.
3. Put the spare into the printer.
4. Save the new refill as the spare.
5. Continue this two-set rotation pattern indefinitely.

NOTE 1: “Depleted”, “Refilled”, and similar ‘ink out’ alerts are COMPLETELY NORMAL for HP 932/933/950/951 ink cartridges which have been refilled!  Ink level monitoring will not be available during regular printing. While at first this may be an unusual workflow, it does allow print operations to proceed.   Spare cartridge refills have no expiration date.

NOTE 2: If a spare cartridge is not available to activate the refilled cartridge then the following message, or similar, will be displayed until a spare is installed to reset the respective color in the printer.

 

Activation & Usage Tips

There are two main cartridge swap usage options:  A) 2-Refill Set Rotation (single cartridge or all 4 cartridges) or B) Permanent Spare Set – the second set can be temporarily used to re-set the printer, then removed, then the refill set can be inserted and used until empty.

1. IMPORTANT!  Press ‘No‘ when prompted with the following question: “Was this cartridge sold to you as a new genuine HP-branded cartridge that has not been previously used?”

2. Select ‘OK‘ for cartridge messages such as “Used”, “Refilled”, or “Counterfeit” to ignore – these are merely nuisance/annoyance messages.

 

3. After refilling, the printer cannot track the ink level.  Ignore any incorrect low/empty alert messages (i.e. “Refilled or Depleted Cartridge Detected”) and any ink sensor warnings, by pressing ‘OK’.  However, as the ink cartridge begins to truly run out of ink, an ink low sensor will prevent the printer from printing to prevent printer damage; at this point the cartridge will need to be refilled again.

4. Set-Up cartridges may also be refilled.

 

“Printer Failure” or “Alignment Failure” Error Message: 

As the electronics in the ink cartridge and the printer communicate with each other, sometimes the printer will incorrectly identify an ink cartridge as unrecognized or non-functional. Following ink refill, if the ink cartridge(s) is not initially recognized, then the check cartridge to printhead connectivity (remove and reseat all 4 ink cartridges).

If the problem persists then verify the cartridge’s smart chip is present (see photo below) and ensure gold contacts are thoroughly clean with no visible damage to chip surfaces. No ink residue should be visible on gold contacts – thoroughly clean with lint free towel and isopropyl alcohol as necessary.

 

 

How an Inkjet Printhead Works (4, 5 & 6 Ink Cartridge Printers):

 

Printhead Life

The built-in PRINTHEAD will eventually fail over time with usage and age (may or may not be replaceable depending on printer model – see User Manual)

 

 

Advanced Printer Diagnostics

To view advanced diagnostics tests for your HP printer, click here:

 

NOTE: A compatible/clone or re-branded ink cartridge can be problematic; the embedded smart chip may not provide reliable printer-cartridge connectivity once installed. Compatible/clone cartridges are typically purchased on-line or at select retailers (i.e  sold under a different label than the regular HP cartridge packaging) and is essentially a “clone tank” of the HP original/genuine ink cartridge (original tanks will have the HP logo displayed on the side label). For the best refilling experience, only use HP original/genuine ink tanks. NOTE: Retailer refill services will NOT refill non-genuine ink tanks.

*Procedure applies to ink cartridges which have not been re-programmed.