Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing

zoeywaygate · 09-24-2008, 07:05 PM

Printer was out of ink. I have bought two cartridges and my printer still says print cartridge missing or not detected. What can it be?

**gistek** · 09-26-2008, 08:55 PM

Most common reasons:

1. Didn't remove protective tape on cartridge.
2. Didn't properly seat cartridge.
3. Contacts on carriage need to be cleaned.

If it's 3, sometimes you can clean them by cleaning the contacts on the old "empty" cartridges, then installing/removing them a few times. The time I had to do this, I used a pre-moistened eyeglass cleaning sheet, and allowed the cleaned cartridge to dry before doing the install/remove cycle.

zigcomplete · 10-06-2008, 09:48 PM

What's probably happening is there is excess ink on caked on to the contacts on the carriage (I think that's what they're called). They're pretty easy to clean and the cleaning process takes about a minute. Just remove whatever cartridges are in the printer, take a cloth that will leave a minimal amount of lint, and wipe at the dark spongey contacts located just below where the cartridges would sit (that is, on my HP C4280, as other models might have them somewhere slightly different, but they should be right around the cartridges' spot). When the caked on ink is removed and all you are wiping at is the sponge, insert the new cartridge and the printer should work.

molev · 10-20-2008, 12:43 AM

thanks to zigcomplete, now the printer work perfectly

NikiNiki · 05-09-2009, 07:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zigcomplete

What's probably happening is there is excess ink on caked on to the contacts on the carriage (I think that's what they're called). They're pretty easy to clean and the cleaning process takes about a minute. Just remove whatever cartridges are in the printer, take a cloth that will leave a minimal amount of lint, and wipe at the dark spongey contacts located just below where the cartridges would sit (that is, on my HP C4280, as other models might have them somewhere slightly different, but they should be right around the cartridges' spot). When the caked on ink is removed and all you are wiping at is the sponge, insert the new cartridge and the printer should work.

I have cleaned the caked on ink on the bottom of the carriage and just underneath the cartridges but the message persists... should I also clean the cartridge itself? It's a practically new cartridge so I'd rather not buy a new one especially as I'm not sure if the printer will work. Thanks for any help you can provide me with.

Explorer46 · 10-04-2009, 11:08 AM

Same problem with my HP and I just bought a new HP black cartridge.
Any other suggestions for resolving the missing or not detected message?

masterjed · 10-04-2009, 05:26 PM

Please press and hold the Power button and the Cancel button simultaneously for 2 to 3 secs. If asked for a special key combo, please press Blue, Green and Gray. Navigate the menu using Blue (arrow UP), Gray (arrow down), Green (Ok button). Look for reset menu using the color button above and under reset menu, look for semi-full reset and press OK.

RickySmith91 · 10-14-2009, 02:45 AM

Check where the ink is installed, the pin that holds it in might be broken.
____________________
Mod edit: Spam removed. Read the forum rules.

Wyzzy · 10-23-2009, 10:49 AM

I had this problem, thats how I found this site. I managed to fix it!!!
I registered to let you know.
1 - Hold the power and cancel button down (X)
2 - When it say enter special key combo press Blue, Green then Grey.
3 - Press BLUE again, now it says information menu.
4 - Press GREEN then GREY, now it says "checksum for relock data"
5 - Press GREEN again!!!
6 - Kiss my face :)

wes akers · 10-23-2009, 01:07 PM

I have a HP C4250 all in one printer with a problem with the printer telling me that the cartridge is not detected or missing. I know there is a thread for a C4280 model with the same problem but the codes may be different or the C 4250. What do I do to fix it. Thanks Wes

wes akers · 10-23-2009, 01:09 PM

I have a HP C4250 all in one printer that is telling me that the cartridge is not detected or missing. I know there is a thread for a c4280 model but it probably used different codes for mine. any help for me? thanks, Wes

masterjed · 10-23-2009, 03:03 PM

Please create you owm thread. Thanks

Wyzzy · 10-24-2009, 05:23 AM

You may have to take "step 6" back again. The printer is working but the software is now behaving strangely. Ill repost when it makes sense.

NikiNiki · 11-01-2009, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wyzzy

I had this problem, thats how I found this site. I managed to fix it!!!
I registered to let you know.
1 - Hold the power and cancel button down (X)
2 - When it say enter special key combo press Blue, Green then Grey.
3 - Press BLUE again, now it says information menu.
4 - Press GREEN then GREY, now it says "checksum for relock data"
5 - Press GREEN again!!!
6 - Kiss my face :)

Hi there. Thanks for the advice. I followed it and "checksum for relock data" gave me the number 41395. Nothing else happened. The same message appeared that the cartridge is damaged or absent. I just think that HP inkjets are bad products. Thanks for trying to help out. Much appreciated.
Niki

Explorer46 · 11-02-2009, 06:14 AM

I concur that the HP C4280 is junk.
Tried all the suggestion but nothing changed. It lasted about two years and
the crapped out on me.

Any recommendations on a more reliable all-in-one printer?

NikiNiki · 11-03-2009, 06:19 AM

Personally I will opt out for a Brother MFC-7220 Laser Multi-Function Center ideal for home or home office business needs due to its compact size and full functionality. It doesn’t sacrifice anything since it offers high-quality laser printing, copying, scanning, faxing and PC Fax. Also, its 20-page auto document feeder is convenient for copying, scanning or faxing multi-page documents.

masterjed · 11-03-2009, 03:09 PM

1 - Hold the power and cancel button down (X)
2 - When it say enter special key combo press Blue, Green then Grey.
3 - Press BLUE again twice, now it says resets menu.
4 - Press the OK button and press blue twice to get to semi-full reset
5 - Press OK for semi-full reset, printer should shutdown. Wait for 30 secs before turning it back on using the power button and follow the prompts to set the language and the country. If this won't work, then you need to replace cartridges.

davehu · 11-11-2009, 08:42 AM

I had the same problem that popped up with perfectly good cartridges. HP says to unplug the printer for 30 seconds to reset. Did that, no luck. I cleaned the cartridge contacts several times and followed instructions from Zigcomplete, cleaning the cartridge contact area in the printer. I did that three times with no success. But I then used a can of compressed air and blew out the area where the cartridges plug in. Viola! success.

masterjed · 11-11-2009, 03:35 PM

That's great. It must have been the contacts of the printers where the cartridges are plugged into. :-)

Explorer46 · 11-12-2009, 06:41 PM

I must be the last man on the planet that can't get this printer to work.
Tried all the suggestions---nada.
I did get one odd message in the menu window saying the 74 black cartridge was incompatible. But it is an HP 74 cartridge which this C4280 uses, So, I am shopping for a new printer and it won't be an HP. I can't even get anyone from HP on the phone.

09-24-2008, 07:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
zoeywaygate Registered User Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1 OS: vista	Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing Printer was out of ink. I have bought two cartridges and my printer still says print cartridge missing or not detected. What can it be?

09-26-2008, 08:55 PM	#2 (permalink)
gistek Folding Along Join Date: May 2007 Location: PA, USA Posts: 1,908 OS: Bobbi=xp, sp3 Muse=Vista Home Premium	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing Most common reasons: 1. Didn't remove protective tape on cartridge. 2. Didn't properly seat cartridge. 3. Contacts on carriage need to be cleaned. If it's 3, sometimes you can clean them by cleaning the contacts on the old "empty" cartridges, then installing/removing them a few times. The time I had to do this, I used a pre-moistened eyeglass cleaning sheet, and allowed the cleaned cartridge to dry before doing the install/remove cycle. __________________ I am not a computer professional, My advice comes from personal experience and/or friends who are computer professionals. Learn By Doing Un-versity Interested in Search and Rescue? Check out the Civil Air Patrol. Come Fold with us. TSF Folding@Home Team

10-06-2008, 09:48 PM	#3 (permalink)
zigcomplete Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1 OS: Mac OS 10.4.11	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing What's probably happening is there is excess ink on caked on to the contacts on the carriage (I think that's what they're called). They're pretty easy to clean and the cleaning process takes about a minute. Just remove whatever cartridges are in the printer, take a cloth that will leave a minimal amount of lint, and wipe at the dark spongey contacts located just below where the cartridges would sit (that is, on my HP C4280, as other models might have them somewhere slightly different, but they should be right around the cartridges' spot). When the caked on ink is removed and all you are wiping at is the sponge, insert the new cartridge and the printer should work.

10-20-2008, 12:43 AM	#4 (permalink)
molev Registered User Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 1 OS: xp	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing thanks to zigcomplete, now the printer work perfectly

10-04-2009, 11:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
Explorer46 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 4 OS: Mac 10.3	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing Same problem with my HP and I just bought a new HP black cartridge. Any other suggestions for resolving the missing or not detected message?

10-04-2009, 05:26 PM	#7 (permalink)
masterjed Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 317 OS: XP	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing Please press and hold the Power button and the Cancel button simultaneously for 2 to 3 secs. If asked for a special key combo, please press Blue, Green and Gray. Navigate the menu using Blue (arrow UP), Gray (arrow down), Green (Ok button). Look for reset menu using the color button above and under reset menu, look for semi-full reset and press OK. __________________

10-14-2009, 02:45 AM	#8 (permalink)
RickySmith91 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 7 OS: xp	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing Check where the ink is installed, the pin that holds it in might be broken. ____________________ Mod edit: Spam removed. Read the forum rules. Last edited by koala; 11-20-2009 at 10:56 AM. Reason: spam

10-23-2009, 10:49 AM	#9 (permalink)
Wyzzy Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing I had this problem, thats how I found this site. I managed to fix it!!! I registered to let you know. 1 - Hold the power and cancel button down (X) 2 - When it say enter special key combo press Blue, Green then Grey. 3 - Press BLUE again, now it says information menu. 4 - Press GREEN then GREY, now it says "checksum for relock data" 5 - Press GREEN again!!! 6 - Kiss my face :)

10-23-2009, 01:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
wes akers Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2 OS: win 2000	Re: Hp C4250 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing I have a HP C4250 all in one printer with a problem with the printer telling me that the cartridge is not detected or missing. I know there is a thread for a C4280 model with the same problem but the codes may be different or the C 4250. What do I do to fix it. Thanks Wes Last edited by wes akers; 10-23-2009 at 01:18 PM.

10-23-2009, 01:09 PM	#11 (permalink)
wes akers Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2 OS: win 2000	Re: Hp C4250 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing I have a HP C4250 all in one printer that is telling me that the cartridge is not detected or missing. I know there is a thread for a c4280 model but it probably used different codes for mine. any help for me? thanks, Wes Last edited by wes akers; 10-23-2009 at 01:17 PM.

10-23-2009, 03:03 PM	#12 (permalink)
masterjed Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 317 OS: XP	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing Please create you owm thread. Thanks __________________

10-24-2009, 05:23 AM	#13 (permalink)
Wyzzy Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2 OS: XP	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing You may have to take "step 6" back again. The printer is working but the software is now behaving strangely. Ill repost when it makes sense.

11-02-2009, 06:14 AM	#15 (permalink)
Explorer46 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 4 OS: Mac 10.3	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing I concur that the HP C4280 is junk. Tried all the suggestion but nothing changed. It lasted about two years and the crapped out on me. Any recommendations on a more reliable all-in-one printer?

11-03-2009, 06:19 AM	#16 (permalink)
NikiNiki Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 3 OS: mac os x	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing Personally I will opt out for a Brother MFC-7220 Laser Multi-Function Center ideal for home or home office business needs due to its compact size and full functionality. It doesn’t sacrifice anything since it offers high-quality laser printing, copying, scanning, faxing and PC Fax. Also, its 20-page auto document feeder is convenient for copying, scanning or faxing multi-page documents.

11-03-2009, 03:09 PM	#17 (permalink)
masterjed Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 317 OS: XP	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing 1 - Hold the power and cancel button down (X) 2 - When it say enter special key combo press Blue, Green then Grey. 3 - Press BLUE again twice, now it says resets menu. 4 - Press the OK button and press blue twice to get to semi-full reset 5 - Press OK for semi-full reset, printer should shutdown. Wait for 30 secs before turning it back on using the power button and follow the prompts to set the language and the country. If this won't work, then you need to replace cartridges. __________________

11-11-2009, 08:42 AM	#18 (permalink)
davehu Registered User Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 1 OS: Vista	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing I had the same problem that popped up with perfectly good cartridges. HP says to unplug the printer for 30 seconds to reset. Did that, no luck. I cleaned the cartridge contacts several times and followed instructions from Zigcomplete, cleaning the cartridge contact area in the printer. I did that three times with no success. But I then used a can of compressed air and blew out the area where the cartridges plug in. Viola! success.

11-11-2009, 03:35 PM	#19 (permalink)
masterjed Hardware Tech Team Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 317 OS: XP	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing That's great. It must have been the contacts of the printers where the cartridges are plugged into. :-) __________________

11-12-2009, 06:41 PM	#20 (permalink)
Explorer46 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 4 OS: Mac 10.3	Re: Hp C4280 printer says print cartridges not detected or missing I must be the last man on the planet that can't get this printer to work. Tried all the suggestions---nada. I did get one odd message in the menu window saying the 74 black cartridge was incompatible. But it is an HP 74 cartridge which this C4280 uses, So, I am shopping for a new printer and it won't be an HP. I can't even get anyone from HP on the phone.