Error page. Protection counter reset info. -=INKJETPRINTERHELP.US=-

If your printer has lights flashing like in the photo then it is indicating an error. There are two error conditions the first error condition is a "Maintenance Request" error that means the waste inkpads need to be serviced. The second error condition is a "Fatal Error" and can be caused by several things.

If your printer has been sounding funny then it could the carriage guide shaft needs to be cleaned and re-oiled. But it can also be caused a failing motor, power supply, print head or the main board.

The good thing is that most of the time the lights are for a "Maintenance Request" which is easy to fix. You can even cheat and just reset the waste ink counter and ignore the waste inkpads entirely if you want to. I have two links you can try if you want to clean the waste inkpads. It's really not too hard to do and is the best way to keep your printer in good working order.

The first link is for the Epson 440-640-740 series printer and the second is for the C60 series printer. These two links will guide you through the process of servicing the waste inkpads. Even if you don't have the exact model as the links it will still give you the basic idea.

Before getting to the reset process you will need to download the Epson service software or the SSC service utility to reset the waste ink counter. Unfortunately there is not any software for Apple/MAC computers available as of yet. Once you have the software downloaded you will need to configure it to your printer For most people they will use the SSC service utility to reset the ink counter so I will only cover that process here. Actually the process is very close to the way you would use the Epson software. For a head start on the SSC service utility go to the SSC page

Here is the waste ink counter reset process. Turn your printer on and make sure it is connected to your computer and then click on the SSC service utility icon and select the "Protection Counter" tab it will ask you if you have replaced the pads. Just type "Y" and your counter should be reset. Sometimes the reset does not work the first time so you may need to reset the counter a few times before it resets.

Once you get the counter to reset you are done and you have successfully reset the protection counter or waste ink counter. If the counter does not reset or you get a "communication error" every time you try to reset the counter then you may have a "Fatal Error". Which usually calls for a service manual or take it to a service center.

This page is intended for the "Do it yourself" person. Not everyone is capable of servicing their own printer but the way I look at things is "It's not working anyway so what's the harm in trying to fix it" Also I will not be held responsible for anyone damaging their printer.