Cartridge print head alignment routine lock up

Printer locks up on cartridge alignment after starting to printi the alignment page. Gets as far as the page-edge alighment arrows and then locks up. Every time. Green LED on printer starts flashing fast green when this happens. Have to unplug printer to clear. Similar result if request test page print. But printer is printing fine when I send it a document! It's just that I can no longer do the "align printheads" routine. Have re-installed printer driver. Also installed a "patch" that was on the HP web site. Help, please. Surprisingly, the print quality looks good, even without the print head alignment, but I would like to align my cartridges.

I only use OEM, new, HP ink cartridges. The ink cartridges (both 21 and 22) are new and full. The link you provided is to the standard instructions, which I followed, and which say simply "perform the align cartridges" routine. But as I explained, that routine starts and then locks up. Every time. The routine gets as far as printing the page alignment arrows when the lockup occurs (starts fast flashing on the front panel green LED). I have had this printer for several years, and have performed the align cartridges routine many times without difficulty. Have always used HP OEM cartridges, never any non-OEM refills. Then this lock up problem started. Don't recall if it was associated with one of the HP printer driver updates I get (and install) from time to time. Printer will also lock up if asked to print a test page. But printer works when I send files to it, and the print quality looks good, so the alignment of the cartridges must be pretty close. But it would be nice to be able to perform the alignment, just to be sure.

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Print head alignment keeps on getting worse and worse the more I try to "fix" it

First off, I know that this question doesn't really belong in the mbp section, but since I am printing from one, I thought this would be the closest match.
I have an Epson NX420 printer which came with my 2011 mbp 13in for free (err... $100 off the original $95ish to be exact). It will turn 3 years old in less than a month.
This past week, I have had troubles printing "good" images, so I did the print head alignment on Epson Printer Utility 4, following the written directions. I printed something out, and it was still disgustingly off, so I repeated the process two more times, each time printing something different. The vertical alignment is fine, but the horizontal alignment seems to get worse and worse. One thin line will be split into two in some places, and one will be dotted while the other solid, and in the case of color, the two bands are different colors. Solids come out grainy.
I don't want to waste any more paper and expensive ink for something that is not fixing itself. Since my mbp is still under Applecare warrenty, will Apple fix or trade my current printer for another one for free, or does Apple have nothing to do with printers other than its sale? If not, are there alternative ways to fix this problem? I am sure I am choosing the box without any bands at all and if there is I choose the lightest band-in-a-box and click realignment.
Here is the recent printout of random lines and text, after three unsuccesful trials of print head alignment.

This is a printer issue and it's only covered under the Epson Warranty Program, which is 1 year. AppleCare has nothing to do with that.
You'll probably have to replace the printer if the print heads cannot be replaced. That's the issue when you buy an inkjet that has print heads that aren't part of the ink cartriges... when they go bad, they go bad and you're hosed. If the issue persists after a print cartridge change, then it's definitely the heads.

How much ink does a print head alignment use on a MX860 printer?

Just wanted to know how much ink is being used when I run a print head alignment job on a MX860 printer?
Thanks.

This is a printer issue and it's only covered under the Epson Warranty Program, which is 1 year. AppleCare has nothing to do with that.
You'll probably have to replace the printer if the print heads cannot be replaced. That's the issue when you buy an inkjet that has print heads that aren't part of the ink cartriges... when they go bad, they go bad and you're hosed. If the issue persists after a print cartridge change, then it's definitely the heads.

MG2100 Printer Head Alignment not working for color ink?

Hi,
I have a Canon MG2100, and I just changed the color ink. When I print something in color I get magenta lines through the image. I realized I had to align the heads and have been trying to do both the automatic and manual methods of aligning the printer heads. I click color every time, but when the printer prints the sheet I'm supposed to scan or input values, there are no color values printed, only the black and white? I assume it needs the color values since the manual has them... What am I doing wrong?
Here's a picture:

Hi bgill93.
First, please make sure that the ink installed in the printer is the correct ink. The correct ink cartridges are the PG-240 black and the CL-241 color.
Next, a test page should be printed. The nozzle check pattern shows if each print head nozzle is operating properly.
1. Ensure that the printer is powered on and the LED displays a 1.
2. Open the paper output tray.
3. Load a sheet Letter-sized plain paper in the Auto Sheet Feeder.
4. Press the <Maintenance> button to display [A]. The Maintenance button is the button on the Operator's panel which has the wrench and screwdriver label above it.
5. Press the Black Start button. The machine will print a nozzle check pattern. Please compare the test page that you printed with the one at the bottom of this post.
If the test page does not match the example attached to this email, printhead cleanings should be performed. To do this, please follow these steps:
1. Ensure that the printer is powered on and the LED displays a 1.
2. Press the <Maintenance> button once to display [H].
3. Press the Black Start button. The cleaning will commence.
After performing a few cleanings, please print another test page.
If you continue to have difficulties, it is recommended that the ink cartridges are replaced.
Did this answer your question? Please click the Accept as Solution button so that others may find the answer as well.

HP Photosmart D7260 Print Head Alignment Failure

We had a paper jam on this printer and it took some doing to get all the pieces out. Afterward, we could not get the printer to print black ink. We did a printer alignment a few times and each time the alignment failed. The black ink cartridge is fairly new and we use normal, Lb bond white paper in the printer.
Documentation does not lead us to a solution other than continuing to try align the print head.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
JayKapp

Hi Keethers,
Understand that you are having alignment problem with your photosmart 5510 printer.
Let me direct you to the page to assist you with aligning the print head.
Best Regards,
Bryan
*I am an HP employee*
** Please click "Accept as Solution" if it solved your problem, so others can find it **
***Give Kudos to say "Thanks" by clicking on the thumbs up button under my name***

HP photoSmart 5510 Print head Alignment

I have re and re the print head. Now I am having trouble aligning it as it keeps hitting the right side of the printer and I get a message to power down to avoid damage to printer. Can someone please descript to me how to align print head.
Keethers

Hi Keethers,
Understand that you are having alignment problem with your photosmart 5510 printer.
Let me direct you to the page to assist you with aligning the print head.
Best Regards,
Bryan
*I am an HP employee*
** Please click "Accept as Solution" if it solved your problem, so others can find it **
***Give Kudos to say "Thanks" by clicking on the thumbs up button under my name***

Print head alignment with Magenta Cartridge only

We have recently replaced the magenta cartridge in our CP2025, the old unit was genuine HP as is the new one. For whatever reason the printer is now printing out of alignment, we have taken the cartridge out and put back in, done numerous resets, calibrations and setting changes, all to no avail. We have tried using various PC's running W7, W8.1 and W10 still the problem appears. Is there anything else we should try? It is only the magenta cartridge that is the issue, the others print as they should.

I only use OEM, new, HP ink cartridges. The ink cartridges (both 21 and 22) are new and full. The link you provided is to the standard instructions, which I followed, and which say simply "perform the align cartridges" routine. But as I explained, that routine starts and then locks up. Every time. The routine gets as far as printing the page alignment arrows when the lockup occurs (starts fast flashing on the front panel green LED). I have had this printer for several years, and have performed the align cartridges routine many times without difficulty. Have always used HP OEM cartridges, never any non-OEM refills. Then this lock up problem started. Don't recall if it was associated with one of the HP printer driver updates I get (and install) from time to time. Printer will also lock up if asked to print a test page. But printer works when I send files to it, and the print quality looks good, so the alignment of the cartridges must be pretty close. But it would be nice to be able to perform the alignment, just to be sure.

Column J head alignment can't be printed

How can I fix my problem in printing head alignment? Column J always can't be printed. I use Canon Pixma IP1200. My computer OS is Windows 7. Thanks

When I create the table I have code like this:TableColumn col = getColumnModel().getColumn(2);
col.setMinWidth(width + 4);
col.setMaxWidth((int)(width * 1.2));Works just fine for me. The setWidthsFromPreferredWidths() method will use these limits as far as I can see.
PC²

Epson Printer Utility Lite in 10.6.8 has no Align Print Heads Feature

I am running 10.6.8 with my Epson Stylus Photo R200. The printer driver is now called Epson Printer Utility Lite, but no longer has the Align Print Heads feature which I really need to use. I would appreciate finding out if there is a way to do this automatically as in earlier systems. Thanks in advance for your help.

Using this > Epson 2.7 Printer Drivers in 10.6.8 with my Epson.
The Print Head Alignment is available when I go to System Preferences > Print & Fax and select Options and Supplies....
then select Utility > Open Printer Utility
and select Print Head Alignment.
Dennis

Psc 1215 with vista.How do i clean print heads etc?

Hi all,iv got a psc 1215 running on my vista laptop.Had no problems with using it except how do i clean the print heads & align the print cartridges since theres no tool box etc to use like when i had windows xp?
Thanks for reading.
Flumpit2
Message Edited by flumpit2 on 12-15-2008 08:41 AM

Hi,
I'm experiencing the same problem with my Deskjet 960c and Vista OS. I really want to know how to clean the ink cartridges by using the Toolbox, which is inaccessible with Vista. The print quality has not improved with newly store bought HP ink cartridges, so I think they need to be cleaned. Hopefully someone has a solution to this issue.
Thank you!

INSTALLED NEW INK CARTRIDGE and cancelled the alignment PRINT HEAD IS STUCK

Greeting everyone
I just put a new color 57 HP ink cartridge into my all in one 2210 printer & somehow I cancelled the alignment as it seemed not to be doing anything....and now it will not return the printer head and will do nothing.... how will I fix this?
this is just a printer problem as the printer was working fine before I changed the ink. My Dell inspiron 580 wi PC is working fine and I have been printing direct from my computer to printer every day until my goof up...... intel core (TM) i5 CPU @3.20 GHz 64 bit 8.00 GB RAM
Thank You Mary Svinth in Waldport Oregon Coast
[Personal Information Removed]

Hi - A couple of things to try:
- Unplug the power from the back of the printer.
- Open the top cover, and slide the carriage to the center.
- Remove the cartridge and try reinstalling. Make sure the ink cartridge snaps in and is firmly held by the carriage.
- Plug the power cord back into the printer and power it on.
If that doesn't work, try repeating the steps above, but this time, remove the USB cable, which will completely isolate the printer and narrow down the issue.
Hope that helps.
Say Thanks by clicking the Kudos thumbs up. Please mark the post that solves your problem as an Accepted Solution so other forum users can utilize the solution.
I am an HP employee.

HP Officejet Pro 8500 : Use scanner without print heads/cartridges

Hello.
I have a HP Officejet Pro 8500 (CB023A) that I bought specifically because of the automatic duplex scanner. Buying a scanner with automatic duplex instead of this multifunction printer was out of the question because the cheapest one costed over ten times more than this multifunction printer (and they still do).
I can no longer afford to keep buying print heads and cartridges just to use the scanner, as this multifunction uses ink for scanning!!! But that is beside the point.
I have read in other posts about taping sensors but I was thinking about going a little further and completely remove the printing part of the multifunction. Anyone knows if I can just disconnect the printing part from the circuit board? Or will I have to fiddle with software? Maybe some hidden option in the "Mfg Commands" (accessible by pressing * and # with the printer on) or some other hidden feature?
Considering that this multifunction takes way too long to boot because of all the print head checking/cleaning/etc, with a little luck, without the printing part the boot time will decrease to almost nothing .
Before I start disassembling I would appreciate some advice, specially if someone else has already tried it.
Thank you in advance.

Hello kamath27. Thank you for your reply.
I apologize for not replying sooner but I wanted to try and disassemble the multifunction before replying instead of just replying with an acknowledge.
Also, sorry for such a long post but I wanted to be as detailed as possible.
However, before describing what I did and found, I want to clarify something.
With the multifunction in the same condition it came from the factory, if I remove one print cartridge, or one is empty, the multifunction stops on boot with a message requesting to change the cartridge before continuing and there is no way to bypass it. When this message shows, pressing any button on the multifunction or the screen yields no result (there is no OK button displayed on the multifunction screen). It was always like this and firmware updates never solved it.
And going to the printer control panel on the connected computer says that the printer is offline even if it is connected through USB and is displayed in device manager as a connected USB device. This is the reason why I had spent so much money buying ink that I do not use. I never print anything on this multifunction. All prints that the multifunction ever performed were a dozen or so of maintenance align and test pages.
Now for what I did. I disassembled the multifunction just enough to take out the main circuit board, the wireless board, the buzzer and the door sensors. I set up the printer half and the scanner half side-by-side with the main circuit board in the middle, reconnected everything and turned it on in order to test if anything stopped working during disassembly. Everything was OK and the multifunction worked as normal (printed a test page and scanned it to the computer).
Next, while facing the main board the same way it would be faced while mounted in the multifunction, I started disconnecting the connectors (except the ones that belong to the scanner half) one by one from left to right in the following fashion: With the multifunction OFF, I disconnected one connector, turned the multifunction on, waited for any message or the main screen, tried to print a test page and then scan it, and finally disconnected the multifunction, reconnected the connector and moved on to the next one.
The results were:
- disconnected the tray feeding sensor -> Allows to boot with a paper jam message that can be bypassed with an OK on the screen. Can not print because of the alleged paper jam but can scan.
- disconnected the pump -> Allows to boot but a message keeps popping about pump motor stalled. Can be bypassed with an OK but pops right back and all jobs get aborted. Can not print or scan.
- disconnected the printer motor -> Oddly, no messages. Allows to boot and scan but not print. This was strange because when trying to print there is no message in the printer and the software on the PC only said the printer was busy. I would think the printer would eventually display a message saying the print carriage was jammed or something but nothing happened after 10 minutes. I might test again later as one test may be interfering with the next.
- disconnected the print cartridge door sensor -> Stops on boot with a message to close the door. Does not allow to print or scan.
- disconnected the print cartridges connector -> Stops on boot with message to replace cartridges. Does not allow to print or scan.
- disconnected the print heads connector -> On boot briefly displays a screen with the image of the power button and the code "C00E0060" below. Then the screen turns white and all buttons on the multifunction start blinking. It is as described here but resetting the multifunction, reconnecting the connector and turning it on took it back to operational condition.
- disconnected everything except for the scanner connectors and the tray and door sensors - Gives the exact same behaviour as the previous test (code "C00E0060").
So, from the tests it seems that I can not use the scanner if anything from the printer half is disconnected. Any ideas on how to circumvent this, if possible?
Thank you.

HP 5150 - Win 7 - how clean/align print heads?

Existing HP 5150 is connected to new pc with Win 7 via its own on-board software. But how on earth do I clean and align the print heads? Hope someone can help. Many thanks. Strudel135

I am trying to do the same thing with a netbook running Windows 7 starter. My printer has stopped printing in black and would like to know the status of the cartridge.
There should be a utility out there that can tell a user how much ink is left in the cartridge and how to clean the inkjets.

8500 alignment failure after installing new print heads

I replaced the print heads in the 8500 all-in-one wireless and get the alignment failed. printer will print documents sent to it but follows with an alignment print page. displays alignment failure alert.always prints alignment test page after every document printed.  Note: replaced the print heads about two years ago without any problem.    patrick

Hello , I see here you are trying to get the alignment to complete successfully on the Officejet 8500, and I may have some suggestions for you. Seems odd, but the first thing I recommend is cleaning the scanner glass and white backing on the lid. Clean the ADF scanner glass strip, the white ADF plastic strip, the scanner lid, and the scanner glass. Sometimes particle's or debris on the glass can interfere with the alignment process, even on these printers that use the semi-automatic alignment process. Use only glass cleaner to clean the scanner glass. Do not use cleaners that contain abrasives, acetone, benzene, or carbon tetrachloride. These substances can damage the printer. Avoid isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) because it can leave streaks on the glass.  Spray a clean, soft, lint-free cloth with mild glass cleaner - to protect the scanner, do not spray the glass cleaner directly on the glass.  You will want to clean the ADF scanner glass strip, the white ADF plastic strip, the scanner lid, and the scanner glass.  You could check and see if you have missed anything by reviewing or even repeating the steps in this document; Fixing Print Quality Problems for the HP Officejet Pro 8500 All-in-One Printer Series (A909). As well as the steps listed in An 'Alignment failed' Error Message Displays on the Printer Control Panel. Make a Note: HP recommends that you use genuine HP ink cartridges. HP cannot guarantee the quality or reliability of non-HP ink cartridges or refilled HP ink cartridges. If you do not use genuine HP ink cartridges, the steps in this post might not resolve the issue you experiencing.  Another thing you could try would be to clean the electrical contacts on the printheads and inside the unit. Follow these steps to clean the electrical contacts on the printhead and inside the product. (Pulled from this document.) CAUTION: Follow these steps carefully to avoid damaging the sensitive electrical components.
Step one: Clean the contacts on the printheadNOTE: The ink nozzles on the printheads might clog if you expose them to air for more than a few minutes. The ink nozzles also might clog if you do not use the product for long periods of time.Make sure that the product is turned on.Open the top cover of the product.Press and hold the OK button for five seconds. The carriage moves to the left side of the product. Release the OK button.CAUTION: Proceed only if the carriage is on the left side of the product. If it is not, the printheads will be damaged when you install them. If the carriage does not move over, try turning the product off and on againWait until the carriage is idle and silent.Unplug the product power cord from the electrical outlet.NOTE: Do not turn the product off by pressing the Power button (). This causes the carriage to move out of reach.Lift the printhead latch.
Figure : Lift the printhead latch
Lift the handle on the printhead that the error message indicates is missing or damaged, and then pull the printhead out of its slot.
Figure : Lift the handle to remove the printheadUse a dry, soft, lint-free cloth to remove any ink from the electrical contacts on the printhead.CAUTION: Wipe only the electrical contacts. Wiping the ink nozzles, located on the underside of the printhead, can damage the printhead. Do not touch the nozzles. Doing so permanently damages the ink nozzles, and the ink stains clothing.Figure : Electrical contacts and ink nozzles
Electrical contactsInk nozzlesWipe the electrical contacts with the swab until no ink residue remains.Wipe the electrical contacts with a fresh cloth to dry them and remove lint.After the electrical contacts on the printhead are clean and dry, place the printhead on a sheet of paper or a paper towel. Make sure that the ink nozzles face up and do not touch the paper.
Step two: Clean the contacts inside the productUse a fresh, dry, soft, lint-free cloth to clean the electrical contacts inside the product.
Figure : Clean the electrical contacts inside the product
Allow at least five minutes for the contacts to dry. Check the contacts for lint or debris, and then dry or clean the contacts again if needed.Step three: Restart the productPlug the product power cord into the electrical outlet.Press the Power button () to turn on the product. 'Printhead missing or damaged, replace the printhead' displays on the control panel.Insert the printhead into its color-coded slot. Press down firmly on the printhead to make sure that the electrical contacts touch.Pull the printhead latch all the way forward, and then press down to engage the latch.NOTE: You might have to press firmly to engage the latch.If the error message indicates that both printheads are missing or damaged, repeat the steps in this procedure to clean the other printhead.Close the top cover of the product. The product restarts and then prints an alignment page.If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.If the issue persists, continue to the next solution. You can review the Limited Warranty for HP Ink Cartridges and Customer-Replaceable Printheads for HP Inkjet Supplies, to find out if your printheads are in warranty. If the issue persists please Contact HP Support for further assistance. Fill in the model number and the form to receive a case number for quicker assistance.  Please let me know if these steps resolved your issue, or if there is anything else I can do to help.  I look forward to hearing from you!  Thanks,

Have multipass mp730 printer/fax-alert light stays on, says wrong cartridge-cleaned head

have multipass/mp730 printer/fax. alert light stays on-says wrong cartridge, changed them,cleaned head still on can't print

Hi lock,
Since changing the ink tanks and cleaning the print head did not resolve the error, please remove and reseat all of the ink tanks and the print head in the printer by following the steps at the link below:
MultiPASS MP730 Removing / Reseating the Ink Tanks and Print Head
Once the ink tanks and print head have been reseated, please turn off the printer, unplug the power cord and leave it out for at least 10 minutes, then plug it back in and turn it back on. If the error persists, the printer will require servicing. Please Contact Us for your servicing options.
Did this answer your question? Please click the Accept as Solution button so that others may find the answer as well.

Cartridge print head alignment routine lock up

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