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What is a Printer Firmware Update and How Do You Deal With It?

What is a Printer Firmware Update and How Do You Deal With It?

Firmware updates may stop you from printing with lower-priced compatible printer cartridges.  Here’s how you can keep printing.

Printer manufacturers really want you to buy their ink.  More profit is often made from cartridge sales than printer sales and deploying firmware updates is one way they can force you to use their cartridges.  Manufacturers may do this by pushing an update to temporarily block compatible cartridges from working in your printer. Once installed, your printer will only print with the manufacturer’s cartridges until a firmware fix is available that allows you to use compatible cartridges.  These tactics may give printer manufacturers complete control over how you print – at least for a little while.

In this guide, we will explain how some firmware updates affect your freedom to print.  We’ll also show you how to prevent firmware updates from controlling your printer so you can continue using low-priced compatible cartridges that help you save.


What is a firmware update, anyway?

A firmware update is software related to your printer’s functionality.  Printer manufacturers release firmware updates periodically, approximately every few months.  Whether you choose to download a firmware update is up to you.  Firmware updates can be manually downloaded from your printer’s display screen or if you turn on the automatic updates setting on your printer, updates will regularly download onto your printer when they’re available.

Some firmware updates may affect the use of low-cost compatible cartridges.  Most don’t – but the updates that do block compatible cartridges are unpredictable and can instantly stop your printer from working.


How do firmware updates stop compatible cartridges?

Your printer and your cartridges need to talk to each other to create a print.  When a printer manufacturer introduces a firmware update that doesn’t agree with a particular set of compatible cartridges that line of communication gets lost.  The new printer firmware can’t talk with the cartridges and the printer stops working.  After this happens most consumers will see a “cartridge problem” message on their display screen which means their printer has stopped recognizing the compatible cartridges.

Printer manufacturers have been releasing firmware updates that have affected compatible cartridges for decades1, and savvy printer owners that enjoy saving money are sometimes penalized as a result.  In 2016 an HP® firmware update blocked thousands of printers overnight. A slew of public backlash and negative press soon followed, prompting a class action lawsuit that HP settled for $1.5 million2.  In April 2019, HP released a firmware update that affected a different series of popular cartridges and their related printers, leaving consumers that used low-priced compatible cartridges blindsided.  Unfortunately, these tactics may not be going away anytime soon.  If you want to continue printing with affordable compatibles, you may want to find a way to protect your printer from future updates.


How to prevent firmware updates from blocking compatible cartridges

You should have the freedom to choose what you install in your printer without worrying about disruptive firmware.  With these two simple tips, you can keep printing and saving with compatible cartridges.

The Best Solution: Turn Off Your Automatic Firmware Updates 

With a quick setting change on your printer, you can print with compatible cartridges whenever you want.  This is the best way to keep firmware updates from stopping your printer and this works for almost every popular printer brand!  All you have to do is turn off* the automatic firmware update settings on your printer.   After you turn off these settings, your printer will stop automatically downloading firmware updates, giving you total control over what you install.


Almost as Good: Wait for New Printer Cartridges

Another option is to install new compatible cartridges that can bypass the firmware update.  If you aren’t able to turn off your firmware updates or if you were blindsided by a recent update and can’t print, you will have to wait for an updated version of your compatible cartridges to continue printing with compatibles.  This is not ideal for consumers that need to print right away – which is why consumers may want to turn off their updates all together – but it is still a solid solution.  Any LD Products customer that is affected by an update can send back their old cartridges and we will replace them with a new set for free when they’re available.  It does take time to develop new compatible cartridges but after they are installed you can instantly start printing again.


How to Turn Off Firmware Updates on Your Printer

Firmware update settings are usually found under the “settings” or “maintenance” menu of your printer. Instructions are provided for popular HP®, Epson®, Brother®and Canon®  printers below.  The disabling process may vary though, depending on what printer you own.  If you need help turning off your firmware, feel free to contact our customer service team for assistance.

How to Turn Off Updates for HP Printers


How to Turn Off Updates for Epson Printers


How to Turn Off Updates for Brother Printers


How to Turn Off Updates for Canon Printers


Disruptive firmware will continue to try to block compatible cartridges, but now that you know how to tackle these updates, you can stay a step ahead of your printer manufacturer and keep saving with your favorite compatible cartridges.  The more consumers become aware of these frustrating firmware tactics and turn off their updates, the more pressure is applied on printer manufacturers to make a positive change.

 


Cartridge Series
Thank you for reading this post! This article is written by a team of ink experts at LD Products - a Long Beach, California-based company that specializes in compatible ink and toner.  With over 20 years of printing expertise, we’re committed to helping you save money on printer ink without sacrificing quality.  If you found this content helpful, we’d be grateful if you supported us by visiting LDProducts.com for all of your ink and toner needs.  We appreciate your support!

1. Judge, Tricia. “Firmware Threat Grows More Bold and Vicious.”  RTMworld.com, January 24, 2019, https://www.rtmworld.com/features/firmware-threat-grows-more-bold-and-vicious/

2. “Settling Firmware Class Action Will Cost HP.”  Action-intell.com, September 21, 2018, https://www.action-intell.com/2018/09/21/settling-firmware-class-action-will-cost-hp/

*Turning off updates may affect other functionality. Please see your printer support page for more details.

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21 Comments

  • Thank you so much for this information about the compatible ink cartridges being blocked. I am one that believes in making my own decision on how to spend my dollars. It’s long been known that the printer mfg. companies make their money on the inks not the printer necessarily. I have been a user of compatible ink cartridges for several years and make all kinds of greeting cards for friends and family. Never had an issue with the color- ever. Keep up the good work by helping the consumer save a little money.
    I certainly appreciate it very much!!!

  • Once a firmware update has been installed, can it be removed and go back to original version?

    • Sometimes, but not all the time. There were Epson updates in the past where you can revert it to the older version but the latest firmware updates don’t have this option available. What printer do you have? If you’re unable to use LD aftermarket cartridges because of a firmware update, give us a call at 888-321-2552 and we’ll replace it or give you a refund.

  • Fol;lowing a firmware update sometime in October 2019, my EPSON WF3720 stopped accepting the “compatible” cartridges that have been working successfully in the machine. I have tried various ways to get around this but nothing works. I have set the printer so it will no longer update automatically but still need to be able to get it to work. Do you know of any cartridges (non Epson) that have made the fix? I really like this printer but right now am seriously considering turfing it and buying a new one (not Epson, that is for sure).

    • Hi Ron, at this point we do not know of any compatible Epson 702 cartridges that are able to get around that specific firmware update yet but new versions of compatible cartridges are coming out all of the time. I will let you know when we have a workable compatible version available again. Sorry for the inconvenience!

  • My HP Officejet series 7600 printer eats ink cartridges every day. The sensors know the cartridges are no HPs. I had color settings turned off via the MS settings so print would be just black. It ran for a week and then SW said I needed to change the Magenta, blue or yellow. I didn’t even use a color cartridge and the printer will not print B&W for me. I want to join the class action suit against HP and then buy a Zerox B&W printer.

  • I just purchased ( February 1, 2020) an Epson printer Workforce 3730. I will need ink for it very soon.
    Please inform me of what you have, and prices. Thanks for the tip about software updates. Please put my email address on your list for Software update alerts, or videos regarding helpful tips about the Epson wf-3730 pro.
    Thanks.
    Clay

  • I have a CANON MG5520 printer, and have been using your printer cartridges for many years. Lately, both my printer and my wife’s printer have started printing rather fuzzy. Mine seems to be every other line, and hers seems to be random. Some times it “double prints” like a shadow image. We have tried to clan and align print heads, but no difference. I think it started happening when we received our order before the last one, where we received the ones with the electronic circuit on the side. Also our printers tell us that we are out of ink, when the cartridges are 25% or more, full. Please help. Thanks, Steve Gifford

    • Hi Steve,

      I am sorry you are having trouble with those Canon MG5520 ink cartridges. If you’ve tried running a printhead cleaning and are still getting poor prints, it may be an issue with the actual printer cartridges. Have you tried installing replacement cartridges for the colors that are producing fuzzy prints and seeing if there is a difference? If there do end up being some cartridges that are causing trouble, we back up all of our ink with a lifetime guarantee and would be happy to get replacements out to you. The “out of ink” message can be a premature, you can just continue printing until your print quality deteriorates. If your prints start to get light, you can try extending the life of the cartridge a bit by running the printhead cleaning, but you don’t want to run a cleaning too often, as it does use up a small amount of ink every time its run. Hope this helps!

    • Hi Steve! Have you tried cleaning your printhead? This is just so we can rule out dried up ink in your printhead nozzles.

  • Can post or send me information on how to turn off automatic firmware updates on a Lexmark Platinum Pro905.
    Lexmark no longer offers support for this printer and does not respond to support questions.

    Thank you

  • I replaced the black ink cartridge in my Xerox Phaser 6130 with one of yours. There was a blue plastic attachment at the end of the cartridge you sold me of a type that had never been on any other. For the ten-plus years I’ve used your cartridges, I was always able to track ink supply levels, both on the printer screen and on my laptop. Now all I get is “Non Xerox Cartridge.” I tried the fixes you suggested, and nothing. I wrote to you and got the brush-off. Are you enabling the monopolistic tactics of Big Tech?

    • Hi Lewis,

      I am sorry you were getting that error message on your Xerox Phaser cartridge. Our cartridges should track the ink levels on your printer and laptop as expected. If you can send me a photo of the cartridge and provide the supplier code, we can look into this for you. You can find the supplier code on the bottom right corner of the cartridge label. Please send it to [email protected]. Thanks so much!!

  • The HP updates have reduced the usefulness and value of my computer. HPs approach of licensing copies is another way for them to make money, claiming the new system is cheaper. Where can I find out about lawsuits and criminal charges against manufacturers?

  • Is there any problem with using generic ink with the Epson Ecotank 3750, or is this just the ones with the cartridge? I don’t think I’ve filled with the generic ink yet, just finishing up with the ink it came with over a year ago.

  • We really need the servers that the printers get the updates from so we can block them.

    HP, and probably other manufacturers are starting to embed code that goes around the settings. My mother has an HP printer that I had set to not update, yet one day it went and updated it’s own firmware. I looked and the settings were still set to NOT update.

    Don’t know about the cartridges, but the update actually broke the built in web page server and I could no longer check the printer ink levels or even scan, or do anything else via the browser like I had been doing.

    So, turning off the updates is great, but we also need to block them from communicating from the servers. Blocking traffic with the mac address works, but if your printer requires internet for scanning to email or other functions, then this solution would not work.

    Just thought I would let ya’all know that turning off updates may not actually prevent updates.

  • I have a bunch of HP61 cartridges but their generic that is all they sold at the store where I purchased! I had no clue about any of this! Then one day my printer quit working so we bought another one an Epson XP446. Well since we’ve had this all the printing I’ve done is mainly test pages! This one was bought at Office Depot as soon as I used it,it said it needed M cartridge which was strange because I only print in B&W. First time I ordered from Epson directly which took over 2 weeks to arrive because they said was wrong address thru U.P.S. which I doubted because I get U.P.S. so much the guy actually ran into my car actually have pictures of the truck into my car don’t know how it’s Burnt Orange convertible Camaro. Anyway I seen the money came out of my bank right away so when I called they gave me the address they supposedly sent it to which was just my street no house # or nothing! I wouldn’t think they would take a package with no address. So we went to Office Depot and bought the ink because I needed it to print for my taxes! Printed and said I needed ink again grant it we replaced them all and only used B&W I printed at the most maybe 30 pages! Since then they have been all test cleaning
    heads now it says firmware update and it won’t work! We have spent more than 300.00 in ink (my husband did I would have went and thru the dang thing on the floor in the store) and still doesn’t print got it to print test pages tonight and they came out blue? But don’t know what recourse I have? I’m stuck with 5 HP61 ink cartridges and all the Epson ones because this crap box won’t print for nothing!! If there’s a Lawsuit I want in!!!

  • I made the mistake of making a firmware update on my brother printer. I was able to use my existing non Brother cartridges by moving the toner microchip from new cartridges to the old ones. You need to remove one phillips head screw to pop the chip off the side of the cartridge. The newer aftermarket cartridges had chips that worked, but I wanted to use my older cartridges up.

  • A few years ago, someone from LD provided me with a patch to use on my HP Office Jet 8620, that allowed me to run LD cartridges. I believe that I lost the patch somehow. I am getting the old HP objections. Can you help?

    • Hi Edmund, we did have a firmware downgrade link available sometime ago to resolve an issue with a previous firmware version but our current batch of cartridges have the latest chip and should work without a hitch (no patch or downgrade necessary!). If you still have issues, please let us know and we can get a replacement cartridge sent out to you.

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