When inserting a new toner cartridge it is possible that the printer will not or does not recognize the new cartridge. First check to see if it is a compatible or OEM cartridge by looking at the box or packaging of the new toner. If it is compatible, then move to the next solution, which is cleaning of course. Take the access panel of your printer off then remove the toner cartridges to get to the print head assembly. The assembly can become dirty which includes the contact points for the toner cartridges. Remove the print head assembly and refer to your owner’s manual for a detailed description.

The print head contacts should be dusted free using a can of compressed air. It would be a good idea to clean the entire assembly if there is time as this could cause other printing problems. After using the compressed air, take a small lint free cloth with a small amount of isopropyl alcohol and wipe the contacts clean. It may also behoove you to clean the contacts on the toner cartridge as well. Carefully reassemble the print head, replace the cartridges and resume printing. Should the cleaning fail to solve the problem, it may be a smart chip toner system.

Smart toner systems keep track of varying data from the toner cartridge including the toner levels. This is a great feature except that the printer, by design, will only accept cartridges with a specific chip or programming. If the printer is slightly older then replacing the fuse could over-ride the problem and reset the printer into thinking it is accepting a smart toner chip from its manufacturer. If you do have a new manufacturer toner cartridge, i.e. HP cartridge for an HP printer, and the printer still won’t recognize the toner then more than likely the chip is faulty and should be replaced by HP.

When inserting a new toner cartridge it is possible that the printer will not or does not recognize the new cartridge. First check to see if it is a compatible or OEM cartridge by looking at the box or packaging of the new toner. If it is compatible, then move to the next solution, which is cleaning of course. Take the access panel of your printer off then remove the toner cartridges to get to the print head assembly. The assembly can become dirty which includes the contact points for the toner cartridges. Remove the print head assembly and refer to your owner’s manual for a detailed description.

The print head contacts should be dusted free using a can of compressed air. It would be a good idea to clean the entire assembly if there is time as this could cause other printing problems. After using the compressed air, take a small lint free cloth with a small amount of isopropyl alcohol and wipe the contacts clean. It may also behoove you to clean the contacts on the toner cartridge as well. Carefully reassemble the print head, replace the cartridges and resume printing. Should the cleaning fail to solve the problem, it may be a smart chip toner system.

Smart toner systems keep track of varying data from the toner cartridge including the toner levels. This is a great feature except that the printer, by design, will only accept cartridges with a specific chip or programming. If the printer is slightly older then replacing the fuse could over-ride the problem and reset the printer into thinking it is accepting a smart toner chip from its manufacturer. If you do have a new manufacturer toner cartridge, i.e. HP cartridge for an HP printer, and the printer still won’t recognize the toner then more than likely the chip is faulty and should be replaced by HP.