Updated 05/09/2017
If your HP printer is giving you an error message such as HP cartridges locked or any other message that mentions something about HP cartridge protection, then it sounds like you have fallen victim to a printer firmware update and you will definitely be having trouble using compatible or remanufactured inks. You may also see a message like ‘ Used or counterfeit ink cartridge detected ’.
We understand your frustration, and agree that everyone deserves to choose for themselves whether or not they want to use third party inks in their printer without having their HP cartridges locked to another printer. Don’t worry, I’m about to show you how to fix this issue and remove HP Cartridge Protection so that it can be bypassed…
Here’s what you’ll learn on this page:
- What HP cartridge protection means.
- Why this happens and why HP locked cartridges.
- How to remove cartridge protection setting and bypass it in 2 easy steps.
- Which printer models and ink cartridges this affects.
Why are my HP cartridges locked / What is HP cartridge protection?
HP Cartridge protection or the message, ‘ ink cartridges locked to another printer ‘, is the message that appears on your printer when one or both of the following things happen:
The ink cartridges that you are trying to use are not original HP ink cartridges and….
- Your printer has the cartridge protection setting enabled
- The chip on the cartridges you are trying to use were made from empty original HP ink cartridges that have been used in a previous printer with the cartridge protection setting enabled.
Why does this happen?
With new printer models that are continuously connected to the internet, software and firmware (permanent software that is built into hardware devices) updates are routinely installed. These updates can change the way your printer operates or as in this case add new features.
If you see the message HP cartridges locked and you are experiencing this issue then it’s very likely that you have recently had a printer update to enable cartridge protection or you have a brand new printer with this feature already built in.
Why did HP introduce this?
Whilst HP cares about their customers and your satisfaction, they also above all else are a business and need to protect themselves. One of the largest issues that HP have as a business that costs them millions of pounds if not billions over the years is the problem with counterfeit or fake inks being produced and sold across the market.
Counterfeit cartridges, not to be confused with third party or compatible cartridges are completely fake copies of the original HP cartridges and are being sold as though they are the original HP cartridges. This is why HP introduced the update. To protect you as their customer and themselves as a business from counterfeit cartridges.
Also HP now provides a service called ‘instant ink’ where you pay a monthly fee instead of buying ink one cartridge at a time when you run out and this enables them to make sure you are purchasing genuine HP cartridges.
Unfortunately, this does also stop the use of compatible or remanufactured cartridges, however we are legally entitled to use a compatible or remanufactured cartridge if we choose to so there is a way of switching of cartridge protection and prevent the HP cartridges locked message from appearing.
How to remove cartridge protection in 2 easy steps
To remove, disable or bypass the cartridge protection setting on your HP printer you will need to use either the settings on the printer control panel (for printers not connected to the internet) or you will need the printers i.p address for printers that are connected to the internet.
- For non-internet connected printers – Find the devices and printers section in your control panel, then select your hp printer. Find the cartridge protection tab in the HP toolbox and click the disable cartridge protection option & save.
- For internet connected printers – Go to your printer and in the settings menu find your printers i.p address. Note this down and type it into a browser search bar which will take you to your printer configuration page. Click settings and disable cartridge protection.
Please note that when your printer updates again, this setting could be auto enabled again so you can prevent updates by switching them off in the web services section.
This should resolve your issue and any new cartridges that you install won’t be protected however if you do install a compatible or remanufactured cartridge that has been previously protected by another printer, this will not work and you’ll need to get a replacement from your supplier.
Which inks & printer models does cartridge protection affect?
The printers that seem to be affected by the HP cartridge protection setting are the HP Deskjet models, HP Envy, models, HP Officejet, HP Officejet Pro and HP OfficeJet Pro X models of printers listed below.
| Printer Range | Models |
| Envy 4500 range | HP Envy 4500, 4502, 4503, 4504, 4507, 4508 |
| Envy 5500 range | HP Envy 5530, 5532, 5534, 5535, 5536, 5540, 5542, 5543, 5544, 5546 |
| Envy 5600 range | HP Envy 5640, 5642, 5646 |
| Envy 7600 range | HP Envy 7640, 7644 |
| HP Deskjet 1000 range | HP Deskjet 1000, 1010, 1050, 1510, 1512, 1514, 1517 |
| HP Deskjet 2000 range | HP Deskjet 2050, 2054, 2510,2540, 2542, 2443, 2544, 2545, 2547 |
| HP Deskjet 3000 range | HP Deskjet 3000, 3050, 3052, 3054, 3057 |
| HP Deskjet F range | HP Deskjet F2410, F2418, F2423, F2430, F2476, F2483, F2488, F2492, F2493, F4583 |
| HP Officejet | HP Officejet 2610, 2620, 4630, 4632, 4634, 4636 |
| HP Officejet Pro | HP Officejet Pro all models |
| HP Officejet Pro X | HP Officejet Pro X all models |
So there you have it. Hopefully this will have helped with your frustrations and stop the HP cartridges locked meesage. Please comment below if you need further help or have any other points we may have missed. We’d love to hear from you!
About Stuart DeavallStu is the Digital Marketing Manager at TonerGiant.co.uk and is a big fan of gadgets, technology, and being creative!
Where do I find my printer’s IP address?
Hi Brett, to find your printers i.p address, on your computer go to the control panel and navigate to devices and printers, then manage printers. Find your printer in the list and right click and click properties. Click the ports tab in the dialogue box that appears and find your printer in the list (should be ticked). The first column will have the printers i.p address. If you need any more help please get in touch! Stu.
Unfortunately my printer has suddenly stopped due to this underhand scam from HP. But following your instructions I find there are only three tabs on the printer configuration page and no option to disable cartridge protection. I suspect I am out of luck, would rather scrap the printer than give in to this Corporate blackmail.
Hi Bob, thanks for your comment. If you can let me know your printer model, I’ll do my best to find out if we can switch cartridge protection off. The option may just be hidden. Thanks, Stu.
Hi,
I guess that this will not fix the anoying “Used or counterfeit” message which is always popping up when I am trying to print. I am using legit cartridges but black ink only. I do not want to use color ink. I am so anoyed by Hp that I will never, ever buy an HP product again. And I am about to throw that new printer directly in the garbage (not without giving it a good beating with my baseball bat) and just buy a different brand. What a waste of time and money.
Hi Frank, unfortunately not. I think the reason for the message is that the cartridges may have been previously locked to another printer (if they are recycled versions). If they are actually original HP inks, they should not be displaying this message at all. I’d call HP and see what they say if that is the case. Thanks, Stu
I have 4520 all,in one will this have protection on iPad. How would I fix so I cant print
Hi Jeanette, I’ve never tried to access the settings of a printer on an ipad but it should technically be possible with any device if you access via a browser using the printer i.p address. If you follow the instructions above it should work for you.
I am having this issue with a very old printer that has, nonetheless, always worked with true HP color ink. It’s an HP Photosmart C3180 All-in-One. The issue came about when I bought a re-manufactured color ink cartridge from another supplier. When I go to print anything now, I can get error message (using Dell XPS 13) and the HP Support Center just tells me there is a cartridge problem. Unfortunately, I am not finding anything that allows me to disable cartridge protection. Any thoughts?
Hi Lauren, thanks for your comment. I don’t believe that cartridges protection software was implemented on some of the older printer models which is why you can’t find the cartridge protection setting to disable it. I’ve had a look around to see if I can find anyone else experiencing a similar issue and there is one small piece of advice that has worked for a few other people which is to clean the the connections on the cartridge and in the printer (where the two connect) with a damp earbud (q-tip). Make sure the earbud is not wet through but just very slightly damp so not to damage the printer. Give the connections a good clean and see how you get on. If that doesn’t work then it does sound like the software of the printer is preventing the re-manufactured ink from working and is technically faulty. You should be able to get a refund if that’s the case! This article explains and may also help: Printer not recognising cartridges Let us know how you get on! Thanks, Stu.
I am having this issue with compatible cartridges in my Deskjet 5940, can’t find a “switch cartridge protection off” tab either, any help appreciated, only one ink light blinking which would appear to be the black (aaaaagh)
Hi Toni, I’ve hunted around for a fix and it seems that this is a common error which also occurs with original ink cartridges. Here’s a link to the HP Forum with a few suggestions to try and fix the issue
I’m having the same problem… kind of. A remanufactured (generic) cartridge worked until empty. When another generic was added, the printer (OJ-8600) refused it. I disabled cartridge protection from the preferences menu but it still says there’s an error. No new cartridges can be installed. Generic and real HP cartridges are both being declined. The old empty cartridge, however, is accepted and clears the error. I’m stumped.
Hi Juanita, I can probably explain the reason the remanufactured cartridge isn’t working but it seems strange that the original isn’t. The cartridge Protection setting actually locks the ink cartridge and encodes it only to one printer, therefore if someone tries to use it in another printer, it’s locked to the first printer it was used in and won’t work. Therefore when recycled, the reman then can’t be used in another printer. Technically that could happen with the original as well but it would suggest that it has been locked to another printer somewhere else. I suppose it could be that some error with the software thinks that your printer wasn’t the original printer the ink was locked to. I’d contact HP and ask for their support
That makes sense and yet – yeah. Thank you, Stuart. I’ll talk with HP 🙂
hello! I cannot enter my IP address to try to uncheck the cartridge protection (chrome: This site can’t be reached).https://192.168.1.25/
I have a cp1025nw. I am trying to use an alternative compatible cartridge. I dont know what to do. thanks!
Hi there, could it be that your printer is installed on a network? If so then you would need to use the server pc to log in to the i.p address and change the setting. Alternatively if you can log on to the server PC from your PC you may be able to do it that way through the printer settings. Stu
I got HP envy 4500 model. I bought from UK where ink model number is 301. Recently, I have moved to my country where only ink 61 is compatible with my model. I bought 61 ink but when I insert the cartridge in the display of printer shows the cartridge is incompatible. Please suggest me.
Thanks
Apu
Hi Apu, if you bought your printer in the UK it will still be regionally encoded to the UK and will still take 301 inks not 61 inks. There may be a way to change the encoding but you would need to contact HP support for their help. Stu
Hello sir good day why my printer Hp deskjet 2130 printing blank and the ink i install the 123 is not compatible what should i do thank you so much
Hi Rose, did you buy your printer in the UK as the UK version takes the HP 302 ink cartridge so you may have the incorrect ink.
Hi Stuart,
My HP Deskjet F4500 has been fine with non-HP but compatible b/w cartridges and I stopped using colour. I recently replaced the b/w cartridge and then found I also still had an original HP colour cartridge so installed both. They worked fine together for a few pages and then the Error light came on for the b/w cartridge and I cannot get the printer to work anymore. I used the i.p. address but cannot find any cartridge protection tab for this printer. Any suggestions?
Hi Sophie, it sounds like you may have the common ‘ check cartridge’ error that affects a range of HP Deskjet printers including the F4500. There are a few ways to clear the problem if you haven’t already tried them, you can find a full list here but they include: Resetting the printer so the new cartridge is recognised properly, Wiping the metal contacts on the cartridge and inside the printer,and swapping old and new cartridges over to reset the printer. If you still have problems after that it could be an ink cartridge fault I’m afraid.
Hi
I’ve been battling for a while with the “non HP / compatible ” injet refills – spent an hour ( frustrating ) on phone arguing with HP – What there doing is simply illegal..
Is there anyway I can get my HP Deskjet 2540 to work with non HP manufactured cartridges?
Hi, the only thing that you can do is try some of the tips on our blog – Printer not recognising compatible cartridges
I found this whilst searching for compatible cartridges and HP’s instant ink. Having just purchased an Envy 5640 I followed your instruction to access the web interface, the setting HP Cartridge Protection was already set to disabled.
I have always used original cartridges, past experience of compatibles has been either poor quality print, cartridge never appears to print the number of pages specified, content of the cartridge never displays/updates, or the print head continually needs cleaning or worst still the print head just dies.
I don’t doubt that ‘some’ compatible cartridges do work and work well, but there are some that do not. You could say that printer manufacturers are selling printers cheaper just to get you to purchase their cartridges, that may be true, but if it extends the life of the printer surely that’s a better option.
I used to do IT support for a school, they replaced their laser printer, they purchased an Enterprise HP, and they started using compatible toners….6 months later it’s been sidelined because they were constantly buying toner, or the toner would ‘leak’, or the toner cartridge simply would not work….why did they use compatibles, they were nearly £100 cheaper!!
So in my opinion compatibles are not always the way to go unless you can find something that works the same as an original.
Sorry that was a soap box mode 🙂
Hi Geoff, thanks for your comment. You’re spot on, it really can be a risk depending on where you buy your compatibles. No one wants the printer to be sidelined after such a short space of time. So my advice is if you do really want to risk buying compatibles because of the saving, then make sure they are from a reputable supplier who offers a guarantee that also protects the printer from any damage.
Shameless plug here, but that’s what we offer. I’ve been working at the company over 10 years and a printer has had issues using our compatibles only once, so we replaced the printer.
On a side note, I agree that a compatible will never equal the quality of an original due to patents and due to it having recycled parts but you can get very close.
Stu
Hi Stu,
Thanks for the reply, that was no shameless plug, I did notice your guarantee when searching on your sight for cartridges for the Envy 5640 very commendable….Oh BTW there’s a typo on that page 🙂
Going back to compatibles, most will not display the approx. ink left either on the printer software or the printer itself, do yours? or is that something that is not possible.
Thanks for pointing out the typo! 🙂 We manufacture ours in the UK and test the chips before we ship, however some brands of printers are extremely difficult and sometimes firmware updates cause them to not work correctly. Our failure rate is around 1.5% so pretty good but I can’t absolutely say that the printer will always read the volumes perfectly but they should.
Will disabling this feature let my hp printer use the cartridges I have from the instant ink program, even if I cancelled it? It seems like such a waste to throw them out, but as if niw, I can not use them.
Hi Debbie,
no you shouldn’t have any issues at all with the inks you have left from the instant ink program. Disabling the feature just means that any new cartridges you insert just don’t lock to your printer.
Thanks,
Stu
Thank you for this information. I was able to resolve this issue and disable this function. Very, very helpful.
Hi thanks for this advice. Unfortunately I cant find the cartridge protection option in the settings for my HP C4180. Could it be hidden?
Hi Richard, the older printers such as Photosmart models don’t have cartridge protection options, it tends to be newer models such as deskjet and Officejet models.
I have an HP2180 and cannot find where to disable this irritating problem. Can you advise how I find it please?
Hi there, this issue shouldn’t affect HP DeskJet printers including the 2180 model. If you#re having trouble with compatible inks, it’s most likely for another reason. Have a look at the following article which may help: Printer not recognising compatible inks
I have followed your instructions for HP Officejet Pro 276dw and disabled Cartridge Protection, it was disabled already though, but I went through the motions. I had opened the front door and released all the cartridges so that there were none actually fitted. Then pressed OK. It still thinks that there is no Yellow cartridge. There is one and it has some ink sloshing around inside it. Any further ideas?
Best bet is to have a look at this page. A coupe of suggestions as to why the toner is not being read correctly: https://www.tonergiant.co.uk/blog/2014/07/printer-not-recognising-compatible-cartridges/
I have a HP ENVY 5643. Can not find the disable feature for “protected Cartridge Installed”. I bought what I thought to be genuine HP 62XL cartridges. The black works OK but the color cartridge locks up the printer. HP customer service offered to fix if I bought service contract. I’m not spending another $ on HP products or services unless a solution to this issue is found. HP caused the problem, they should fix it. Can you help me please?
Thanks,
Larry
Hi Larry, it’s likely that if you have some remanufactured inks installed, they have been previously locked to someone else’s printer (most likely the colour ink). The only thing that you can really do is return them to the place you purchased them for a refund.
Hi, thank you for your helpful article. However can you help me with a couple of things. I can’t find my hp toolbox, I click on the printer icon and get hp assistant and there’s no settings option.
Then I have a wifi enabled deskjet 3050a j611 but am not using the wifi option, just the USB route. Which should I use?
Is it possible to do more screen shots of the steps and am not able to follow.
Thanks!
Hi Barbara, here are the steps that you need to follow to get to the toolbox on a PC: