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HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Photo Printer Troubleshooting

'Install the following printheads' Message Displays on the Printer

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Issue

The product does not print after all the printheads are installed. The message Install the following printheads appears on the control panel display. The message is followed by the printheads that the product does not detect.

Solution

Step one: Remove and reinstall the printhead(s) indicated in the message

  1. Open the top door.
  2. Press and hold the OK button until the printhead assembly moves to the left side of the product and stops.
  3. Notice the metal bar that holds down the blue printhead assembly cover.
  4. Unclip the cover from the metal bar and raise the cover.
    Figure 1: Raising the blue printhead assembly cover
  5. Press down on the printhead indicated in the message.
  6. Pull the printhead to remove it.
  7. Reinstall the printhead into its color-coded stall by pressing it until the printhead is all the way in.
    Figure 2: Reinstalling the printhead
  8. Repeat steps five through seven for the other printheads indicated in the message.
  9. Lower the printhead assembly cover to clip it under the metal bar.
  10. Close the top door.
  11. Make sure that the HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper is loaded in the main tray and press the OK button to perform the alignment and calibration.
    NOTE:Only the HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper should be used. If plain paper is detected by the product, the calibration procedure might fail.
If the issue continues, proceed to the next step.

Step two: Clean the printhead nozzles

  1. Gather the following items to clean the nozzles on the printhead(s).
    • Distilled water (tap water might contain contaminants that can damage the ink cartridge).
    • Cotton swabs or other soft, lint-free material that will not stick to the ink cartridge. Do not use a paper product, such as coffee filters or paper tissues.
    • Sheets of paper or paper towels to rest the printheads.
  2. Open the top door.
  3. Press and hold the OK button until the printhead assembly moves to the left side of the product and stops.
  4. Wait for the carriage to stop moving.
  5. Unclip the blue printhead assembly cover from the metal bar, and raise the cover.
  6. Remove the printhead indicated in the message, and place it on a piece of paper with the ink nozzle plate facing up.
    CAUTION:Do not leave the printhead outside the product for more than 30 minutes. Ink nozzles exposed to the air longer than this might dry out and cause printing problems.
  7. Lightly moisten a cotton swab with distilled water and squeeze any excess water from the swab by pressing it against a clean plastic or tile surface.
    NOTE:Do not use fingers to squeeze the excess water from the swab, because the oil from fingers can contaminate the swab.
  8. Gently wipe along the length of the nozzle plate on the printhead with the cotton swab.
    CAUTION:Do not touch the copper-colored contacts with fingers. Doing so will result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.
    Figure 3: Ink nozzle plate and copper-colored contacts
    1 - Ink nozzle plate
    2 - Do not touch or clean the copper-colored contacts
  9. Repeat steps six through eight until no ink residue or dust appears on a clean swab.
  10. Press down firmly on the printhead into its color-coded slot (the label on the printhead must match the label on the printhead latch).
  11. Repeat steps 6 through 10 for the other printheads indicated in the message.
  12. Lower the printhead assembly cover to clip it under the metal bar.
  13. Close the top cover.
  14. Press the OK button to perform the alignment and calibration.
  • If the issue continues, proceed to Step four: Service the product.
  • Proceed to the next step if the test page prints.

Step three: Upgrade the firmware

  1. On the test page, under Printer Information , check line '15: FW' for the firmware code.
    Figure 4: Test page
  2. If the firmware code ends in 21A, 24A, 25A or 26B, click here to install the latest firmware update.
    Proceed to Step four: Service the product if the firmware code ends in other values.
  3. Click the operating system in use.
  4. Under the Update section, click Recommended Firmware Update for HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Printer .
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions to install the latest firmware update.
If the issue continues, proceed to the next step.

Step four: Service the product

If you have completed all the preceding steps and are still experiencing a problem, service the product.
Determine if your product is in warranty or out of warranty. If you need help determining your product’s warranty status, go to HP’s Warranty Check Tool .
  • If your product is in warranty , contact HP.
  • If your product is out of warranty , click here to view additional printer support options starting as low as $20.

    HP Photosmart Pro B9180 Photo Printer

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