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HP Photosmart C4780 All-in-One Printer Troubleshooting

'Alignment Failed' Message Displays on the Control Panel

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Issue

The error message 'Alignment failed ' displays on the product control panel.
Follow the solutions in order until you resolve your issue. When one of the solutions resolves your issue, you do not need to continue to troubleshoot.

Solution one: Make sure that the tray has the correct paper loaded

If the tray contains colored, photo, or used paper, the alignment fails.

Step one: Load the correct paper

  1. Remove all the paper from the tray.
  2. Load unused, plain white letter, or A4-sized paper with a brightness level of at least 85 into the tray.
    NOTE:Look for the brightness level on the paper packaging.
    Figure 1: Load paper into the tray
    Illustration of loading paper into the tray

Step two: Align the product

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  1. When prompted, press OK on the control panel. The alignment page prints.
  2. Raise the scanner lid.
  3. Place the alignment page print side down in the right-front corner of the scanner glass.
    Figure 2: Place the alignment page on the scanner glass
    Illustration of placing the alignment page on the scanner glass
  4. Press OK to start the scan. The product scans the alignment page, and the alignment process continues. When the alignment completes, the Power button ( ) stops flashing.
  5. Recycle or discard the alignment page.
  1. Open HP Solution Center:
    • Windows XP: Click Start , click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
    • Windows Vista: Click the Windows icon ( ), click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
    The HP Solution Center opens.
  2. Click Settings ( ).
  3. Under Print Settings , click Printer Toolbox . The Toolbox opens in a new window.
  4. Click the Device Services tab.
  5. Click Align the Print Cartridges , and then click OK . The product prints an alignment page.
  6. Raise the scanner lid.
  7. Place the alignment page with the printed side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass.
    Figure 3: Place the alignment page on the scanner glass
    Illustration of placing the alignment page on the scanner glass
  8. Close the scanner lid.
  9. Press OK to start the scan. The product scans the alignment page, and the alignment process continues. When the alignment completes, the Power button ( ) stops flashing.
  10. Recycle or discard the alignment page.
  • If these steps resolved the issue , you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
  • If the issue persists , continue to the next solution.

Solution two: Check the cartridges

Follow these steps in the order given to make sure that the cartridges operate correctly.

Step one: Check the ink levels

Empty or nearly empty cartridges can cause alignment failures. Follow these steps in the order presented to check the ink levels in the cartridges.
Which cartridges you use depends on your country or region. Follow these steps to purchase cartridges or check cartridge compatibility for your printer using HP SureSupply.
  1. Click this link, HP SureSupply .
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the page and make sure that the country or region location is correct.
  1. Open HP Solution Center:
    • Windows XP: Click Start , click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
    • Windows Vista: Click the Windows icon ( ), click All Programs , click HP , and then click HP Solution Center .
    The HP Solution Center opens.
  2. Click Settings ( ).
  3. Under Print Settings , click Printer Toolbox . The printer Toolbox opens in a new window.
  4. Click the Estimated Ink Level tab. The estimated ink levels display in a graphic on the computer.
  5. Replace any empty or almost empty cartridges, and then try the alignment again.
  • If these steps resolved the issue , there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
  • If the issue persists , see the next step.

Step two: Remove the cartridges

  1. Press the Power button ( ) to turn on the product.
  2. Open the cartridge door. The carriage moves to the far right side of the product.
    Figure 4: Open the cartridge door
    lllustration of opening the cartridge door.
  3. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent, and then lightly press down on a cartridge to release it.
    Figure 5: Press down on a cartridge
    Illustration of pressing down on a cartridge to release it.
  4. Pull the cartridge toward you out of its slot.

Step three: Check for protective tape on the contacts

If pieces of the protective tape still cover the contacts or the nozzles, the alignment fails. Follow these steps in the order presented to make sure that the cartridge has no protective tape on it.
  1. Check each cartridge for remnants of the protective tape you removed when you first installed the cartridge.
    NOTE:You might have removed the tape from the copper-colored contacts, but some tape might still cover the nozzles.
    Figure 6: Protective tape on the cartridge
    Illustration of the protective tape on the cartridge
    1 - Copper-colored contacts
    2 - Protective plastic tape
    3 - Nozzles under tape
  2. If tape still covers the nozzles, carefully remove the tape.
    CAUTION:Do not touch the nozzles or the copper-colored contacts. Doing so can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.
    Figure 7: Do not touch the nozzles or copper-colored contacts
    Illustration cautioning against touching the nozzles or copper-colored contacts.

Step four: Clean the cartridges

If the contacts on a cartridge are dirty or do not seat correctly, the alignment might fail. Follow these steps in the order presented to clean and reinstall the cartridges.
  1. Gather the following materials:
    • Soft, lint-free materials, such as foam-tipped swabs, that do not stick to the contacts
    • Clean, lint-free paper to rest the cartridges on (coffee filters work well)
    • Distilled water
      CAUTION:Do not use platen cleaners or alcohol to clean the print cartridge contacts. These can damage the print cartridge or the product.
  2. Inspect the cartridge contacts for ink and debris buildup.
  3. Dip a clean foam rubber swab or lint-free cloth into the distilled water.
  4. Squeeze any excess water from the swab or lint-free cloth.
  5. Hold the print cartridge by its sides.
  6. Clean only the copper-colored contacts.
    CAUTION:Do not try to clean the nozzles.
    Figure 8: Clean the contacts
    Illustration of cleaning the contacts
    1 - Copper-colored contacts
    2 - Nozzles (do not clean)

Step five: Reinstall the cartridges

  1. Slide each cartridge forward into its empty slot.
  2. Push the upper part of the cartridge forward until the cartridge clicks into the socket.
    Figure 9: Push the cartridge into its slot
    Illustration of pushing the cartridge into its slot
    NOTE:If the contacts on the cartridge do not touch the contacts on the carriage, the alignment fails. Make sure that the cartridges seat fully in their slots.
  3. Close the cartridge door.
    Figure 10: Close the cartridge door
    Illustration of closing the cartridge door
  4. Try the alignment again.
  • If these steps resolved the issue , you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
  • If the issue persists , continue to the next solution.

Solution three: Reset and relocate the product

A power reset drains power from the product and returns the product to the same settings after restarting. To eliminate any potential power deficiencies that might prevent a successful alignment, move the product to another location and plug it directly into a wall outlet. Follow these steps to reset and relocate the product.
  1. Make sure that the product is on. If necessary, press the Power button ( ) to turn on the product.
  2. With the product turned on, disconnect the power cord from the back of the product.
  3. Relocate the printer to a different power outlet, preferably an outlet in a different room.
  4. Plug the power cord directly into the wall outlet. Do not use a power strip. Do not reconnect the power cord to the back of the product at this time.
  5. Load unused, plain white letter or A4 sized paper in the tray.
  6. Reconnect the power cord to the back of the product.
  7. Press the Power button ( ) to turn on the product.
  8. Try the alignment again.
  • If these steps resolved the issue , you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
  • If the issue persists , continue to the next solution.

Solution four: Service the product

There might be a problem with the product hardware or a component may not be functioning correctly. The next step is to service the product.