Hello-

OS is Win2K prof
Printer is on network with Linksys Wireless G router off Roadrunner modem

I have an HP officejet R65 and it prints fine in B&W but in color I'm only getting pinks. I ran all the troubleshooting stuff and changed the color cartridge but got the same result. So I got out my old Deskject 720C (it uses the same cartridges) and tried it. Got the same results, only pinks.

Process of elimination still points toward the cartridge but I did put a new one in. It was about a year old, still in the box - I kept it as a backup.

The only two things I can think of now are that the B&W cartridge is causing this problem (but I can't think how given I only get pink tones) or that there is a software problem (only how could that affect both printers the same way.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
zeroth

Your color isn't working right so don't worry about the black cartridge. The color cartridge is probably bad especially if it did the same thing in two printers. You should try cleaning the print heads through the printer software.

Well, as I said, I did put in a brand new color cartridge. And it produces the same problem as the old one. I could understand if it was a little different, but it's exactly the same. In fact, I had an even older one in the 720. They all do the same thing in both printers. Not likely that the same problem occures in three different cartridges - I hate to buy yet another one (they are expensive) is it's something in the software but that's not likely in two different printers.

I would think the officejet has a self test option that you can get to from the panel on the printer. Run the test page from there and NOT through the software. If the color is still messed up then you know for sure it is not the software. But I've never seen it to be the software's fault. Chances are the printer and/or cartridge needs cleaned. HP has a guide to doing it right on their webpage.

Oh... and the Officejet R65 uses the HP17 color cartridge and 720 uses the HP23 color cartridge. They use the same black cartridge but not the same color.

Did you remove the blue tape from the bottom of the cartridge?

I already did everything you suggested before I posted. Cleaned the printer and cartridge, tried all the different combinations of cartridge and printer (BTW, I'm looking at the HP web site and the color cartridge C1823D is listed for both printers), yes the tape is removed, test page was run from the control panel.

In short, I've tried everything imaginable, short of paying $30 to HP for a talk with one of their techs, which I imagine would not reveal anything other than wasting my $$. Again, I've got three cartridges here of differing ages. The one in the 720c is almost empty, the one I replaced in the R65 is half empty and the last one is brand new, just out of the package. They all do the exact same thing in both printers. This is why I'm leaning toward software. It can't be the printer since they are both doing the same, printing the same overall pink color. All three cartridges could not produce the same result unless they are all bad the same way. I can't come up with anything else.


The one thing in common is that all three of the cartridges are over 2 years old, the newest was on my shelf for when I needed to replace. I just saw on the web that a lawsuit has been filed against HP for supposedly putting a shutdown date on the chip in all their cartridges to make them stop functioning on that date, empty or not. Could it be that since my cartridges are older that they all have gone off because of this chip?

zeroth

a one year old ink cartridge sitting on a shelf is not brand new! the pink is something i just had with my lexmark ,and a new color cartridge fixed it for me .
also i don't think that the shutdown chip was in you older cartridges .
break down and buy a NEW cartridge ,software is not usually the problem !!

Once again.... it's not the software if you are printing a test page from built-in menu on the printer. The software on the computer is not used to print when doing test pages this way. Unplug it from the computer if you don't believe me. It's not the software. Geezzz.

One or two year old cartridges (you've said both), simply dry up or run out of one color before the others. Pink print is a classic sign of a bad color cartridge. I, like most people, would go get a new cartridge instead of arguing, but at this point I'm going to suggest an etch-a-sketch instead.

OK, OK I hear ya! Although I like the etch-a-sketch idea a lot...

I'll go out a buy a new one tomorrow if I can find a store open - it's opening the last new one I had and it didn't work that's got me worried.

Thanks for being so persistent.
zeroth

just my thoughts on the ink ,if you don't use a full catridge in at least 3-4 mnts you should not buy more than one at a time !

I bow humbly before the group - I just bought a new cartridge and it works fine.

Thanks for your patience,
zeroth