HP firmware update that bricks printers still has no fix

[midian182]

Facepalm: Some HP printers are facing serious issues, and this time it's nothing to do with the company purposely blocking third-party ink cartridges. A firmware update HP released earlier this month has been bricking some customers' OfficeJet printers – and there's still no fix available.

Since about the second week of May, HP's support forums have been packed with angry users complaining about OfficeJet printers being bricked following the installation of a firmware update.

Affected users who installed the firmware found that a blue screen with error code 83C0000B appeared on their printers' touchscreens. Fixing the printer normally requires a factory reset, but that's done via the touchscreen, which is completely borked.

Bleeping Computer reports that some users from the US, UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, and France found their printers were frozen by the update.

Courtesy of Bennyboos

Printers affected by the firmware update include OfficeJet 9020e series models such as the Pro 9022e, Pro 9025e, Pro 9020e All-in-One, and Pro 9025e All-in-One. For those who own one of these printers and haven't already installed the firmware, HP recommends keeping it turned off or disabling their internet connection to avoid automatically downloading the problem software.

If you've installed the firmware update and it's bricked your printer, sending it to HP for servicing is the only solution. HP said in a statement that the problem has affected a "limited number" of users and that it is working "diligently" on a fix.

HP recommends that anyone experiencing the error contact its customer support team via https://support.hp.com.

The issue is just the latest for HP, which has spent the last seven years embroiled in controversy for pushing out firmware updates to its printers that disabled third-party ink cartridges. Despite the negative publicity, complaints, and lawsuits - the most recent of these was a $1.35 million payout to customers in four European countries - HP hasn't abandoned its cartridge DRM plans. A recent security update to its printers resulted in more models blocking cartridges that lack an HP chip.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/98787-hp-firmware-update-bricks-printers-has-no-fix.html

 

[ScottSoapbox]

Why haven’t they pulled the firmware yet?

 

[Achaios]

Ηm, this article is going to go places.

I imagine at this moment the hawks at Intel & NVIDIA taking copious notes.

These people pride themselves on being the masters of planned obsolescence but HP has them beat in their own game.

Wow.

 

[Kam7r]

" At HP we're making not only your computer get BSODs but your printer too ! "

 

[d5aqoep]

It has got everything to blocking aftermarket cartridges. Karma bites back HP.

 

[Adhmuz]

This sounds all too familiar, I believe it was HP, similar issue, printer Firmware got installed automatically as this is the default setting, caused the printer to boot loop, contacted the vendor, they denied everything and any wrong doing. Couple days later the printer got another firmware update and was fine after that.

 

[andyross]

I gave up on HP awhile ago. Had an OfficeJet 7310 where it would keep saying a print cartridge was not installed. Then an OfficeJet Pro 6978 where it kept claiming paper jam, when it was a carriage jam. Tried taking that one apart and found a broken small plastic clip floating around. Never got it working. Bought a Brother printer instead.

 

[Cycloid Torus]

So did I. Brother, Brother!

 

[VitalyT]

Why haven’t they pulled the firmware yet?

It must be stuck.

 

[StrikerRocket]

"HP hasn't abandoned its cartridge DRM plans."

Well, I have certainly abandoned HP...

 

[axiomatic13]

Don't buy these. Buy an Epson EcoTank. You get a year's worth of ink in the box and you can use any brand of ink you like.

 

[Hotlynx16]

Had an HP years ago, HP stands for "Horrible Product" My friend had HP desktop and had multitude of problems with it. The IDE controller chip didn't have a big enough heat sink on it and bit the dust! The only way I was able to resurrect it was to put a boot-able IDE controller card in it! He was too poor to afford a new computer! Had HP printers a couple of times and had problems! Been using Canon for the last few years with zero problems!

 

[LetTheWookieWin]

Don't buy these. Buy an Epson EcoTank. You get a year's worth of ink in the box and you can use any brand of ink you like.

This.

If you get it at Costco, they include an extra black refill and claim you can get two years of printing. I’ve printed a ton of legal documents and after 2 years I still have 3/4 of a black refill tank left to use. Very low operating cost, and the prints are great.

 

[Hotlynx16]

I have heard of the Epson EcoTank, I will consider them on my next printer buy!

 

[Underdog]

To be honest, after my similar experiences with HP I not only switched to Brother, I switched to a laser. End of problems with ink heads drying out from not being used often enough or automated head cleaning sequences in the middle of the night that simply wastes more ink.

 

[axiomatic13]

This.

If you get it at Costco, they include an extra black refill and claim you can get two years of printing. I’ve printed a ton of legal documents and after 2 years I still have 3/4 of a black refill tank left to use. Very low operating cost, and the prints are great.

The irony is that I worked for HP for 28 years.

 

[Ben Myers]

Yet another reason not to buy anything HP, except maybe laser printers.

 

[axiomatic13]

Yet another reason not to buy anything HP, except maybe laser printers.

Their thin and light laptops are fine. I have one of the AMD APU ones and it's a workhorse with excellent battery life.

 

[StrikerRocket]

This.

If you get it at Costco, they include an extra black refill and claim you can get two years of printing. I’ve printed a ton of legal documents and after 2 years I still have 3/4 of a black refill tank left to use. Very low operating cost, and the prints are great.

The only caveat, because there is one, is that after a number of prints, the printers locks itself and asks to change the inkpad used to suck up cleaning ink. But a little search on the internet and a small payment of $10 allows you to unbrick the device for an unlimited number of times after changing the pad and avoid sending it back to Epson. ;-) I did it with mine, and it works flawlessly!

 

[LetTheWookieWin]

The only caveat, because there is one, is that after a number of prints, the printers locks itself and asks to change the inkpad used to suck up cleaning ink. But a little search on the internet and a small payment of $10 allows you to unbrick the device for an unlimited number of times after changing the pad and avoid sending it back to Epson. ;-) I did it with mine, and it works flawlessly!

Hey, thanks for sharing that tidbit! I haven’t run into that yet, but good to know there’s an inexpensive workaround available.

 

[StrikerRocket]

Hey, thanks for sharing that tidbit! I haven’t run into that yet, but good to know there’s an inexpensive workaround available.

Look for resetepsontotal ;-) Inkchip also works, but you have to repay the $10 fee for a new key each time the printer locks up, and I heard that after the first lock up, it does it again every 4 to 8 months... Mine has not done it again for now, but it's a possibility.