HELP...firmware update caused Carts to show expired in January of 1970!

[believer07]

...this happened to me about 6 years ago when I was trying to print photos for my father's wake (he was 101)...HP told me to pound sand.  My printer insisted that my carts were expired in January of 1970...even when I changed them, one at a time, they all insisted the same...I gave up, heartbroken, in so many ways.

Has anyone else had this issue? (Not counting it happening after a death in the family, that would just be too weird)

A couple years ago, I reverted to an old firmware version, and after cleaning the heads, I got it to print a profile.  Since I needed to buy some supplies, and my finances weren't there, I left it alone. 

Fast forward to today, In trying to get the printer back up and running, I'm having the same issue with the carts, B, and LM are showing expired in 1970.  I tried to revert the firmware to an earlier version again, but now the printer is telling me to pound sand.

Any ideas?

Should I just go and pound sand, or let the printer fall out of the back of a truck on the freeway...or....

[believer07]

...so I'm the only person who has had this issue?

[believer07]

...this happened to me about 6 years ago when I was trying to print photos for my father's wake (he was 101)...HP told me to pound sand.  My printer insisted that my carts were expired in January of 1970...even when I changed them, one at a time, they all insisted the same...I gave up, heartbroken, in so many ways.

Has anyone else had this issue? (Not counting it happening after a death in the family, that would just be too weird)

A couple years ago, I reverted to an old firmware version, and after cleaning the heads, I got it to print a profile.  Since I needed to buy some supplies, and my finances weren't there, I left it alone. 

Fast forward to today, In trying to get the printer back up and running, I'm having the same issue with the carts, B, and LM are showing expired in 1970.  I tried to revert the firmware to an earlier version again, but now the printer is telling me to pound sand.

Any ideas?

Should I just go and pound sand, or let the printer fall out of the back of a truck on the freeway...or....

Has anyone ever had their printer show print carts expired "January1, 1970"?

Anyone?

The laundry list of issues that I've had with this printer is extensive - all software related. 

173 people have read this, but no one has heard of this?

[enduser]

My HP  Designjet tells me, when it first says something like " This printer is dead", that a fix might be to power it off, pull the power plug and let it sit for about an hour. This message is something a recent firmware upgrade installed. It has worked for me many times.
My guess is that static charges have built up in circuits and need to leak away.

[Ryan Mack]

I don't know why this is happening but I can at least shed some light on "January 1, 1970." The way Unix/Linux keeps track of time is by counting seconds after midnight on January 1, 1970, so this error is saying they expired at time = 0 seconds. Since it started with a firmware update it's probably a software problem. If there is a way to "factory reset" the printer, I would try that.

An alternative theory is that it had an error trying to actually read the chip on the cartridge. You might want to check and see if there's oxidation on the contacts where the cartridges electrical contacts connect inside the printer. If you can see them check if they look shiny and clean if you can see them. Usually I clean contacts using a pencil eraser but if it's really bad there are special brushes for that sort of thing.

[believer07]

Thanks for the replies, gang...I do appreciate it!

So, much to my surprise, an HP rep called me today, and things sound promising.  He was involved with these printers for mthe start, and is apparently the guru, and "go to guy" on all things Z31/3200.  He loves these printers, and knows them inside and out.  H is absolutely positive that he can make it sing like it should have when I first purchased it 14 years ago.

...this printer has never run right.  The thought of actually having a machine that works like it should after 14 painful years is pretty damned exciting.

I should know more by the end of the week, and I'll check back in and post the results!

Thanks again, glad to know the origin of the 1970 issue!

[IPDOUGLAS]

HP as a company were once found to have deliberately cause non-official 3rd party ink cartridges to leak via software.  This wrote off an office printer for me so never touch the brand now and warn others about them.  Odd as I sat alongside HP staff for nearly 15 years at an IT site when still working.

[believer07]

HP as a company were once found to have deliberately cause non-official 3rd party ink cartridges to leak via software.  This wrote off an office printer for me so never touch the brand now and warn others about them.  Odd as I sat alongside HP staff for nearly 15 years at an IT site when still working.

I suspected that that is what they did with the 1970 deal, but have no way to prove it.

I finally got a hold of the one tech I should have been talking to for the last 14 years, looks like things will work out.  He remotely set up my software and firmware on my printer and new computer.  Next week when the new print heads and carts arrive, we'll get together again and try to run some prints and see what happens.

[believer07]

Back to printing again...however, it will not print from PS.

When I do get it to print, the size is not what is shown in PS.  A 24x36" print is off by 5/8"...this makes it kinda hard to gallery wrap a print with pre-made stretcher bars!

Am I missing something?  I remember this issue when I first bought the printer, and at the time, I just made my own frames.

Is there a method of calibrating the two (PS and my printer) so that I can get the size I want when I send it to the printer?