HP m281 won't recognize toner

[Tom]

I had a customer call me today that said their aftermarket toners suddenly won't recognize. These were installed toners that were working just fine yesterday, but a computer update came through last night and now this morning they dont work. She tried other aftermarket toners with the same result. The machine is hooked up wirelessly. I'm thinking a firmware update from HP installed and is blocking them. I have a lot of the M452s/M477's in the field, is this something I can expect in the future, as they all use the aftermarket toners. It's the only cost effective option in these models. Is there anyway to bypass this with a setting that I don't know about? I know HP changed the newer M454/M479 models so that only OEM toner can be used so they can make all that money, but retrofitting the older ones without customers knowledge is just a crappy thing to do.

[ZoZo]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

It's the FW, no way to get around it other than using OEM that I'm aware of. Really shitty thing of HP to do.

[scanmc]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

It's the FW, no way to get around it other than using OEM that I'm aware of. Really shitty thing of HP to do.

Got this from one of my vendors. Hope it helps

[Tom]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

Thanks ZOZO and Scanmc, so it does definitely appear to be firmware. Thanks for that link by the way. I see they did this update last month, I don't know if it effects the M452/M477 models, that what I have most of, just that one M281. I guess Monday I'll spend the entire day going around to all my customers and turning off update ability on them all just in case it was an update for all. Even if it wasn't, I'm sure they will be next. Friggin money hungry jacklegs, the cheap aftermarkets were the only thing that made those worth buying. I noticed when I got home my own laptop is asking for an update, probably the same one December 14, 2021—KB5008212 (OS Builds 19041.1415, 19042.1415, 19043.1415, and 19044.1415) I didn't see anything in it regarding HP, that's some pretty underhanded shit that they hid their firmware update in a windows update, I thought on those printers that it would always ask you first if you wanted to download it. I guess HP paid off the right people.

[Lance15]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

I've never seen a Windows update include printer firmware.

HP has a printer firmware updater in the printer firmware itself. Most times I've seen it fail because it's blocked by the customers network, however, in smaller business situations, it will automatically go out to HP and install the latest firmware available.

The update feature must be turned off on the printer itself.

The HP update your seeing is probably coming from the HP Update application that, unless it's unchecked while installing the full driver, monitors when there are new DRIVERS (not printer firmware) available for the PC.

[Tricky]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

I don't know if it effects the M452/M477 models,

Compatibles still work on hpm477 with firmware 20211118 from hp.com, I never use the printer's built in update I get the firmware from the site and send to the printer over the network.

[Tom]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

Compatibles still work on hpm477 with firmware 20211118 from hp.com, I never use the printer's built in update I get the firmware from the site and send to the printer over the network.

Thanks Skynet, that was my biggest worry. I was going to spend the entire day monday going around turning off update ability, but now I'll just do it when I'm passing by the customers or delivering toner to them, that will save me some time and gas. I wish there was a way to make the newer M454/M479 models accept aftermarket.

[tech28]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

Multiple places you can download older firmware. Copy it to a usb memory stick, go to customers office and just download it, your done. 10 minutes if that. Change settings, done. Just did a couple last week. After Windows update, machine will ask customer if they want update machine, generally people unknowingly will. If you set it to not update at all, you'll be good to go.
Good Luck, God Bless America!!

[Tom]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

Multiple places you can download older firmware. Copy it to a usb memory stick, go to customers office and just download it, your done. 10 minutes if that. Change settings, done. Just did a couple last week. After Windows update, machine will ask customer if they want update machine, generally people unknowingly will. If you set it to not update at all, you'll be good to go.
Good Luck, God Bless America!!

Can you copy it to a memory stick for the M452/M477's??? I was doing a little research, and it looks like on those you have to do it over a network or at least hooked up usb to a laptop to download it. I remember a couple years ago there was a DC controller update that came out with a prn file that could be downloaded to a thumbdrive and uploaded just by plugging it in, but everything I'm reading online says that might not work on the latest firmware. HP site has the latest firmware, but it's an exe file not a bdl which from what I'm seeing is required. It would be nice to just have it with me, plug in and upload latest firmware, but when I try and download the exe file from HP it says not all properties can be copied and it will download 28.1 mb out of a 28.2 mb file, which makes me think they have to be done online.

[Drivee]

Re: HP m281 won't recognize toner

Hi
Please PM me, I will send you old firmware and instruction.