Today, it has been seen that a printer is not recognizing a new ink or toner cartridge and it has become the most common issue that the print owners experience when changing or replacing an empty one. This might affect your printer when you try to replace compatible or refilled ink cartridges and you may be looking for a way to fix this issue. Read the following steps where we have explained why this happens and how to fix Canon printer won’t recognize ink cartridge:

Why is your Canon Printer Won’t Recognize Ink Cartridge?

Various reasons show why Canon printer is unable to recognize Ink cartridge and these are listed below:

1: Toner might not be compatible.

2: The printer Cartridge is not detected.

3: Low ink or toner levels “Canoncartridges locked, or cartridge protection is enabled”.

4: No cartridge installed.

5: No warning lights flashing on the Printer and a lot more.

How to Fix Canon Printer Won’t Recognize Ink Cartridge Problem?

Is your Canon printer is not recognizing your new ink or toner cartridges? Well, this kind of problem has been seen as quite common among Canon users and this problem usually occurs when you are using refilled, compatible, or remanufactured cartridges.

Below we have defined some troubleshooting methods in order to fix Canon Printer Won’t Recognize Ink Cartridge problem:

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Solution 1 – Reset Printer Internal Memory to fix Canon Printer Won’t Recognize Ink Cartridge:

Usually, a Canon printer can detect full ink levels or the new ink cartridges. But in few cases, it fails to do it because the internal memory is full. Whenever this happens then the printer thinks that it is using an old or empty cartridge even though you have already replaced it with a new one. Thus, you can solve this problem by resetting your Canon printer’s internal memory.

Here we have explained some steps to reset Printer internal memory:

1: First, you need to remove the new ink cartridge and then reload the old ink cartridge back into the printer.

2: Now, you need to wait for 10 minutes before you proceed to the next step.

3: Next, you need to remove the old ink cartridge and then install the new ink cartridge again.

Canon printer should be able to recognize your new ink cartridge and if it still doesn’t then you need to try the given additional steps:

1: First, remove the new ink cartridge from the Canon printer.

2: Now, turn off your Canon printer and then detach its power cord for 10 minutes.

3: Again, reconnect the power cord but try not to turn on the power button abruptly.

4: Now, reload the ink cartridge back into the printer.

Solution 2 – Remove Protective Tape or Strip:

However, if you forget to remove the protective covering from the ink cartridges then you must first take out the cartridge from its packaging then only the printer will not be able to detect the newly installed cartridges and thus it will cause printer errors. Hence, you need to make sure that the protective taping is removed and prevent the printing errors from arising.

Solution 3 – Check Functioning of Ink Cartridge:

Follow these steps to check the functioning of the ink Cartridge:

1: First, click the Start menu and then search for Devices and Printers.

2: Now, select Devices and Printers in the search bar.

3: Next, you need to click the printer that you want to check, and you will see the ink levels at the bottom of the devices and printer’s section.

Solution 4 – Check Cartridges are Properly Installed:

Sometimes there will be a chance that an ink cartridge has not been filled into its designated slot so the printer can’t detect the new ink cartridge and it start displays the error message. Thus, you need to do is to lift your cartridge cover again and then double-check each of the inserted cartridges. In the case of toners, the broken plastic parts can cause the toner to not sit correctly into the printer slot. Therefore, you need to replace the toner to fix the issue.

Solution 5 – Disable Canon Protection Cartridge:

Today, Canon printer has integrated its printers with firmware, and it helps in ensuring smooth performance and functionality. Sometimes this firmware can become a source of headache and especially when you are using a compatible Canon ink cartridge. It also prevents these types of cartridges from working. To fix this error it would be best to disable Canon cartridge protection first.

1: First, go to Control Panel and then select Devices and Printers.

2: Now, you need to locate and then right-click on your printer on the list.

3: Next, select the Printer Properties followed by the software tab.

4: Now, un-tick the automatically update your printer.

Solution 6 – Clean Metal Contacts: 

Canon ink cartridge contains numerous metal contacts which are responsible for transmitting the electronic signals to the printer. Sometimes this ink allows the printer to instruct the cartridge in order to release ink and then apply it to the paper during printing.

Whenever the metal contacts become dirty or damaged then it disrupts the flow of communication in between the printer and ink cartridge, not working errors. Thus, you need to make sure that your metal contacts are cleaned with the help of these steps:

1: Firstly, you need to turn off your Canon printer and then unplug its power cord.

2: Now, remove the new cartridge from the printer.

3: Next, you need to check the metal contacts as they are usually found on the side or back.

4: Check the printer cartridge for the connection point.

5: Now, make use of a clean, dry cloth and then gently wipe the metallic contacts and use the connection point.

6: Make sure that all the dirt and residue are wiped clean.

7: Next, reload the new ink cartridge back into the printer.

8: Finally, turn on the printer and start doing a test print to see if the cartridge gets detected.

Solution 7 – Check Ink Level:

To check the ink level, you need to follow these steps:

1: First, you need to click the Start menu and then search for Devices and Printers.

2: Now, select Devices and Printers into the search bar.

3: Next, click the printer that you want to check and then you will see the ink levels at the bottom of the Devices and Printers section.

Frequently Asked Question (FAQ)

Q1: How you can reset Canon ink Cartridge?

Ans: To reset Canon ink cartridge, look for these steps:

1: First, you need to remove the cartridges and then unplug the printer.

2: Now, hold the power button for at least 30 seconds and then release it.

3: Next, plug in Printer and then again reinstall cartridges one at a time. 

Q2: How you can reset the Ink cartridge after refilling?

Ans: Following has been listed some steps to reset the Ink cartridge after refilling:

1: First, take out the cartridge.

2: Now, turn off the Printer.

3: Unplug the power cord.

4: Now, wait for 5-10 minutes and then again plug it back on.

5: Turn the printer back on.

6: Re-install the cartridges.

Q3: How to Reset Canon printer?

Ans: Refer to the following steps to reset the Canon printer:

1: From the screen on your printer, you need to navigate to Setup.

2: Now, tap Tools.

3: Tap, Restore Defaults.

4: Now, tap Yes.

5: Here the Printer will get restarted.

6: Once the printer gets restarted then your printer will have been reset to factory default settings.

Q4: What you need to do if the printer is not printing the documents?

Ans: Learn these steps if the printer is not printing the documents:

1: First, check your Printer’s error lights.

2: Now, clear the Printer queue.

3: Next, solidify the connection.

4: Ensure that you have the right printer.

5: Now, install the Drivers and software.

6: Add Printer.

7: Check the paper is installed but not jammed.

8: Fiddle with the ink cartridges.

Q5: How you can troubleshoot a network printer?

Ans: In order to troubleshoot a network printer, look for these steps:

1: First, test your drivers.

2: Here it offers lots of driver options.

3: Click for your printer’s name.

4: Restart the queue.

5: Restart the printer.

Final words

So, in this article, we have defined all the possible solutions that help in fixing the Canon printer unable to recognize the ink cartridge. You can follow these steps and see which method works best for you. All these solutions have been proven successful in resolving the issue of the Canon printer won’t recognize ink cartridge. However, if these solutions won’t work then you can contact our experienced team and get help from them in fixing this error.

In case of any query, we are all time available for you. You can contact us via chat and get help from us. Our team has relevant experience in solving printer-related problems and delivers you the right solution for all your problem. So, feel free to contact us in case of any issues with your printer. We are here to help you.