Waste Ink Counter Reset

[Kenya Ahyet]

INKCHIPprovides the best software to reset your printer's waste ink pad counters. Just download our utility and with the WIC reset keys you can reset the ink pad counters to zero. It only takes a few seconds to easily reset your printer.

Assuming you've learned about waste ink pads, the process of replacing the pads or redirecting the waste ink to an external tank/kit, is only half the job. If your printer started displaying the "service required" or "waste pads in printer have reached end of service life" error, you still need to reset the printers internal waste counter(s).

When this article was originally written (back in early 2005 or so) the situation regarding options was pretty poor and there were very few printers that had accessible waste pads, much less the chip equipped maintenance boxes. So things have changed considerably.

In early 2000 or so, Epson USA made an Ink Pad Reset (IPR) utility that would allow customers of some inkjet models to reset their waste ink counters and allegedly make use of the excess capacity likely to be available in the printers pads. Epson has since removed this utility and all newer versions from their site. The utilities were limited in compatibility and usage so this isn't as big a loss as it might appear.

The original SSC utility, is now ancient and has almost no utility for all except those with printers more than 17 years old and while it was compatible with what was a wide range of printers it only dealt with those really old printers.

For quite some time the only way anyone was able to reset waste counters was to use the official service utilities available to sevice centres that had found their way onto the wider web with various protections and limits removed. Use of these utilities was limited to earlier versions of Windows operating system and while these sorts of utilities are still appearing on eBay, etc... for newer models, they still require substantial technical knowledge to use.

In 2009 came the release of the pay per reset utility called "WICReset" which stands for Waste Ink Counter Reset. This new tool requires the purchase of a digital "key" (basically a credit) which then allows the user to reset the waste ink counter once. The tool started off somewhat shakily in the early years but has matured into an effective tool that is reasonably user friendly.

I have tried every method I can find for resetting the waste ink counter and cannot get any of them to work (I wonder why there are so many). I have an iP1600 so can someone give me difinitive instructions on how to reset that counter? I currently have the green light go off then the amber light flashes 8 times, then the green light goes back on and the cycle starts again. It does not seem to effect printing so I assume it is just another waste ink mesasge. I just have to keep clearing the waste ink message every time I print. TIA.

You may have noticed that the Freejet 330-series occasionally jets very small amounts of ink into a small, chrome-plated tank (or spit tray) at the far left end of the carriage assembly. Ink accumulates in this tank over time so the printer will periodically warn us that the ink level in this waste tank should be checked and emptied to avoid overflowing, and the absorbent pad at the bottom of the tank replaced, as needed.

Rather than wait for this to happen, we proactively check the waste ink tank level visually to avoid overfilling, and we use a software utility called the Adjustment Program to reset the counter which triggers the error condition, as part of our routine monthly maintenance. By doing so, we avoid ever having a print job interrupted by that error condition.

You can contact our technical support team by sending an email to sup...@omniprintonline.com with your company name, contact name, phone number, printer serial number, and a quick description of how we can help you.

Using my Mac 10.7.5, does anyone know of a download that will reset the waste ink counter on my Epson Artisan 730 printer. I have changed the waste ink pads, but my 730 printer has locked me out until I change the waste ink counter back to 0. The printer screen message is:" A printer's ink pad is at the end of its life.Please contact Epson Support. Turn Off." Epson support says go to an Epson Service Center and have the machine serviced. The Service Center charges over $100 to do a reset. I found a reset program online but it was only used on PCs not Macs. Any help would be greatly appreciated, to get my printer back in service.

That out of the way, to answer your question there are Windows only utilities that will work to reset the printers waste ink counter and just need to be used to complete the reset. Once reset the printer can then be returned to the MacOS machine and not need the windows machine again (well, not until the waste counter hit maximum again).

Alternatively there's a MacOS compatible pay-per-reset option in the form of a utility called iWIC. This requires the purchase of a one-time digital key to complete the reset itself but the utility can be used without a key to read the waste counters and get some other information from the printer.

One critical thing to note though is that resetting and then ignoring the waste ink is a bit of a daft thing to do so if you do decide to reset, then consider replacing the waste pads or fitting something like a Printer Potty to you don't later discover you need a new carpet, etc...

Any time the printer completes a mini-maintenance routine, a printhead cleaning function is run or even when cartridges are changed in the printer, this value/counter will increase according to a carefully calculated equation in the printers firmware.

Time and a reset utility. The equation or algorithm used to calculate waste ink will (or has in the past at least) factor in how long the printer has been in use and adjust the counter trigger point to account for potential evaporation of the fluid from the waste ink pads. This is why some really old printers never seem to hit the waste ink message for years.

Hi I have the same problem...first key didn't work. Down loaded Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages x86 and x64. Bought another key and tried it again still didn't work, keeps saying ( not Responding) , feel like a waste of my time and money.

You received instructions and a link to install Microsoft Visual C++ x64 and x86 2017-2022 packages in an email with the WIC reset key. This is a prerequisite for the WIC reset utility to work correctly. You must install them before running the utility and before using the WIC reset key, otherwise the key may be corrupted.

Please email our support team at sup...@inkchip.net

If you own an Epson printer, you may have encountered the dreaded "waste ink pad full" error message. This error occurs when the printer's waste ink pad, which collects excess ink during cleaning and maintenance, reaches its maximum capacity. When this happens, the printer stops working until the waste ink pad is replaced or reset.

Replacing the waste ink pad on an Epson printer can be a daunting task, but it's essential to keep your printer functioning properly. In this article, we'll guide you through the process of replacing and resetting the waste ink pad on your Epson printer, step-by-step.

Before we get started, it's important to note that replacing the waste ink pad on an Epson printer can be messy, and it may void your printer's warranty. If your printer is still under warranty, we recommend contacting Epson customer support for assistance.

The first step in replacing the waste ink pad on your Epson printer is to locate the pad itself. Depending on your printer model, the waste ink pad may be located in different areas of the printer. To find the waste ink pad, refer to your printer's user manual or search online for instructions specific to your printer model.

Once you've located the waste ink pad, check its condition. If the pad is heavily saturated with ink or is disintegrating, it's time to replace it. If the pad is only partially full, you may be able to reset the waste ink counter instead.

Before replacing the waste ink pad, it's essential to clean the area around the pad to avoid ink spills and ensure a clean work environment. Use a damp cloth or paper towel to wipe away any excess ink, and be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands.

To replace the waste ink pad on your Epson printer, you'll need to disassemble the printer and remove the old pad. Again, the process will vary depending on your printer model, so be sure to refer to your user manual or search online for instructions specific to your printer.

After replacing the waste ink pad, you'll need to reset the waste ink counter to clear the "waste ink pad full" error message. To do this, you'll need to enter your printer's service mode and run a waste ink pad counter reset utility.

I can't speak for any other brands, since I've always used Epsons, right from day one. But from what I can figure out, this 'function' is peculiar to Epsons, and is all part of their efforts to 'encourage' you to have your device serviced regularly (for outrageous sums of money!) at their approved 'service centres'.

As if selling you a device at a reasonable price, followed by gouging you, ad infinitum, with extortionate ink prices, wasn't enough, the WIC value - once it reaches a certain point - will cause your printer to just quit working, without warning. All you'll see in your wee display panel will be something along the lines of

There used to be a free reset utility for Epsons, years ago, that worked under Windows. I had to use it, several years ago, because one of my Epsons gave some very heavy-duty service for a couple of years printing photos.....and I eventually hit the WIC value.

I've never been able to find one that functioned under Linux, until now.....and, TBH, I don't print anything like as much these days. Following a browse around the web, I located a repo of .deb packages for the WICreset utility. I downloaded an age-related one for my daily driver - jrb's lite version of BK's Quirky April 64 - installed it, annnd.....it works perfectly.

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