Why did my printer stop accepting compatible ink after a firmware update? and how to get printing again

You bought a cheaper compatible or refilled cartridge, it printed fine for weeks, then one day the printer flashed an error and refused to print. Almost always the cause is a firmware update that switched on cartridge blocking. On HP printers this feature is called Dynamic Security, and it is designed to reject any cartridge that does not carry an HP chip. Below is what actually happened, how to tell if you can undo it, and how to keep printing for less without bricking the machine.

The short version: If a compatible cartridge suddenly stopped working right after your printer updated itself, it is almost certainly HP Dynamic Security, delivered in that update. On 21 HP LaserJet models covered by a 2025 US settlement you can decline or roll it back. On other HP models the fix is to avoid the update in the first place. Brother, Canon and Epson do not do this, so their compatibles keep working.

What actually happened to your cartridge

Nothing physically failed. The cartridge is fine. What changed is the printer's software.

HP printers made since late 2016 can ship with a feature HP calls Dynamic Security. It checks whether the fitted cartridge carries a genuine HP security chip. A cartridge without that chip, which includes most compatibles and some refills, can be refused. HP delivers and reinforces this through periodic firmware updates, and in HP's own words those updates are meant to keep the feature effective and to block cartridges that previously worked.

That is the part that catches people out. The cartridge is not detected as empty or faulty. The printer simply decided, after an update it often installed on its own overnight, to stop trusting non-HP chips. A cartridge that printed on Monday can be rejected on Tuesday with nothing changed but the firmware.

The error messages that mean a firmware block

Dynamic Security does not say 'we blocked your cheap ink'. It shows up as a cartridge fault, which sends people hunting for the wrong fix. The tell is that the message appears on a cartridge you know is good. Common wording:

Cartridge Problem or Cartridge Error
Non-HP Chip Detected
Used, Refilled, or Counterfeit Cartridge
One or more cartridges appear to be damaged, on a new cartridge
Supply Problem or ? on the ink level

The timing is the giveaway. If the error arrived right after the printer ran an update, or right after you reconnected it to the internet, treat it as a firmware block rather than a bad cartridge.

Is it your printer? Only one brand does this

This is worth being precise about, because it decides whether you can fix it.

HP is the only major brand that ships firmware capable of blocking third-party ink and toner. Not every HP model enforces it, but the ones that do are the source of nearly all of these complaints.
Epson does the same thing to its cartridge models, more quietly. There is no feature name and no announcement, but Epson's own user guides say that non-Epson cartridges which worked before a firmware update may not continue to work after one. Epson EcoTank is the exception Epson names itself, because it refills from bottles and has no cartridge chip to refuse.
Brother is the brand where this does not happen. No Brother model we track ships firmware that blocks third-party cartridges. Canon publishes nothing either way and may show an early low-ink warning on a third-party cartridge that still prints, which is a nuisance rather than a lockout.
HP+ and Instant Ink models are the highest risk. If you enrolled the printer in HP+ at setup, or you subscribe to Instant Ink, using original HP cartridges is a condition of the programme and the printer enforces it.

To check whether your exact model is on record as able to block third-party ink, look it up in our printer firmware-DRM tracker. It lists every model we track, sourced, with a plain yes or no.

Step 1: check your firmware and your update setting

Before you change anything, see where you stand. You want two things: your current firmware version, and whether the printer is set to update itself automatically.

From the printer's own screen: open Setup or the gear or wrench icon, then Printer Maintenance or Tools, then Update the Printer or Printer Update. That screen usually shows the installed firmware and an update-options setting.

From the HP Smart app: select your printer, open Advanced Settings (this opens the printer's built-in web page), then General, then Firmware Update. It may ask for the PIN printed on the label inside the cartridge door.

From the Embedded Web Server (EWS): print a network configuration page or check the printer screen for its IP address, type that IP into a web browser on the same network, and open Tools or Web Services, then Product Updates or Printer Update. If the browser warns the page is not secure, that is normal for a local printer, continue to the page.

If auto-update is on, that is how the block reached you. Turn it off (Step 3) so it cannot happen again while you sort out cartridges.

Step 2: get compatible ink working again

Work through these in order. Be honest with yourself about your model, because on most HP printers a hard block cannot be undone once installed.

Reseat the cartridge. Remove it, wipe the contacts gently with a dry lint-free cloth, and refit it firmly. This clears a genuine contact fault, which can look identical to a block. If the same error returns instantly, it is a block, not a connection.
Check for a decline or continue option. Some Dynamic Security prompts offer a choice at the moment they appear. If you see any wording that lets you keep using the cartridge, take it. A full block will not offer one.
Roll back the firmware, if your model allows it. Under a 2025 US settlement, owners of 21 named HP LaserJet models can decline Dynamic Security or roll it back to a version that accepts non-HP toner. If you own one of the models listed below, go to HP's support site, find your model, open Software and Drivers, and look for the firmware or the opt-out process HP publishes for the settlement. Then immediately disable auto-updates (Step 3) or it will return.
Ask your cartridge seller. Reputable compatible and remanufactured sellers track which chips survive current HP firmware and will replace a blocked cartridge or send an updated-chip version. Keep your receipt.
If none of that applies, your realistic choices on that printer are genuine HP supplies or a different printer. That is a deliberately narrow set, and it is the whole point of the feature.

The 21 LaserJet models covered by the settlement opt-out: HP LaserJet Pro M404N, M404DN, M404DW; HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428DW, M428FDN, M428FDW; HP Color LaserJet Pro M254DW, M255DW; HP Color LaserJet Pro M454DN, M454DW; HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M180NW, M182NW, M183FW, M281FDW, M281CDW, M283CDW, M283FDW; HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M479DW, M479FNW, M479FDN, M479FDW. Models made before 2016 are also covered. Every other HP printer made after 2016 stays at risk.

Step 3: stop it happening again

Whether or not you recovered this cartridge, the lasting fix is to keep the block from arriving. Updates are the delivery mechanism, so control them.

Turn off automatic firmware updates. On the printer screen: Setup or Tools, then Update the Printer or Printer Update Options, then set it to Do Not Check or Notify me rather than install automatically. In the EWS or HP Smart Advanced Settings, open Product Updates or Firmware Update and uncheck automatic updates.
Do not accept a prompted update unless you know what it changes. On models outside the settlement list, most updates cannot be undone once installed.
If the toggle refuses to stay off, some people block the printer from reaching HP's update servers at the router, or simply keep the printer off the internet and print over USB or a local network. That stops updates but also stops remote printing and some app features, so it is a trade-off.
Buy compatibles from a seller that guarantees the chip works with current HP firmware, and buy a smaller quantity at first rather than a year's supply.
When you replace the printer, a Brother, Canon or Epson cartridge model, or an Epson EcoTank or Canon MegaTank refillable, sidesteps the whole problem. See our DRM tracker for which specific models stay open.

The cost reality, and why HP does this

None of this is an accident. Printers are sold cheap and the profit is in the supplies. HP's own chief executive put it plainly: the company loses money on the hardware and makes it on the ink and toner. Dynamic Security protects that supplies revenue by steering you back to HP cartridges.

That is why compatible and remanufactured cartridges exist and why they are so much cheaper: you are buying the ink without the brand margin. Quality varies by seller, so a well-reviewed compatible with a chip guarantee is very different from the cheapest listing you can find. For any given printer you can see the genuine cartridge's cost per page on its page on this site, then judge a compatible against it.

One myth worth killing: using a third-party cartridge does not automatically void your warranty. Under US warranty law (the Magnuson-Moss Act) a manufacturer cannot void your whole warranty simply because you used non-OEM ink. It can decline to cover damage it can show a specific cartridge actually caused, which is a much narrower thing. Similar consumer protections apply in the UK and EU.

Common questions

Is it legal for HP to block ink I already paid for?

HP has settled several lawsuits and paid regulatory fines over Dynamic Security, including a EUR 10 million fine in Italy and multiple US and EU settlements, but it has never been ordered to stop. It now discloses the feature and offers a limited opt-out on some models, so it continues under closer scrutiny rather than being banned.

My cartridge worked for weeks and then stopped. How is that possible?

Because the block is delivered by a firmware update, not by the cartridge. The printer trusted the cartridge until it installed an update, usually on its own, that switched on or reinforced Dynamic Security. Nothing about the cartridge changed. This delayed timing is the classic signature of a firmware block.

Will declining firmware updates make my printer unsafe?

Firmware updates also carry genuine bug fixes and security patches, so skipping them is not free. The practical approach is to hold automatic updates, then update deliberately only when you know what a specific release changes, rather than letting the printer install everything overnight.

Does using compatible ink void my warranty?

No, not by itself. Under the US Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, and comparable UK and EU consumer law, a manufacturer cannot void your entire warranty just because you used a third-party cartridge. It can decline to cover damage it proves a specific cartridge caused, which rarely applies.

Is there a permanent fix, or do I just have to buy HP ink?

On the 21 LaserJet models in the 2025 settlement, and on models made before 2016, you can decline or roll back Dynamic Security and keep using compatibles. On other affected HP models there is no official rollback, so the durable fix is to disable automatic updates before a block arrives. If your printer is already hard-blocked and not on the list, your options are genuine HP supplies or a machine that does not lock, which means a Brother or an Epson EcoTank rather than an Epson cartridge model.

Keep reading

How to tell if a cheap third-party cartridge is safe to use the real risks, the myths, and a seller-vetting checklist.
How to disable HP Dynamic Security and decline updates safely stop the next block: firmware controls, the HP+ trap, and the models you can unlock.
Printer firmware-DRM tracker our sourced list of which printers can block third-party ink.
Find the exact cartridge your printer uses and see its cost per page versus compatibles.
How to reset a Canon printer after a firmware or ink error the power cycle, the support codes, and the keep-printing override.
OEM vs compatible vs remanufactured cartridges the real cost-per-page and quality breakdown before you switch.
What the cartridge chip actually does the component the firmware block runs on.
Is your cartridge number being discontinued? a firmware lock on top of a retired cartridge number closes both supply routes.
Your cartridge is being discontinued: what to do about it when a firmware lock removes the compatible fallback as well.

Sources

HP Support, Update the firmware on an HP printer (note on Dynamic Security and blocking cartridges that previously worked). support.hp.com
HP Support, Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement, Dynamic Security on certain LaserJet printers (Mobile Emergency Housing Corp v HP), including the model list. support.hp.com
Ars Technica, HP avoids monetary damages over bricked printers in class-action settlement (March 2025). arstechnica.com
PCWorld, HP printer class action suit ends in disappointment (21 LaserJet models, roll-back option). pcworld.com
US District Court, Northern District of California, Notice of Proposed Class Action Settlement (5:20-cv-09157-SVK), full model list and settlement terms. attorneyzim.com

Last updated 13 September 2026. This guide is general information, not a repair warranty. Printer menus and HP's model lists change, so confirm the exact steps for your model on the manufacturer's support site before you make changes.