Prelim Question on Printer Install...

Dell Inspiron 531 Desktop (our secondary machine)

Windows Vista Home-Basic SP2

Trying to mate an HP Officejet 6310 AIO.

Can anyone say for sure, if a printer will or will not "work" with one ink cartridge missing?

This PC/OS configuration has ALWAYS presented problems when we've tried to install a printer (this would be at least the 4th and perhaps 5th attempt since 2008), and we would prefer not to buy an ink cartridge if we are not going to be able to get the machines to communicate . . .

Thanks in advance,
g...

 

My experience has been that most printers will not work if an ink cartridge is missing. The missing ink cart. will trigger a printer error message, thus preventing the print process from starting.

The only possible work around (and this rarely works) is if the color ink is missing. Set the printer properties to B/W print only. Some printers require setting both monochrome print default and using the black ink only.

Hope this helps.

 

Thank you very much for your time...

It is the color cartridge that's missing, and yet still giving the error message.

As we do happen to have another brand new (sealed-in-the-package) Black cartridge, I thought perhaps I would pop that into the Color receptacle, to see if we might by-pass the error ... (?), however, if I can not get this printer going, I would be offering it back to the original owner, and wouldn't want to risk any damage (?) . . .

Any thoughts?

 

The chip on the black cart. is different from the color ink. Unfortunately, it'll still give you the error message.

To save time and hassles, your best bet is to bend over and shell out the bucks for a new color ink cartridge.

 

Hah...ok, very well, thanks - and thanks again!