Kodak 5100 AIO printer problem

I have two questions:
1) Is it possible to just install the drivers for the printer without having to download a whole 210 MB of Kodak Easyshare program which I don't need.

2) There is a problem with the black ink. It prints faint and with black lines. I have tried the following:

a) calibrating
b) cleaning the nozzles (not manually of course)
c) taking out and reseating ink cartridges

None of the cartridge lights are on and it tells me that there is 80% ink in there. Actually it says 80%/50% but not sure which is the one I should be worried about. However, no low ink lights are on or flashing.

I was given the printer from a friend so I inherited the problem. They said it was working fine until he downloaded the latest version of firmware; now it's like this.

It is less than a year old, but my friend has lost the paperwork from Best Buys!!

Has anyone had this problem? Did you solve it? If so, how?

maryanjo

 

Thank you for your reply. I am just about to throw the thing away. I might try Kodak chat, but heck I don't think they could help me. It's such a shame. There are too many printers being thrown away cos the cost of cartridges are too high... or they don't last long. They go on about the environment and how we should do our bit but the manufacturers don't really care if their products last a week or six months as long as they get their money.
Sorry! I just had to rant about this.

 

Well I had an online chat with the Kodak guy and we went through the usual stuff which I'd already done and we came to the conclusion that it looked like a faulty printer head was the culprit.
So now they're sending me a new printer head. If that doesn't work I'll be adding to the pile of printers on the dump. :cry