When is the right time to just start over with your printer?
Internet connectivity issues, paper feed errors, no network connection, unexpected paper jams - all of these things can cause headaches when all you want to do is print something. And, it almost always happens when you’re in a hurry.
So, what do you do? No, the answer is not to smash your printer or toss it in the trash. There is a simple solution that can help when troubleshooting your printer issues falls short.
What is a Factory Reset?
To put it simply, performing a factory reset on your printer restores your printer to the way it was when you first unboxed it. A factory reset is designed to restore the majority of settings back to factory defaults. With some printers, like HP, it won’t reset the page count, tray size, or language.
By consulting your printer’s instruction manual, you can find out how to perform a reset fairly quickly. If you don’t have a printer guide on hand, you can usually find digital PDF versions with a simple query on your favorite search engine.
Below we will detail the reset process for several major manufacturers to help avoid the research involved in looking for the user guide online.
How to Reset Factory Default Settings for HP Printers
- Open the dashboard on the printer control panel by swiping down the tab at the top of the screen
- Select the “Setup” option and then choose “Printer Maintenance”
- Choose “Restore” and then select “Restore Factory Defaults”
- You should see a confirmation message appear on the screen
- Select “Restore” and finish the reset process
If your HP printer does not have a touchscreen, you can sometimes reset the printer to factory default settings by disconnecting the power cable for 30 seconds and then reconnecting it. From there, turn on the printer and press and hold the resume button for 10-20 seconds. When the Attention light comes on, release the resume button and wait until it fully resets.
How to Reset Factory Default Settings on a Canon Printer
- Press the “Menu Button” on the front of the printer
- Use the arrow buttons to scroll and find “Setup Menu”
- Confirm and then navigate to find “Device Settings”
- Confirm and then choose “Reset Settings” and confirm one final time
B200 errors are common on Canon printers. We have found that performing a factory reset of the device can solve this problem and any other major troubleshooting issues you are having.
How to Reset Factory Default Settings on a Brother Printer
- Press the up or down arrows to navigate to “Initial Setup”
- Confirm the selection and then choose “Reset” from the menu
- Confirm the selection and navigate to the type of reset you want to perform
- Once selected, confirm your selection and wait until the printer restarts completely
If your Brother printer does not have a screen, you can also typically reset OEM factory settings by opening the lid and pressing the on/off button seven times. Once the green light on the front panel of the printer blinks, you will know you were successful. Wait until the cycle completes, and then close your printer lid.
How to Reset Factory Default Settings on a Lexmark Printer
- Press the menu button on your device’s operator panel until the “Utilities Menu” appears
- Press the “Select” button and then press the “Menu” button until FActory Defaults appears on the screen
- Press “Select” and then choose the “Restore” option
- Press “Select” and then wait until the device reboots to the original factory settings
How to Reset Factory Default Settings on an Epson Printer
- Press the Home Button and choose “Setup”
- Select “System Administration” and enter your password if prompted
- Scroll to “Restore Default Settings”
- Choose what specifically you would like to reset or choose “Clear All Data and Settings”
- Confirm your selection and wait for the printer to reboot
What to Do After a Factory Reset on Your Printer?
Once you reset your printer to factory settings, it’s time to test it out. After setting up your newly restored printer, connecting to the internet, and ensuring a strong network connection, be sure to run a couple of test prints to ensure all issues were resolved. You should notice that your error messages are gone, and any troubleshooting issues have been resolved.
If you had any personalization settings saved, you will have to recreate all of those to ensure your printer works the same way it did before the reset.
This means:
- Creating a new password
- Reconnecting to your computer’s network
- Reconnecting to your WiFi
- Updating any settings on your print setup screen
- Adding permissions for any additional devices
In addition to updating your personalized settings, we often recommend that printer owners use this time to replace printer cartridges or toner at this time. Doing this ensures your printer will work like the first day you got it. It will also eliminate the possibility of any issues with the printer ink or clogs that could have been contributing to your initial frustrations.
If you’re going to take the time to factory reset your printer, you might as well do it all the way to avoid future issues and to maintain efficiencies in your home or office.
Maintaining Personalization
If you have various personalized settings associated with your printer, you may be hesitant to perform a factory reset. You’re not alone. Luckily, many printer manufacturers have built-in settings to allow you to restore some of the defaults without sacrificing your personalized settings.
Especially if your issues are contained in troubleshooting and printer error problems, we always recommend performing a hard reset first. What’s the difference? With a hard reset, you can reset your printer without restoring it to factory default settings. It’s a more suitable option if you’ve customized your printer settings or set up your wireless connectivity and don’t want to start over from scratch.
The best reason to do this instead of a factory reset is to save time and energy if the issues are easily resolved with a simple reset.
To perform a hard reset, refer to your printer’s instruction manual.
If you don’t have your instruction manual handy, it often works by doing the following:
- With cartridges installed, power down your device and unplug the power cord from the wall.
- Wait 60 seconds and then plug the printer back in and power it up.
- Wait for the printer to reboot and then run a few test prints to ensure any kinks are worked out
In many situations, just doing a simple hard reset is all your printer needs to start working again.
Find High-Quality Ink and Toner Supplies at Ink Genie
Ink Genie® is one of the leading ink and toner suppliers to businesses, government institutions, schools, and homes in the country. We have thousands of customers that we consider part of our family and always offer them our best service, satisfaction, and savings! Shop for OEM ink and toner cartridges from top brands, including Brother®, Epson®, HP®, Canon®, and more. Learn more about Ink Genie and shop our selection of name-brand ink cartridges and toners.
