This information is very fresh and incomplete, but there’s some strong indications that Epson have decided to up the ante when it comes to third party consumables through the use of a clever firmware update system available with newer Epson printers. The update(s) shut the doors on third party consumables that work with earlier firmware versions and effectively tie your printer into using only Epson OEM/Original cartridges.
In short, if you don’t want to be forced to use Epson original consumables, don’t install any firmware updates
To date the printer models affected seem to be the PX730WD, PX830FWD and siblings in the same line (eg: TX730WD, Artisan 735, etc..)/p>
Firmware? What Is it?
Firmware, for the uninitiated, is the computer instruction set that any piece of hardware has installed on its internal chips. It tells the printer how to communicate, how to move motors, fire nozzles and most important of all, how to recognise original vs’ compatible (non-original) cartridge chips.
Updates Are Good Right?
Under normal circumstances, yes you’d expect any firmware update to be a positive move. Normally such an update might includes fixes or tweaks to resolve issues with ink usage, nozzle firing or something that slipped through testing that causes headaches for end users.
Unfortunately it seems that Epson is also using the firmware updates to stop non Epson cartridge chips being accepted by the printer.
What Does This Mean?
Short version, if you want to use third party cartridges, CIS systems or anything that hasn’t been produced by Epson, then you do not want to install these firmware updates, ever!
What’s affected?
At present this problem is only starting to surface with Continuous Ink Supply system sellers first noticing a problem when a high rate of chip failures were being reported by customers with PX730WD and PX830FWD printers. Further investigation helped nail the culprit down to customers installing updates on their computer and accepting the “kind” offer from the software to update their printer firmware to the latest version.
Is There An UnDo/Roll-back?
Once you update, you’re stuck until new chips are released by the third party consumable providers.
It’s possible someone will work out if/how to roll-back to an earlier firmware version but at present such information is not available and Epson certainly won’t provide any tools to make it happen.
Additional Information?
At present the scope of this problem is still being investigated as very few sellers have looked beyond a higher than normal rate of returns or support queries. Whether this affects single use third party cartridges as well as Auto Reset Chips (ARCs) remains to be seen but it’s worth avoiding the firmware update option until more is known.
Unconfirmed
The primary culprit with these updates seems to be the Epson Download Navigator software. It is described as being:
Once downloaded and installed this software will check to make sure that you are using the latest firmware and software for your Epson product. If updates are available the Epson Download Navigator will guide you through downloading and installing these updates.
Compatibility is listed for the following models:
- Epson Stylus Office BX535WD
- Epson Stylus Office BX635FWD
- Epson Stylus Office BX935FWD
- Epson Stylus Photo PX730WD
- Epson Stylus Photo PX830FWD
- Epson Stylus SX440W
- Epson Stylus SX445W
- …and various Epson WP laser models
The above list contains the UK/EU models but the sibling equivalent models in other global sales zones (eg: Artisan, Workforce, TX, etc..) will likely also be compatible
We’ve have done extensive testing today and we have now tested 2 brand new printers both of which were the px730wd – both systems were running on windows vista – initially both machines ciss worked before updates – after a firmware update one of the machines ceased to recognize ARC chips at all.
We are unable to locate the exact build date of these printers its entirely possible one was built earlier than the other
At the moment we have a handful of customers out of hundreds using the px730wd and px830wd who have found similar issues – while not conclusive at this time – as Martin says choose no to updates.
All the affected customers bought printers after 1st Jan 2012 and have had firmware updates
One particular customer bought single use cartridges from Tesco last week and they worked fine – he then updated the firmware and bought more cartridges from Tesco which were then not recognized – and we have now sent a CISs and 2 new chips and the printer will no longer accept aftermarket products.
At the moment its early days and when we get more conclusive data we are happy to post here