Chosen Solution
My Hp Photosmart 6480 printer continues to tell me that the ink cartridge is missing/not detected, so it won’t print. For a couple months it would say this and I could restart it a couple times and it would eventually print after waiting like 30 minutes; it would eventual read the cartridge, print a test sheet, and after I hit print it would take 30 minutes before it would suddenly start printing–sometimes it would print really slow. Now it just doesn’t work. I’ve turned the printer on and off, unplug/replugged in, I’ve removed old cartridges and have used brand new ink cartridges….it just doesn’t seem to read that it has cartridges.
Also, check to see if there is a sensor hack where you can defeat the detection. On some models you can use tape or some other means to avoid this poor design which plagues so many users.
Best guess would be the sensor on the ink carriage assembly is faulty. Pull the ink out, and take a look at the contacts, and the ribbon cables.
