Can I use Canon BCI-6 refill ink in a HP 45 cartridge?

[PeterBJ]

Does somebody sell an unofficial XP driver for the Maxify? Don't pay for a Canon driver, they are free from the Canon official website. I searched for "MB2320 XP driver" and found this. Notice that this is not a Canon website. I would have downloaded the official driver from Canon USA to compare file names and file sizes, but the Canon USA website is down for maintenance at the moment. I have a suspicion that the "XP compatible" driver is just the normal driver from the Canon official website. This driver might work under Windows XP even if Canon doesn't mention Win XP as a supported OS.

Here is another thread also about dubious Canon printer drivers.

I have an HP DJ930C that uses the HP78 tricolour cartridge and the black HP45 cartridge. It also accepts the HP15 black cartridges. I have just done some printing with this old printer to check if duplex printing is possible under Windows 10. I took out the black cartridge to examine it. It is a remanufactured type 15. I found a stamp on the cartridge "20050909" which I think could mean expiration date Sep 9th 2005. The printer doesn't care, it prints happily with this old cartridge. The tricolour cartridge is a New-Old-Stock OEM type 78. Yellow didn't work, but a priming tool brought the yellow back so now the cartridge prints perfectly.

I cannot promise that the expired cartridges will work in your printer, but IIRC the expiration date on these old cartridges only means warranty expired, the cartridges do not refuse to print.

Unused but old HP OEM cartridges might need a priming tool to start them delivering ink. You could also try pressing the nozzles against a paper tissue handkerchief moistened with a little window cleaner with ammonia or just plain water.

I admit I liked Windows XP very much and found it was better than Windows 7. But I think it isn't that hard to get used to Windows 7.

Three years ago I bought a new computer with Windows 8 later updated to Windows 8,1. I hated that OS because of the new "Metro" or "Tiles" user interface. A wonderful little freeware program "Classic Shell" brought back the start button and start menu, so now my Windows 8.1 looks like a slightly modernized Win 2k. That nice little program changed an OS I hated into an OS I now like very much.

Classic Shell can also make Windows 7 look and feel much like Windows XP

I have a laptop that runs Windows 10. Classic shell is not necessary with this OS as the start button and start menu is back. I don't like that changing settings is done differently than in previous Windows versions, but I managed to find the good old Control Panel and created a shortcut on the desktop. Now it is much easier for me to change settings and for instance add a printer, so now I also accept Windows 10.

I do have an old P4 computer with Win XP but I use that only for experimental purposes and it contains no confidential information.

EDIT: The Canon USA website is now online again. I downloaded the driver for the MB2320 from them. It is the same name win-mb2300-1_1-ucd.exe and the same file size 49,3 MB (51.744.304 byte) for the driver from the official Canon site and from the other site. I think the driver is the same from the two sites.

 

[jbclem]

Thanks again for all the good information. I'm going to order a priming tool from either rjettek or inkjet if I can find a way to also order some plugs (stainless ball or other type) without having to buy 100 of them. And in the meantime I've won an eBay auction for a HP 45 ($6.00 total) expired in 2014, and I'm bidding on an HP 78XL (expired in 2016). Hopefully that will get the Photosmart 1315 working.

Also, on my local Craigslist there is a Canon MP990 for $40. I don't know anything about this model, except that I won't be able to use my large collection of OEM BCI-6 cartridges. Is it worth buying? I suppose I'll have to learn about chips and chip resetting...

And I'm glad to know about the Classic Shell program since one of these days I'll buy another computer with Win7 on it. I also came across a program that will stop the incessant updating in these newer OS's, but I've lost track of it so I can't post a link for anyone who could use it...

 

[PeterBJ]

I hope the Ebay cartridges are OK. The printers using these large cartridges are a higher build quality than small all-in-ones using the much smaller type 60 or newer cartridges.

The MP990 is top of the line home use all-in-one of the PGI-220/CLI-221 cartridge generation. This cartridge generation means you can access service mode on the printer and for instance reset the absorber counter if necessary. The service manual is available from a commercial site at 5$, I found no free downloads.The scanner is a CCD scanner which is better than the more common and less expensive CIS scanners. If the printer is in 100% perfect condition with a 100% perfect nozzle check then I think the price is OK. If the print head is defective I think the printer is worthless.

Please don't use any "smart" programs to block updates. The updates are for your security to avoid hackers getting access to for instance your credit card info or to avoid your computer being hijacked and used for criminal activities as part of a "zombie net". A good antivirus program is also a must.

 

[jbclem]

This MP990 that's for sale has been in recent use, and is only being sold because the owner needs to go to a large format. I'd still like to get her to run a test or diagnostic print on it, but I can't find the button sequence to do this directly from the printer. I'd done this with my ip5000, so I know it's easy, just don't know the way with the MP990. Do you or anyone else know this sequence...or is it the same for all Canon printers?

 

[PeterBJ]

The procedure for entering service mode is the same for the iP5000 and the MP990, but when the printers have entered service mode things are different. The iP5000 uses push button codes for service mode operations and the MP990 needs a special software tool for the service mode operations. You can read more about service mode operations for PGI-220/CLI-221 generation printers in this thread.

But using the service tool takes some practice to get used to, so I would not recommend giving instructions over the phone for service mode operations on the MP990. If something goes wrong and the printer is rendered inoperative, then who is to blame?

 

[jbclem]

They've really complicated things on the newer models...just to make a test print, or print a diagnostic page, or a nozzle check, you have to have a special tool that might render the printer unusable? My, how things have changed.

 

[PeterBJ]

Yes, with the introduction of the PGI-220/CLI-221 cartridge generation things became much more complicated and special software tools were needed for service mode operations. With even newer cartridge generations newer procedures for entering service mode and sometimes newer versions of the service tool were needed. For the newest Canon printer models no service tools are available (yet or maybe never?). The use of a wrong version service tool on the newest printer models can block access to the service mode or even worse lock the printer so it cannot turn on.

Your iP5000 was one of the most user-friendly Canon home use printers with unchipped, transparent, reasonably sized, easy to refill cartridges. But it fell victim to the success of these BCI-3e/6 printers. First the chips were introduced and then later on we got smaller and less transparent or opaque cartridges.

Here is an example of an accidentally wrong setting made the printer useless by selecting Japanese display language.

 

[PeterBJ]

Maybe I didn't read the question properly?

They've really complicated things on the newer models...just to make a test print, or print a diagnostic page, or a nozzle check, you have to have a special tool that might render the printer unusable? My, how things have changed.

A normal nozzle check from the MP990 can still be made from the printer driver or from the printer display and printer buttons. It is only the extended nozzle check from service mode that needs a service tool.

 

[jbclem]

That's right, I just wanted to have the seller make a quick test print/nozzle check so confirm that the printer doesn't have any obvious problem. Since she's been using the printer recently, hopefully that will just confirm the obvious.

What are the other user friendly Canon printers that I could be looking for? The ip4000 and ip5000 have become scarce on eBay, and rare on Craigslist, and commanding high prices on eBay when they do show up.

Also, any opinions about the newer ink tank Canon printers such as G3000?

 

[PeterBJ]

A weakness with old Canon printers is that the print heads can fail without apparent reason. The BCI-3e/6 printers like the iP4000 and iP5000 are very old now so they could fail anytime IMO. Don't pay high prices for any of these printers. I think eBay prices often are much too high.

Printers of the PGI-5/CLI-8 generation is the same high build quality as the BCI-3e/6 printers, and the PGI-5/CLI-8 cartridges are also transparent and as easily refillable as the BCI-3e/6 cartridges. They are chipped, but with a resetter the chips are no problem. These printers are not quite as old as the BCI-3e/6 printers so hopefully they will last longer. The PGI-5/CLI-8 Canon printers are those I like the best.

If you prefer printer only machines then I suggest to look for iP4200. iP4300, iP4500 iP5200, iP5200R and iP5300. The iP5200R is a wireless printer the others are USB only.

There are also newer printer cartridge generations, but they are less refill friendly and not quite the same build quality as the older printers.

The recommendations are my personal opinion, others might disagree or add printers to the list.

To me the Canon G models look like entry-level two cartridge printers that have had a CISS added. A CISS build by the printer factory is of course better than adding an aftermarket CISS. See this thread and specially notice this post by @mikling .


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