MG6450 - Service mode hangs

[stratman]

r. Here is a Virustotal scan of the ST3900.zip.

The VirusTotal scan shows ESET NOD32 detecting "a variant of Win32/Packed.Themida.AAN".

Themida was designed to prevent cracking of software. It is used by both legitimate and illegitimate files, the latter to prevent detection and removal by anti-virus apps. Why this code may be included in this Service Tool could indicate the file is harmful to run. Or not.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/threads/win32-packed-themida.184840/

 

[PeterBJ]

A few days ago I got a Canon MG5450S that my brother-in-law had bought at a thrift store for me. The price was DKK 30 = USD 4.80. The printer had OEM pigment and dye black cartridges and aftermarket single use CMY cartridges installed. All cartridges showed very low ink, so for test purposes I dripped a couple of millilitres of ink into each ink outlet. The first nozzle check showed PGBK plus CMY stripes OK and only a thin stripe in dye BK. After a couple of regular print head cleanings the dye BK was back to full width but with the typical fuzziness error. The printer had only done 650 pages, I'm not impressed but I don't know how it was used and with what inks.

I then decided to test the newer service tools on it as I hoped service mode had not been locked by a too old service tool. I installed Windows 7 with no antivirus program on an empty harddisk for a laptop and installed the printer. The newest service tool v4905 could produce service test print with a not very extended nozzle check and the most of the EEPROM info and an EEPROM info print with the same info plus hexdumps of the EEPROM and head EEPROM. Resetting the D-value did not work. Attempt to do so produced a text file with EEPROM info that could be saved. Here is the test print, notice D=22.9:

I then tried v4904. This version missed the "SET" button for the absorber counter so it was no good.

I then tried a version I had named v4720new, so it is probably the one uploaded by @Pavel . The test and EEPROM prints look the same as for v4905 but the reset absorber counter works, at least with the MG5450S that is of the PGI-x50/CLI-x51 cartridge generation. Clicking the absorber reset button produced a print with "D=00.0 Ps=000.0" printed at the top indicating the absorber counter had been reset. An EEPROM info print confirms this, notice D is now 00.0:

With the exception of the magenta cartridge the installed cartridges now are the refillable cartridges I got for testing from The Hat. I accidentally ruined the ARC magenta chip by spilling ink onto it and not getting it properly cleaned. so the magenta cartridge is a single use cartridge with the ink level indication disabled, notice that in the line INK_OFF M=1, the other cartridges have the value "0".

I wonder if my better results are caused by having obtained a printer that has not been locked, or the service tools need Windows 7 or newer to work properly?

I have not tested the version 3900 which looks like versions 3400 and 3600, I wonder if it is safe to use or it will lock service mode on the printer?

 

[The Hat]

I wonder if they are safe to use or they will lock service mode on the printer?

I reckon the service mode only locks up if a mistake is made or no input changes are made by the user the very first time they use it, or something alone those lines...

 

[PeterBJ]

Notice that depending on your printer type and firmware version service tool v4720 may also cause service mode lock. See this post by @James Michael L. Acierto .

 

[Palatino]

Hi @PeterBJ

Thank you for all the explainations.

Service Tool v4905 seems to be protected and need a license key :

A kind of v4905 Service Tool seems to be hacked by "qq1285409208" but this service tool is not fully efficient as you could test it :

v4720 service tool is free to use and seems to be the last one, and the "About" windows is different :

For v4905, I can find links for license key but it's not free.
I can also find some videos about keygen to generate license key : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWvZuNxDnpA

But I can find too a v4720 that needs a key :

So I'm wondering if, finally, some guys just want to make money with the Canon Service Tool ? ? ?

 

[PeterBJ]

@Palatino Thank you very much for the update.

 

[Palatino]

I wish I had better news, sorry . . .

I'm wondering also if "qq1285409208" hacked version is, in fact, a "demo" version and, if you want the full 4.905, you need to give money !?

 

[Boustrophedon]

I used Service Tool V3400 today to reset the ink absorber counter on MG6350.
I tested the file with https://www.virustotal.com and no virus detected.
EEPROM print now says D=000.0, INK CLR=01, and everything seems to work
I received the file here: http://imprimante-en-question.blogspot.ch/2013/12/lutilitaire-canon-v3400-pour-remettre.html
Hope this helps
Cheers

 

[PeterBJ]

Congratulations with the reset, but I don't understand why service mode wasn't locked. Others have experienced service mode getting locked by using service tool v3400 or older on printers of the PGI-x50/CLI-x51 cartridge generation.

This post has links to Druckerchannel.de articles about resetting the iP7250 which is also of the PGI-550/CLI-551 cartridge generation. They used service tool V3200 which should not work, as others have tried this version and V3400 without success and in stead had service mode locked.

One explanation could be that the Druckerchannel staff used an early version of the iP7250, with an early firmware version. So please when was your printer from and what is the firmware version? And what procedure did you use for entering service mode?

 

[Boustrophedon]

I asked Jann Lassalle, the owner of the "Imprimante en question" blog who said I could share the V3400 tool. So below a link to download it, with the procedure I used to enter service mode on my MG6350 :

1. DOWNLOAD Service Tool V3400 for Canon iP, MG series here : http://bit.ly/2ziaVP9
2. Unzip downloaded file by WinZip (I used 7-zip).
3. Set the printer in Service Mode:
- power OFF the printer by Power button. Dont disconnect power cable
- connect the printer by USB cable to the PC.
- press and hold Resume button (red triangle in the red circle) and press Power button
- hold both buttons until power on indicator will light then release Resume button (dont release Power button) and press Resume button 5 times and for MG series - 6 times!
- release all buttons - the printer will blink few times with green light and will then light green constantly. You have put the printer in Service Mode now and you can now run the Service Tool. (If the printer is still blinking by green - you have some other errors in printer and you have to fix them first, because the Service Tool will not work if the printer is not put in service mode - green light is constant)
4. Run the Service Tool V3400.exe program.
5. Select the connected USB port number from USB PORT
6. In the Ink Absorber Counter section of the Service Tool, select MAIN from the Absorber pull-down menu.
7. From the Counter Value (%) pull-down menu, select the value (I put 0) (in 10% increments) which is the closest to the actual counter value confirmed before replacement of the logic board, and click SET.
Print EEPROM information to confirm that the value is properly set to the EEPROM.

If you discover an issue Mistake E08 about the inkjet printer Cannon MP258, MP287, MP278, MP237 use 6 times pressing button to get in service mode.​

I am not an expert in printers, so cannot answer technical questions. Your posts were useful to indicate what I should look for. Took me a couple of days of navigation, but I saved my printer for now, the almost new print head and the pile of new cartridges ;-).

Thanks!