HP firmware blocks cartridges: the truth and how to avoid it

Your HP printer was working with a compatible cartridge and, from one day to the next, up pops "non-original cartridge" and it stops printing. It is not a fault: it is a firmware update called Dynamic Security. Here is the full story: from 2016 to 2025: the rulings that have put it in check and the concrete steps to reverse or prevent the block.

Key points

• Dynamic Security is HP firmware that validates the cartridge chip and blocks printing if it is not original, even if the consumable is full.
• Italy fined HP 10 million euros in 2020 for not warning of this practice; HP's appeal was dismissed in 2024 (AGCM, 2020).
• The "Carolina" class action in the US was closed in March 2025 with no compensation for users, but requiring HP to keep the updates optional.
• You can protect yourself: disable automatic updates and use consumables with a chip updated to the 2024 revision or later.

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What is Dynamic Security and why does it block your cartridge?

Dynamic Security is the name HP gives to a set of firmware routines and cryptographic chips that validate the origin of the cartridge every time you insert it. When the validation fails, the panel shows messages such as "non-original cartridge", "cartridge problem" or "supply protection enabled" and stops printing, even if the consumable is full and works perfectly. It is not a fault: it is a policy applied by software.

Those routines existed before 2016 as a simple passive warning. What changed was the decision to distribute updates that harden the validation months or years after you bought the printer. Consumables that worked in January stopped printing in May. That mid-course change of rules is the root of the legal conflict, not the chip itself.

The debate is not technical, it is contractual. HP says it protects the supply chain and prevents cloned chips. European regulators and several US courts respond that, if you bought a printer capable of using non-original cartridges, your equipment cannot be degraded by firmware without warning you first.

Dynamic Security is not a feature you accept when buying the printer: it is a change of rules years after the sale. That is why it is a legal problem before it is a technical one, and that is why the regulators have gone in hard.

At Star Toner we print and test our own compatible consumables before selling them, precisely so as not to leave you stranded when a wave of firmware arrives. What we see is simple: a chip updated to the 2024 revision or later gets through the current firmware without a problem; it is the old consumable that has been sitting in the warehouse for months that gives itself away.

Urgent warning: if your HP has just stopped recognising the toner and was working days ago, the cause is almost certainly an automatic update. Do not accept new updates until you read the section on reversing the block below. Accepting another patch after the failure can consolidate the block and put the rollback beyond your reach.

What exactly happened? Timeline 2016–2026

In a decade, Dynamic Security has generated the most extensive litigation record of any blocking practice in consumer printing. These are the verifiable milestones.

December 2016 · The founding incident

In September 2016 HP distributed a firmware with a "time bomb" that activated the block on non-HP cartridges, but the mass messages began in December, when the installed base updated silently. The worst affected were the OfficeJet Pro 6830, 8610, 8615, 8620, 8625 and 8630. The Electronic Frontier Foundation published an open letter ("HP's Self-Destructing Printers") and the technical press documented hundreds of complaints within a few weeks.

September 2017 · The apology and the optional rollback

After seven months of pressure, HP published an official apology and released an optional rollback firmware, specific to each model, that removed the block. It was the first time a consumer printer allowed a security update to be undone with an official file from the brand; that precedent is still cited in the subsequent litigation.

August 2020 · The "Carolina" class action

The case Mobile Emergency Housing Corp. et al. v. HP Inc. (5:20-cv-05624, Northern District of California) brought together users and small businesses whose compatible cartridges were blocked after automatic updates. The lawsuit accused HP of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and California's unfair competition law.

December 2020 · The Italian €10M fine

The Italian competition authority closed its investigation and fined HP. It is, to this day, the toughest penalty in the EU against firmware blocking (see capsule below).

January 2024 · The CEO and the "malware" argument

HP's chief executive, Enrique Lores, justified Dynamic Security by claiming in an interview that third-party cartridges could inject viruses into the printer and from there into the network. Numerous security experts contradicted him: the risk is practically non-existent and would be patchable by other means (Tom's Hardware, 2024). The statement reignited European regulatory scrutiny.

March 2025 · The Carolina case settlement

A federal court approved the settlement that closed the lawsuit. The deal was criticised because the class of consumers received no financial compensation: only the named plaintiffs were paid, plus lawyers' fees. HP admitted no liability, but committed to continue informing about Dynamic Security and to keep the updates that incorporate it optional (The Register, 2025).

Do not confuse this settlement with the 1.5 million dollar settlement of In re HP Printer Firmware Update Litigation (5:16-cv-05820), approved in 2019: that one did create a refund fund for those affected by the 2016 block. They are two separate lawsuits.

2026 · The current state

Dynamic Security is still operative in most of HP's new lines. Serious makers of compatible chips have updated them several times since 2023, and the consumables that serious distributors sell today work with the current firmware. Official rollbacks remain restricted to the historic 2016-2017 models and, partially, to some 2020 units. For everything later, the practical route is an updated chip + disabled updates.

And the European framework is moving. The Directive (EU) 2024/1799 on the repair of goods must be applied in all Member States: Spain included: from 31 July 2026, and gives independent repairers the right to use compatible parts with protection against software blocks, though only for the product categories in its Annex II (washing machines, phones, displays…), which do not include printers (European Commission, 2024). Against cartridge blocking, your real tools remain the ones in this guide and the statutory warranty.

Is it legal for HP to block compatible cartridges?

It depends on the jurisdiction and, above all, on prior transparency. The short European answer is that you cannot hide from the buyer that a future update will degrade their equipment. When HP did so without warning, it received the EU's toughest penalty in this field, and lost the appeal.

In December 2020, the Italian competition authority (AGCM) fined HP Inc. and HP Italy 10 million euros for "misleading and aggressive" commercial practices: they did not inform consumers that the updates could block non-original cartridges. HP appealed, and in 2024 the administrative court dismissed the appeal: the fine still stands (AGCM, 2020).

In Spain, what protects you?

The legal warranty is your best tool. In Spain you are protected by Royal Legislative Decree 1/2007 (TRLGDCU) and Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices. If a forced update materially degrades equipment that you bought working with compatible consumables, you have grounds to complain. We detail it in our guide to the legal warranty on compatible cartridges in Spain.

If you want to complain: keep the printer's invoice, the previous firmware version (if you have it) and a photo of the block message. That trio is the minimum evidence for a complaint to the consumer authority. Cite AGCM resolution 28522/2020, Articles 20 and 49 of Directive 2005/29/EC and Art. 116 of the TRLGDCU.

Do I lose the warranty by using compatibles?

No. European law prohibits making the equipment's warranty conditional on the exclusive use of the manufacturer's consumables, provided the consumable does not cause demonstrable damage. Art. 117 of the TRLGDCU and Directive (EU) 2019/771 protect this rule, and HP has acknowledged it in its public documentation since 2017. If your HP does not recognise the toner, start with our guide my printer does not recognise the compatible toner.

Which HP models are affected and with what symptoms?

HP issues firmware by chip family, not by individual reference, so if your exact model does not appear, look at the family column. This table summarises the documented waves and what you would see on the panel.

Year / wave	Affected HP models	Panel symptom	Official rollback
Dec 2016	OfficeJet Pro 6830, 8610, 8615, 8620, 8625, 8630	"Cartridge Problem" · total block	Yes (Sep 2017)
Mar 2020	Various LaserJet and OfficeJet with cloned chips	"Used, Refilled or Counterfeit Cartridge"	No
Dec 2020	LaserJet Pro M404/M428, OfficeJet Pro 9020	"Supply Protection Enabled"	Partial
Oct 2022	Color LaserJet Pro and some Enterprise	Warning first, block on second pass	Depends on the model
Nov 2023-24	New-generation LaserJet Pro, OfficeJet Pro 9100	"Non-HP cartridge installed"	Very limited

The column that decides your path is the official rollback one: if it exists, you recover the function without new hardware; if not, the route is an updated compatible chip. To find out which reference is right for you, review how to know which toner your printer needs.

How do you know if your HP has been blocked by firmware?

If your printer suddenly stops printing with a "cartridge" message and the consumable is full, the firmware is suspect number one. These are the most frequent texts after a Dynamic Security update:

• "Cartridge Problem" / "Problem with the cartridge".
• "Non-HP cartridge installed" / "Non-HP cartridge installed".
• "Supply Protection Enabled" / "Supply protection enabled".
• "Used, Refilled or Counterfeit Cartridge", with a flashing LED.

To confirm it, make two checks. First, print the firmware version from Settings → Maintenance → Printer Information → Configuration Report. Second, cross-reference that version with the table above and with the date of your last update. If it matches a wave and changed in the last 60 days, you have your diagnosis. Our guide my printer does not recognise the compatible toner adds checks by brand.

How do you reverse a block step by step?

The order matters: first identify, then look for a rollback, then change the consumable and, finally, disable the updates before restarting. Skipping the last step can reactivate the block.

Step 1 · Identify the version and model

Print the Configuration Report from the panel. Note the full firmware string (for example 2142A or 20240217) and the exact model number. Without those two pieces of data no rollback works, and support will ask you for them anyway.

Step 2 · Look for the official rollback

Go to support.hp.com, type in your model and filter by Firmware. Some 2016-2017 models and a subset of 2020 have a file labelled "Optional firmware that returns printer to pre-Dynamic-Security behavior". Download it only from HP's official website, never from a mirror. If your model does not list it, the rollback does not exist for your equipment: move on to step 3.

Step 3 · Switch to a consumable with an updated chip

Serious manufacturers update their chips with every wave. The consumables you buy today in compatible laser toner or ink cartridges carry a 2024 revision chip or later. If you have an old box bought before the last wave, that is usually the one that fails; at Star Toner we replace it under our returns policy.

Step 4 · Disable the updates before restarting

It is critical to do this before restarting after changing the consumable. If you accept another update during the restart, you can consolidate the block and lose the compatibility of the newly installed chip. We detail it in the next section.

How do you avoid future forced updates?

There are two routes, complementary. The idea is simple: close the channels through which HP pushes the patch.

Method A · From the printer panel

1. Go to Settings → Web Services → Firmware Update.
2. Change from Install automatically to Notify but do not install or Disabled.
3. Save and restart from the menu (not with the physical button) so the value persists.

Method B · From HP Smart or the embedded web server (EWS)

1. Open a browser with the printer's IP (it appears in the Configuration Report).
2. Go to Settings → Preferences → Automatic Updates and disable them.
3. In Web Services, consider also disabling HP Instant Ink if you do not use it, to close channels that request the patch in the background. If you are unsure whether that subscription is worth it, see our analysis of HP Instant Ink in Spain.

A real caveat: some printers connected by Wi-Fi can receive updates even with the flag disabled, especially in large waves. If your business depends on the printer, consider keeping it on a wired network and blocking traffic to HP's update domains at the router (for example *.ezprintupdates.hp.com).

And if your model has no rollback?

If there is no rollback and the new chip does not work either, you have three legitimate paths. None is free, but all three are reasonable:

1. A formal complaint to HP and the consumer authority citing AGCM resolution 28522/2020 and Articles 20 and 49 of Directive 2005/29/EC. After the Carolina precedent, closed in 2025, many European users have obtained out-of-warranty replacements with a well-founded complaint.
2. Migration to another brand with a more open policy. You have a deep catalogue in compatible drums and in brands with a less contentious track record on this front.
3. Switching to equipment with guaranteed supply. Before buying, compare what each option really costs you in the real cost of printing.

Is it worth sticking with compatible despite the risk of a block? In practice, yes: we have put it to the test page by page in original vs compatible toner, printed side by side. The saving is real and the risk is neutralised with an updated chip and disabled updates.

Frequently asked questions

Is it legal for HP to block compatible cartridges via firmware?
It depends on prior transparency. In Italy, the AGCM fined HP 10 million euros in 2020 for not warning of this practice, and in 2024 the court dismissed HP's appeal. In Spain you can rely on the TRLGDCU (Art. 116 and 120) and on Directive 2005/29/EC if the degradation was not clearly disclosed at the point of sale.

What was the "Carolina" lawsuit against HP?
It was Mobile Emergency Housing Corp. et al. v. HP Inc. (5:20-cv-05624), a class action of August 2020 for blocking compatible cartridges via firmware. In March 2025 a court approved the settlement: HP did not compensate the class or admit fault, but keeps the updates with Dynamic Security optional.

Do I lose the printer's warranty if I use compatibles?
No. European law prohibits conditioning the warranty on the exclusive use of the manufacturer's consumables, unless the consumable causes demonstrable damage. Art. 117 of the TRLGDCU and Directive (EU) 2019/771 protect it, and HP has acknowledged it in its public documentation since 2017.

Do I have to disconnect the printer from the internet?
It is not compulsory, but it is highly advisable if your model has no rollback. A middle route is to keep it on a wired network and block HP's update domains at the router (such as ezprintupdates.hp.com). That way you keep the local network without exposing yourself to new waves.

Does Star Toner guarantee that its consumables work after an update?
Yes. Our catalogue carries a chip updated to the 2024 revision or later. If an update blocks a newly bought consumable, we replace it at no cost under our returns policy. We test them before selling them, precisely for this.

Sources

• AGCM (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato), "ICA: HP fined 10 million Euros for misleading and aggressive commercial practices": https://en.agcm.it/en/media/press-releases/2020/12/PS11144
• The Recycler, "HP appeal denied, faces major transparency setback" (appeal dismissed, 2024): https://www.therecycler.com/posts/hp-appeal-denied-faces-major-transparency-setback/
• The Register, "HP Inc settles printer toner lockout lawsuit with a promise to make firmware updates optional" (2025): https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/19/hp_printer_lawsuit_settled/
• Actionable Intelligence, "Final Settlement Approved in Mobile Emergency's Firmware Class Action against HP" (2025): https://www.action-intell.com/2025/03/19/final-settlement-approved-in-mobile-emergencys-firmware-class-action-against-hp/
• Tom's Hardware, "HP CEO justifies blocking third-party ink cartridges by claiming they can inject malware" (2024): https://www.tomshardware.com/peripherals/printers/hp-ceo-justifies-blocking-third-party-ink-cartridges-by-claiming-they-can-inject-malware
• European Commission, "Directive on repair of goods" (Directive EU 2024/1799, applicable from 31/07/2026): https://commission.europa.eu/law/law-topic/consumer-protection-law/directive-repair-goods_en
• Electronic Frontier Foundation, "HP's Self-Destructing Printers" (Cory Doctorow, 2016): https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2016/09/hps-self-destructing-printers
• EUR-Lex, Directive 2005/29/EC on unfair commercial practices: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/ES/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32005L0029

Disable Dynamic Security without downgrading (via the panel)

Good news for some recent models: in 2024, following legal pressure from the AGCM and similar proceedings in France and Germany, HP introduced an experimental option that lets you disable Dynamic Security from the printer's panel without touching the firmware. The option doesn't appear on every model, nor always under the same name, but it exists across much of the OfficeJet Pro 8020+ line and some LaserJet Pro M283fdw units released after the June 2024 update.

How to find it: on the panel, navigate to Settings → Web Services → Advanced → Non-HP Cartridges (the wording varies: it's sometimes called "Allow third-party cartridges"). If a toggle appears, turn it on. The printer will ask you to confirm that you understand the risks: HP's standard text warning that the non-HP cartridge "may damage the printhead," a warning that does not apply to ISO-certified compatibles. Confirm and restart.

Ironically, the option only appears on recent firmware. To get access to the toggle, you have to be up to date: the same version that activates Dynamic Security on other models. Practical consequence: if you update, you gain the toggle but lose the downgrade; if you don't update, you have no toggle but keep the option to roll back.

Caution: HP may reverse this option in future updates. Once it's enabled, block automatic updates immediately. For professional environments with large fleets, HP WebJetAdmin lets you apply the policy centrally across all printers: recommended for fleets of 10+ units.

If your model doesn't have the option and doesn't allow a downgrade either, you have two paths left: a formal complaint using the template we include below, or replacing the printer with a brand that has a more permissive DRM policy.

Alternative models without aggressive DRM: Brother / Kyocera / Canon comparison

If you've reached the point of considering switching brands, this is the reality of the market in 2026. DRM policy varies widely between manufacturers and it shows in the annual cost of consumables.

Brand	DRM policy	Do compatibles work?	Practical notes
Brother	Permissive	Yes, no blocks	Best option for heavy compatible use. The HL-L and MFC-L series stand out
Kyocera	Permissive	Yes, no blocks	TK series exceptional on cost per page. Robust industrial design, ideal for small businesses
Canon	Intermediate	Mostly yes	Some i-SENSYS models give ignorable warnings. Manageable with no real friction
Epson EcoTank	N/A (tank system)	N/A	Its own bulk ink, doesn't use traditional compatible cartridges
Samsung (discontinued, now HP)	Variable	Mostly yes	Abundant, inexpensive compatible cartridges. Declining printer stock
HP (post-2016)	Restrictive (DS active)	Sometimes, depends on firmware	Requires constant vigilance over updates. Recurring silent blocking

Clear recommendation: if you're going to buy new and plan to use compatibles over the next 4-5 years, Brother or Kyocera. A Brother HL-L2310D accepts certified compatibles without a single firmware error in its lifetime; an equivalent HP will keep you watching every update. The annual cost of consumables can be cut by 3-4x versus HP: calculate it with our savings calculator.

Complaint template for HP Spain

If you've decided to escalate formally, this is the template we recommend. It works because (1) it cites the exact legal basis: HP doesn't want to see Directive (EU) 2015/2436 or AGCM case law in a filed complaint; (2) it sets a deadline and warns of the next escalation. Copy it as-is, changing only the data in bold.

Send it by email to HP Spain (consultas.es@hp.com) and, in parallel, by burofax (Spain's legally certified mail) to HP Printing and Computing Solutions S.L.U. (Avenida Graells 501, 08174 Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona). The burofax with acknowledgment of receipt is what establishes a legally certain date and triggers the legal 14-day period.