If your HP OfficeJet printer isn't working, you're not alone - here's why

Craig Hale
·2 min read
An HP printer
An HP printer

Some HP OfficeJet printers are becoming unusable after a  dodgy firmware update earlier this month, leaving them with nothing more than a blue screen displaying a seemingly unfixable error code.

The affected devices belong to the OfficeJet 902x family and include the OfficeJet Pro 9022e, OfficeJet Pro 9025e, OfficeJet Pro 9020e AiO, and OfficeJet Pro 9025e AiO (via Bleeping Computer).

Unfortunate users who have received the dodgy update will see an error message displaying the “83C0000B” code on the screen. Any users who are yet to receive the update may disconnect their devices from the Internet to prevent any automatic firmware updates from taking place while HP works on a fix.

HP OfficeJet error code 83C0000B

A number of disgruntled customers have taken to HP’s support site to complain about the error which, so far, has remained unfixed. Many users report having owned their printers for fewer than 12 months, with one successfully returning their in-warranty printer to the supplier.

An HP support agent posted to the thread that “you might have to perform a semi-full reset on the printer,” however this looks not to have fixed the issue either.

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HP did not immediately respond to TechRadar Pro’s request for an update on the progress of issuing a fix; any response will be posted here.

Beyond bricked OfficeJet printers, HP customers have been sharing feelings of being let down for years. Most recently, the company shared an update about dynamic security enabled printers which are “intended to work only with cartridges that have new or reused HP chips or electronic circuitry,” threatening any damage caused by non-HP cartridges to not be covered by the manufacturer warranty.

More broadly, platforms like Reddit are littered with threads about unhappy HP customers complaining about malfunctioning printers, the introduction of subscription-based models, and limitations such as the cartridge requirement mentioned above.