HP Deskjet 6840 Troubleshooting

Hmmm... The ink is either invisible or just a lighter shade...

If your printer has run out of ink, you'll need to change the cartridge. Cartridges for your printer can be found online on the HP site or in local electronics stores. Be sure you buy the right cartridges. They will be labeled as Black and White or Color. For a detailed explanation on removing and replacing your empty cartridge, please visit the Hewlett-Packard website here.

If you find that you must remove and replace a cartridge that is not empty, do not feel wasteful! Instead, we encourage you to read this on why it may be necessary to discard an ink cartridge with residual ink.

I know I pressed the button...

We hate to ask, but you DID try turning it on, right? If you haven't done so, we suggest you:

a) check to make sure your power cord adapter is plugged into the printer (duh), then b) make sure your power cord is plugged into a working outlet (surprise, surprise).

If that doesn't work you'll need to check for visible signs of damage on your power cord. To do this, you'll need to unplug your printer first (we can't stress how important this step is to avoid death by crazy electro-shock), then carefully inspect the power cord for visible damage (these could be small tears, frays, exposed wire, goblin-tooth marks, etc.).

IF your power cord shows any signs of damage, you'll need to replace it.

If it doesn't, disconnect the power cord from the back of the printer and leave it out for at least 30 seconds. Now connect the adapter back into the rear of the printer, and plug the power cord back into a working outlet (don't use a powerstrip, and not a surge suppressor). If the green LED light on the power supply does not light up, contact HP to replace the power supply.

if that doesn't work, try checking the USB cable. Disconnect the USB cable from the rear of the product, then press the power button. If the printer DOES turn on with the USB cable disconnected, replace the USB cable.

if the printer still doesn't turn on, you may need to replace your power supply. sad, but (probably) true.

Try quickly pressing and releasing the power button to "wake" your printer and get it to "do some real work around here".

What did I do wrong, now?

Sometimes, the routers (they facilitate friendly communication between your computer and your printing machine) scramble the message or just never relay it at all (the lazy bastards). This typically happens if you've recently replaced an old router - basically, your computer is looking for the old router (awww), and a simple reset should do the trick. Try this:

1. Make sure the printer is on.

2. Press and hold the 'Report Page' button (don't let go).

3. While holding down the 'Report Page' button (told you), press and release the 'Cancel' button three (3) times.

4. Release the 'Report Page' button.

Now, reconnect your printer to your new router (easy as pie). If you no longer have your manual or don't remember how to do this, click here.

For some reason, I can't rip it out no matter how hard I pull...

First things, first: before you destroy your machine, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CLEAR YOUR PAPER JAM FROM THE FRONT OF YOUR PRINTER. That's bad. Instead, follow these helpful hints:

1. Press the 'Resume' button (hey, it's worth a shot).

2. Push the two handles on the rear access door toward each other, and then remove the door.

3. Remove any paper that's inside the printer by pulling the paper out from the back of the printer.

4. Replace the rear access door.

5. Press the Resume button.

6. Voila!, no!?

Now, let's say you've got a jam "jammin' up the works" in the automatic two-sided accessory - what then? Read on, friend...

1. Turn off the printer.

2.Press the buttons on the left and right sides of the duplexer (looks like this).

3. Remove any paper from inside the printer.

4. Open the duplexer.

5. Remove any paper from inside the duplexer.

6. Close the duplexer, and then re-attach the duplexer to the printer.

*a helpful hint: Do NOT press the buttons on the left and right sides of the accessory when re-attaching it to your printer. This could cause the accessory to not attach properly.

If THAT still doesn't solve your issue, perhaps clearing a paper jam from the auto two-sided print accessory with small paper tray might help. Let's try:

1. Turn off the printer.

2. Press the buttons on the left and right sides of the accessory, and then remove it from the printer.

3. Remove any paper that's inside the printer.

4. Lift the back lever on the accessory, and then unhook the small paper tray.

5. Tilt the small paper tray forward and open the lower door of the accessory.

6. Remove any paper that's inside the accessory.

7. Close the accessory, and then secure the back lever to close the accessory.

8. Re-attach the accessory to the printer.

Voila! You should be jam-free and ready to rock. Now print! Print like the dickens, you fiend!

Maybe you didn't pull hard enough? We're kidding! Please don't damage your fancy machine.

Instead, try pressing 'resume'- if your printer is only experiencing minor issues, this is the most likely solvent.

Sometimes, you have to perform open heart surgery on this bad boy. Problems will arise with any technology. Looking at the back of the printer, press the latch handles together on the back access door, and open up the device. Wiggle out the paper jam, if possible. If not, this should be helpful for further instruction on accessing the source of the jam.

My boss will so not be a fan of these ridiculous color swatches or patterns on my report...

It's easy for a printer to run out of the colors it needs to create the hue you need. No sweat. Please refer to the above to review how to remove and replace a faulty or damaged ink cartridge. Otherwise, refer to this to find further support.

We know you're definitely smart, and would never feed your printer crinkled, wrinkled, or otherwise faulty paper, right? Since we know you wouldn't, navigate your options on the computer to clean the print cartridges. This should print a page with even more radical designs and patterns, and your paper should then be streak/smudge/smear free!

If you still have problems, you'll need to open up the device to access the area around the cartridge nozzles so that you can clean up any ink spurts that may be affecting your printing. Click here for detailed instructions on cleaning the area around the cartridge nozzles.

Go figure. Who knew a straight line zigzagged like that. First off, check the ink levels. In the Toolbox function, you should see a link to the Estimated Ink Levels. If they're low, replace them- wha-la!

If that isn't the problem, check your printer settings. Check the Print Quality, Paper Type, and Paper Size. Also, check Advanced Features to adjust the Ink Volume. Click here to view further details.

If that doesn't change your print quality, then open the Toolbox to clean the print cartridges from your computer.

You can also print a diagnostic page once you try cleaning the print cartridges. Instructions can be found here.

You can also scan for defects. Details on how to observe your printing errors in-depth are found near the bottom of this page.

We know we can't answer everything for you, but we think this will be helpful! Thanks for visiting the troubleshooting page for the HP Deskjet 6840 Color Inkjet printer! Feel free to provide comments, below!