Official HP Toner Not Official Enough After Dodgy Update, Say Users

Owners of HP laser printers are complaining about a firmware update that stops the hardware from printing, where the toner cartridge is not recognized even when they've got the expensive HP version installed.

Reports are growing on the printer maker's online community pages and elsewhere about the machines throwing an "error code 11".

One user on X directed a tweet at the company, complaining: "M234dw – Apparently the most recent firmware update that occurred on 3/4/25 (date code 20250209) has made it so that genuine HP toner cartridges are not recognized resulting in an error 11. Please provide a link to the previous firmware version so that I can use my printer."

A customer on HP's site reported: "I installed this toner cartridge about a month ago, with no issues. But today suddenly an error code 11 popped up which means the printer doesn't accept/recognize the cartridge any more. I have been unable to fix it."

Another posted: "Ran into the same issue – guessing some fireware [sic] broke the printer to be honest. Insanely frustrating because it's my small business printer and just stopped working out of nowhere and I even replaced the tone [sic] which was a $60 expense ... I'm on firmware 20250209, have done a hard reset, and replaced the toner and it keeps throwing Error 11."

HP issued firmware update 20250209 on March 4 for the LaserJet MFP M232-M237 Printer series of multi-function devices. This type of MFD is aimed squarely at smaller companies, and can thus cause a real headache if it stops working for any reason.

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We asked HP if there is a fix, and an HP PR told The Reg:

"We are aware of a firmware issue affecting a limited number of HP LaserJet 200 Series devices and our team is actively working on a solution." It directs customers affected by this problem to contact its support team online.

The company obviously prefers customers to seek help via the web, as it had tried to introduce a minimum wait time of 15 minutes for anyone calling up its telephone-based support team, as The Register revealed last month.

HP was already notorious because of a firmware update that prevented owners of its inkjet printers from using consumables supplied by any other vendor. This sparked a class action lawsuit from owners, who argued that they had never entered into any contractual agreement to buy only HP-branded ink.

Around the same time, the company CEO admitted its long-term objective is "to make printing a subscription," and said if a customer HP has invested in "doesn't print enough or doesn't use our supplies, it's a bad investment."

Last week, Japanese vendor Brother was accused of using similar tactics, updating its printer firmware to block or degrade the printing experience if owners use third-party toner. However, the firm strongly denied these claims, and told The Register that its updates are "designed to enhance functionality and security, not limit consumer choice." ®