HP printer error 0xc19a0003 (printhead)

[Will_M]

I have the subject error on an HP OfficeJet 8620, but an internet search suggests that other people have seen it on a variety of HP printers. The header on the error message on the printer’s screen says “Missing or Failed Printhead”. I removed and cleaned the printhead (twice) following instructions I found on the internet and the error persists.

Has anyone here experienced this? Did replacing the printhead help? (A new printhead from Amazon costs just over half what I paid for the printer ten years ago.) My concern is that something has failed in the printer that is supposed to communicate with the printhead (rather than a failure in the printhead), so a new printhead would not solve the problem. Advice?

[mpainesyd (Michael Paine)]

I haven’t encountered this particular error but have encountered an annoying “expired certificate” error with a different HP printer that is about 10 years old:

Expired certificate error with HP printer

I have an HP Officejet 8020 printer that has been working well for years. This morning there was a power outage and now two Macs give a message “Expired certificate - check printer for errors”. These Macs are running Sequoia and Monterey. My old iMac running Mojave still prints without problems. A HP Laserjet prints from all the Macs without problems. I looked up HP support and it suggests checking and, if necessary, correcting the printer date setting. It was set at 1am today when the local t…

There seem to be bugs in the printer operating systems that cause these (latent?) errors. It is worth checking for a software update for your printer in case that addresses your problem. Unfortunately this did not work for me.

[Will_M]

@mpainesyd

It is worth checking for a software update for your printer in case that addresses your problem.

Good idea; thanks—but no. The firmware updater refused to do anything because the printer is in an error state. The driver packages reported an expired certificate, and given the problems with expired certificates discussed here, I elected not to proceed. The HP Easy Start app said there was new software and that it would transfer me to my browser; the browser then returned a page with code 400 “Bad Request”.

I’m back to assuming that it’s a real hardware error, and my concern is that the error is in the printer rather than the printhead.

[Shamino (David C.)]

If the printer thinks the print head is missing, I would first double-check the cable(s) that connect the head to the rest of the printer. Make sure debris/ink isn’t fouling the socket.

If you’ve reseated the cables and are still seeing problems, consider using a product like DeoxIT to clean the connectors. Just apply a small amount, let it evaporate and try again.

[Will_M]

@Shamino

I would first double-check the cable(s) that connect the head to the rest of the printer.

Good suggestion. It appears the cables from the printer are connected to the back side of the carriage from my access point. In short, checking the cable connections seems to be above my skill level. I did try to clean the contacts between the printhead and the carriage with compressed air, and that didn’t help.