Epson XP 4100 & 4105 - Make Refillable Ink Cartridges from Original OEM

Today, we will be looking at the Epson XP 4100 and 4105 models. The first thing we’re going to go over is how to disable Epson’s automatic update. We will disable the ink tracking system, refill the original ink cartridge, and make a transparent ink cartridge.

Installing Drivers and Disabling Firmware Download

If you haven’t done so already, the first step is to go to Epson.com and install their driver. Make sure you use the actual Epson website, as many spam websites will pop up if you Google “Epson XP 4100 driver”. If you click on the link provided, you will see two options. One is the “driver and Utilities “ download. The other is the “firmware download. Under no circumstances should you ever download the latter option.

Download the driver and utilities from the link provided. While doing this, Epson will attempt to confuse you into installing the firmware. You do not want to do this, so here are the step-by-step instructions to avoid that.

1. You'll get a pop-up saying, “this file contains the installer to obtain everything you need to use your Epson XP 4100 Series." This is not true, and Epson knows it.
2. On the next window, uncheck the firewall option.
3. Click "no" on the user participation pop-up.
4. Click no every time it asks if you want to update your firmware.
5. Whether or not you want the product registration, you can choose for yourself, but I always click decline.
6. Find the device in the printers and scanners list in your computer’s device settings.
7. Go to Manage >Printing Preferences >Maintenance >Software Update >Yes
8. Let it check for updates, but do not install any of them.
9. Go to auto-update settings.
10. It will show you a list of printers. Set them all to “never.”
11. Click "disable automatic checking" on the window that will randomly pop up a few days later.

Downloading the Right Firmware

The second thing I will teach you is how to disable Epson’s ink tracking chip. Why would you want to do this? With the chip disabled, you can use any ink cartridges you want, meaning you won’t have to worry about Epson bothering you when you use the kind of ink you choose.

A couple of company websites will allow you to disable Epson’s ink tracking chip. The only one I trust is InkChip.net. (It is NOT InkChip.com.) Once you're on the correct website, click the tab that says “soft” (short for software). Find the printer model you have and click download in the firmware column.

While it’s downloading, turn the printer to firmware update mode so that it will put this firmware on your printer. Now turn the power off. Use your right hand to hold the triangle button, the down arrow, and the left arrow button, so that you're pressing all three at once. Finally, press the power button without releasing the other three. Wait until you see a blue screen come on before releasing any of the buttons.

Now the firmware should have finished downloading. Make sure the USB cable is plugged into your printer and PC. To uncompress it, you can use WinRAR or 7zip. These two sites are free — make sure you don't go to a spam site instead. Once the file is uncompressed, go to the folder. Run the firmware 4100 program. Tell Windows yes to allowing this “Unknown Publisher” to make changes to your device.

Go through steps one and two and read them if you want. Click that you agree. Go through steps three, four, and five. Now you should see your printer listed under the model name. If it is not listed, there are a few things that you should check. The first one we already mentioned, but check that your USB cord is plugged into your PC and printer. You also have to have the driver from the above section installed.

To get your printer off the blue screen and back into normal mode, unplug it from the power source, wait a few seconds, and plug it back in. If it is still not showing up in the model name section, there is one more thing we can try. First, uninstall those drivers we just installed and return to the Epson website.

Click on the section that says “Drivers +,” and you should see a dropdown menu of different driver options. Click on the top one that says “Printer Driver.” It should be around 33MB. This driver is not the same as the previous one, so when you get to the window, it should look different than last time.

Select your printer and check the “Set as default printer” box. Click OK. There might be a box that says “automatic update firmware.” DO NOT select that box. Now put the printer back to firmware update mode using the same process from earlier. Repeat the download process. Select your computer under “model name” and click start.

Once the bar reaches 100%, click "Finish" and close out that window. The printer won’t be done yet, so leave it one for ten to fifteen minutes and come back later. Unplug the power and plug it back in like before, or press the OK button on your printer.

Return to Inkchip.net, find your model number, and click download under the activation column. You’ll have to buy a key to the printer, but you’ll only have to buy one, and it will last forever. This key will allow you to recover the firmware if you accidentally lose it.

A window will popup with the license program. If the USB cord is plugged in, the printer should show up. Click activate online and enter the license key that you bought. Find the recovery key on this window and copy it into a safe file to store if you need it later. After this, you will need to restart your printer.

The Cartridge Process

The ink reader should now say that all the cartridges are full, even if you don’t have any installed. I suggest you use the OEM Epson cartridge. They have multiple chambers and sealed air channels. You’ll be able to see the large, round one-way damper that prevents air bubbles from getting where they don’t belong.

You’ll see that the color cartridges have different grooves, which means you'll be unable to plug different colors into slots they don’t belong in. You will also notice that the same colors from other models are the same, meaning cartridges from different models are interchangeable. If you don’t have a cartridge already, go to eBay and look up Epson empty cartridges. You’ll be able to order a lot of them for pretty cheap because many people don’t know how to refill them. Make sure the cartridges you order are the same size as the ones your printer can use.

For the ink, you can use pigment ink, dye ink — pretty much any ink you want to use. Just go to this link and order the ink you prefer. You’ll also need ink syringes, a 3mm drill, and four L-shaped plugs.

Select the cartridge you want to refill. Find the space between the model numbers and drill through the first layer. After you feel it go through this layer, give the drill two more turns and pull it out quickly. This way, the debris comes out with the drill. Smooth out the edge, then drill through the second layer. Use one of the needles to test and make sure it can get through the second layer.

Now, pick up your syringe and fill it with 10mls of ink. Make sure the needle goes through both layers in the cartridge before injecting the ink. Do not overflow the ink. Put in the plug and give it a little twist. Once that is done, use a paper towel to wipe off the surface.

How to Read the Ink Level

Since your computer will now display the ink cartridges are always full, I will show you how to read the ink levels. There's a little window on each cartridge, so you can see how much ink is left or use a scale to measure how much is in there.

Making a Transparent Cartridge

Flip the cartridge over so that the window is facing up. Using one of your fingers, peel up the plastic around the small window. You won’t need it anymore, so go ahead and tear it off. You can also remove the panel with the Epson logo.

Using a very sharp razor, carefully scratch the corner of the top membrane layer in a horizontal motion. Try not to pierce through, but you can use tape to fix any holes if you have to. After about four minutes, you’ll see a small part sticking up near the corner. Use your nail and carefully start tearing it from there. Try to peel it in one continuous motion.

You will now be able to see the ink inside.

Put your printer on the Maintenance >change cartridges screen. It will allow you to put your cartridges in there. Print a check from the maintenance screen and click maintenance check. You may have to run a few cleanings before it prints correctly. Epson’s cleaning program is not very efficient, and it may get worse before it gets better, but trust the process.

For a demonstration or more detailed instructions, feel free to watch my youtube video on the topic or go to my YouTube channel Kevin’s Ink & More for other helpful videos. We hope you’ve enjoyed this blog and found it helpful!