HP OfficeJet Pro 6230 Cartridge Lights Blinking After Replacing Yellow 934/935 Cartridge: What It Means and How to Troubleshoot

Question

I have an HP OfficeJet Pro 6230 printer that uses HP 934 and 935 cartridges. I have been watching your channel for a long time and trust your solutions. Recently, the printer showed that the yellow cartridge was empty, so I replaced it. After replacing it, all four cartridge lights started blinking.

When I put the yellow setup cartridge back in, the other cartridges stop blinking, but then the printer says it cannot recognize the cartridge as an HP cartridge. Some people say that if it is an HP printer, I should just throw it away. Could you help me understand what the exact problem might be?

Answer

For your HP OfficeJet Pro 6230 using HP 934 and HP 935 cartridges, the symptom you described points to a cartridge-recognition or cartridge-authentication problem, not necessarily a clogged printhead problem. Since all four cartridge lights started blinking after replacing the yellow cartridge, the printer is likely detecting a cartridge system fault. The yellow cartridge may be the trigger, but the printer may respond by blinking all cartridge lights because the cartridge set is being checked as a group.

There are a few likely possibilities.

First, the replacement yellow cartridge may not be accepted by the printer. Even if the cartridge physically fits, HP printers can reject a cartridge if the chip is damaged, incompatible, previously locked out by firmware, region-mismatched, expired in some cases, or not making good electrical contact. The HP 934/935 cartridge series uses electronic chips, and the printer depends on that chip to identify the cartridge. If the yellow cartridge chip is unreadable, the printer may show a cartridge problem even though the cartridge is full of ink.

Second, the setup cartridge behavior is important. Setup cartridges are usually intended for printer initialization. If the printer accepts the yellow setup cartridge enough to stop the other lights from blinking, that suggests the printer can still communicate with at least one type of yellow cartridge chip. However, if the printer then says it cannot recognize it as an HP cartridge, the setup cartridge itself may no longer be valid for normal operation, may have a damaged chip, or the printer firmware may be rejecting it because the printer has already completed its setup process. In other words, the setup cartridge temporarily changes the error behavior, but it does not prove the printer is fully healthy.

Third, there may be dirty or damaged contacts inside the cartridge carriage. Remove the power cord from the printer, open the cartridge access area, and inspect the copper contacts on the cartridge and the matching contacts in the printer. A small amount of ink mist, oxidation, paper dust, or dried residue can cause the printer to misread the chip. Clean the cartridge chip area gently with a lint-free cloth slightly dampened with distilled water or isopropyl alcohol. Do not soak the cartridge, and do not scrape the chip aggressively. Let everything dry completely before reinstalling.

Fourth, check whether the cartridges are genuine HP, refilled HP, remanufactured, or compatible cartridges. HP firmware updates can sometimes block certain third-party or remanufactured cartridge chips. A cartridge that worked before may stop working after a firmware update, and a newly purchased cartridge may fail if its chip is not compatible with the firmware version currently installed on the printer. This is one reason people often become frustrated with HP cartridge systems, but it does not automatically mean the printer itself is useless.

Fifth, make sure the cartridge numbers and region match. The HP OfficeJet Pro 6230 commonly uses HP 934 black and HP 935 color cartridges, but cartridge numbers can vary by region. If a cartridge was purchased from another country or from a marketplace seller with mixed inventory, it may be a genuine HP cartridge but still not accepted by your printer because of regional compatibility.

Here is a practical troubleshooting sequence I would try:

Turn the printer off, unplug it from the wall, and wait several minutes. Then plug it directly into a wall outlet, not a surge protector, and turn it back on. Remove all cartridges and inspect them one by one. Clean the cartridge chips and the carriage contacts carefully. Reinstall the cartridges firmly, making sure each one clicks into place. If the yellow replacement cartridge causes all four lights to blink again, test with a different yellow HP 935 cartridge if possible. Ideally, use a new genuine HP cartridge from a reliable source just for testing. If a known-good yellow cartridge works, then the problem is the yellow cartridge or its chip. If every yellow cartridge causes the same error, then the problem may be the printer's cartridge contact board, carriage assembly, firmware state, or logic board.

Also, check the printer display or HP software on the computer if available. The blinking cartridge lights are useful, but the HP software may show a more specific cartridge error, such as "cartridge problem," "incompatible cartridge," "cartridge missing or damaged," "older generation cartridge," "non-HP cartridge," or "cartridge not intended for this printer." Those messages matter because they point to different causes. For example, "incompatible cartridge" often suggests chip, firmware, or region issues, while "missing or damaged" often suggests contact problems or a failed chip.

If the printer says the setup cartridge is not recognized as an HP cartridge, I would not rely on that setup cartridge for final diagnosis. Setup cartridges are special cartridges, and after the printer has already been initialized, they may not behave the same way as regular cartridges. The better test would be a known-good standard HP 935 yellow cartridge.

I would not immediately throw the printer away. However, I would also be realistic. The HP OfficeJet Pro 6230 is an older cartridge-based printer, and if the problem turns out to be the carriage contact board or main logic board, the repair may cost more than the printer is worth. If the issue is only a bad cartridge chip or dirty contact, it may be solved fairly easily. The key is to isolate whether the yellow cartridge is bad or the printer's cartridge-reading system is failing.

Addressing printer issues can be a complicated affair because many problems require hands-on inspection. Because of that, we are not able to provide remote troubleshooting, suggestions, or support for printer repairs beyond general guidance. We do offer an in-person evaluation and repair service through our local diagnostic facility: BCH Technologies Printer Repair Service [https://bchtechnologies.com/printer-repair-service]. Due to high demand, we operate on a first-come, first-served basis, so it may take a few weeks before we can accept your printer for drop-off. Our services are structured to repair either a whole printer or specific parts, with clear instructions on how to proceed. However, we understand that our rates may not be the most economical option for every situation. For that reason, we highly recommend self-help through online research. A good starting point is YouTube, including the homepage of our channel: BCH Technologies on YouTube [https://youtube.com/@bchtechnologies]. You can search for specific videos by using the search icon next to "About" on the right-hand side of the channel menu bar. I receive dozens of questions every day asking for videos on specific topics, and after creating videos for more than nine years, it is difficult to remember every individual video. Using YouTube's search function is usually the fastest method, and YouTube may also suggest helpful videos from other creators.

Thank you again for watching, trusting our work, and reaching out with your question. I hope this helps you narrow the problem down before deciding whether the printer is worth repairing or replacing.