On Windows, install your printer with Epson's driver, not Microsoft's. Download it from Epson's website for your model. If Windows set the printer up by itself with a Microsoft driver (Windows Ready Print or Microsoft IPP Class Driver), it may still print, but the tool often can't read or reset it over USB. How to get the Epson driver back.
The short answer
The L5190 and L5290 have a small screen. Instead of blinking lights, they show a code such as E-11 or W-11.
- W codes are warnings. You can usually keep printing for a while.
- E codes are errors. Printing stops.
W-11 / E-11 and W-14 / E-12 are ink pad counter errors. Nothing is broken. You can read the counters for free and reset them. The other codes are about paper, the scanner or Wi-Fi, and a reset does not fix them.
What each code means
The meanings below come from Epson’s user’s guides for the L5190 and the L5290 (links in Sources). Both guides list the same codes.
| Code on screen | What Epson says it means | Can VNIT Reset Tool fix it? | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| W-11 | An ink pad is nearly at the end of its life. | Yes (main pad counter) | Press the start button to keep printing. Read the counter and plan a reset. |
| E-11 | An ink pad needs to be replaced. Printing stops. Scanning still works. | Yes (main pad counter) | Read the counter. Reset it, then check the pads. |
| W-14 | The borderless printing ink pad is nearly at the end of its life. | Yes (platen pad counter) | Press the start button to keep printing. Read the counter and plan a reset. |
| E-12 | The borderless printing ink pad needs to be replaced. Borderless printing stops. Printing with a border still works. | Yes (platen pad counter) | Read the counter. Reset it, then check the pads. |
| E-01 | A printer error. | No | Switch off and on. If it stays, check for a paper jam. If there is none, the printer needs a technician. |
| E-02 | A scanner error. | No | Switch off and on. |
| W-01 | Paper jam. | No | Remove the paper, then press the button shown on the screen. |
| Recovery Mode | A firmware update failed. | No | Connect by USB and update the firmware again. |
| I-22, I-23, I-31 | Wi-Fi setup steps (press the router button, enter a PIN, run the installer). | Not needed | Follow the steps on the screen. |
If the screen is dark, the printer may be asleep. Press any button to wake it up.
The L5190 and L5290 have only a power light and a fax light. There is no error light to read, so the screen code is your guide.
Is it the ink pads? Check for free
The code tells you which pad is high. It does not tell you the number. To see it:
- Download VNIT Reset Tool and run it on a Windows computer.
- Connect the printer with a USB cable. The L5290 must use USB. Reading over Wi-Fi works on a few models only.
- Press Check Printer. Reading is always free.
What the tool shows:
- L5190: two counters, Main pad and Platen pad.
- L5290: three counters, Main pad, Platen pad and Ink system pad.
The main pad is inside the body of the printer. The platen pad is near the paper path and catches ink from borderless printing.
If a counter is at 90% or more, you can run the free trial once per printer. It lowers the counter to 80%, which clears the error. A key costs US$6 and resets the counter to 0%.
After any reset, switch the printer off and on again. If the code is still on the screen, see the error is still there after a reset.
A reset only changes the number. The pads themselves may be soaked. Read what to do with the ink pads after a reset before you print a lot again.
Errors a reset does not fix
- W-01 paper jam. Remove the paper gently. Look for torn pieces.
- E-01 printer error. Switch off and on, then check for a paper jam. If there is no jam and the code stays, see a technician.
- E-02 scanner error. A reset of the ink pad counter does not touch the scanner.
- Carriage problems. If the print head cannot move, a counter reset will not help.
- Printers with a maintenance box. Some other Epson models use a replaceable box instead of fixed pads. The L5190 and L5290 use fixed pads. See reset or replace a maintenance box if yours has a box.
Models in this family
- Epson L5190 — Main pad and Platen pad.
- Epson L5196 — same counters as the L5190.
- Epson L5198 — same counters as the L5190.
- Epson L5290 — Main pad, Platen pad and Ink system pad.
- Epson L5296 — same counters as the L5290.
- Epson L5298 — same counters as the L5290.
The L5190 shares its counters with the L3110 and L3150. Those printers have lights instead of a screen: see Epson L3110 / L3150 blinking lights.