What an Epson resetter does
Your Epson counts the ink it sends to its waste ink pads. When the count reaches a limit, the printer stops and shows “Service Required” or “the printer’s ink pads are at the end of their service life”. Nothing is broken. The number is stored in the printer’s memory.
An Epson resetter sets that number back, so the printer works again. It does not clean or empty the pads. That part is up to you, and it matters. What to do with the pads after a reset.
The three kinds of resetter
| Kind | What it is | For which printers | Things to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Counter reset software with a key | A program that reads the counter and resets it. You pay per reset (a key), often after a free check | Printers with fixed waste ink pads: most L-series, many EcoTank, XP and older models | Buy from the maker’s own site. Examples: VNIT Reset Tool, WIC Reset Utility |
| Epson Adjustment Program | Epson’s service program for technicians, one per model. Copies are sold or passed around online | The one model it was made for | Changes many service settings, not only the counter. Read this first |
| Chip resetter (hardware) | A small device that resets the chip on a maintenance box | Printers that use a replaceable maintenance box | Software cannot reset these printers. It does not empty the box. Box or pads? |
Not sure which kind your printer needs? Look it up in the supported printers list. Each model says whether it resets in software or needs a new maintenance box.
How to spot an unsafe download
Search for “[your model] resetter” and many results offer a “free download”. Be careful. Public malware sandbox reports list copies of the Epson Adjustment Program as malicious. For example, ANY.RUN flagged a file called “EPSON Adjustment Program Resetter L130-L220-L310-L360-L365.rar”, and ITSafety lists an “Epson Adjustment Program.exe” as a trojan (both in the sources below).
Warning signs:
- You are told to turn off your antivirus before you download or run it.
- The file is a zip or rar with a password posted on the same page.
- There is no way to check the file, such as a published SHA-256 checksum.
- The page promises “100% working” or “crack”, or lists every printer ever made.
- There is no company, no refund policy and no support apart from a chat number.
Already downloaded something that asks for a password, shows a CRC error or was removed by your antivirus? See Epson resetter download problems.
A safe tool comes from its own official website, runs without turning off your protection, publishes checksums, and tells you plainly what is free and what costs money. VNIT Reset Tool publishes its SHA-256 checksums on the download page and explains why Windows may still warn about a new, unsigned program.
What “free” really means
Almost every search adds the word “free”. Here is what is honestly free with VNIT Reset Tool:
- Reading the counter on any supported printer, as often as you like.
- One trial reset per printer, which brings a counter at 90% or more down to 80%. The error clears and the printer prints again.
A full reset to 0% needs a key: US$6 for one printer, or less per key in packs (US$4.50 each for 10, US$2.50 each for 25). Pricing.
Windows and Mac
Most resetters only run on Windows. VNIT Reset Tool has a Windows version (Windows 7 to 11) and a Mac version for macOS 11 or newer that runs natively on both Intel and Apple silicon Macs. How to reset an Epson on a Mac.
How to reset, step by step
- Download VNIT Reset Tool and unzip it.
- Connect the printer with a USB cable and switch it on.
- Press Read counter. You see each waste ink counter as a percentage.
- Use the free trial, or enter a key and reset to 0%.
- Switch the printer off and on again, then check the pads.
The full walkthrough with screenshots is in the user guide.