VNIT Reset Tool cannot find, read or reset the printer: every message and its fix

Find the message the tool shows (in the box that pops up or in the log at the bottom of the window) and go to that section. If you are not sure, start with the quick checks.

Quick checks (fix most cases)

1. Switch the printer on and wait until it has finished starting and is quiet. Its lights should stop blinking busily.
2. Connect a USB cable straight into the computer, not through a hub or a monitor. A short, good cable is best. A laptop with only USB-C ports needs an adapter.
3. Cancel every print job that is waiting for this printer.
4. Switch the printer off with its power button, wait 10 seconds, switch it on, wait until it is quiet.
5. Press Check Printer in the tool again.
6. Make sure you have the latest version from the download page.

The cable and the printer are usually fine. Most failures are a busy printer, a waiting print job, or the computer’s print system holding the printer.

“Printer not found over USB or Wi-Fi”

The tool could not see any Epson printer.

• Check the printer is on and the USB cable is firmly in at both ends. Try another USB port on the computer.
• On Windows 11, if the printer still prints but the tool cannot see it, see Windows 11 below.
• If Windows shows the printer under another driver, see Windows is using a different driver.
• Printer with a fax (L5190, L5290, ET-4800, many WorkForce models)? Windows lists it twice. See Printer with fax.
• On a Mac, see Mac.
• Over Wi-Fi, the printer and the computer must be on the same network. Most models cannot be read over Wi-Fi at all, so use a USB cable.

“Communication Error. Printer not found / not readable”

The tool found something but could not talk to the printer.

1. Do the quick checks.
2. Close other printer programs that may be talking to the printer at the same time, such as another reset tool or an Epson utility.
3. Try a different USB cable and a USB port on the computer itself.
4. On Windows 11, check protected print mode and Windows Ready Print.
5. Printer with a fax? Make sure the tool is talking to the printer, not the fax: see Printer with fax.
6. Still failing? Send us the details.

“The printer did not answer after several attempts”

The printer is usually busy: cleaning its print head, finishing a job, or in use by another program.

1. Wait until the printer is quiet and its lights stop blinking, then press Check Printer again.
2. If it still fails, switch the printer off, wait 10 seconds, switch it on and try again.
3. Last step: try another USB cable (short, good quality) plugged straight into the computer. Some low-quality cables cannot talk to the printer.

“The printer reports its waste ink pad is full” and does not accept commands

This is the error a reset fixes. In this state, though, the printer does not accept commands straight away.

1. Cancel all waiting print jobs on this computer.
2. Switch the printer off with its power button and wait 10 seconds.
3. Switch it on, wait until it is quiet, then press Check Printer.
4. If it still fails, try another short, good USB cable plugged straight into the computer.

Print jobs still waiting that the tool could not cancel

The tool cancels stuck Windows print jobs for this printer by itself (since version 3.12.7). If it says jobs are still waiting:

1. Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners (Windows 10: Devices > Printers & scanners).
2. Select your Epson and open its print queue.
3. Choose Printer > Cancel All Documents.
4. Press Check Printer again. Print the documents again after the reset.

“Another program is holding the printer”

The computer’s own print system or another program has the printer open.

Windows: open your Epson’s print queue (as above) and choose Printer > Pause Printing. Try again in the tool. After the reset, untick Pause Printing.

Mac: open System Settings > Printers & Scanners, select the Epson, open its print queue and press Pause. After the reset, press Resume.

Also close any other printer utility or reset tool that is open.

If the tool says “The USB port is held by the computer’s print system — switched to the Wi-Fi connection instead”, pause the print queue the same way, unplug and replug the USB cable, then press Check Printer. Most models can only be reset over USB.

Windows 11: the printer prints, but the tool cannot find it

Windows protected print mode and Windows Ready Print make Windows 11 use Microsoft’s own printer driver instead of Epson’s. The printer still prints, but reset tools cannot reach its counter over USB.

1. Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners > Printer preferences: turn off Windows protected print mode first.
2. Turn off Default install printers using Windows Ready Print.
3. Remove the printer, reinstall Epson’s driver, and plug the USB cable back in.

Full steps, including what to do when the switch is greyed out: Turn off Windows protected print mode and Windows Ready Print.

Windows is using a different driver

The tool can tell when the computer sees the Epson printer, but Windows has given it a driver other than USB Printing Support. The tool only works through that one. The cable and power are fine. Do not waste time changing cables.

1. Right-click Start and open Device Manager.
2. Find the printer (look under Printers, Print queues, Universal Serial Bus controllers or Other devices).
3. Right-click it and choose Update driver > Browse my computer for drivers > Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer.
4. Choose USB Printing Support and click Next.
5. Unplug the USB cable and plug it in again.

If the device has a yellow warning mark (“Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems”), unplug it, use another USB port or cable, and restart the computer.

On Windows 11, also check protected print mode and Windows Ready Print.

Printer with fax: choose the printer, not the fax

Epson printers that can send faxes (for example the L5190, L5290, ET-4800 and many WorkForce models) install two drivers over the same USB cable: one for the printer and one for the fax. In Settings > Printers & scanners you see two entries, such as EPSON L5290 Series and EPSON L5290 Series FAX.

Only the printer side answers when the counter is read or reset. If the tool talks to the fax side, it cannot read the printer and you get Communication Error or FAILED to read the counters, even though the cable is fine.

• Windows, version 3.16.2 or newer: the tool recognises the fax connection, skips it and reads the printer by itself. If you have an older version, download the current one.
• Older version, or the tool lists the same printer twice: choose the entry that is not the fax. If the first line will not read, press Check Printer on the other one.
• When a step asks you to pause or clear the print queue, use the printer entry (the one without FAX in its name).
• You do not need to remove the fax driver. The printer and the fax keep working as before.

If neither entry can be read, go back to the quick checks and Windows is using a different driver.

Wi-Fi: “Reset is locked” or “Checking over Wi-Fi has failed”

Most Epson models answer over the network but do not let their counter be read or reset that way. Reading and resetting over Wi-Fi works on a few models only, such as the L805, and the connection can drop out.

1. Connect a USB cable from the printer to the computer.
2. Press Check Printer. The tool switches to the cable by itself and unlocks the Reset button once the counter has been read.

Your key is not used when this happens.

Mac: the printer is not found

• USB: pause the Epson print queue (see Another program is holding the printer), then press Check Printer again.
• Wi-Fi (a few models only): the first time, macOS asks whether VNIT Reset may find devices on local networks. Press Allow. Pressed “Don’t Allow” by mistake? Go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and switch on VNIT Reset. A guest network will not work.
• The full Mac walkthrough: Reset an Epson on a Mac.

No internet connection

The standard version downloads the settings for your exact printer model from our server each time, so it needs internet even to read the counter. Check the computer is online. A company firewall or proxy can block the tool; try another network. Repair shops that work offline can ask about the technician version.

“Model not in the database — cannot read/reset”

The tool has no settings for this model yet. Check the exact model name printed on the front of the printer against the supported printers list, then send us the model name and a screenshot. Regional names (for example L3211 for the L3210) are usually covered under the main model.

“Uses a MAINTENANCE BOX — it cannot be reset by software”

This printer keeps waste ink in a replaceable maintenance box, and the box carries its own counter chip. No PC software can reset it. Fit a new box, or reset the box’s chip with a hardware chip resetter. Reset or replace a maintenance box.

“FAILED to read the counters”

The tool reached the printer and knows the model, but the counter read failed.

1. Switch the printer off for 10 seconds, switch it on, wait until it is quiet, and press Check Printer.
2. Use a USB cable if you are on Wi-Fi.
3. If it fails again, the model may use different settings. Send us a screenshot of the log, which shows the model and the details we need.

“Written but read-back mismatch — reset may have failed”

The tool wrote the new value but read back something different. Do not switch the printer off. Run the reset again. If it keeps happening, contact us. If a key fails on a supported printer and we cannot fix it, we refund that key (refund policy).

The reset worked but the printer still shows the error

Switch the printer off and on. It only reads the new counter when it starts up. Then press Check Printer to confirm the new level. More causes: Error still shows after the reset.

“Free trial not available”

• The trial runs only when a counter is at 90% or more. Below that, you do not need a reset yet, and the trial is not used up.
• Each printer gets one trial, counted on our server. After that, a full reset to 0% needs a key.

“Cannot reset yet” or key problems

• The log says why. There are four reasons:
  • The tool is still busy with another task. Wait for it to finish.
  • The printer is not connected yet. Press Check Printer first.
  • The model uses a maintenance box. See maintenance box.
  • Reset is locked because the printer is on Wi-Fi. See Wi-Fi.
• A key is not tied to one computer. It is used up only when a reset succeeds.
• Key email not arrived? Check spam, or open My keys to send your keys to your inbox again.

Still stuck? What to send us

1. In the tool, open Settings and turn on Verbose logging. Press Check Printer once more.
2. Take a screenshot of the whole tool window, including the log.
3. If the tool closed by itself, also send the file loi.txt from the tool’s folder.
4. Tell us the printer model, and whether the computer runs Windows 10, Windows 11 or macOS.

Send it with Chat with support inside the tool (version 3.15 and later), or on WhatsApp or email.