Reset the Epson ET-2803 waste ink pad counter
The ET-2803 can be reset in software. VNIT Reset Tool reads its counters for free over a USB cable, runs one free trial reset, and resets to 0% with a US$6 key.
Windows or Mac · reading the counter is free · one free trial per printer
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On Windows, install the ET-2803 with Epson's driver, not Microsoft's. Download it from Epson's website for this 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.
Waste ink counters on the ET-2803
VNIT Reset Tool reads and resets these counters on the ET-2803. The printer stops when a counter reaches its limit.
| Counter | What it is | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Main pad | The main absorber pad inside the printer body | 6,346 points |
| Platen pad | The pad near the paper path, used by borderless printing | 3,416 points |
| Ink system pad | A further pad counter found on newer ink tank models | 1,300 points |
The tool shows each counter as a percentage of its limit. 100% means full.
How the ET-2803 tells you
When its waste ink counter is full, the ET-2803 stops printing. On the computer you will usually see “The printer's ink pads are at the end of their service life” or “Service Required”; on the printer itself, error lights or a message on its screen. Nothing is broken: a counter has reached its limit.
On EcoTank models with a screen, the warning shows as code W-11 or W-14, and the stop as E-11 or E-12. What the EcoTank ink pad codes mean.
Use a USB cable for the ET-2803
Reading and resetting over Wi-Fi works on a few models only. Connect it with a USB cable. If the tool finds the printer on Wi-Fi but cannot read the counter, the tool is not broken: plug in the cable and press Check Printer again.
Reset the ET-2803 on a Mac
The same app runs natively on macOS 11 or newer, on Intel Macs and Apple silicon (M1 and later), so you do not need Windows, Boot Camp or a virtual machine. Connect the ET-2803 with a USB cable (MacBooks with only USB-C ports need an adapter). The first time, macOS asks you to confirm in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Open Anyway. Mac guide with screenshots · Which Epson reset tools run on a Mac.
Looking for the Epson ET-2803 Adjustment Program?
The Epson Adjustment Program for the ET-2803 is Epson's service software for repair technicians: one program per model, Windows only, with many functions besides the counter (EEPROM settings, head ID, alignment). Copies passed around online come from unknown sources and may be for the wrong model or region. If the ET-2803 stops with the ink pad error, you only need its waste ink counters set back (Main pad, Platen pad, Ink system pad). VNIT Reset Tool does that one job, on Windows and Mac, and reading the counter is free. What the Adjustment Program is · How to spot an unsafe download.
How to reset the Epson ET-2803 ink pad counter
- 01Download VNIT Reset Tool and unzip itWindows 7–11 or macOS 11+. Unzip it first: running it from inside the zip causes errors. Screenshots of every step: on Windows · on a Mac.
- 02Connect the ET-2803 and press Check PrinterPlug in the USB cable. Wi-Fi works on a few models only, so use the cable. Switch the printer on. The tool shows the model, serial and each counter. The computer needs internet.
- 03Run the free trial, or enter your keyThe trial drops a 90%+ counter to 80%. A US$6 reset key takes it to 0%.
- 04Switch the printer off and on againSkip this and the printer still shows the old error.
Video: reset the ET-2803 step by step
36 seconds, no sound. Recorded in the tool's demo mode for the ET-2803: the example key and serial number are not real. Connect your printer with a USB cable.
What you will see
Screens from the tool's demo mode for the ET-2803. The serial number and counter values on your printer will be different.
After the reset: deal with the pads
The reset changes the counter, not the pads. If the ET-2803 has printed a lot, wash or replace the pads, or fit an external waste ink tank, so ink cannot overflow. How.
ET-2803 questions
Is this the Epson ET-2803 Adjustment Program?
No. The Adjustment Program is Epson's Windows service software for technicians, one per model, with many service functions. VNIT Reset Tool only reads and resets the ET-2803's waste ink counters, on Windows and Mac, which is all the ink pad error needs.
The free trial worked. Do I still need a key?
Not straight away. The trial leaves the counter at 80%, so the error comes back sooner than after a full reset to 0% with a key.
Same reset family as the ET-2803
These models share the ET-2803's counters and reset the same way (126 models).
Also in this family: ET-2802, ET-2804, ET-2805, ET-2806, ET-2808, ET-2810, ET-2811, ET-2812, ET-2813, ET-2814, ET-2815, ET-2816, ET-2818, ET-2820, ET-2821, ET-2822, ET-2823, ET-2824, ET-2825, ET-2826, ET-2828, ET-2860, ET-2861, ET-2863, ET-2865, ET-2870, ET-2871, ET-2873, ET-2875, ET-4800, L1210, L1216, L1218, L1219, L1230, L1236, L1238, L1239, L1250, L1256, L1258, L1259, L1270, L1276, L1278, L1279, L3200, L3201, L3203, L3205, L3206, L3207, L3208, L3209, L3210, L3211, L3213, L3215, L3216, L3217, L3218, L3219, L3230, L3231, L3233, L3235, L3236, L3237, L3238, L3239, L3250, L3251, L3253, L3255, L3256, L3257, L3258, L3259, L3260, L3261, L3263, L3265, L3266, L3267, L3268, L3269, L3270, L3271, L3273, L3275, L3276, L3277, L3278, L3279, L3280, L3281, L3283, L3285, L3286, L3287, L3288, L3289, L5290, L5296, L5298, L5310, L5316, L5318. All supported printers.