Reset the Epson ET-2850 waste ink pad counter
The ET-2850 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-2850 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.
Where the ET-2850 has been reset
12 ET-2850 printers have been reset with VNIT Reset Tool between 12 September 2026 and 1 November 2026, in 6 countries. Counted by printer serial from the reports the app sends after a reset; we publish no serial numbers or personal data.
Countries, most first: the United States, Pakistan, Canada, France, Italy, Papua New Guinea.
Connection used: USB cable · computers: Windows and Mac.
Waste ink counters on the ET-2850
VNIT Reset Tool reads and resets these counters on the ET-2850. The printer stops when a counter reaches its limit.
| Counter | What it is | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Main pad | The main absorber pad inside the printer body | 10,913 points |
| Platen pad | The pad near the paper path, used by borderless printing | 1,631 points |
| Ink system pad | A further pad counter found on newer ink tank models | 1,530 points |
The tool shows each counter as a percentage of its limit. 100% means full.
How the ET-2850 tells you
The ET-2850 shows ink pad problems as codes on its small screen. W-11 warns that an ink pad is nearly full (press the OK button to keep printing); E-11 means it is full, and printing stops. Connect it with a USB cable to read and reset the counter.
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.
What the ET-2850 screen codes mean
Not every code is the ink pads. Only the rows marked “Yes” are fixed by resetting the counter.
| Code | What Epson says it means | Fixed by a reset? |
|---|---|---|
| W-11 | An ink pad is nearing the end of its service life. Press OK to keep printing | Yes |
| E-11 | The ink pad needs to be replaced. Printing stops | Yes |
Source: Epson ET-2850 FAQ: error codes. Reading the counter for free tells you which counter is full.
Use a USB cable for the ET-2850
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.
Windows 11: the ET-2850 prints, but the tool can't find it
We also see this with the ET-2850 on Windows 11: it still prints, yet the tool cannot reach it over USB. In the reports our app sends back, those PCs had the ET-2850 installed with Microsoft's IPP Class Driver instead of Epson's driver. What has to be true is simple: Windows needs an EPSON ET-2850 Series printer that uses Epson's driver on a USB port. About five minutes:
- Open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners. Under Printer preferences, turn off Windows protected print mode if it is on, then turn off Default install printers using Windows Ready Print.
- Unplug the USB cable. Press Windows + R, type
control printersand press Enter. Remove every EPSON printer that uses a USB port (right-click > Remove device), including copies ending in "(FAX)" or "(Copy 1)". Keep the Wi-Fi / network ones so you can still print over Wi-Fi (not sure? right-click > Printer properties > Ports: USB001… = remove, WSD-… or an IP address = keep). - Run the installer from Epson's ET-2850 support page and plug in the USB cable when it asks (straight into the PC, not a hub). It is done when EPSON ET-2850 Series appears.
- Switch the printer off for about 30 seconds, switch it on and press Check Printer.
Epson also recommends keeping Windows Ready Print off for its printers. Still not found? Try another PC, or press Chat with support in the app. Full guide, including how to check the USB port and Device Manager.
Reset the ET-2850 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-2850 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.
Measured, not assumed: by 1 November 2026, the reset reports our app sends back show the ET-2850 reset over USB on 5 different Macs.
Looking for the Epson ET-2850 Adjustment Program?
The Epson Adjustment Program for the ET-2850 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-2850 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.
Epson ET-2850 reset key
A reset key is the code that takes the ET-2850's waste ink counters to 0% in VNIT Reset Tool. It costs US$6, arrives by email in about a minute and does not expire. One key is one full reset on one printer, and it is used only when the reset has been written. Try the free check and the free trial first, so you know the tool can reach your ET-2850 before you pay. Keys for other tools, such as WIC Reset Utility, do not work here. Buy a key · How reset keys work.
How to reset the Epson ET-2850 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-2850 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-2850 step by step
36 seconds, no sound. Recorded in the tool's demo mode for the ET-2850: the example key and serial number are not real. Connect your printer with a USB cable.
Video: reset the ET-2850 on a Mac
2 min 1 s, no sound. Part 1 is recorded on a real Mac: download, then allow the app in Privacy & Security. Part 2 shows the ET-2850 reset in demo mode with a simulated printer. Connect your printer with a USB cable. Mac guide with screenshots.
What you will see
Screens from the tool's demo mode for the ET-2850. 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-2850 has printed a lot, wash or replace the pads, or fit an external waste ink tank, so ink cannot overflow. How.
ET-2850 questions
My ET-2850 shows E-11. Is it broken?
No. E-11 means the printer has counted enough ink sent to its pads to stop. If it is still under warranty, contact Epson first: Epson's US pages say the ink pads are covered during the standard warranty, and other countries can differ. Otherwise read the counter for free, reset it, and check the pads.
Which counters does the ET-2850 have?
Three: the Main pad, the Platen pad (used by borderless printing) and the Ink system pad. The tool shows each one as a percentage, and Reset all clears them in one go.
Can I reset the ET-2850 over Wi-Fi?
Use a USB cable. Reading and resetting the waste ink counter over Wi-Fi works on a few models only.
Can I keep printing after W-11 on the ET-2850?
For now, yes. Epson's message says to press the OK button to continue printing. That only gets you past the warning and does not lower the counter. When the pad is full the printer shows E-11 and printing stops, so it is a good moment to read the counter and plan what to do.
Does a Power Cleaning fill the ET-2850's ink pads faster?
It can. Epson's ET-2850 FAQ warns that "Power Cleaning may cause the ink pads to reach their capacity sooner". Epson also says to run it only if necessary, with each ink tank at least one-third full, and to wait at least 12 hours before running another one.
Is this the Epson ET-2850 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-2850'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.
My Epson ET-2850 stopped printing. Is it the ink pads?
It can be. When a waste ink counter reaches its limit, the printer stops printing until the counter is reset. Press Check Printer in VNIT Reset Tool to read the counter for free: if it is at or near 100%, that is the cause. If the counters are low, look elsewhere, such as the driver, the print queue or the print head.
Is this the same as "reset ink levels" or a factory reset on the ET-2850?
No. Resetting ink levels is about the ink tanks, and a factory reset puts settings such as the network back to default. Neither clears the waste ink counter. This page is about the waste ink counter only.
Same reset family as the ET-2850
These models share the ET-2850's counters and reset the same way.