Reset the Epson ET-2860 waste ink pad counter
The ET-2860 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-2860 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-2860 has been reset
VNIT Reset Tool users have reset the ET-2860 in the United Kingdom and Iraq, most recently on 30 October 2026. From the reports the app sends after a reset; we publish no serial numbers or personal data.
Connection used: USB cable · computers: Windows.
Waste ink counters on the ET-2860
VNIT Reset Tool reads and resets these counters on the ET-2860. 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-2860 tells you
The ET-2860 is an EcoTank without a screen, so it reports ink pad problems with lights. When the ink and paper lights flash at the same time, Epson says an ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life. Flashing one after the other points to the borderless pad. 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-2860 lights mean
Not every blinking light is the ink pads. Only the rows marked “Yes” are fixed by resetting the counter.
| Lights | What Epson says it means | Fixed by a reset? |
|---|---|---|
| Ink and paper lights flash at the same time | An ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life. If a message on your computer says you can continue, press a copy button to keep printing. The lights flash again at regular intervals until the pad is replaced | Yes |
| Ink and paper lights flash one after the other | A borderless printing ink pad is nearing or at the end of its service life. Printing with a border still works | Yes |
Source: Epson ET-2860 Series / L3270 Series User's Guide: checking lights and printer status. Reading the counter for free tells you which counter is full.
Use a USB cable for the ET-2860
The ET-2860 answers over Wi-Fi but does not let the counter be read or reset that way. 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-2860 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-2860 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-2860 Adjustment Program?
The Epson Adjustment Program for the ET-2860 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-2860 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-2860 reset key
A reset key is the code that takes the ET-2860'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-2860 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-2860 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-2860 and press Check PrinterPlug in the USB cable. The ET-2860 cannot be read or reset over Wi-Fi. 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-2860 step by step
48 seconds, no sound. Recorded in the tool's demo mode for the ET-2860: 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-2860. 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-2860 has printed a lot, wash or replace the pads, or fit an external waste ink tank, so ink cannot overflow. How.
ET-2860 questions
Does the Epson warranty cover the ET-2860 ink pad?
Not the cost, according to the ET-2860 Series User's Guide: the pad can only be replaced by an authorised Epson service provider, and the Epson warranty does not cover the cost of this replacement. Check your own warranty terms with Epson first.
Is the ET-2860 the same as the L3270?
Epson uses one User's Guide for the ET-2860 Series and L3270 Series, with the same light table.
Does a reset empty the ink pads?
No. A reset only clears the counter. The ink already in the pads stays there, so check them before you keep printing for a long time.
Is this the Epson ET-2860 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-2860'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-2860 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-2860?
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-2860
These models share the ET-2860's counters and reset the same way (126 models).
Also in this family: ET-2802, ET-2803, 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-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.