Reset the Epson XP-400 waste ink pad counter
The XP-400 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 XP-400 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.
How the XP-400 tells you
When its waste ink counter is full, the XP-400 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.
Use a USB cable for the XP-400
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 XP-400 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 XP-400 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 XP-400 Adjustment Program?
The Epson Adjustment Program for the XP-400 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 XP-400 stops with the ink pad error, you only need its waste ink counter set back. 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 XP-400 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 XP-400 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.
What you will see
Screens from the tool's demo mode for the XP-400. 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 XP-400 has printed a lot, wash or replace the pads, or fit an external waste ink tank, so ink cannot overflow. How.
XP-400 questions
Is this the Epson XP-400 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 XP-400'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 XP-400
These models share the XP-400's counters and reset the same way (34 models).
Also in this family: XP-204, XP-205, XP-206, XP-207, XP-208, XP-300, XP-301, XP-302, XP-303, XP-305, XP-306, XP-401, XP-402, XP-403, XP-405, XP-406. All supported printers.
Not sure about another Expression printer? See which XP models can be reset.