In this article, we will discuss the meaning of HP printer warning lights on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers and how to clear the warning lights.
Note: The guide below is for HP LaserJet Pro M14, M15a, M15w, M16a, M17a, and M17w printers.
Blinking Attention Light – HP Printer Warning Lights on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
The attention light will continue to blink when HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers enter an error state.
We will discuss several blinking attention light scenarios on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers and how to resolve the error.
1. Blinking Attention Light and “Front Door Open” is Displayed
When this happens, it means that your printer’s cartridge access door isn’t completely closed or it is open. To solve this error, open and then close the cartridge access door completely.
2. Blinking Attention Light and “Out of Paper” is Displayed
When this happens, it means that there is no paper loaded in the printer’s input tray. To solve this error, load the input tray with paper.
How to Load Plain A4 or U.S. Letter Size Paper into the Input Tray of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To load plain A4 or U.S. letter size paper into the input tray of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, do the following steps:
Step 1: Pull the output tray downwards.
Step 2: Place a stack of A4 or U.S. letter-size paper into your printer’s input tray.
Ensure that the print side is facing up and the stack is well into the printer.
Caution: Do not overload the input tray to avoid paper jams.
Step 3: Move the paper width guides to the sides of the stack.
Ensure that you don’t push the guides so much that they squeeze the paper.
Note: Do not forget to choose the right paper type and paper size settings in the print settings when you want to print or copy after the paper is loaded.
How to Load Envelopes into the Input Tray of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
Guidelines
i. You can load a maximum of 5 envelopes into the tray.
ii. Don’t use envelopes that have coated linings, self-stick adhesives, windows, snaps, clasps, or heat-susceptible synthetic materials.
iii. If the envelope has peel-off adhesive strips, then you need to ensure that the envelope can be used by laser printers.
iv. Use only envelopes designed for laser printers.
v. Don’t use wrinkled, stuck-together, nicked, or any form of damaged envelope.
vi. Use envelopes that have seams extending to the corners.
Loading the Envelopes in HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To load envelopes into the input tray of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, do the following steps:
Step 1: Pull the output tray downwards.
Step 2: Place a maximum of 5 envelopes in the tray with the print side facing up.
Ensure that the envelopes go all the way into the printer.
- If the flap of the envelope is designed on the short edge, then you need to place the envelope in a way that the flap side faces up while the short edge is inserted into your printer without the flap.
- If the flap of the envelope is designed on the long edge, then you need to place the envelope in a way that the flap side faces down while the short postage edge is inserted into the printer.
Step 4: Move the paper width guides to the sides of the stack.
Ensure that you don’t push the guides so much that they squeeze the paper.
Note: Do not forget to choose the right paper type and paper size settings in the print settings when you want to print or copy after the paper is loaded.
3. Blinking Attention Light and Paper Jam Message is Displayed
When this happens, it means that there is paper jammed in your printer. You might see any of these messages:
- Paper Jam in Tray
- Paper Jam in Output Tray
- Printer paper jam
To solve this error, you need to clear the paper jam. If there is no paper jammed in your printer, then you have to reset your HP printer.
To clear the paper jam in HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers, the first thing you need to do is to locate where the jam occurred in the printer.
We will guide you on how to remove paper jams from different parts of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers. If you don’t find the paper jam in one part, try the instructions on how to remove the jam in the next part until you cover all parts where the jam might occur.
How to Clear Paper Jam from the Input Tray of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To clear the paper jam from the input tray of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, do the steps below:
Step 1: Open your printer’s cartridge door.
Step 2: Take out the cartridge from your printer.
Step 3: Take out the stack of paper from your printer’s input tray.
Step 4: Hold the visible jammed paper with both hands and gently pull it from the printer.
Step 5: Reinstall the cartridge into your HP printer.
Step 6: Load the printer’s input tray with plain paper.
Step 7: Close your printer’s cartridge door.
Step 8: Press the printer’s “Resume/Cancel” button.
Check if the error message and blinking light have disappeared.
If you still see the error message and the blinking light, check the next area for the paper jam.
How to Clear Paper Jam from the Output Bin of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To clear the paper jam from the output Bin of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, do the steps below:
Step 1: Hold the visible jammed paper with both hands and gently pull it from the printer’s output bin.
Step 2: Press the printer’s “Resume/Cancel” button.
Check if the error message and blinking light have disappeared.
If you still see the error message and the blinking light, check the next area for the paper jam.
How to Clear Paper Jam from the Cartridge Access Area of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To clear the paper jam from the cartridge access area of HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, do the steps below:
Step 1: Turn your HP printer off.
Step 2: Unplug the printer’s power cable from the wall outlet.
Step 3: Open your printer’s cartridge door.
Step 4: Take out the cartridge from your printer.
Step 5: Hold the visible jammed paper with both hands and gently pull it from the printer’s cartridge access area.
Step 6: Reinstall the cartridge into your HP printer.
Step 7: Press the printer’s “Resume/Cancel” button.
Step 8: Close your printer’s cartridge door.
We recommend that you read the following articles for further information on how to resolve paper jams and other printer jam issues:
HP Paper Jam Error Codes [How to Fix]
HP Printer ADF Jam [How to Fix]
HP Printer Jam in Tray 1 [How to Fix]
HP Printer Jam in Tray 2 [How to Fix]
HP Printer Jam in Tray 3 [How to Fix]
HP Printer Jam [Issues & Solutions]
Check if the error message and blinking light have disappeared.
If you still see the error message and the blinking light, then you need to reset your printer.
How to Reset HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To reset an HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printer, do the following steps:
Step 1: Turn on your HP printer (if it is not turned on).
Step 2: Remove the printer’s power cable from your HP printer.
Step 3: Unplug the printer’s power cable from its connected power source.
Step 4: Wait for about 60 seconds.
Step 5: Plug the power cable into a wall outlet as recommended by HP.
Check if the error message and blinking light have disappeared.
If you still see the error message and the blinking light, then you need to service your HP printer.
To service your HP printer, contact HP Customer Support and fix a repair date for your printer. If you live in Asia Pacific will be redirected to a service center close to you.
Printers that are still under warranty will be repaired for free. However, if your printer is no longer under warranty, you will pay the repair fees.
4. Blinking Attention Light and “Supply Memory Error” and “Toner Missing” is Displayed
When this happens, it means that the toner cartridge isn’t installed correctly or missing.
To fix this problem, install the cartridge correctly. Take out the cartridge from your printer and then reinstall it correctly.
How to Reinstall Toner Cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To reinstall the toner cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, follow the steps below:
Step 1: Open your printer’s cartridge door.
Step 2: Hold the toner cartridge handle and pull out the cartridge from your HP printer.
Step 3: Align the cartridge with the path within your HP printer.
Step 4: Push the cartridge into your printer and ensure that it is firmly seated.
Step 5: Close your printer’s cartridge door.
If reinstalling the cartridge doesn’t resolve the problem, then you need to service your HP printer.
5. Blinking Attention Light and “Cartridge Low” is Displayed
This happens when the installed cartridge is low. You can resume printing with the low cartridge by pressing the “Resume/Cancel” button.
You don’t have to change the cartridge when this situation occurs. However, you can change the cartridge when the print quality becomes unacceptable.
How to Replace Toner Cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To replace the toner cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, do the following steps:
Step 1: Open your printer’s cartridge door.
Step 2: Hold the toner cartridge handle and pull out the cartridge from your HP printer.
Step 3: Take out the new cartridge from the package.
Step 4: Place the package wrapper aside.
Step 5: Hold the new cartridge on both sides and then gently shake it from side to side to spread the toner within the cartridge.
Step 6: Bend the orange tab on the cartridge.
Step 7: Pull the tab to remove the sealing tape within the cartridge.
Ensure that you completely pull out the tape from the cartridge. Failure to do so might lead to future problems.
Step 8: Pull and remove the cover on the cartridge.
Step 9: Align the cartridge with the path within your HP printer.
Step 10: Push the cartridge into your printer and ensure that it is firmly seated.
Step 11: Close your printer’s cartridge door.
Step 12: Put the old cartridge in the package wrapper you kept aside in step 4.
Step 13: Place the old cartridge and its sealing tape in the new cartridge’s package box and send it back for recycling.
If you still encounter the issue after replacing the cartridge, then you need to service your HP printer.
6. Blinking Attention Light and “Cartridge Very Low” is Displayed
This happens when the installed cartridge is very low. You can resume printing with the low cartridge by pressing the “Resume/Cancel” button.
You don’t have to change the cartridge when this situation occurs. However, you can change the cartridge when the print quality becomes unacceptable.
To replace the toner cartridge, follow the steps we shared under the “How to Replace Toner Cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers” section of this article.
If you still encounter the issue after replacing the cartridge, then you need to service your HP printer.
7. Blinking Attention Light and “HP Protected Cartridge Installed” is Displayed
This happens when the installed cartridge has already been installed in and protected on a different HP printer. The solution to this problem is to replace the cartridge.
To replace the toner cartridge, follow the steps we shared under the “How to Replace Toner Cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers” subsection of this article.
If you still encounter the issue after replacing the cartridge, then you need to service your HP printer.
8. Blinking Attention Light and “Incompatible Cartridge” is Displayed
This happens when the installed cartridge isn’t compatible with your HP printer. To fix this problem, you have to replace your toner cartridge.
To replace the toner cartridge, follow the steps we shared under the “How to Replace Toner Cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers” subsection of this article.
If you still encounter the issue after replacing the cartridge, then you need to service your HP printer.
9. Blinking Attention Light and “Unauthorized Cartridge” is Displayed
This happens when you install an unauthorized toner cartridge in your HP printer. To fix this problem, you have to replace your toner cartridge with a genuine HP cartridge.
To replace the toner cartridge, follow the steps we shared under the “How to Replace Toner Cartridge on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers” subsection of this article.
If you still encounter the issue after replacing the cartridge, then you need to service your HP printer.
10. Blinking Attention Light and “Paper Size Mismatch” is Displayed
When this happens, it means that the size of the paper that has been loaded into the printer’s input tray is not fit for the print job at hand or the size doesn’t correspond to the size selected in the paper settings.
To resolve the problem, you need to remove the paper from the input tray and load the correct paper size. You can also read this article: HP Printer Error Paper Mismatch [How to Fix] to learn more about this error and how to resolve it.
11. Blinking Attention Light and “Print on Both Sides Instructions” is Displayed
This happens when your printer is busy processing a two-sided (duplexing) print job and requires you to load the input tray to complete the printing.
To complete the printing, take out the pages already printed from your printer’s output tray. After that, place the pages in the input tray with the printed side facing up. Finally, print on the other sides by pressing the printer’s “Resume/Cancel” button.
We recommend that you read this article: HP Printer Warning [Detailed Guide] to learn about other HP printer warnings that you might encounter when using your HP printer.
Blinking Wireless Light – HP Printer Warning Lights on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
When the wireless light on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers is blinking, it is an indication that the wireless network is either configuring, your printer is unable to find the wireless signal, or the printer is unable to connect to the wireless network.
How to Clear Blinking Wireless Light on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
To clear the blinking wireless light on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 printers, do the following:
1. Allow Your Printer to Connect to the Wireless Network
Sometimes, your HP printer might need some minutes for it to connect to your wireless network (access point or router). Therefore, when the wireless light is blinking, you need to be patient while the connection is established. After waiting for some minutes, then you can check the status of the wireless light.
If you discover that your printer’s wireless light is turned on and solid, then it means that the connection is established. Therefore, you don’t need to do any other troubleshooting.
If you check and the light continues to blink, do the next task.
2. Check if the Wireless Network has Issues
Check the following as they might be the reason why your HP printer is not connecting:
i. The wireless network is inactive, or the signal strength is low.
To confirm that the network is active, check if your access point or router is turned on. Also, check the signal strength and confirm that it is strong.
You can move your printer closer to your router or access point to increase the signal strength. It is recommended that your printer and your router should not be farther away than 3 feet to 5 feet (1.0 to 1.5 meters).
ii. Your printer is in standby or sleep mode.
You need to check your printer and wake it from sleep mode if it is not in ready mode. We recommend that you read this article: HP Printer Sleep Mode [How To, Issues & Solutions] to learn more about HP printer sleep mode.
iii. Your computer firewall is preventing your printer from connecting to your computer and network.
In this case, you need to temporarily disable your firewall, and then check if the connection is established and the wireless light has stopped blinking.
If the light becomes solid, then the firewall is responsible for the warning light. Therefore, you have to use the printer without enabling the firewall. However, make sure that you enable it when you are done with your printer.
If your printer’s wireless light continues to blink after disabling the firewall, then the firewall is not responsible for the blinking light. Therefore, you need to enable the firewall immediately.
iv. The signal of your wireless network is being interfered with by a device that is emitting radio signals (for example a cordless telephone or microwave).
If you have such devices close to your printer or router, you need to move them away.
v. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is preventing your printer from your wireless network and computer.
After correcting each item listed above, check if the wireless light has stopped blinking.
If the wireless light becomes steady, then you don’t need to do any other troubleshooting.
However, if the light continues to blink, do the next task.
3. Connect your HP Printer to the Wireless Network
At this point, you need to connect your HP printer to your wireless network. Consult your printer manual to learn the process of doing this.
Solid Attention and Ready Lights – HP Printer Warning Lights on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
This happens when your HP printer enters a fatal error state. Follow the solutions below to resolve the problem.
1. Reset your HP Printer
To reset your HP printer, follow the steps we shared under the “How to Reset HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers” subsection of this article.
After resetting your printer, check if the issue is resolved.
If you still encounter the issue, do the next solution.
2. Plug your Printer’s Power Cable Straight into a Wall Outlet
Follow the steps below to plug your HP printer’s power cable directly into a wall outlet:
Step 1: Remove the printer’s power cable from your HP printer.
Step 2: Remove the printer’s power cable from its connected power source (surge protectors, power strips, etc.)
Step 3: Connect the printer’s power cable directly to a wall outlet.
Step 4: Plug the cable into your HP printer.
Step 5: Turn on your HP printer.
Check if the issue is resolved.
If you still experience the issue, use another outlet as the problem might be the result of a bad electrical wall outlet.
If using the second outlet doesn’t restore the problem, you need to service your HP printer.
Blinking Attention and Ready Lights – HP Printer Warning Lights on HP LaserJet Pro M14 – M17 Printers
This happens when your HP printer becomes too hot and cannot continue to print. In such a case, you have to allow your printer to get cool before you resume printing.
