HP Deskjet 2540, Ink Advantage 2545 Printers - Blinking Lights

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

• The network connection is no longer active, or has low signal strength.
• The printer goes into sleep mode or standby mode.
• The printer is either too far away from the wireless router, or too close to it. The recommended distance between the printer and the router is 1.0 meter to 1.5 meters (3 ft to 5 ft).
• A firewall prevents the printer from accessing the computer and wireless network.
• A nearby device that emits radio signals (such as a microwave or cordless telephone) might interfere with the wireless connection.
• A virtual private network (VPN) prevents the printer from accessing the computer and wireless network.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

1. Press the Power button to turn off the printer.
2. Wait at least 15 seconds.
3. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.
4. Check the lights on the control panel to make sure that they are no longer blinking.
5. Attempt to scan the item again.

1. Load clean, white U.S. Letter or A4 paper in the input tray, if necessary.
2. Press and hold the Power button. While holding down the Power button, press and hold the Cancel button. Hold them both down for 2 or 3 seconds.
   The test page prints.
   
   1. Power button
   2. Cancel button

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

1. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
3. Wait at least 15 seconds.
4. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
5. Reconnect the power cord to the printer.
6. Turn the printer on.

1. Load clean, white U.S. Letter or A4 paper in the input tray, if necessary.
2. Press and hold the Power button. While holding down the Power button, press and hold the Cancel button. Hold them both down for 2 or 3 seconds.
   The test page prints.
   
   1. Power button
   2. Cancel button

1. Pull the paper gently out of the input tray to remove the paper jam.
   
2. Gently remove any jammed paper and bits of torn paper from the tray. To avoid tearing any whole sheets of paper, pull the paper with both hands.

   note:

   Use a flashlight to thoroughly check for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the tray. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more jams are likely to occur.

1. Locate the output tray in the front of the printer.
2. Gently remove any jammed paper and bits of torn paper from the tray. To avoid tearing any whole sheets of paper, pull the paper with both hands.
   

   note:

   Use a flashlight to thoroughly check for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the tray. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more jams are likely to occur.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Disconnect the USB cable from the rear of the printer.
3. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.

     warning:

   You must disconnect the power cord before you reach inside the HP printer to avoid risk of injuries or electric shock.

4. Remove any loose sheets of paper from the input tray.
5. Tilt the printer on its back, and then use your fingers to move the pick mechanism from inside the input tray.
   Debris or foreign objects might fall out of the printer.
   
6. Return the printer to its normal position.

1. Press the Power button to turn off the printer if it is not off already.
2. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer if it is not disconnected already.

     warning:

   You must disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the HP printer to avoid risk of injuries or electric shock.

3. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   
4. Gently remove any jammed paper from inside the printer.
   
5. Close the ink cartridge access door.

1. Disconnect the USB cable from the rear of the printer.
2. Turn the printer so that you can access its underside (base).

     caution:

   Before turning the printer, use your hand to secure the scanner lid.

3. Press in the tabs on either side of the cleanout door to open it.
   
4. Gently remove any jammed paper from inside the printer.

   note:

   Use a flashlight to thoroughly check for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the printer. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more jams are likely to occur.

   
5. Reattach the cleanout door. Gently push the door forward until it snaps into place.
   
6. Turn the printer over to its normal position.
7. Open the ink cartridge access door, and then look inside the printer for any loose objects that might have shifted when the printer was turned over. Remove any loose objects found.
8. Close the ink cartridge access door.
9. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
10. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.

1. Turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
2. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   
3. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
4. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.

     warning:

   You must unplug the power cord to move the carriage by hand and reset the paper feed mechanism without the risk of electrical shock.

5. Check for any paper or objects that might be restricting the carriage, and then remove any paper or objects that you find.

     caution:

   If the paper tears when you remove it from the rollers, check the rollers and wheels for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the printer. If pieces of paper remain in the printer, more paper jams can occur.

6. Reach inside the printer through the ink cartridge access door, and then manually move the carriage.
   • If the carriage is stuck on the right side of the printer, move the carriage to the left side of the printer.
   • If the carriage is stuck on the left side of the printer, move the carriage to the right side of the printer.
   • If the carriage is stuck in the middle of the printer, move the carriage to the right side of the printer.
7. Remove any loose paper or obstructions found.
8. Make sure the carriage can move freely across the width of the printer. Firmly push the carriage to the left side of the printer, and then to the right side.
9. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   
10. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer, and then turn on the printer.

1. Turn off the printer, and then disconnect the power cord.

     warning:

   Disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the printer to avoid risk of injuries or electric shock.

2. Raise the input tray.
   
3. Look down through the open input tray and find the gray paper pick rollers. You might need a flashlight to illuminate the area.
   
4. Lightly dampen a lint-free cloth with distilled water, and then squeeze any excess liquid from the cloth.
5. Press the cloth against the rollers and rotate them upward with your fingers. Apply a moderate amount of pressure to remove dust or dirt buildup.
6. Allow the rollers to dry completely (approximately 10 minutes).
7. Reconnect the power cord and any cables to the rear of the printer, and then turn on the printer.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

1. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
3. Wait at least 15 seconds.
4. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
5. Reconnect the power cord to the printer.
6. Turn the printer on.

1. Load clean, white U.S. Letter or A4 paper in the input tray, if necessary.
2. Press and hold the Power button. While holding down the Power button, press and hold the Cancel button. Hold them both down for 2 or 3 seconds.
   The test page prints.
   
   1. Power button
   2. Cancel button

1. Pull the paper gently out of the input tray to remove the paper jam.
   
2. Gently remove any jammed paper and bits of torn paper from the tray. To avoid tearing any whole sheets of paper, pull the paper with both hands.

   note:

   Use a flashlight to thoroughly check for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the tray. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more jams are likely to occur.

1. Locate the output tray in the front of the printer.
2. Gently remove any jammed paper and bits of torn paper from the tray. To avoid tearing any whole sheets of paper, pull the paper with both hands.
   

   note:

   Use a flashlight to thoroughly check for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the tray. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more jams are likely to occur.

1. Turn off the printer.
2. Disconnect the USB cable from the rear of the printer.
3. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.

     warning:

   You must disconnect the power cord before you reach inside the HP printer to avoid risk of injuries or electric shock.

4. Remove any loose sheets of paper from the input tray.
5. Tilt the printer on its back, and then use your fingers to move the pick mechanism from inside the input tray.
   Debris or foreign objects might fall out of the printer.
   
6. Return the printer to its normal position.

1. Press the Power button to turn off the printer if it is not off already.
2. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer if it is not disconnected already.

     warning:

   You must disconnect the power cord before reaching inside the HP printer to avoid risk of injuries or electric shock.

3. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   
4. Gently remove any jammed paper from inside the printer.
   
5. Close the ink cartridge access door.

1. Disconnect the USB cable from the rear of the printer.
2. Turn the printer so that you can access its underside (base).

     caution:

   Before turning the printer, use your hand to secure the scanner lid.

3. Press in the tabs on either side of the cleanout door to open it.
   
4. Gently remove any jammed paper from inside the printer.

   note:

   Use a flashlight to thoroughly check for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the printer. If any torn pieces of paper remain inside the printer, more jams are likely to occur.

   
5. Reattach the cleanout door. Gently push the door forward until it snaps into place.
   
6. Turn the printer over to its normal position.
7. Open the ink cartridge access door, and then look inside the printer for any loose objects that might have shifted when the printer was turned over. Remove any loose objects found.
8. Close the ink cartridge access door.
9. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
10. Press the Power button to turn on the printer.

• If these steps resolved the issue, and the test page prints, there is no need to continue troubleshooting. Reconnect the USB cable, and then try to print again.
• If the issue persists, continue with the next solution.
• If the test page does not print, continue with the next solution.

1. Turn on the printer, if it is not already on.
2. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   
3. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before you continue.
4. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.

     warning:

   You must unplug the power cord to move the carriage by hand and reset the paper feed mechanism without the risk of electrical shock.

5. Check for any paper or objects that might be restricting the carriage, and then remove any paper or objects that you find.

     caution:

   If the paper tears when you remove it from the rollers, check the rollers and wheels for torn pieces of paper that might remain inside the printer. If pieces of paper remain in the printer, more paper jams can occur.

6. Reach inside the printer through the ink cartridge access door, and then manually move the carriage.
   • If the carriage is stuck on the right side of the printer, move the carriage to the left side of the printer.
   • If the carriage is stuck on the left side of the printer, move the carriage to the right side of the printer.
   • If the carriage is stuck in the middle of the printer, move the carriage to the right side of the printer.
7. Remove any loose paper or obstructions found.
8. Make sure the carriage can move freely across the width of the printer. Firmly push the carriage to the left side of the printer, and then to the right side.
9. Open the ink cartridge access door.
   
10. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer, and then turn on the printer.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already turned on. Wait until the printer is idle and silent before continuing.
2. Open the ink cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the carriage is idle and silent before continuing.
   
3. Press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out to remove it from its slot.
   

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   
4. Check for obstructions under and around the carriage. Clear any obstructions you find. You might need a flashlight to illuminate areas for proper viewing.
5. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot. Make sure that the icon on the ink cartridge matches the icon on the slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge goes in the slot on the left.
   • The black ink cartridge goes in the slot on the right.
   
6. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
   
7. Close the ink cartridge access door.
   

• If these steps resolved the issue, and the test page prints, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue with the next solution.
• If the test page does not print, continue with the next solution.

1. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from any power strips or surge suppressors.
3. Plug the power cord directly into an electrical outlet.
4. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
5. Turn on the printer.

• If these steps resolved the issue, and the test page prints, there is no need to continue troubleshooting. Reconnect the USB cable, and then try to print again.
• If the test page prints successfully, but you continue to experience an issue with your printer, then the issue is not related to the hardware.
  • Experiencing another issue?
    If your printer prints a test page and there is still an issue with your printer, go to HP Customer Support, type your printer model, and then browse for the appropriate support document to troubleshoot the issue.
• If the printer does not print a test page, there is an issue with the printer hardware. Continue to the next step or solution.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already turned on.
2. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
3. Open the ink cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the printer is idle and silent before continuing.
   
4. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out of its slot.
   
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then pull the orange tab to remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   
6. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot. Make sure that the ink cartridge is inserted in the correct slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge goes in the slot on the left.
   • The black ink cartridge goes in the slot on the right.
   
7. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
   
8. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
9. Close the ink cartridge access door.
   
10. Follow any prompts on the screen.
11. Wait about 30 seconds for the alignment page to automatically print.
    

    note:

    The printer prints an alignment page automatically only when a new ink cartridge has been installed.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the print side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass for help loading the alignment page.
   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the Start Copy Black button or the Start Copy Color button on the front panel of the printer. The printer aligns the ink cartridges.

note:

Ink level warnings and indicators provide estimates for planning purposes only. When an indicator shows low ink levels, consider having a replacement ink cartridge available to avoid possible printing delays. You do not need to replace ink cartridges until print quality becomes unacceptable.

1. Press the Power button to turn on the printer, if it is not already turned on.
2. Load plain white paper into the input tray.
3. Open the ink cartridge access door. The carriage moves to the center of the printer. Wait until the printer is idle and silent before continuing.
   
4. Lightly press down on the ink cartridge to release it, and then pull the ink cartridge out of its slot.
   
5. Remove the new ink cartridge from its packaging, and then pull the orange tab to remove the plastic tape.

     caution:

   Do not touch the copper-colored contacts or the ink nozzles. Touching these parts can result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

   
6. Hold the ink cartridge by its sides with the nozzles toward the printer, and then insert the ink cartridge into its slot. Make sure that the ink cartridge is inserted in the correct slot.
   • The tri-color ink cartridge goes in the slot on the left.
   • The black ink cartridge goes in the slot on the right.
   
7. Push the ink cartridge forward into its slot until it snaps into place.
   
8. Repeat these steps to replace the other ink cartridge, if necessary.
9. Close the ink cartridge access door.
   
10. Follow any prompts on the screen.
11. Wait about 30 seconds for the alignment page to automatically print.
    

    note:

    The printer prints an alignment page automatically only when a new ink cartridge has been installed.

1. Lift the scanner lid.
2. Place the alignment page with the print side down on the right-front corner of the scanner glass. See the engraved guide next to the scanner glass for help loading the alignment page.
   
3. Close the scanner lid.
4. Press the Start Copy Black button or the Start Copy Color button on the front panel of the printer. The printer aligns the ink cartridges.

1. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
3. Wait at least 15 seconds.
4. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
5. Reconnect the power cord to the printer.
6. Turn the printer on.

1. Load clean, white U.S. Letter or A4 paper in the input tray, if necessary.
2. Press and hold the Power button. While holding down the Power button, press and hold the Cancel button. Hold them both down for 2 or 3 seconds.
   The test page prints.
   
   1. Power button
   2. Cancel button

1. With the printer turned on, disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet.
3. Wait at least 15 seconds.
4. Plug the power cord back into the wall outlet.
5. Reconnect the power cord to the printer.
6. Turn the printer on.

1. Load clean, white U.S. Letter or A4 paper in the input tray, if necessary.
2. Press and hold the Power button. While holding down the Power button, press and hold the Cancel button. Hold them both down for 2 or 3 seconds.
   The test page prints.
   
   1. Power button
   2. Cancel button

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

• If the electrical outlet does not work, plug the printer into another outlet that does work.
• If the electrical outlet works, but the printer still does not turn on, continue to the next solution.

• If the power supply is compatible with the printer, but the printer still does not turn on, continue to the next solution.
• If the power supply is not compatible with the printer, contact HP to replace the power supply with a compatible power cord or power module.

1. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the printer.
2. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet, power strip, or surge protector.
3. If the printer uses a power module with a detachable power cord, disconnect the cord from the power module.
4. Wait 15 seconds.
5. If the printer uses a power module with a detachable power cord, reconnect the power cord to the power module.
6. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the printer.
7. Plug the power cord directly into a wall outlet. Do not use a power strip or surge protector.
8. Check to see if the power module or the power cord has an indicator light and if it is on.

   note:

   Not all external modules or cords have an indicator light.

   
9. Depending on the indicator light status, choose one of the following options:
   • If the power module indicator light was on prior to connecting to the printer but turned off once connected to the printer, continue to Service the printer at the end of this document.
   • If the indicator light is on, continue to the next step.
   • If the indicator light is off, continue to the next step.

1. Make sure that the power cord is connected to the rear of the printer and directly into a wall outlet.
2. Press and quickly release the Power button to start a Power On/Off cycle. Do not hold the button down.
   

   If you press and hold the Power button too long, the printer might turn on and then off without restarting. If this happens, press and quickly release the Power button again.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you can stop troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, choose one of the following options:
  • If the indicator light on the power module is off, continue to the next solution.
  • If the indicator light on the power module is on and the printer still does not turn on, continue to Service the printer at the end of this document.

• If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
• If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.