Wow! This video has really exploded in popularity! Be sure to check out the follow-up video with better views of where to clean the printhead:

I purchased my HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 in 2012!

This is a video, right (?) but you are doing most of your actions off screen or visually blocked by your hand or out of focus. That--together with your blurt and mumble style of speaking makes the info of little use.

This is a sink cleaning video. Freakin' one handed camera work.

I really wish you would’ve shown what you were cleaning. All I seen was a video of a sink and you never showed what the hell you were cleaning.

I have the same error after i was cleaning the black dry ink. I manage to factory reset and get rid of the error but i get faulty ink cartridge error and replacing the them still gives me the same error. Im thinking of cleaning and flushing down the whole print head.

Maybe it's the thick dust... LOL

You're kidding me right? Why would you go through the trouble of making a video if you're not in it

I just pulled mine out of closet after almost 10yrs probably replaced ink and ran head cleaner thru all 3 levels like 10x...prints/scans perfectly

I've just looked on Amazon for a replacement printhead £170 or about US$210, hope your cleaning video will do the trick.

My error message says. I need ink. But ink is leaking so I'm about to clean up my ink head. I really appreciate your instuction video. Very much enjoyed. You give me hope that one day I will be able to print again. :) Have a nice day.

Thanks for taking the time to do the video learnt a lot about my printer. FYI my printer gave same message but problem was just that one of the colour cartridges (Magenta) was empty. Replaced cartridge and fixed problem. However, after your video also cleaned printer head now have a fully functioning printer good as new! Ty

Your hack solution worked great for me…thank you

Holy shit, I've got this exact same model in my closet to repair! Been looking for someone else who's worked in-depth on this model, pretty sure what I've got is also a printhead issue.

My print head and cartridges went bad long ago, but since I only use my 8600 to scan to my computer and fax it did not matter. A few days ago the fax would dial, but would never connect. After testing I determined that the telephone line itself was OK, but whenever I plugged the line into the 8600, the line was "in use" just like I left a phone receiver off the cradle somewhere. I could input a fax number and it dials, but never connects to the receiving fax. I progressively went through all three types of resets. When I tried a factory reset, I now get only a cartridge error and then a setup tutorial that keeps repeating. Is there any way to breathe life back into it to just have scan and fax available without buying a new print head and cartridges? The home screen will no longer appear.

Hi. I cleaned and serviiced my printhead changed with new cartridges and the printer still gives me message " one or more cartridges appears to be damaged etc...". Any hint?

If you have a "Printer Failure" error, the touch screen is dead. I replaced the ink head with a good one, from a working printer; still have "Printer Failure, There is a problem with printer or ink system". I reset by unplugging, 10 times...Tried printing from pc, nothing. Is there a reset button or just the unplug thing?

I just installed a brand new print head on mine and it keeps telling me it's initializing but never seems to finish. 😵‍💫 I want to hard reset it but I'm afraid to because it warns you not to reset it while it's initializing (???)

Mine was printing fine the other week now it acts like it’s printing but no ink on paper, also no error messages.

Please can we see the part of the printer heads that you are wiping