Why your printer says "non-genuine cartridge", and what to do next

A "non-genuine cartridge", "non-HP supply installed" or "used or counterfeit cartridge" message is usually a notice, not a fault: press OK and print a page. If the printer says "incompatible", "unauthorized" or "protected" instead, it is refusing the cartridge, and the steps for your printer are below.

That is the short answer. The rest of this page explains why the message appears, how to read it, and what we do if one of our cartridges is the problem.

Why the message appears

Most laser toner cartridges carry a small chip. When you close the door, the printer reads it to learn which cartridge is installed and to estimate how much toner is left.

Some printers also check whether that chip is the manufacturer's own, and tell you when it is not. That is all a "non-genuine" notice means. It is a statement about who made the cartridge, not a test of how it prints. Other printers show no such notice, and only display an error when they cannot read the cartridge at all.

Every Elevate Imaging cartridge ships ready for the printers it is listed for, so there is nothing to set up.

Notice or refusal: read the exact wording

The wording on the panel tells you which situation you are in. It varies by model, but it falls into two groups.

What the panel says	What it means	What to do
HP: "Non-HP supply installed", "non-genuine cartridge", "Used or counterfeit cartridge installed"	A notice. The printer has identified the cartridge and is telling you.	Press OK, then print a page.
HP: "Unauthorized cartridge"	A refusal. The Cartridge Policy setting is on.	See the two HP settings below.
HP: "Protected cartridge"	A refusal. The cartridge was locked to another printer by Cartridge Protection.	See the two HP settings below.
HP: "Incompatible cartridge", "Supply memory error"	A refusal. The printer cannot read the chip, or the cartridge is not the right one for this model.	Work through the HP checklist below.
Brother: "Cannot Detect", "Cartridge Error", "No Toner", "Wrong Toner"	A refusal. The printer cannot read the cartridge and stops printing.	See the Brother section below.

If the page prints cleanly after a notice, you are done. The message may come back after the printer restarts, and the answer is the same.

If your cartridge is remanufactured: some remanufactured cartridges reuse a genuine HP chip. On those, the printer may say "Used or counterfeit cartridge installed". That message is expected. Press OK and print. The printer may also show no toner level for that cartridge, which does not affect printing.

Firmware updates

Printer makers can change what a printer accepts through firmware updates, and sometimes an update goes wrong. In March 2025, a firmware update for some HP LaserJet printers left them refusing HP's own toner. HP acknowledged a firmware issue and released a corrected update about two weeks later.

So if a cartridge that was printing normally is suddenly refused, check whether the printer updated itself recently. Note the printer model and the firmware version, and send them to us with the message on the panel. That is usually enough to tell what happened.

If your printer is a Brother

Brother laser printers have no "non-genuine" notice. When one cannot read a cartridge, it shows a general message such as "Cannot Detect", "Cartridge Error", "No Toner" or "Wrong Toner", and it stops printing.

The steps Brother gives are short:

1. Take the toner and drum assembly out, lift the toner cartridge out of the drum unit, and put it back until it locks.
2. Check that the model number on the cartridge is the one your printer takes.
3. Clean the corona wire: slide the green tab on the drum unit from side to side a few times, then return it to its home position.
4. Turn the printer off and on again.

If the message is still there, contact the seller. The two HP sections that follow do not apply to your printer; skip to "What we do if the cartridge is ours".

If your printer is an HP: the two settings that cause most refusals

Many HP LaserJet printers have two supply settings that most offices have never opened. Both are off by default, but they can be switched on by a previous owner, an IT provider, or someone exploring the menus.

Cartridge Policy. When this is set to "Authorized HP", the printer accepts only HP's own cartridges and shows "Unauthorized cartridge" for everything else. Set to "Off", it accepts other cartridges.

Cartridge Protection. When this is on, each cartridge installed is permanently tied to that printer and shows "Protected cartridge" in any other one. It matters if cartridges are moved between printers in your office.

You will find both under the supplies settings, either on the printer's control panel or on its built-in web page: type the printer's IP address into a browser, then open Supplies and Supply Settings. The menu names differ from one model to the next, and HP's support site has the steps for each one.

The checklist for an HP printer, in order

1. Reseat the cartridge. Take it out, check that every strip of tape and every protective cover has been removed, and push it back in until it clicks.
2. Check the chip. It is the small contact on the cartridge. Wipe it gently with a dry, lint-free cloth and make sure nothing is covering it.
3. Check the two settings. Cartridge Policy should be "Off". If you move cartridges between printers, check Cartridge Protection as well.
4. Check for a recent firmware update. If the refusal started right after one, write down the firmware version.
5. Contact the seller. If the cartridge is still refused, stop there. You have done your part.

What we do if the cartridge is ours

Every cartridge we sell is built to work in the printers it is listed for. If your printer does not accept one of ours, that is our problem to fix, not yours: contact us and we will replace it, and if a replacement cannot solve it, we will refund it.

Email support@elevateimagingcartridges.ca with your order number, the printer model, and the exact message on the panel. Every cartridge is also covered by the Limited Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials and workmanship, with a free replacement, and the claim is handled by our team in Canada. Our article on the Xerox Everyday Toner transition explains who handles a claim and why that does not change.

When one of our cartridges is not the right buy

If your printer's Cartridge Policy is set to accept only HP cartridges, and your office's IT policy requires it to stay that way, an aftermarket cartridge is the wrong purchase for that printer. Buy the original.

For everyone else, start from the code printed on the cartridge you are replacing. It is listed in our HP and Brother collections, and each product page lists the printers the cartridge fits. The HP 58X (CF258X) high yield black is a typical example.

Questions about a message you are seeing right now: support@elevateimagingcartridges.ca