MX920 won't print in black and white when color cartridges are empty

[talentetta]

For over a year at least, my color cartridges have been empty, and I haven't had a problem printing or copying in black and white until now. I have an error on the machine that says to replace the 3 color cartridges. I only need black, so how can I work around this error and get back to printing? Recently the lg black 255 was out of ink, but it was still printing fine. I replaced that cartridge with a generic refill, but that hasn't helped. I still get the picture showing arrows to the 3 color cartridges, which are empty. I never printed in color, and yet they all drained down, even though I had grayscale and draft selected.

I am running Windows 10 on a Lenovo Thinkpad.

[Michael]

Hello.

Our inkjet printers will not be able to print if any ink tanks are missing or empty.  Please install new, genuine Canon brand ink tanks to resume printing again.  We cannot guarantee functionality with refilled or third-party ink tanks.

If you continue to have difficulties, find more help at Contact Us.

[chuck1]

I noticed this on my MX920 too.  Must say this is one of the worst design features that I have ever seen.  No advantage to making it impossible to print in grayscale when color ink is empty - even if only 1 of the color inks are empty!  Sure its great from the standpoint of always having to have backup color cartridge$ on hand, just to ensure that I can still print in black and white.  Dumb.  Makes money for the company but with the vast, vast majority of printing done using only the black ink cartridge, this is ridiculous.  The manager or designer who ok'd this design spec should be fired. 

[brucenoel]

I agree with the last person.  The manager who released this feature where the printer won't print in black and white if a color cartridge is empty.  I think I am going to throw away my new MX920.  It isn't worth the agravation.  I am trying to print an important document and the color just ran out and I don't have a refill.  I have all cannon cartridges.  It is a black and white document.  What a disaster.

[chiphenry]

That's what I'm going to do. I will not buy a color cartridge to print in black and white. I informed the company of my choice. I highly expect to be ignored. They may not notice the few printers we buy but I'll not forget the anger this brought out.

It's a software choice. It can be fixed in minutes and posted as an updated printer driver. Think they'll do it? I don't. I'm just plain mad about it.  I won't buy a color one to fix it. I'll buy a new printer instead. Trust me.

[chiphenry]

It was a deliberate one. It's a simple software issue and they want it this way.

I will not buy Canon again AND, I will not buy a color cartridge to make this printer work. It is dead to me, here and working but without color so I can't print in black and white. I deserve better. I have emailed the company and I DO NOT expect them to fix it, but they could fix it in short order if they wanted to.  It is a simple software change. It's a company decision. NO MORE CANON. Seeing this as a deliberate, known choice is their right but I don't have to do business with them. One of the printers needs wide format and we use a different brand already. I wanted to see how this Canon would compare to a Canon 7000 I once had that was wondeful. This is anything but. I'm very mad, and mad enough to make a chance based on this one issue. Consider me gone.

[chiphenry]

It's no accident. It's criminal.

[dakota1]

I have  to spent $80.00 to replace the yellow color I  never used just to print an email in black?? A really sleazy tactic!!

Good bye Canon hello Epson!!

[chiphenry]

I just ran into this myself. I will not buy Canon in the future. I rarely need colors and forcing me to buy something I don't need has made me angry. I can't print a tax form because I don't have MAGENTA!  

No More Canon for me and I'll quickly get the word out to the other three I assist on computer issues.

[Ceekoke]

You are evil. A child has to print something for a school project in black and white, but can't, because the printer has no pink ink. This is an anxious child. You are evil.