I create this post because I’m in charge with all of computer things in my workplace, including printers. Every time I encounter any printer problem, I always have to resort to internet solution, even though I have already encounter and solve that problem before. So I plan to create a comprehensive printer solution, especially for Canon Pixma iP1980 in this page, so I don’t have to look further anymore. This page maybe will get updated in the future as I found more problems and solutions.
Error message and its meaning:
- 2x orange and 1x green: Out of paper.
- 3x orange and 1x green: Mechanic (physical) error(s) in the printer.
- 4x orange and 1x green: Waste Ink Absorber full.
- 5x orange and 1x green: Black / Color Cartridge is broken.
- 7x orange and 1x green: Color Cartridge is broken.
- 8x orange and 1x green: Waste ink tank / waste absorber full.
- 12x/15x orange and 1x green: Cartridge detection fail.
- 14x/15x orange and 1x green: Black Cartridge is broken.
- Orange and green blinking alternately: Waste ink tank / waste absorber full.
Error message and its solution:
- 2x orange and 1x green: Out of paper.
Solution: Feed new papers. - 3x orange and 1x green: Mechanic (physical) error(s) in the printer.
Solution: This needs a complicated solution and cannot be resolved only using software fix. Please bring it to the service center. - 4x orange and 1x green: Waste Ink Absorber full.
Solution: Reset the printer (see below). - 5x orange and 1x green: Black / Color Cartridge is broken.
Solution: Replace the broken cartridge. Sometimes resetting the printer can help (see below). - 7x orange and 1x green: Color Cartridge is broken.
Solution: Replace the color cartridge. Sometimes resetting the printer can help (see below). - 8x orange and 1x green: Waste ink tank / waste absorber full.
Solution: Reset the printer (see below). - 12x/15x orange and 1x green: Cartridge detection fail.
Solution: Take out and then reinsert the cartridge. If it still doesn’t help, reset the printer can help (see below). If it still doesn’t work, replace the cartridge. - 14x/15x orange and 1x green: Black Cartridge is broken.
Solution: Take out and then reinsert the cartridge. If it still doesn’t help, reset the printer can help (see below). If it still doesn’t work, replace the cartridge. - Orange and green blinking alternately: Waste ink tank / waste absorber full.
Solution: Reset the printer (see below).
How to reset the printer
I know that there are many ways on the internet describe how to reset the printer using IPTool or GeneralTool (resetter for iP1880). But in my case, after I download the program, I cannot run the program. I keep getting “Error 122: Port not regist!!” error. So, I’m left in the dark. Luckily I’ve found some odd method to reset the printer manually without the help of any resetter program.
Note: You have to follow this steps exactly, as I can’t accomplished this at the first time because I didn’t follow this step accurately. I have rewrite the step so that it’s more descriptive and detailed.
- Turn off the printer normally, by pressing the power button.
- After the power light goes out, unplug the cable.
- Make sure that the “reserve” power completely out of the printer by once again press the power button after you unplug the cable. The power light will on for a while, and then will off. Press and press again, just to make sure the power light won’t turned on again. This is important. If you neglect to do this, it can make the reset fail.
- After you sure that the power light can’t turned on anymore, open the printer cover.
- Get any pen (or anything in the shape of stick like pen) near you.
- While the cover printer opened, press AND HOLD the power button.
- While you hold the power button, plug the cable back, so that now the power button becomes on, right after you plug the cable.
- Without release your finger on your power button, grab the pen with your other free hand, and press AND HOLD the cover detection button using the pen. The cover detection button is the button inside the hole, which will be pressed when you close the cover. It’s located just 5 cm (~2 inch) below the power button).
- While holding the cover detection button, release the power button.
- Now release the cover detection button. The power light should immediately off as soon as you release the cover detection button.
And, no, you don’t have to be in the service mode first for this one trick to works.
This awesome tricks is credited to a member in www.tricks-collections.com.
Life in a Nutshell 
it’s great ~
Thanks! Hope it’s helping. 🙂
i followed this solution.but my printer is not working.
Hi eranga. It would help if you describe more about what the symptom. can it turned on? Is the green light on? Is the orange light flashes? Does the printer sound strange? Does the printer can’t get the paper feed?
done. thanks for the solution
you’re welcome. 🙂
great help! thanks i stumble on this thread. thanks a lot
you’re welcome. 🙂
my printer got this problem, 14x/15x orange and 1x green. after do ur suggestion it it work. but when i turn off the printer then turn on, the problem is still the same. how should I do. thanks
When you say ‘it works’, did you try to print? Is the result good?
thanks 🙂
you’re welcome. 🙂
yang error 122 coba cara di sini
http://herlannawwi.blogspot.com/2014/03/error-122-port-name-not-regist.html
yang stopped working coba ini
http://herlannawwi.blogspot.com/2014/03/Mengatasi-General-Tool-MFC-Application-Stopped-Working-Windows7.html
semoga manfaat..
Thanks for the info. 🙂
it helped a lot. thank u
you’re welcome. 🙂
THANK YOU SO MUCH……ITS WORKING!!!!!
You’re welcome. Glad I can help. 🙂
no its not -_- alternate O/G blinking .. i followed and tried 100x ..
Yeah, it’s not exactly working 100% of the times. but from my experience, this was the major solution that works. If it’s not working for you, I’m really sorry for that. For me to be able to help your case, I really need to look the printer myself, which is not applicable. I hope you can find solution for your problem on the internet. Try to reset it the normal way (1. turn off, 2. unplug the cable, 3. turn on again to discharge any electric residual, 4. press and hold the power, 5. plug the cable while press the power button, 6. press the reset 2 times while still press the power button, and then 7. release the power button). I hope that can help. If not, maybe you really need to change your cartridge or clean up your ink waste absorber.
paper jam.. a piece is stuck inside,, do you have a procedure how to disassemble canon 1980?
Sorry, from what I’ve experienced, disassembling canon printer is not meant for user. It’s too much hassle. But with lot of efforts, I can solve every paper jam problem without the need to disassembling the printer. With the right common tools (like sharp pincer or something, and a thin iron ruler), you can almost solve any paper jam problems. It’s hard, I know. But it’s not impossible. I’ve solved many paper jam problems, so don’t you worry, it can be done. If in the end it doesn’t work though, you can always bring it to the service center. 🙂 good luck!
many thanks…great job
You’re welcome. 🙂
thanks for the help…
Sure. You’re welcome. 🙂
my printer is blinking 7 times the orange one, then I try the step you have after I reset and turn on it is still blinking 7 times. please help me ……
Sorry to disappoint you, but some kind of errors are just so cryptic that it can’t be solved if you don’t replace the cartridge with the new one or bring it to repair service. If you have tried everything and it doesn’t work, it’s probably because the solution requires deeper exploration to the printer beyond the customer D.I.Y. troubleshoot allows without the proper tools. Believe me. I have tried to open the printer at one time, and it’s an ugly experience. And it’s getting uglier to put the parts back together. I think it doesn’t hurt to bring it to the service point once in a time. 🙂 sorry for not being too much help. 😦
While just starting to print, a page was pulled out of the printer. Since then, at first, the page would print maybe 1/4 of the page, not the full page. Then the feed would continue, but the page would not go completely out of the printer. After many attempts, I put the printer in quiet mode and it worked. Then the printer was turned off. The computer was reset also and 2 computers were tried. The next time it was turned on, the same thing happened. Paper had to be repeatedly pulled out of the printer. Now the feeding problem continues and the printer is not printing at all. I also cannot change out of quiet mode. I have tried the procedures you mentioned to others several times, but there has been no change. Can you help, please?
Hi Manny. I have never encounter this error on Pixma iP1980, but I do encounter this in another Canon printer once in the long past. After a long examination, I conclude that there’s something wrong with the computer, not the printer. I suggest you to try to print using another computer to test where the problem is. If you print using other computer and the result is fine, then it’s the computer’s problem. Sadly, the only way out I can fix it completely was to do windows reinstallation. I’ve tried to reinstall the driver but it does not solve the problem. So, please try it on another computer first to check whether the problem is on the computer or on the printer.
Hi Martin, Thanks for the quick reply. It’s strange. The first night this happened, the printer acted up as I mentioned and after trying many times, I was able to print one page. Then it acted strange again. I tried your method, but that didn’t work. Then I tried to print on another computer (both MacBook Pros). I disconnected the USB end of the printer cable from the 2nd computer and restarted the computer. Then tried to print, and it printed perfectly. I thought the problem was fixed. Then we tried to print again later using the 1st computer and the paper fed halfway though without printing, not even the sound like it was trying to print and the cartridge is new. Just now I tried to print on the 2nd computer after doing your reset methods, unplugging both ends of the printer cable and restarting the computer. Again, the paper fed halfway and stopped. I’m also getting a support code 306 telling me that the printer is not connected. I just hit the power button to turn the printer off and now the green light is blinking continuously. Pulled the plug. I give up.
Oh. I didn’t even have any experience with Macbook Pros 😀 I only have previously worked with Windows PC. From the symptoms you told me, I think I can narrow down the problems to two places: the cable, and the printer’s IC itself. It’s definitely not the computer’s problem. Try to change the cable with the new one. If it’s still not working, then I guess it’s either the printer’s cable port that’s broken, or the printer’s IC is really have some problem. I hope it can works when you change the cable. But if it’s not, you really have to bring it to the service center, because this problem is not something user serviceable, because there’s a part it in that needs to be replaced. If you have another working printer which uses the same cable, try to swap the cable with this printer’s cable to see whether the problem is in the cable or not.
Thanks Martin. I think we’ll buy a new printer.
Alright. I hope the new printer will working well. 🙂
Canon ip1980 ink absorber is full problem. please help us.
Please try reset solution using software. It’s on the article. Hope it helps. 🙂
does the additional ink besides the printer affect it if we did not connect them?
No, it does not.
sir In my printer cartridge stand still on right side and if I turn power on software cant detect the printer and both cartridge and power light starts blinking side by side and I am not able to remove my cartridge i dont know how to solve this error as I am new to this printer
plz suggest me wid ur answer and kindly give me ur contact no… itz a request
If the lights are blinking side by side, that’s probably the ink absorber is full. You can reset the ink absorber counter using the technique I wrote in this article without the need of any computer. If it’s still not working, you need to at least be able to connect your printer to your computer (the computer must be able to detect the printer), and then reset the printer by software reset tool I also provided the link in the article.
sir In my printer cartridge stand still on right side and if I turn power on software cant detect the printer and both cartridge and power light starts blinking side by side and I am not able to remove my cartridge i dont know how to solve this error as I am new to this printer
plz suggest me wid ur answer
Thank you Martin.. you saved my day.. God bless..
Glad I can help! God bless!
the reset methode without entering service mode is really great!
and it works perfectly.
Thank you
Glad it can helps you like it helps me! 🙂
I did everything as mentioned, the whole thing seems to work just fine with right mechanical responses. But my Asus laptop still just can’t find anything, not even a noting sound when I connect the USB. Please.. any help would be appreciated..please help.
( It’s pixma iP1980)
Sorry I was missing your comment. It can be a number of connectivity issues, ranging from a bad USB port in your laptop, bad USB port in your printer, or bad USB cable. I’d suggest you start localizing the issue.
1. Try connect the printer cable to another USB port on your ASUS, or to another laptop, to see if the printer can be detected. If it can, then you have a case of bad USB laptop. So try to print from another USB port of from another laptop.
2. Try to connect the cable to another printer with the same kind of square port. If that other printer can be detected, you have a case of bad USB printer port. In this case, you don’t have any option but to go to the service center and service your printer.
3. Try to change the cable with other cable. If the printer can be detected, then you have a case of bad cable. Replace the cable with a new one.
Hope that’s help!
Thanks it works… Simple but working… God bless
Glad I can help! 🙂
After a long interval I filled Black cartridge and installed it; But after some testing operations Printer blinks only power button (Green light) and resume button (Orange) get no signals. Please suggest how I troubleshoot it.
Sometimes this is because the connection between printer and computer is not good, or you’re printing a large document. Try to print simple document first to test it. Or you can try the reset method. Hope it works!