Reset the hard-locked Epson waste ink box: C9345, WF-C5290, L8050, L18050
Updated 2026-07-07 · VNIT — 10 years repairing printers & laptops · Nationwide support
Not every Epson can be reset in software. Models that use a hard-locked waste ink box — notably the C9345 box (L8050, L18050, L15150, L11160, ET-5800…) and some WorkForce units like the WF-C5290 — keep the counter on the box chip, which software cannot clear. Here is why, and the correct ways to handle it.
Why can’t software reset these models?
Epson printers have two waste ink counters: one in the printer firmware (platen pad — resettable in software), and one on the maintenance box chip. On hard-locked C9345 boxes and some WorkForce units, the main counter lives on the chip — software only touches the platen pad and cannot clear the chip counter. So a software reset is not enough; the printer still asks for a new box.
Which models are in this group?
- C9345 box (hard-locked chip): L8050, L18050, L15150, L15160, L11160, L6260/L6270/L6290, ET-5800, ET-8500, ET-16600 and larger ST/WF lines sharing this box.
- Hard-chip WorkForce: many WF-C units (WF-C5290, WF-C5790…) use a maintenance box with its own chip, requiring the correct box code per generation.
Read the Maintenance Box Code shown on the machine, or send your model on Zalo/WhatsApp and VNIT will confirm.
Three ways to handle a hard-locked box
- 1. Re-activate the physical chip with a dedicated tool — the cheapest option when the chip is still recognised.
- 2. Fit a new chip on the box — when the old chip can no longer be re-activated.
- 3. Replace the whole maintenance box with the correct code — a new box ships at 0%, the printer recognises it and the error clears, no further reset needed.
VNIT checks and advises the right approach per machine. See the VNIT reset tool and the reset table by model.
Don’t confuse it: most common models still reset in software
Only the hard-locked group above needs a box/chip. Most common Epson models (L3110, L3210, L1210, L3250, L3260, L805, L1300, L1800, L4150, L5290, T60…) reset normally in software — VNIT resets them directly, From 150,000₫ (~US$6), no key needed. Look up your machine in the reset table by model.
VNIT has its own reset tool and zeroes the waste ink pad counter directly for most common Epson models — you do not need to buy a WIC key. Our technician connects via UltraViewer/TeamViewer, resets safely and advises you on the pad — From 150,000₫, with warranty. Available anywhere in Vietnam, no need to carry the printer to a shop.