My HP1310 all in one fails to recognise the color ink cartridge. It says insert ink cartridge. We havwetried reinserting the ctg turning it onn and off , puulling the power plug etc. All get the same results. If no ink ctg recognition thenit does not work !!!!!

Hi
There are two main reasons for this problem, one is that the colour cartridge has insufficient ink in it, even if not showing as such, and the other is that the cartridge is a compatible, and not being recognised, this can be the case even though the cartridge was accepted originally. Its worth noting that many printers will not print unless all cartridges are in full working order, even if the non-working cartridge is not required for the print job that is wanted.
I found a full manual here:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00369567.pdf
which has some useful information about troubleshooting such issues.
Hope this is helpful, if so would you please register that with Fixya
Cheers

Disconnect the Universal Serial Bus (USB) cable from the back of the product, but leave the product turned on

Open the cover of the product and remove the print cartridges

Close the cover and wait for the Insert Ink Cartridges message to display

Disconnect the power cord from the back of the product and wait for one minute

Reconnect the power cord. If the product does not automatically turn on, press the Power button

Open the cover and reinsert the print cartridges

Close the cover. If prompted, print a calibration page. Hope It's resolve all Your Printer Problem,
Or Still having Problem Then follow Us ForEpson Printer Support

1. Prepare the replacement cartridge by pressing down and back on the top of the protective plastic, then sliding the cartridge out.
2. Set both the cartridge and empty cartridge protector aside.
3. Turn on your printer and lift the access door until it locks into place. The print carriage will move to the center.
4. Once the print carriage has stopped moving, raise the latch to release the empty cartridge. 5. Remove the empty cartridge by pulling towards you. If you are replacing the tri-color cartridge and need to remove the black ink cartridge temporarily, use the empty cartridge protector to hold it. 6. Hold the replacement cartridge by the sides and remove the black plastic tape. 7. Insert the replacement cartridge into the appropriate slot (left for tri-color, right for black) until it snaps into place. 8. Pull the cartridge latch towards you and press down until it snaps into place. 9. Close the access door. -------
You may also download and refer to it's product manual :-
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpu73527.pdf
and
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpu73554.pdf

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The message you are getting may be due to the following reasons :

1) Cause : One or more ink cartridges missing.
Solution : Remove and reinsert the ink cartriges and verify that they are fully inserted and locked in place.

2) Cause : One or more of the ink cartriges are not installed or are installed incorrectly.
Solution : Remove and reinsert the ink cartriges and verify that they are fully inserted and locked in place. If the problem persists, clean the copper-colored contacts of the ink cartriges.

did u changed / replaced the cartridge with original spare or refilled it??
do not panic..this kind of problem often follows with (esp. an unbranded) cartridge change and or refilling..!!
it also can be the defective cartridge itself causing such problem..!!
well if u r a professional then just dip a cotton into isopropyl alcohol n gently rub the connector sensor/ contact surface, n reinsert it properly, gently rub on the head too n make sure ink is coming/flowing, make sure the toner is not jammed or dried up, also have a glance on the 'carriage' n see that no sensor pins are broken and or bend..!!
..if u r not an professional, make sure it is properly inserted and the ink-spill protective/head covering is removed....
if all the above fails, then it may b a defective or demo cartridge..!!
and call ur system admin....

Manually slide cartridge to middle of access door, then lift front part of cartridge up and then lift up straight to remove rest of cartridge

You can download a manual from:
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/bpu72474.pdf

You cannot reset the ink level indicator for a cartridge that has been refilled so ignore it.
http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c01374711.pdf

Backup mode means printing with one cartridge. If the printer tells you "cartridge failed", it probably doesn't recognize it. You can try removing it from the printer and gently wipe the electric contacts on the cartridge with a dry cloth. Turn the printer off, turn it back on and reinsert the cartridge. If the message is still there, I suggest you buy a new color cartridge. You can also go to the store where you refilled your cartridges and ask for their opinion, they may be able to help too.

This means one of the cartridges is defective, they cant align if they cant print.  What i did to fix this problem is insert 2 working cartridges and get it to align properly, even if they are low on ink, then lift the cover and the cartridges will move to the center.  When this happens pull the power cable out, then insert the full non functioning cartridge. Plug the power cable back in.  I tried this with a color cartridge, the color cartridge was non functioning but i was able to print in black.
Basically you align the cartridges and then swap them so the printer thinks they are still aligned.
The color still doesnt work and it is probably a defective color cartridge.