How to Factory Reset a Printer: HP, Canon, Epson and Brother (Plus Wi-Fi-Only Resets)

To factory reset a printer, open the settings menu on its control panel and choose the restore option: Restore Factory Defaults on most HP models, Reset setting › Reset all on Canon PIXMA, Restore Default Settings on Epson and Initial Setup › Reset on Brother. If only the Wi-Fi is the problem, reset the network settings instead. That clears far less and fixes most connection problems.

Quick fixes first

1. Try a power reset before any reset menu: with the printer on, unplug the power cord from the wall for 60 seconds, then plug it straight into a wall outlet rather than a power strip.
2. Print a network configuration page or printer status report and keep it. It records the Wi-Fi name, IP address and firmware version you may need later.
3. If the problem is Wi-Fi only (new router, changed password, printer stuck on an old network), use the network reset, not the full factory reset.
4. Write down your Wi-Fi password, fax header and any scan-to-email settings before you start.
5. After any reset, run Wi-Fi setup again from the printer panel or the brand app, then remove and re-add the printer on each computer.

Which kind of reset do you actually need?

"Reset" means four different things on a printer, and they are not interchangeable. Each level clears more than the one before it, so start at the top of this table and only go further if the problem is still there.

A factory reset is a settings reset. It does not repair parts, roll back firmware or refill anything, so it only helps when the fault is caused by something the printer has stored, such as a bad network profile, a tangle of changed preferences or a forgotten admin password.

What should you write down before resetting?

A full reset can take an hour to undo if you have to rediscover every setting. Five minutes of notes first saves most of that.

• Wi-Fi network name and password. Note which network the printer used. Many printers only join 2.4 GHz networks, so if your router shows two names, write down the 2.4 GHz one.
• The printer's IP address, and whether your router reserves it. Our guide to finding your printer's IP address shows where to look.
• Fax settings: your fax number, header name, rings to answer and speed dials. Many models erase these.
• Address book and scan destinations, including scan-to-email server details and scan-to-folder paths. On office models, check the printer's web page for an export option and save a copy first.
• The admin password for the printer's web page, if someone set one.
• Account links such as your HP account and Instant Ink, Epson Connect, or Canon and Brother cloud services. You will sign in again afterwards.
• Model and serial number from the label, for driver downloads and warranty checks.

How to reset printer Wi-Fi and network settings

A network reset erases the saved Wi-Fi network, password, IP settings and Wi-Fi Direct settings, then puts the printer back into setup mode. It leaves your print, copy and fax preferences alone. This is the right reset after you change router, internet provider or Wi-Fi password, or when the printer keeps joining the wrong network.

Because the screenless combinations vary so much, look up your exact model on the manufacturer's support site before holding buttons at random. On the same printer, a slightly different combination may start a cleaning cycle or print a report instead.

After the reset, join the printer to your network again using the steps in how to set up a wireless printer. If it still refuses to join, the cause is usually the router rather than the printer, and printer won't connect to Wi-Fi covers band steering, WPA3 and guest networks.

How to factory reset HP, Canon, Epson and Brother printers

The full reset lives in the same menus as the network reset, usually one level up. The paths below are for current touchscreen and display models. Older and office models use different wording, so if a label doesn't match, look for Restore, Reset or Initialize in the Setup, Settings or Maintenance menu.

HP

On most HP touchscreen models, open Settings (or Setup) › Printer Maintenance › Restore › Restore Factory Defaults. Some older touchscreens put it under Setup › Service › Restore Defaults, and models with a two-line display use Setup › Printer Maintenance › Restore. HP notes that on many models this does not reset the page count, and some models keep the tray size and language.

Many screenless HP printers don't offer a full factory reset from the buttons at all. Use the network reset above, or open the printer's Embedded Web Server (type its IP address into a browser) and look under Settings or Tools for a restore option. If your HP printer was set up with HP+, a reset does not remove HP+: the printer still needs an HP account and an internet connection afterwards.

Canon

On PIXMA models with a screen, go to Setup › Device settings › Reset setting. You will see options such as LAN settings (network only), Settings reset (paper size, media type and similar preferences) and Reset all, which returns every setting you changed to its default. Some models also list a device information reset.

Screenless PIXMA models reset the network with a held Stop or Resume/Cancel button, and a few small-display models use a numbered Setup menu. Canon's online manual for your model lists which reset each combination performs. Canon imageCLASS lasers keep their reset options in the menu under names that begin with Initialize, usually inside Management Settings.

Epson

On EcoTank, Expression and WorkForce models with a screen, go to Settings › Restore Default Settings. Choose Network Settings to clear Wi-Fi only, or Clear All Data and Settings (on some models All Settings) for a full reset. Copy and scan settings can also be reset on their own. Confirm with Yes and the printer restarts.

Screenless models such as the EcoTank ET-2800 use a button combination for the network reset. The exact buttons are in the model's online user guide on Epson's support site.

Brother

On touchscreen models, press Settings › All Settings › Initial Setup › Reset. On models with buttons and a text display, it is Menu › Initial Setup › Reset. Brother offers several levels, and the list varies slightly between laser and inkjet models:

• Machine Reset restores settings you changed, such as the date and time, but keeps the network settings, security settings and address book.
• Network restores the network settings only.
• Address Book & Fax (fax models) clears stored numbers and fax data.
• All Settings and Factory Reset return the machine to factory settings. Brother recommends Factory Reset before you give away or dispose of the machine, because it erases personal data.

The machine restarts after each reset.

What a factory reset will not fix

This is where most disappointment comes from. A reset clears settings, and settings are only one cause of printer faults.

• Hardware faults. A carriage jam, a failed printhead, a broken sensor or a worn pickup roller will bring back the same error after a reset. If the panel shows a code that points to a mechanical fault, such as Canon 5100 or Epson 0x97, fix or assess the hardware instead.
• Waste-ink counters. The counter that tracks the ink absorber pads is not a user setting, so no menu reset clears an "ink pad" or "ink absorber full" message. Our Epson ink pad reset guide explains the real options, and printer resetter software explained covers why the tools sold online are risky.
• Ink levels and cartridge chips. A reset won't make a printer accept a cartridge it has rejected or restore an ink gauge. For HP, see HP cartridge problem and Dynamic Security.
• Firmware. The printer keeps its current firmware version. A reset does not undo an update.
• Computer-side problems. Offline status, stuck queues and driver errors live on the PC or Mac. Resetting the printer can make these worse for a while, because the computer still points at the old address. If the printer drops offline every few days, printer keeps going offline covers the permanent fix.

What to do right after a reset

1. Set the language, country, date and paper size if the printer asks. Choosing the wrong country can change the default paper size from Letter to A4.
2. Reconnect to Wi-Fi from the panel's Wi-Fi setup wizard or the brand app: the HP app, Canon PRINT, Epson Smart Panel or Brother Mobile Connect.
3. Print a network configuration page to confirm the new IP address, then reserve that address in your router so it doesn't change.
4. Check for firmware updates once the printer is online. Read printer firmware updates first if you use third-party cartridges.
5. Re-add the printer on every computer. In Windows, go to Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners, select the printer and choose Remove. On a Mac, open System Settings › Printers & Scanners, select it and remove it. Then add it again, or you may end up with a dead duplicate such as "Copy 1".
6. Restore the extras: fax header, speed dials, scan-to-email, the web page admin password and cloud services such as Instant Ink.
7. Print a test page from a computer and from a phone.

Should you reset a printer before selling or recycling it?

Yes. A printer stores more than people expect: your Wi-Fi password, fax numbers and call logs, scan-to-email login details and, on some office models, stored jobs. Before it leaves the house, do a full factory reset (on Brother, choose Factory Reset specifically), remove the printer from your HP, Epson, Canon or Brother account and cancel or transfer any ink subscription. Our printer security basics guide covers the other settings worth checking.

When a reset is not worth trying

If the printer shows the same hardware error seconds after every power-on, if it makes grinding noises, or if the panel is frozen so you can't reach the menus at all, a reset won't help. Try a power reset, then weigh the repair against a replacement using is it worth repairing a printer.

If you would rather not reset and rebuild the connection yourself, our independent remote printer support plan covers every printer in your home or office, and we can walk you through the reset and the Wi-Fi setup afterwards over a screen share you can end at any time.