Error 0x9a Epson: Causes and 4 Methods You Can Try to Fix the Error!!

You turn on your Epson printer and then, out of nowhere it shows an error 0x9a Epson. This is a very common error and it has many causes. Below, we explain the causes of the error and 4 methods you can try to fix it.

Causes

Faulty hardware (a defective or damaged ink cartridge, a broken print head, etc.) can cause the error 0x9a Epson printer. However, it is not the sole cause of it. There are other causes as well. For example

• incomplete software and/or printer driver installation
• corrupt printer drivers
• stuck paper or debris
• dirty encoder strip
• misplaced printer assembly

How to Fix

Method #1: Clean the Printer

An error 0x9a Epson is likely to show up if your printer is dirty. So, the first thing you should do is clean the printer.

1. Make sure that there is no print queue. If there are any print jobs, cancel them before proceeding.
2. Open the cover of the printer.
3. Check the inside of the printer. Clear any debris, dirt, pieces of paper, or stapler pins that you might find inside. Make sure to do the cleaning gently.
4. Once the cleaning is done, press Start. Try to print something.
5. If the error 0x9a Epson still shows up, press the Power button to switch off the printer.
6. Open the scanner unit. Look for any stuck paper or pieces of paper. Remove them gently.
7. Once done, close the scanner unit. Press the Power button again to switch the device on.
8. Load new papers and try printing something.

Method #2: Check the Carriage

An unmoving carriage can also be the cause.

1. Open the cover of the printer.
2. Check the carriage. Is it moving automatically? If it is, then it wasn’t the cause of the error, and skip to the next method.
3. If it doesn’t, move the carriage manually. If that doesn’t work, it might be clogged by dirt. Blow some compressed air inside the compartment to remove the dirt.
4. Put on the cover and restart the printer.

Method #3: Clean the Encoder Strip

When the encoder strip is dirty, it can cause the error 0x9a Epson. The good news is the strip is easy to clean up.

1. Turn off the device.
2. Open the cover.
3. Prepare a cotton cloth and ink-cleaning solution.
4. Soak the cloth in the solution.
5. Move the strip to the left.
6. Use the cloth to clean the strip gently.
7. Wipe the leftover ink from the encoder strip but leave the printhead.

Be careful when cleaning the strip. Make sure that the solution doesn’t get into the printer. If it does, grab a dry cloth and wipe it immediately.

Method #4: Reset the Printer

Last but not least, resetting the printer. Resetting the printer can fix many issues, including the error 0x9a Epson.

1. Switch off your printer and then unplug it from the power source.
2. Leave the printer turned off for about 10 minutes.
3. Press the Power button for a minute. This should drain the residual power from the device. Do not release the button until the device is switched off completely.
4. Once the printer has been switched off completely, plug it into the power source and press the Power button.
5. As the printer turns on, you will see “FW Update Mode” on the LCD screen.
6. Select Update Devices then Firmware.
7. Press the Update button below the screen.
8. Let the update process finish. Once finished, tap the Finished button.
9. Press OK to turn off the device.
10. Return to the main menu and try printing a test page.

The error 0x9a Epson is a quite common error. The good news is, you can fix it yourself using the methods above. If you have tried all of the above and the error persists, contact Epson Printer Support.