Ok people just like me, where do you write a complaint that someone from dell sees?

And I did not refill cartridges- I said I just purchased a photo cartridge  for the first time.  I purchase all my cartridges right online from Dell.  I just wish they would send directions with something like the photo cartridge since it goes in where most people would  consider an odd spot. 

My printer model is photo 926. It was purchased right from Dell.  It did not have a manual with it, just set up instructions.  The built in help subjects do not cover where to intstall a photo cartridge either.  Why don't they Dell?

I want someone to explain just why you need a photo cartridge if you also need a color cartridge- what does it do?  And do you take it out when you want to print documents or leave it in?   And if you took out a half full black ink cartridge to put in the photo cartridge how do you keep it from drying out so it isn't wasted?

Now I could go on the help line and wait for someone in India to talk to me after 20 minutes on hold.  I tried to email customer service but this doesn't fit into any of their check off boxes as a problem and there is little space to explain the problem.  I would rather write somewhere and get an answer I could understand.

I was hoping some one from Dell scanned these forums from time to time or some experienced techy could answer my questions.

After several hours trying to get my printer to recognize that I inserted new ink cartridges, I came to the website, just like yourself and had the same aggravating trouble signing in, it said my email addy belonged to someone else.  How rediculous.

I put a photo color cartridge in the color cartridge slot(blue)  However, reading what you have found out I suppose I should have put it in the black slot and the color cartridge in the color slot. Well! thats progress and I will try that tomorrow, however, like you I will have to take out a black cartridge to do so and I agree that it probably will dry out. My previous printer "Lexmark" had a feature that you went to the printer folder and told it you replaced the ink and voila.........it was fine.  My Dell Printer is refusing to recognize the color ink and is printing only in black and white.  My printer is Dell 924 AIO, and am I ever sorry I bought it.

I've had nothing but trouble with it losing its driver.  I go to print something and it tells me I need to instal a driver, I can do that 20 times and it just keeps saying to do it. So when I can't stand it any longer I do a systems restore back a couple of months and voila  it works like a charm.  I paid $200. to a Technician 2 weeks ago to fix this and he didn't fix it but charged me for 2 hrs. When he left I did a system restore and voila, it worked fine, wish I had thought of doing that before I called him out.

Thats a good idea for some other problems, such as the ink, restore it back to when the ink was fine and it just may work fine as well.

Anyway, its 2:30 am here and I've been on this website for 2.5 hrs. trying to get help.

I'm going to bed and will start again in the morning.

Thank you about the photo cartridge, will try that tomorrow and see if it works.  I hate Dell, never again!!!!

Good Night

Irish_Lassey

Hi Irish lassy 

I really shouldn't have taken time out of my work to reply to this especially since it took 5 trys to login but I was glad to see that I am not the only frustrated person out there.

Old Pudgy [pudgyone] who tried to answer my questions a couple times is obviously some paid forum writer[ forums all use them- I have been one] and a  foreigner who doesn't understand written English very well since he couldn't quite get the gist of my questions.

Like the bit about the color coding.  For pudgy's info the photo cartridge has the color coding the same as a color cartridge so a normal person would assume it goes in that spot.  It's poor packaging and instructions on Dells part, pure and simple.  And Pudgyone just kept trying to sell dell printing supplies- which I had bought and which was the problem!

Although no one has ever responded as to why you need both a photo cartridge and a color cartridge I did find out that you are supposed to keep the case the photo cartridge comes in and put your black cartridge in there to keep it from drying out.  You then switch back to the black cartridge for printing documents. 

The photo cartridge will print documents in black and white if you leave it in but since it is so expensive I would take it out.  I learned that by trying.

So anyone who is coming to this forum looking for how to install a photo cartridge here's the scoop.   Despite how it is color coded take out the black printer cartridge and put the photo one in its place.  You must also have a good, full color cartridge  in the color cartridge slot if you want to print photos.  Keep the case the photo cartridge was sent in and store your black cartridge in it to keep it from drying out.

Now my printer didn't like this at first- it notified me the cartridges were in the wrong place so obviously there is some glitch in this system but I turned off the printer and the computer, then restarted everything and it worked, so if you have a problem try that.  It may print an alignment page first.

Actually I could see no difference in  photos printed with a photo cartridge and a color cartridge  from ones printed with a black cartridge and a color cartridge so unless you are a professional photographer I would save my money. 

Another thing to know is that the printer management system will flash how many pictures it thinks the cartridges have left to print after each picture but pay no attention to that.  It will tell you something like 286 pictures left to print after the first picture and then after you print one more it will say something like 125 pictures left to print- totally off base no matter what size photo's you print.

You won't get any more pictures per color cartridge with the photo cartridge installed than you would with a black cartridge either in my experience.

All Dell needs to do to fix this is to insert directions with the photo cartridge instead of trying to rely on tiny pictures on the package- which are confusing to say the least.   It would also help if they explained in their Dell printer supplies "store" why you need the photo cartridge and that you also need a color cartridge.