Alex Ruben
How To Reset the Epson L805 Ink Pad and Fix End of Service Life Warning
If your Epson L805 printer is throwing up that annoying ‘Ink Pad is at the End of Service Life’ message, it’s kind of frustrating, but not the end of the world. Usually, this pops up because the printer tracks how much ink is absorbed by the waste pad, and it hits a limit. The trick is to reset that counter with some adjustment software so that the printer “forgets” it’s full. Doing this properly means you can keep printing without *actually* replacing the waste ink pad right away. Just keep in mind, this is more of a workaround, and neglecting the waste ink pad eventually may cause leaks—so don’t delay servicing it altogether.
This process involves downloading a special Epson adjustment program, disabling a bit of security, and running the software as an admin. It’s kind of a gray zone, but lots of folks have done it successfully—just be cautious and follow each step closely. Once you get it right, the error should vanish, and your printer will run as if nothing happened. It’s a handy fix if you’re on a tight budget or just want to extend the life of the machine a little longer.
How to Reset the Epson L805 Ink Pad and Fix Service Life Error
Disable Antivirus Software
Before diving into the software, you need to turn off your antivirus. Why? Because the adjustment tool can trigger false positives or get blocked, which messing things up. On most setups, you just click the antivirus icon in the system tray, find an option to disable or turn it off temporarily—usually not more than a few minutes. Once the reset is done, make sure to turn it back on. On some newer setups, antivirus might interfere unexpectedly, so it’s worth double-checking that it’s truly off before proceeding.
It’s kind of annoying, but Windows or security suites can be overprotective—more so than they need to be for this kind of tweak. But hey, if the program isn’t working, that’s usually the first thing to check.
Download the Epson L805 Adjustment Program
Next, find a reputable source for the adjustment utility. The best thing is to go to trusted sites like GitHub repository: Winhance or similar. Look for a version compatible with your OS—Windows 10, Windows 11, etc. Be wary: some sites may host old, tampered, or infected files. Always scan downloaded ZIPs before extracting.
Once downloaded, right-click the file and select Extract All. The folder will contain the executable file, usually named something like Adjustment.exe. No need to overthink it—just extract to an easy-to-find place, like your Desktop or Downloads folder.
Run the Adjustment Program as Administrator
This is where Windows sometimes plays hardball. Find the Adjustment.exe file, right-click it, and choose Run as administrator. That gives the program full permissions needed to access printer functions. Don’t skip this step, or it might just hang or fail to recognize your printer.
Note: on some setups, you might have to disable user account control prompts temporarily, so be ready for that.
Select Your Printer Model and Connection
Once the tool opens, you’ll be prompted to choose your printer model—select L805. Make sure your printer is plugged in and powered on. Connect it via USB—Wi-Fi setups sometimes cause issues with recognition, so a direct USB connection is preferable. If your printer isn’t detected, try disconnecting and reconnecting the USB cable, or switching to a different port (USB 2.0 might work better than 3.0 in some cases). A good rule of thumb: restart the printer and your PC if recognition acts flaky. In the adjustment program, also choose the correct USB port if that option appears.
Sometimes, the program asks for a specific port to communicate. If you’re unsure what your port is, go to Device Manager > Universal Serial Bus controllers and look for the USB Serial device or similar. Or, check Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
Access the Waste Ink Pad Counter
Navigate through the menu options—most likely under a section labeled Maintenance or Adjustment. Look for Waste Ink Pad Counter—sometimes called Counter Reset or similar. Click on it. If unsure, browse the options, but that’s usually where the magic happens. Clicking it should bring you to a screen showing ink counter values.
Reset the Waste Ink Pad
Check the boxes for the main waste ink pad and possibly the platen or other counters. On some versions, you might see a button labeled Check to read current ink levels, then an Initialize or Reset button to set the counters back to zero. Hit Check first—to see the current status—and then Initialize. Expect some prompts or confirmation windows. In my experience, sometimes the reset doesn’t work on the first try—so if it fails, restart the program, try again, or reboot the printer and PC and give it another shot.
Once you click initialize, the program might ask you to turn off the printer. Don’t just walk away—power it down, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on as instructed.
Restart Your Printer
Power off your Epson L805, wait 10–15 seconds, then turn it on. Sometimes, the error message clears immediately. Other times, you need to run the reset again or recheck the status through the software. On one setup, it took a couple of attempts, so don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t clear right away. Usually, turning the printer off then on does the trick, re-initializing the counters.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
- Double-check you’ve picked the right adjustment program version—wrong OS or printer model can cause failures.
- Make sure your printer stays connected during the process—disconnection usually causes errors.
- If the program throws errors or just won’t recognize the printer, try switching USB ports or cables. Sometimes, just plugging into a different port fixes recognition issues.
- On some machines, the adjustment utility might need compatibility mode enabled—try running it in Windows XP mode if it’s an older version.
Wrap-up
Getting rid of that service message isn’t as complicated as it sounds, but it does warrant some patience. You’re basically telling the printer to forget the ink counter it’s been obsessing over, which isn’t officially recommended but works for many. Just remember: it’s a temporary fix, so keep an eye on the ink and waste pads, or plan a proper maintenance if you’re pushing it long term.
Summary
- Disable your antivirus temporarily.
- Download and extract the correct adjustment program.
- Run the program as administrator.
- Select your printer and ensure proper USB connection.
- Navigate to Waste Ink Pad Counter and reset it.
- Restart the printer and double-check if the error disappeared.
Fingers crossed this helps
Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone, or at least lets you keep printing until you get around to replacing or servicing the waste ink pad. Just remember, this isn’t a permanent fix—eventually, the waste pad will need proper replacement. But for now, this workaround can buy some time and keep things running smoothly.