Dear Arthur

Many thanks for your contribution to my blog. I have neglected it a bit recently due to other work commitments but this is exactly the sort of comment I’m looking for. I really do feel for you. I have published your comment unchanged as I could not have invented a more compelling reason not to purchase a Lexmark printer. I wish I could be of help to you, but alas I searched for a solution and found none. However as you mention, there should be a simple software fix to put your printer back how it was, but clearly Lexmark will not make that easily accessible. I can only suggest that you continue to hound them for this and remind them that they are treading on dodgy ground legally. If they claim that they do not have a fix I would be inclined to demand a replacement printer and then stay well away from any Lexmark updates or software that may replicate the issue.

There may also be a secret sequence of button pushes known only to Lexmark on the printer that will completely wipe it back to factory defaults. I have over the years discovered such “back doors” on HP, Canon and Brother printers by talking with their support engineers.

I would offer you one of our Continuink printers that do not require cartridges and cost dramatically less to run that other printers but sadly I do not currently have a solution to offer you that prints CDs.

Please feel free to call me on 020 8568 9856 should you wish to discuss anything.

Best Regards

Jon Squires.
Fillink Limited.

I am 85 Both my wife and I are always very busy making a great contribution to the health of local people through singing groups, and support charities local, national, and international. Meanwhile we manage to keep our heads above water, despite our meagre pensions. I think that we have enough on our plate without supporting a multinational organisation like Lexmark. I am only asking them to restore my printer to its original state so that I can use the materials I can afford. It would probably only take another update that would overwrite and cancel out their surreptitious,unsolicited, and unwanted modification to my printer.

This spam business, though, I just don’t see how it’s profitable to anyone, much as I get a kick out of the Engrish surrealist haiku-type text the spammers come up with.

Sorry to hear it’s a problem, but I’m happy your site is here, ’cause months later I’m still overjoyed about the printer I purchased from you.

Before I purchased the printer, I had concerns about the print quality. They proved to be unfounded: The book covers I print look exactly as bright and sharp as they do on-screen.

But that’s not all I’m printing. These ink-tanks have such an enormous capacity — I haven’t made a dent in them in months — I finally feel free to print any old colour thing I want without fearing what it will cost me.

Thank you so much!