# Cartridge Missing Error **URL:** \ **Category:** Form 3/3+\ **Created:** [July 12, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219 "2020-07-12T01:53:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![michaelyao](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c89c15/32.png) [@michaelyao](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/michaelyao)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 1:53am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/1 "2020-07-12T01:53:19Z")
A brand new Form 3 with new Dental SG cartridge. When I installed everthing, touchscreen pops out ‘cartridge missing error’. After I updated firmware and Preform it remains the same. And even sometimes it shows ‘unknow tank inserted/removed’, Anyone met this before and any suggestion? ---
**Author:** ![luben111](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a5b964/32.png) [@luben111](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/luben111)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2020, 6:16pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/2 "2020-07-12T18:16:20Z")
Sounds like there is a bad contact to the cartridge chip (each cartridge has built in chip with information about the resin and how much was used). Try to clean the contacts and see if everything is alright with the connector. ---
**Author:** ![PASCOTOOL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@PASCOTOOL](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/PASCOTOOL)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2020, 11:40pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/3 "2020-07-31T23:40:09Z")
Any luck? My form 3 hasn’t been used for several months, Now I can’t get the cartridge to be recognized. Cleaned the contact, tried reseating over and over again, Rebooted several times, updated firmware, etc. Per the dashboard I’ve used .2L from this cartridge. Can anyone offer ideas I haven’t tried yet? ---
**Author:** ![GenuineArtisan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@GenuineArtisan](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/GenuineArtisan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 4:57pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/4 "2021-01-06T16:57:08Z")
Does anyone know the solution to this? I just started having this issue today. Used printer just yesterday, and when I went to switch cartridges to a different type of material I stopped detecting all resin cartridges. ---
**Author:** ![GenuineArtisan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@GenuineArtisan](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/GenuineArtisan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/5 "2021-01-06T20:38:57Z")
I am still working with formlab’s support on this. So far they’ve asked me to make sure cable was secure and to make sure prong fingers where clean on the sensor. Now this morning the printer wasn’t detecting any cartridge. Of which I have two. The castable purple resin and durable resin. After pulling part the back to clean the prong fingers of the sensor, I noticed the frame where the resin tank sits gives and flexes down when there is a cartridge is place in the printer. So I decided to see what happens when I stabilized it. To my surprise it worked. The printer was detecting the castable resin cartridge. ![Fix%20Small](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/7/6/7698271fd719d9c0b83d7d7c02ceb3d881f43f76.jpg) Now that’s great. But why is the durable resin cartridge not being detected? After comparing the two cartridge sensor plates I think I know why. ![cartridges](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/uploads/formlabs/original/3X/b/3/b3daee13a557247bdb057694c619e4f21c30be88.jpg) The left cartridge is the castable resin which the printer is now picking up. The right is the durable resin which the printer is still not detecting. Hopefully this helps some people out. Here is the link for safely removing the back plate to get to the frame. [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a6hNRdGs58RdeXKvthrGAwZCJWW7rc4O/view](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a6hNRdGs58RdeXKvthrGAwZCJWW7rc4O/view) ---
**Author:** ![billb](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex025/user_avatar/forum.formlabs.com/billb/32/5587_2.png) [@billb](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/billb)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 11:13am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/6 "2021-01-07T11:13:40Z")
Well, your durable resin cartridge is nearly 2 years old 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GenuineArtisan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@GenuineArtisan](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/GenuineArtisan)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2021, 4:03pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/7 "2021-01-07T16:03:00Z")
Interesting. I ordered it in September and I’ve been using it with no issues till this week. I will have to make sure to check the born on date going forward. Thanks you for pointing that out. ---
**Author:** ![crwalters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crwalters](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/crwalters)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2022, 4:24pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/8 "2022-12-12T16:24:32Z")
I’ve not had any trouble with aged resin, 2, 3+ years old. The expiration date is just a way to cover themselves (formlabs), sell more resin, and give you at least some place to start when troubleshooting in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![crwalters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eb9ed0/32.png) [@crwalters](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/crwalters)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2022, 4:26pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/9 "2022-12-12T16:26:08Z")
I fixed the missing cartridge problem doing this: > [@F2 Missing Cartridge - Any fixes?](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/f2-missing-cartridge-any-fixes/31860/8): > > HOW TO FIX:. Put cardstock behind the contacts on the resin cartridge (needs pushed closer to the contacts in the Form2 to read that it is there I cut cardstock, folded it over and double sided taped it behind the contacts. Fixed 2 tanks this way today. ---
**Author:** ![Charles\_VanTassel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Charles\_VanTassel](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/Charles_VanTassel)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2023, 9:56pm UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/10 "2023-11-10T21:56:50Z")
This worked for me too. I owe you a beer. ---
**Author:** ![jcerwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e480ec/32.png) [@jcerwin](https://forum.formlabs.com/u/jcerwin)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2025, 6:46am UTC](https://forum.formlabs.com/t/cartridge-missing-error/28219/12 "2025-02-11T06:46:18Z")
That solution worked for me too. Thanks so much @crwalters