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HP DeskJet 2800 Error E4: Paper Jam or False Paper Jam — How to Fix It

Last Updated on 30.06.2026 by DriverNew

This guide will help if an E4 error appears on an HP DeskJet 2800 MFP, the printer does not print, paper is stuck inside the device, or the printer reports a paper jam even though no paper is visible inside.

This article applies to the following models: HP DeskJet 2820, HP DeskJet 2821, HP DeskJet 2822, HP DeskJet 2823, HP DeskJet 2828, HP DeskJet 2829, HP DeskJet 2820e, HP DeskJet 2821e, HP DeskJet 2822e, HP DeskJet 2823e, HP DeskJet 2842e, HP DeskJet 2852e, HP DeskJet 2855e, HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2874, HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2875, HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2876, HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2877, HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2878, and HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2879.

The E4 error usually means a paper jam. However, sometimes the user cannot see the stuck sheet. The cause may be a small piece of paper, a foreign object, misaligned paper, dirty rollers, or a failure after a previous paper jam.

What the E4 Error Means

The E4 error means that the printer has detected a paper feed problem. Possible causes include:

  • a sheet of paper is stuck inside the printer;
  • a small piece of paper remains inside;
  • paper was loaded unevenly;
  • too many sheets are loaded in the tray;
  • damp, wrinkled, or very thin paper is being used;
  • the paper guide is pressed too tightly;
  • a foreign object has fallen inside;
  • the cartridge carriage is blocked;
  • the printer was not restarted after the jam was cleared.

Start with a safe paper check. Do not pull the sheet sharply and do not use sharp objects.

Important Safety Rules

Before checking the printer, follow these simple rules:

  • turn off the printer before inspecting internal parts;
  • disconnect the power cord from the printer and the power outlet;
  • do not pull paper with sudden movements;
  • do not use a knife, screwdriver, tweezers with sharp edges, or other metal objects;
  • do not touch electrical contacts or cartridge nozzles;
  • do not force the cartridge carriage to move if it does not move freely;
  • do not disassemble the printer body unless this is part of normal user access.

Method 1. Restart the Printer

Sometimes the E4 error remains after a jam has already been cleared. First, perform a simple restart.

  1. Press the Power button and turn off the printer.
  2. Disconnect the power cord from the back of the printer.
  3. Disconnect the power cord from the power outlet.
  4. Wait 60 seconds.
  5. Connect the power cord again.
  6. Turn on the printer.
  7. Wait 1–2 minutes.

If the error disappears, load paper correctly and try printing one test page. If the E4 error remains, move on to the next method.

Method 2. Remove Paper from the Input Tray

Before looking for a jam, remove the paper from the tray.

  1. Turn off the printer.
  2. Disconnect the power cord.
  3. Remove all paper from the input tray.
  4. Check the paper stack.
  5. Remove wrinkled, damp, bent, or damaged sheets.
  6. Check whether there are small pieces of paper in the tray.
  7. Check whether paper clips, stickers, packaging pieces, or other objects have fallen into the tray.

Even a small piece of paper can interfere with paper feeding and cause the E4 error.

Method 3. Check the Input Tray

A jam often starts in the input tray, where the printer picks up paper.

  1. Shine a flashlight into the input tray.
  2. Check the area where the paper enters the printer.
  3. If you can see a stuck sheet, carefully hold it with both hands.
  4. Pull the paper slowly and evenly in the direction of the paper path.
  5. If the sheet tears, check whether any pieces remain inside.

Do not pull the paper at an angle. If the sheet tears, small pieces may remain inside and the E4 error may appear again.

Method 4. Check the Output Area

Sometimes paper gets stuck at the printer output.

  1. Inspect the area where the printed sheet comes out.
  2. If you can see a stuck sheet, carefully pull it with both hands.
  3. Pull slowly and evenly.
  4. Check whether any pieces of paper remain in the output area.

If the paper does not come out easily, do not use force. Check the inside of the printer through the cartridge access door.

Method 5. Check the Cartridge Access Area

If paper is not visible in the input or output tray, it may be inside the printer.

  1. Turn off the printer.
  2. Disconnect the power cord.
  3. Open the cartridge access door.
  4. Wait until the cartridge carriage stops completely.
  5. Shine a flashlight inside the printer.
  6. Check whether there is stuck paper under or near the carriage.
  7. If paper is visible, carefully remove it with both hands.
  8. Check for small pieces of paper.
  9. Close the cartridge access door.

Do not force the cartridge carriage to move. If it moves freely, you can carefully slide it to the side to check the area underneath. If the carriage does not move, do not press on it.

Method 6. Check Whether the Carriage Is Blocked

The E4 error may appear if the cartridge carriage cannot move freely.

  1. Turn off the printer.
  2. Disconnect the power cord.
  3. Open the cartridge access door.
  4. Check whether paper or a foreign object is blocking the carriage path.
  5. If the carriage moves freely, carefully move it to the right and left.
  6. Remove any visible paper pieces or foreign objects.
  7. Close the door.
  8. Connect the power and turn on the printer.

If the carriage does not move, do not try to move it by force. This may damage the printer.

Method 7. Check the Cleanout Door on the Bottom, If Your Model Has One

Some HP DeskJet 2800 series models have a cleanout area or a bottom cleanout door for removing jammed paper. If your model has such a door, check it.

  1. Turn off the printer.
  2. Disconnect the power cord.
  3. Remove paper from the input tray.
  4. Carefully tilt the printer so that you can access the bottom.
  5. Find the cleanout door, if your model is designed with one.
  6. Open the cleanout door.
  7. Remove any jammed paper or pieces.
  8. Close the cleanout door until it locks into place.
  9. Place the printer on a flat surface.
  10. Connect the power and turn on the printer.

If your model does not have a bottom cleanout door, do not try to disassemble the printer body. Check only the areas available to the user: the input tray, the output area, and the cartridge access door.

Method 8. Check the Paper Feed Rollers

If there is no paper inside, but the E4 error repeats, the problem may be with the paper feed rollers. They may have dust, paper debris, or dirt on them.

  1. Turn off the printer.
  2. Disconnect the power cord.
  3. Remove paper from the input tray.
  4. Shine a flashlight into the paper feed area.
  5. Check the rollers for dirt and pieces of paper.
  6. If dirt is visible, carefully remove it with a dry, lint-free cloth.
  7. If the rollers are very dirty, you can slightly dampen the cloth with clean water and wring it out well.
  8. After cleaning, wait 10–15 minutes for the parts to dry completely.
  9. Connect the power and turn on the printer.

Do not use alcohol, solvents, cleaning sprays, or wet wipes with additives. They may damage the rollers.

Method 9. Load Paper Correctly After Clearing the Jam

After removing the paper, it is important to load a new stack correctly. Otherwise, the E4 error may appear again.

  1. Take plain white A4 paper.
  2. Make sure all sheets are flat and dry.
  3. Align the paper stack.
  4. Load the paper into the input tray.
  5. Do not load too many sheets.
  6. Move the paper width guide against the edge of the stack.
  7. Do not press the guide too tightly.
  8. Make sure the paper lies flat.

Do not load paper of different sizes or different types at the same time. Do not use wrinkled, damp, very thin, or damaged paper.

Method 10. Clear the Print Queue in Windows

After a paper jam, a print job may remain in Windows and cause the error again.

Windows 11

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to Bluetooth & devices.
  3. Open Printers & scanners.
  4. Select HP DeskJet 2800 series.
  5. Click Open print queue.
  6. Delete all jobs from the queue.

Windows 10

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Go to Devices.
  3. Open Printers & scanners.
  4. Select HP DeskJet 2800 series.
  5. Click Open queue.
  6. Delete all jobs from the queue.

After clearing the queue, restart the computer and try printing a simple document.

Method 11. Restart the “Print Spooler” Service

If print jobs cannot be deleted or the error appears again, restart the Windows print service.

  1. Press Win + R.
  2. Enter the command services.msc.
  3. Click OK.
  4. In the list of services, find Print Spooler.
  5. Right-click it.
  6. Select Restart.
  7. Close the Services window.
  8. Restart the computer.

If there is no Restart option, select Stop, wait a few seconds, and then select Start.

Method 12. Check the Paper Size in Print Settings

Sometimes paper gets stuck because the wrong size is selected in the settings. For example, A4 is loaded in the tray, but Letter, a photo size, or an envelope is selected in the document.

  1. Open the document you want to print.
  2. Open the File menu.
  3. Select Print.
  4. Select the HP DeskJet 2800 series printer.
  5. Check Paper Size.
  6. If A4 paper is loaded in the tray, select A4.
  7. Check Paper Type.
  8. For ordinary documents, select Plain Paper.
  9. Start printing.

If the driver interface is in English, look for Paper Size and Paper Type.

Method 13. If the E4 Error Appears When There Is No Paper Inside

If the printer shows E4 but no jammed paper is visible, check for possible hidden causes.

  1. Shine a flashlight into the input tray.
  2. Check the output area.
  3. Open the cartridge access door and check the area under the carriage.
  4. Check the bottom cleanout door, if your model has one.
  5. Check the paper feed rollers.
  6. Make sure there are no paper clips, stickers, packaging pieces, or paper scraps inside.
  7. Perform a power reset: disconnect the printer from the power outlet for 60 seconds.
  8. Load a new, flat stack of A4 paper.
  9. Try printing one page.

A “false paper jam” is often caused by small pieces of paper that are hard to see without a flashlight.

Method 14. If the Error Appeared After Using Non-Standard Paper

The E4 error may appear after printing on photo paper, envelopes, labels, or paper that is too thick.

What to do:

  1. Cancel the print job.
  2. Remove non-standard paper from the tray.
  3. Check whether any pieces or labels remain inside the printer.
  4. Load plain white A4 paper.
  5. In the print settings, select Paper Size: A4.
  6. In the print settings, select Paper Type: Plain Paper.
  7. Print a test page.

Do not use paper that is too thick, too thin, damp, curled, or damaged. Such paper often causes jams.

Method 15. If the E4 Error Repeats After Every Sheet

If the printer picks up paper, starts printing, and immediately shows E4, check the paper feed.

  1. Remove all paper from the tray.
  2. Load 5–10 flat sheets of plain A4 paper.
  3. Move the paper guide against the edge of the stack.
  4. Do not clamp the paper too tightly.
  5. Make sure the sheets are not stuck together.
  6. Check the paper feed rollers.
  7. Check whether the correct paper size is selected in the print settings.
  8. Try printing one page from Notepad.

If a simple Notepad page prints, but the error appears only in one document, check the page size and print settings for that document.

Method 16. Reinstall the Driver If the Printer Does Not Print from Windows After a Jam

If the E4 error has disappeared on the printer, but Windows still does not print, the problem may be with the print queue or driver.

For Windows 10 and Windows 11, you can use the official HP Easy Start installer for the HP DeskJet 2800 series:

Download HPEasyStart-15.8.1-DJ2800_57_2_1683_3_Webpack.exe

Procedure:

  1. Open Windows Settings.
  2. Go to Printers & scanners.
  3. Remove old copies of HP DeskJet 2800 series.
  4. Restart the computer.
  5. Run the HPEasyStart-15.8.1-DJ2800_57_2_1683_3_Webpack.exe file.
  6. If Windows asks for permission to run it, click Yes.
  7. When asked about sending data, click No.
  8. If you are offered to download HP Easy Start, click Continue with current software.
  9. Select USB cable or Wireless network.
  10. Complete the installation.

Reinstalling the driver does not remove a physical paper jam. First, make sure there is no paper inside the printer and that the E4 error has disappeared on the device itself.

When You Need to Contact Service

Service may be required if:

  • the E4 error appears immediately after turning on the printer;
  • there is no paper or foreign object inside;
  • the cartridge carriage does not move and is blocked;
  • the paper feed rollers are damaged;
  • the printer constantly tears paper;
  • paper jams in the same place after every sheet;
  • the error does not disappear after a power reset and a full check of all user-accessible areas.

If the printer is new, also check whether any shipping materials, protective parts, or packaging pieces remain inside.

What You Should Not Do

  • Do not pull paper sharply.
  • Do not use sharp objects to remove paper.
  • Do not force the carriage to move.
  • Do not disassemble the printer body.
  • Do not use damp, wrinkled, or damaged paper.
  • Do not load paper of different sizes in the tray.
  • Do not clamp the paper too tightly with the guide.
  • Do not send the print job many times in a row until the E4 error is fixed.

Short Step-by-Step Checklist

If the E4 error appears on HP DeskJet 2800, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off the printer and disconnect the power cord.
  2. Remove paper from the input tray.
  3. Check the input tray.
  4. Check the output area.
  5. Open the cartridge access door and check the inside of the printer.
  6. Check whether the carriage is blocked.
  7. Check the bottom cleanout door, if your model has one.
  8. Remove all pieces of paper and foreign objects.
  9. Check and, if necessary, carefully clean the paper feed rollers.
  10. Connect the power and turn on the printer.
  11. Load a flat stack of plain A4 paper.
  12. Check the paper size in the print settings.
  13. Clear the print queue in Windows.
  14. Restart the Print Spooler service.
  15. Print one test page.

In most cases, the E4 error disappears after removing jammed paper, checking for small pieces, loading paper correctly, and restarting the printer.

Additional Information

If you have problems installing drivers or other software for your device (printer, scanner, monitor, keyboard, etc.), please tell us the model of your device and the version of your operating system (for example: Windows 11, Windows 10 64-bit, Windows 8 64-bit, etc.) and we will try to help you. Email us.

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