HP Error E5 — Scanner Module Error and the Reset That Usually Clears It
By Ryan Green · Updated August 2026 · Independent guide · PrinterCare USA LLC (not affiliated with any printer manufacturer)
Do these in order
- Power reset. With the printer on, pull the cord from the back of the printer. Wait a full 60 seconds. Reconnect and power on. Watch the scanner: you should hear/see the scan head do a short travel under the glass during startup.
- Lid and glass. Open the lid, confirm nothing is on the glass, no book or object is pressing the lid crooked, and the white backing sheet on the lid is intact and seated.
- Look for the scan head. Through the glass, the scan bar should be parked at one end. If it's stuck mid-glass, do the power reset again with the lid closed; the head re-homes at startup.
- Direct power. Plug the printer straight into a wall socket, not a strip or extension — brown-outs during head travel throw E5 on several DeskJet models.
- Firmware. If the printer works between E5s, update firmware (Settings → Printer Update or via HP Smart); HP addressed spurious scanner errors on some 2000/4000-series firmware.
If it won't clear
Two clean power resets and a still-solid E5 means the scanner module itself — motor, ribbon cable or lamp — has failed. There's no user-serviceable part inside the scan bed of these models. In warranty: HP replaces the unit. Out of warranty: you can keep using it as a printer (if the model allows) and scan with a phone app, or replace the unit; a scanner-bed repair costs more than the printer.
Still stuck? A technician can fix it remotely today.
Independent remote support — you watch every step, and you pay the flat $49 only after your printer is working. $0 if we can't fix it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still print with E5?
Often yes — E5 is a scanner-side fault, and many models keep printing. If printing is blocked too, do the power reset; the error state sometimes blocks everything until cleared.
E5 after moving the printer.
Some models have a scanner transport lock or the scan head shifted in transit. Check for a lock switch under or beside the scanner glass and cycle it; then power reset.
Reset doesn't clear E5.
A persistent E5 after two power resets is a failed scanner motor, ribbon cable or lamp — a hardware fault. On a printer under HP's one-year warranty, claim it; out of warranty, the print side can still be used but the scanner won't come back with software.