Perhaps the printer has a new firmware installed. Epson may have done like others and disabled third party cartridge usage.
Have you tried using OEM (even old) cartridges? Just to see if you can get into the control panel?
I know of several industrial printer that identify if the cartridges are not OEM and of others that use large tanks (HP) that "blow a fuse" in them when the cartridge is empty.
Making refilling of them useless. We learned fast to refill long before they emptied. Others would only let you print X-many characters before the fuse blew in them.
Me, long ago. Years. I simply refuse to buy one more inkjet printer. I have an HP Color Laserjet. I'll never buy an inkjet again.
No clogged printheads, smeared, or streaky prints. Can turn it off for months and print like the day it was shut down.
Reman cartridges work like a peach. Every single time.
At first you think "damn, expensive! and cartridges are HOW much?"
And don't buy a cheap laser. HP for me. Or Canon. Research.
I've had monochrome HP 5si, 8100 series printers that had millions of prints through them. The guts are modular. And quite inexpensive to swap out.
As far as what you mention, it does look like new firmware was installed and nuked the use of non-oem ink.
I could be wrong.
