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HP Officejet 5500, 5600, 6200, 6300, and J5700 All-in-One Printer Series - Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) Does Not Pick up Paper or Loads Multiple Pages

Issue

When you scan, copy, or fax from the automatic document feeder (ADF), one of the following conditions occurs:
  • The ADF does not pick up (load) paper
  • The ADF picks up multiple pages of paper instead of just one page at a time
Try the following solutions in the order presented to resolve the issue. When one of the solutions resolves the issue, there is no need to continue troubleshooting.

Solution one: Check the paper in the ADF

Paper feed issues in the automatic document feeder might result from dusty, torn, wrinkled, wet, or folded paper in the ADF tray. The quality of the paper can also make a difference. Use only good quality paper that meets product specifications. Follow these steps to check the condition of the paper.
  1. Remove all paper from the document feeder tray.
    Figure : Remove the paper from the document feeder tray
    Illustration of removing paper from the document feeder tray
  2. Examine the condition of the paper, and then replace any ripped, dusty, curled, wrinkled, or bent paper.
  3. Make sure that the paper is a supported paper type for the product.
    note:
    The ADF does not accept photo paper.
  4. Make sure that all the paper in the stack is the same size and type. Never load mixed types of paper in the document feeder tray. The product can only process one type of paper at a time.
  5. Tap the edges of a stack of 10 to 25 sheets of paper on a flat surface to make sure that the edges are even.
  6. Load the stack of paper print side up in the document feeder tray.
    note:
    Do not load more than 25 pages in the document feeder tray. Larger stacks of paper can lead to pick problems.
    Figure : Reload the original document
    Illustration of reloading the original document
  7. Press OK to continue the current task.
  • If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
  • If the issue persists, vary the number of pages loaded in the document feeder tray, and then try the task again. If the issue still persists, continue to the next solution.

Solution two: Clean the ADF rollers and separator pad

Dust or paper residue on the rollers or separator pad inside the ADF can cause paper feed issues.
  1. Gather the following materials:
    • A clean, lint-free cloth, or any cloth that will not come apart or leave fibers
    • Distilled, filtered, or bottled water (tap water might damage the product)
  2. Remove the stack of paper from the document feeder tray.
    Figure : Remove the paper from the document feeder tray
    Illustration of removing paper from the document feeder tray
  3. Press the Power button ( to turn off the product.
  4. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the product.
  5. Lift the cover of the ADF, and then find the rollers and the separator pad.
      Figure : Location of the ADF rollers and separator pad
      Illustration showing locations of the ADF rollers and separator pad
    1. ADF rollers
    2. Separator pad
  6. Lightly dampen a clean, lint-free cloth with distilled water, and then squeeze any excess liquid from the cloth.
  7. Use the damp cloth to wipe any residue off of the rollers and the separator pad.
    Figure : ADF rollers
    Photograph of ADF rollers
    Figure : ADF separator pad
    Photograph of ADF separator pad
  8. Dry the rollers and separator pad with a dry, clean, lint-free cloth.
  9. Close the cover of the ADF.
  10. Reconnect the power cord to the rear of the product.
  11. Press the Power button ( to turn on the product.
  12. Reload the original document print side up in the document feeder tray.
    Figure : Reload the original document
    Illustration of reloading the original document
  13. Press OK to continue the current task.
  • If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
  • If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

Solution three: Perform a partial reset

Perform a partial reset to restore the product settings to the default values.
  1. Write down any fax numbers and country/region and language settings stored in the product memory.
      caution:
    A partial reset might remove all speed dials and other settings from the product memory.
  2. Disconnect the power cord from the rear of the product.
  3. Press and hold the # and 3 buttons at the same time while plugging the power cord into the rear of the product.
  4. Release the buttons after 30 seconds or when Part NVM Reset displays on the control panel.
  5. If the product does not turn on, press the Power button ( to turn it on.
  6. Press OK to continue the current task.
  • If these steps resolved the issue, you do not need to continue troubleshooting.
  • If the issue persists, continue to the next solution.

Solution four: Service the product

Service or replace your HP product if the issue persists after completing all the preceding steps.
Go to Contact HP Customer Support to schedule a product repair or replacement. If you are in Asia Pacific, you will be directed to a local service center in your area.
To confirm your warranty status, go to HP Product Warranty Check. Repair fees might apply for out-of-warranty products.

Workarounds

Your HP product can operate sufficiently by performing the desired task one sheet at a time. Follow these steps to load or feed the document into the scanning mechanism manually.

Workaround one: Load pages into the ADF manually

Follow these steps if the product picks up multiple pages from the document feeder tray.
  1. Press the Power button ( to turn on the product.
  2. Remove the stack of paper from the document feeder tray.
  3. Lay the stack of paper print side up on a nearby flat surface.
  4. Pick up the top page from the stack.
  5. Slide the page print side up into the automatic document feeder until the product beeps or a message displays indicating that the product detects the page.
  6. Press OK to continue the current task.
  7. Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each page of the document until the task is complete.

Workaround two: Load pages on the scanner glass manually

Follow these steps if the product does not pick up pages from the document feeder tray.
  1. Press the Power button ( to turn on the product.
  2. Remove the stack of paper from the document feeder tray.
  3. Raise the scanner lid.
    Figure : Raise the scanner lid
    Illustration of raising the scanner lid
  4. Load one page of your original print side down on the right front corner of the glass.
    Figure : Load one page on the scanner glass
    Illustration of loading the first page of the original
  5. Close the scanner lid.
  6. Press OK to continue the current task.
  7. When the product scans, copies, or faxes the page, raise the the scanner lid, remove the page, and then load another page on the scanner glass.
  8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 for each page of your document until the task is complete.

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