Epson printers have an error system that registers all errors, even none critical ones. Once a certain number of errors are reached, the printer stops working and suggests an engineer is required. Often this can be rectified by re-setting the counter. You can even tell the printer an ink cartridge is not empty, allowing you to use the residual ink you would normally throw out with the cartridge!
There is a third party utility here-
http://www.ssclg.com/epsone.shtml. Read all the documentation on the page and that comes with the download. (The docs were there when I downloaded it- can�t say if that is the case now.)
This utility only works with Epson printers. You can seriously damage your printer by ms-use. If you think your printer is ready for the bin, what have you to lose? I have two printers I was going to dispose of, several years ago which I still use today, thanks to this wonderful utility.