Kodak ESP-5 Scanning without replacing ink

I hate this printer.

I keep it around for the scanning ability for the most part as it always seems to be out of ink (screw you Donald Trump) and when it is, I get the "BLACK INK CARTRIDGE NEEDS REPLACING" message on the screen. The rest of the unit is useless until it is replaced.

Googled the error this morning to see if there was a way around it and found the following:

http://support.en.kodak.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1296/selected/true

 If you have a 5100, 5300, 5500, ESP 3, ESP 5, ESP 7, or ESP 9 all-in-one printer, you must first replace the ink cartridge(s).

    Install a new ink cartridge. See Printing Supplies.
    Scan your picture or document.

I have an ESP 5. I'm screwed.

I tried the following successfully and used Paint.net as my image program.

• Get a program that acquires images from a scanner open and ready.
  • It most likely will not register the acquire image as the ESP 5 is not reporting itself as a scanner
• Open the lid of the printer
• Remove the offending ink cartridge
• Reinsert the offending ink cartridge
• Close the lid
• The printer will go through a self check and this is the critical moment:
  • Go back to your program and use the acquire image function, it should now be available
  • Immediately do your preview (if you want)
  • Scan!
  • In my setup as long as the lamp engaged while the printer was self testing, it would continue through the scanning sequence even though the Error is displayed during post-test.
• Image should be be available in your image program.

Good luck.

Stupid printer.