I have an older model, when the new ink arrived the significant other tossed out the old cartridge. How was she suppose to know it wont work if you have no old

I have an older model, when the new ink arrived the significant other tossed out the old cartridge. How was she suppose to know it wont work if you have no old previously accepted cartridge? The lamest part is that it does print a test page AND prints the windos test page too. It bricks it self with a cartridge error the moment it receives a normal print job.