Question: My HP 952c inkjet printer is leaking ink and won’t print because the cartridges will not slide. I cannot get to the ink well where the cartridges are located because it is stuck to the right of the printer and doesn’t move when I open the top. How can I clean up this mess and get my printer to work?

Answer: Sorry to hear about the mess. Let’s start with the clean up of the ink. Use a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe up the ink that has spilled out of the cartridge. Wipe gently so you don’t do any damage to the internal components of your printer. The ink will likely color the inside of your printer – That’s okay. Just make sure you get anything that puddles. It should not look wet.

On to the non-moving cartridge carrier. The standard fix for this is to do a hard reset on the printer. Follow these steps.

1. Unplug the power cord and remove the paper from the paper tray.
2. Move the carriage all the way to the right, close the lid and reconnect the power cord.
3. The printer will make some noise as it starts back up. Wait until it stops making noise.
4. Open the printer lid. The carriage should return to its normal position.
5. Try printing again.

If this does not work, then damage has been done to the internal components. You will need to get the printer serviced by a repair person.