Why is my printer not working?

Why isn't my HP Deskjet 845c printer working?

• I left my printer back home for a long while and changed the ink cartridges to place new ones. I came back about a year and half later to find that it doesn't print. I print the document, the printer gets the A4 paper, which is neat and without any folds whatsoever, passes it through but without pausing for printing, and throws it out without putting a single line. I'm pretty sure the ink cartridge is full and the paper is clean. Also, when traveling, I covered the printer with a plastic bag to avoid any dust or other causes of defect. It does not print now, though. I suspect the cartridge to be affected over time. I urgently need the printer at the moment! Does the printer need a driver to download? Should I change the cartridge? Should I use the hot water method to get the ink cartridge to print again, if it's the cartridge's problem? P.S. This was all about the black ink cartridge. I haven't tried the RGB one, actually.

• Answer:

  Sounds like your ink cartridges' nozzles are clogged with dried ink. Try using your printer's auto-cleaning procedure (maybe look at http://www.ehow.com/how_2006120_clean-hp-cartridge.html for directions) before going to "the hot water method" or other tricks.