HP sorry for flawed update

HP Inc. has apologized to customers for cutting them off from ink cartridges from other companies and says it will fix the problem.

The troubles occurred when the Palo Alto printer maker issued a software update that made some of its printers incompatible with ink cartridges that came from competitors.

It says it was trying to protect customers from counterfeit or unauthorized cartridges that might affect printing quality.

But the update led to complaints that HP was interfering with its customers’ right to choose ink suppliers. Critics also warned that customers would be less likely to trust future security updates.

HP apologized Wednesday for not explaining what it was doing. It promises another software update that again lets customers use non-HP inks.