Can We Talk 2

Computer Troubles

         Last Friday I lost computer access, and barely got it back last night. I feel so much better now, knowing I can have at least second rate computer access!

         Some months ago, the kids jammed paper in my printer and the roller came out with the paper. I packed it up and took it to the shop for repair. It looked simple, but difficult to reach inside and put it where it belonged. You could see how it should work. I don't think I can take the plastic case apart and reassemble it. But I was told you don't repair these parts, you replace the printer. The sales person convinced me for the small amount of printing I did in a month's time would only require a certain printer that was on sale. It was cheaper than my all in one that was missing a tiny paper roller.

                   I'm intimidated by all the wires, even if they are color coded. So I didn't install the printer for months. What a waste of warranty! Finally, I had a form I really wanted to print, so I undertook the job. After attaching all the pieces and removing protective film and cardboard inserts, I discovered I didn't have an all-in-one. I had a printer. Period. No scanner. No copier. No wonder it was cheaper. Too late to take it back. Then I discovered the cord was too short to reach my hard drive, so I moved the hard drive up to the top of the desk, which I've considered doing before. I don't have to get down on the floor and use a flashlight to attach or unattach wires. Somehow when I reattached the monitor, it didn't come on. So now I need to replace the monitor.

         I blew an entire afternoon, not only couldn't print, but had lost the use of the computer. I had to enter my OctoPrep daily data by i-phone, which took me a while to figure out. I could read my emails from WDC, so I knew the assignments. I was handwriting everything. Finally, a light bulb went on late Saturday after I got off from work before midnight. I have a lap top I hardly ever use (back when they cost a lot more than they do now), I attached that to my ethernet, but it was worse than the i-hone. WDC was not accessible. I tried Explorer, the local phone server, and google. It was worse than my desktop for Internet. (Now I know it is the local service, and not my hard drive.) So Monday night, I upgraded Explorer to Foxfire. It took a while, but the result is amazing. I obviously can get into WDC. I could place my Avon order. I could read my Yahoo email and do group deletes!

         The deadline for the form I wanted to print is past. But I could hook it up to my lap top. I bought myself some time. I prefer the desktop and will get a new monitor. But I can use the lap top with Foxfire until I find the right one. If I were smart enough I could probably hook my hard drive up to my lap top and actually see my files.