I'm sure it's happened to you. One day you turn on your computer
and it can't find the printer, the scanner, the modem, whatever.
Everything worked yesterday. Now, suddenly, something's gone
wrong, and after many minutes, in which you probably make things
worse, you call the techie.
Now it depends on who is your techie. Some don't know a cpu from
a sound card. This means you are going to mortgage your house and
at the end of the day have to buy another computer.
Others, (the rare breed) actually have some experience and can get
you up and running in less than an hour, (but you have to pay for
the hour).
The problem when your computer "forgets" is what some call;
'keeping malice' and others name Computer Alzheimers.
The operating system you are using, if you are not using Linux,
has CRS, (can't remember stuff).
This means it "forgets" what drivers it should be using and jumps
to "default".
I'll give you an example.
Two years ago you had a Panasonic Printer you made your "default"
printer. Last year you got a Xerox, which replaced the Panasonic,
and recently, you've been using an HP.
This morning you can't print anything. This is because Windows
had reverted to the original "default".
Before you go nuts, before you phone the techie, do a bit of
self help.
Now the first thing all Windows users learn is to shut off
the computer, go to the bathroom, come back and start again.
In most cases, the computer will suddenly find everything,
meaning it must have gotten up from the wrong side of
the mother board (techie humor).
If shutting it off...I mean off. I mean shutting it off
completely, not "hot boot", but shutting it off and leaving
it off for five minutes, then turning it on doesn't work
go to step two.
Click on printers in your control panel.
Notice if your three printers are listed.
If they are, delete all but the one you
are currently using.
In this way, the computer has no choice, you
only have one printer, hence that's the default.
If you don't see your printer, go to "add new hardware"
in the control panel and reinstall it.
The computer might have eaten the drivers so you
might have to find the CD and reload. In many cases,
it doesn't need the CD, it will find the drivers and
install your "new" printer automatically.
This problem of "forgetting" is sometimes caused by a
glitch in the "restore" program.
Wise users, when doing a disk clean up, delete all but
their most recent restore data.
This prevents the O.S. from jumping to it's first
good restore in year naught.
Doing disk clean ups is like sweeping a floor; necessary.
Every day, do a disk clean up and take the option to
delete all but the most recent "restore". In this way
the computer can not go back to the first restore it
did in year naught but to the restore it did yesterday.
Although these tips seem simple, many techies buy
their first BMWs from "restoring" Operating Systems.
