I don’t want to return to the days of typewriters and carbon copies,
but relying on today’s electronics can be scary. That’s especially true these
days when the pandemic makes it hard for manufacturers to keep up with the
demand.
When my daughter asked for a new sewing machine for her birthday, the
shelves were empty because the machines had been bought up by people who wanted
to use them to make masks. (Caroline did eventually find one and got it a few
days later.)
A friend and online critique partner was having trouble with her
laptop, but there was nothing available in the stores. She finally managed to snatch
up the last remaining battery, and that solved her problem.
So I had nightmares when my printer stopped working on Thursday. Everything
was going fine, and then suddenly it wasn’t. The paper feeder made excruciating
grinding noises and wouldn’t send anything through. I added more paper and kept
clearing jams, but the same thing happened each time. Then I switched to the
second paper tray with the same result. I even tried the rear paper feeder, and
that didn’t work, either.
The printer is huge because I use it for photos as well as documents, so
the thought of lugging it over to Staples to get it fixed—if Staples even fixes
printers—was not a happy one. It is also
relatively new, so the alternative of searching what might be empty shelves for
a replacement was equally disheartening.
In the end, I decided to give up for the day. I had a tenuous hope that
the printer would heal itself when I rebooted it, but I didn’t want to disillusion
myself just then, so I turned it off and went to bed.
Although I wasn’t hopeful when I turned it back on Friday morning, I
tried printing anyway.
Success!
My number one rule when dealing with electronics? Always try a reboot
before taking something in for service or buying a new one.
Because “Physician, heal thyself” works for electronics, too.
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