1237. Thunderbird Print Dialog strange - AI spanked again!

 Today I noticed Thunderbird picked up setting for # pages on 1 physical page from setting on System Printer dialog instead of its own. AI had me wet to system printer dialog because it cold not fix other issues pertaining to the printer entries in the Thunderbird Print dialog - basically an old outdated printer named "Brother..."" which at one time was the default. Anyway, scratch AI again for taking me down multiple rabbit holes only to end up stuck in the last hole rendering everything bad. One day I'll clean it all up myself.

Meanwhile, this problem took me to Thunderbird,> Menu> Settings> Config (at very bottom)> Search for print> select print.move-settings open from False to true.

This resolved the Thunderbird  Print Dialog settings to always include the duplex option , etc. that AI said it doesn't! So, I am using it's dialog again and still been to find where it is picking up the erroneous "Brother...." printer entry. It's default is now MY desired printer name.

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Update -- corrected AI blunder for last 3 days. I consulted AI to fix the mysterious "Brother..." printer entry in Thunderbird for last 4 days. Each day it told me in one step to "now delete the "Brother..." driver and driver package. WRONG! Today I questioned that since it and my new name used the same driver and package. After challenging AI, it agreed that neither should be deleted (actually said only package, but later agreed that driver should not be deleted to since I had my new name working with it.

Once I abandoned that step and continued on, AI was helpful to let me know the "ghost" printer I needed to remove from the O/S. Reg Editor needed to find the print list (easiest way is to just type in name and let Regedit locate it). Delete it (remember always Export entries to restore if needed). It then went off to WSD Port in registry, but I had no entries (except, if I recall what screwed everything p was a WSD entry that iPrint & Scan put out there to address the scanner on the Brother printer. I need to now retest that! And possible mess up printer again! Hmmmm. iPrint was installed because AI told me ControlCenter4 (CC40 put out by Brother was obsolete and no longer available and had caused problems for me. iPrint installed like a gem and immediately fixed my problem (consolidating all scanned imaged from feeder into a single PDF file). Wish me luck to do it again without other downsides.

1236. AI Disaster Lesson 4

 Why do I keep using AI? To get simple answers, it is fine. To troubleshoot computer/Android problems, do it your self. Otherwise AI will NOT look at the forest before cutting down trees and the tsunami will was away natures animals.

This lesson outlines my attempt to get the Brother Printer's ControlCenter 4 (CC4) to simply scan pages in the feeder and produce a PDF file or insert them all into a Word/Libre Writer document. Dream on! AI neglected to tell me CC4 was discontinued from Brother site and removed from downloading Driver and Full Software. Instead it started chopping at the first tree to fix it. Of course all its instruction were totally wrong, it apologized, and threw more crap at me that was wrong. Always telling me this one will work, guaranteed, absolutely, etc. for an hour before it already cut down 10 trees and then when I said time to do a System Restore, because it invaded the clean forest beside it, it still said "No, don't do that".

I played along for 15 more minutes until it decided to finally tell me CC4 doesn't exist anymore. But, it had another way of resurrecting the old Lite version. See, it first was trying to get me into Advanced mode, but all was unsuccessful. Then after the first 30-40 minutes, it started repeating the same crap. CC4 Lite doesn't have an advanced mode it now claimed. that's when I said goodbye.

I went to my wife's machine to see it I had it there. No. But again asked AI a question stating I know CC4 doen't exist, what else should I use. It told me I was right and iPint & Scan should be installed. Of course its instructions on how to do that didn't work. ne option was to go to Play Store -- NOT there. finally I saw a NOT-AI answer. Look in MSFT Store. Bingo.

Downloaded it, installed, ran, and it emptied the Brother feeder and saved a PDF file with it all assembled just like the original document. Well, 5 minutes doing all that and the job was complete! Thank you iPrint & Scan and the person who put that out there for me. Next challenge will be to explore that App to produce JPEGs. Happy today 😊💖

1235. Libre Writer"s Stupid Default - imbed a JPEG Scanned Page

 Now this was dumb, dumber, dumbest.

I was in a hurry to scan some pages (4) to up load as a single PDF so I could upload it to the VA. Scanning went well and 4 JPEGs created/ Went to LIBRE Writer to put them into a new document. Dragged them in, one after the other, only to find just one showing. Where did the previous 3 go? 

LIBRE has a stupid image default that puts first one in a paragraph, then if you can't find a way to get off that page and do a 2nd, 3rd, 4th they all get stacked on top of previous one. Now, how do you verify they are all there and in order. I gave up and asked my friend AI.

The FIX they claim was to change an image's characteristic via FORMATTING AIDS) to "As Character". Then it will pop into doc similar to a Character. So, I asked how to set this permanently for any future images so I don't have to Mickey Mouse each one. The answer lies within the Hidden Process:

1. Bring up a new or existing Libre Writer File

2. Tools-> Options 

3. Go down to Libre Writer and expand it

4. Click Formatting Aids and scroll to Image section

5. Change ANCHOR to "As Character

6. OK sets it as default

Another option to investigate is WRAP if interested. I didn't care. I was in a hurry.

1234. AI DIsaster Lesson 3

 As I noted in Lesson 2, you can't trust AI to logically resolve your problem. It seems that most of what it does is collects OLD procedures and tries to use them to resolve your newer hardware/software versions of products. Today's lesson is a3-4 hour fiasco where AI destroyed working phones connected to Hearing Aids.

Problem: I have two identical phones I purchased from Tracfone - both Moto g Play phones (2026). I received one, call it A, in early June and activated it 6/4/26, while the other was activated 6/10. I have 2 Hearing Aids from Phonak. Initially, the HAs were BT paired by the audiologist onto an older Moto e phone successfully giving me immediate ability to hear my mobile phone through my HAs. 

All was fine until I configured the TV Connector that allowed the TV sound in the HAs to be controlled, particularly volume assigned to 5 different programs. Well, according to AI after hours of guessing, the glitch that kept it from working on that old phone was old technology. I'm not convince now that AI was ever correct, but I purchased by new Moto g Play, same as my wife's, because I did get it working on her phone. I therefore assumed I could match the installation onto my new phone and have the same success. WRONG. 

My New phone could not pair the hearing aids to produce individual volume for each ear that wife's phone had no trouble doing. 2 hours with AI #1 resulted in AI#1 quitting! Couldn't fix it despite running me through Hell trying. So, I accessed AI a different was - this brough on AI#2. Immediate after describing the issues in detail and incorporating some of the attempts AI#1 tried, AI#2 immediately started his guessing entirely different. It then wasted 2.5 hours running through technical details over and over in circles only to end with Something I suggested in minute 10. AI#2 was insistent in me NOT to hit the Split L/R button on the volume to see 2 volumes, 1 for left ear, 1 for right. It claimed that would mask the problem it was trying to resolve. Well, AI#2 never resolved the problem bur provided a bunch of technical mumbo jumbo no one could remember. Everything tried failed the same was and the steps to get to the error included so many wrong directions it was impossible to remember all the mistakes and corrections. 

I could spend a day trying to document the details. But I'd bore you out of your mind. Suffice it to say that once again AI worked in its own world and I couldn't imagine what it was looking at. My constant WTF comments got it to change its mind up to 5 times for each occurrence until I could perform the correct sequence on MY phone and Phonak rather than his imaginary ones. I did learn my lesson 1 and 2 though and believed only 20% of what it instructed always being careful of its desire to kill my phone, my HAs, or me! The end Go ahead ant hit the Split L/R like I suggested. It surrendered and quit just like AI#1 saying that the Split L/R was the best workaround and recommended. Ha-Ha. 

AI has NOT be helpful for problems not already documented and found by straight Google searches. It seems it takes the worse of the worse and tries to sell you on it! I'm exhausted from this last encounter.

1233. AI Lesson 2

 Since post 1232 AI Lesson 1 I have used Copilot many, many times. Most provided a solution that worked or got me close to working. However, it does have some annoying habits:

1. AI will always attack what it thinks your most recent problem is rather than the reason why you are there. For example, if you jump at its recommendations in first query and hit a snag doing it, AI focuses on that snag, Then if you try fixing that one to proceed and hit another snag (2), AI switches to that, etc. I have gone down a path of over 10-15 snags in a row throwing me way off the initial problem trying to solve each snag instead. Then you get to one that is a monstrous recommendation like download something to execute that you know is not involved with the initial problem. I was told about a .dll missing that never existed on my systems. AI couldn't be convinced that it was never part on my initial installation, granted many years ago in 2010. The application at fault was Any Password. It took AI about 40 minutes before telling me that fact and that it was discontinued and thus the module is gone. Fact though, is Any Password has worked for 15 years now without a hiccup and had its first one AI claimed was an encryption problem within. Not true. Works perfectly again whatever the problem was! AI believes it has to tell you details about why something isn't working. Half of the time it is wrong. This leads to incorrect analysis and recommendations re the major issue which is lost in the process.

Just beware of this annoying habit. Take what you can get from AI, CHALLENGE it if it is wrong. It always apologizes and throw out another THIS ONE WILL work. I had about 15 of those and all failed! Gather what you can and assemble the correct facts it or you find and proceed with those.

It can be a frustrating experience. One must understand that it is using data from man soles, right or wrong, to put its pieces together. I'm not particularly happy with it diagnosing technical computer problems as the "leader". I have found that you take what it offer and proceed with you know is right.

Always more than not the procedures to implement in the Android world are incorrect and something else must be substituted. AI does NOT confirm the starting point, i.e., device, device age, brand, software, etc. first. Instead it jumps into trying to resolve you issue with "hidden assumptions". So, my advice, just like a customer support person, begin with details about you hardware and software before he runs in the wrong direction. I'm still learning. But this AI is NOT a hands off tool that gives you correct answers. It must be told details. Life goes on.