Program will not load

I have been trying to upload my program and I keep getting the error "avrdude: stk500_recv(): programmer is not responding". I have restarted the program, tried the sample programs such as "Blink", changed the serial port, and checked the Arduino help section. This Arduino Uno has been used before so I know it works or was working. Does anyone have any ideas about how to fix it. Thanks.

Do you have the correct "board" selected?
(As in dumb mistakes I have made! )
In preferences have you selected "show verbose output during upload"?
Post output from it here if you continue to have troubles.
Be sure to post a response here if you got it working.