Experiences with non-techies

[soldier_ph]

Someone tried to pull out an Ethernet cable but failed hard :

This is from one of our big LS rooms with a lot of PC stations in it. 

[soldier_ph]

Something I picked up in the hallway today:

 

One dude to the other:

 

The best PC ever costs 10'000....

 

The other guy: Yeah, but you can build one for cheap, ehm for about 1000 with leds....

 

 

 

 

At least they got the RGB right

[Andreas Lilja]

Reverse non-techie.

 

Having issues with my FireTV, Amazon guy at the other end of the line assumes I have a sub-75 tech IQ. 

 

[FakeCIA]

When I was in an internship for the WSP, about 3/4 years ago, we had to get a substitute instructor for our weekly trainings on certain types of weapons. In this specific training, we were using a software that measured the distance between a bullet impact and the ground to determine the height of the suspect. This software was very basic and was just one of the tools that the crime lab used at the time. This instructor, if they could be called that, didn't seem to realize that in order to collect data for the lesson, an actual weapon had to be fired in the test environment. They also didn't seem to realize that every single one of us in the class was authorized to be able to fire weapons on the test range. So, the brilliant solution that this instructor came up with, was to use a slingshot. They didn't seem to realize that plastic balls are not what this software was designed to track. Some of the senior members of the class tried to convince the substitute instructor that their idea of using a slingshot was without merit, but the instructor still made the class do it. In the end, the data was completely flawed and a five-hour lesson was wasted using a slingshot on software it wasn't even designed for.

[Commodus]

On 3/4/2020 at 3:27 PM, Andreas Lilja said:

Reverse non-techie.

 

Having issues with my FireTV, Amazon guy at the other end of the line assumes I have a sub-75 tech IQ. 

 

That can be frustrating, although as an ISP tech support guy many moons ago I dealt with more than a few self-proclaimed experts who hadn't followed basic troubleshooting steps.  Sometimes (not always), the treat-them-like-a-rookie process is meant solely to ensure that techs have covered all the bases.

 

I have a golden rule of sorts: a tech support customer's knowledge of the problem is inversely proportional to their eagerness to cite their qualifications.  The person who shouts "I have an MCSE!" is likely to be clueless, while the humble one who assumes nothing is probably an expert on the subject.

[Letgomyleghoe]

On 2/14/2020 at 9:37 AM, BrygonSan said:

Don't know if this counts but I just read on here someone asking if an HDD can be overclocked.. 

Yes, and no, theoretically you could, so yes, however the speed is set when manafactured, so no.

[WildW_UK]

On 3/4/2020 at 8:27 PM, Andreas Lilja said:

Reverse non-techie.

 

Having issues with my FireTV, Amazon guy at the other end of the line assumes I have a sub-75 tech IQ. 

 

There needs to be a secret pass-phrase you can use on tech-support calls to identify yourself as tech-savvy so you can skip all the stupid steps you've already tried. Or someone needs to tell me what it is if it already exists.

[FakeCIA]

1 hour ago, WildW_UK said:

There needs to be a secret pass-phrase you can use on tech-support calls to identify yourself as tech-savvy so you can skip all the stupid steps you've already tried. Or someone needs to tell me what it is if it already exists.

The secret password is MuricaParrotGang.

[Eschew]

4 hours ago, WildW_UK said:

There needs to be a secret pass-phrase you can use on tech-support calls to identify yourself as tech-savvy so you can skip all the stupid steps you've already tried. Or someone needs to tell me what it is if it already exists.

LTTStore.com

[Dr Snazz]

I am literally my math teacher's personal IT guy. The amount of times I have had to remind her to turn the TV on before connecting her laptop to it has been WAY to many.

[Koeshi]

On 3/9/2020 at 5:23 PM, WildW_UK said:

There needs to be a secret pass-phrase you can use on tech-support calls to identify yourself as tech-savvy so you can skip all the stupid steps you've already tried. Or someone needs to tell me what it is if it already exists.

Shibboleet.

 

Whether the provider actually follows it or not is varied, but I know of at least one company that does (or at least they used to, don't know if it still applies).

[WildW_UK]

23 hours ago, Koeshi said:

Shibboleet.

 

Whether the provider actually follows it or not is varied, but I know of at least one company that does (or at least they used to, don't know if it still applies).

Relevant xkcd

[Kidthekid01]

I was using my dad's desktop, and it was VERY slow. I checked the BIOS, and it was at 88 degrees C. I turned it off, let it cool for a few hours, and turned it back on, and immediately went into the BIOS. It was at 62 degrees C. Then 75 Degrees C. Then 87 Degrees C. I asked my dad if he had ever changed the thermal paste, and he said no. So I went to change it for him, and there was NO THERMAL PASTE. It was an i7 2600k, in a computer my dad bought used from a computer store, and he had been using it for over 5 years without paste. My dad is no techie, but I don't see how the store that sold my dad the computer failed to change the paste on an already 4 year old computer.

[mcbaes72]

On 3/14/2020 at 3:05 PM, Kidthekid01 said:

I was using my dad's desktop, and it was VERY slow. I checked the BIOS, and it was at 88 degrees C. I turned it off, let it cool for a few hours, and turned it back on, and immediately went into the BIOS. It was at 62 degrees C. Then 75 Degrees C. Then 87 Degrees C. I asked my dad if he had ever changed the thermal paste, and he said no. So I went to change it for him, and there was NO THERMAL PASTE. It was an i7 2600k, in a computer my dad bought used from a computer store, and he had been using it for over 5 years without paste. My dad is no techie, but I don't see how the store that sold my dad the computer failed to change the paste on an already 4 year old computer.

Similar story for me. Recently, I changed the thermal paste on relatives PC (AMD APU) that I built nearly five years ago.  Problem was, there wasn't any to remove. The paste disintegrated into dust on the motherboard around the CPU. 

 

I told her add e-calendar reminder on her phone, every two years bring to me to change it. 

[WkdPaul]

*facedesk*

 

BACKSTORY ;

 

We have a client who we migrated from Citrix to RemoteApp (RDWeb), they go to a web portal and have access to their applications from there, allowing them to have access from anywhere.

 

That turned out to be a great idea seeing as everyone is now working from home.

 

But, some of the accountant and HR people still needed access to their work PC when at home. No problem, we setup everything on the target device and publish a RDP icon sending them a TS to their work PC.

 

STORY ;

 

Just got a ticket, a user can't make any applications work, every time she clicks on an app from the web portal, it just closes.

 

The tech with her doesn't understand what's happening or why and escalate this.

 

I also don't get it, she says she has nothing opened, but "everything closes when I click on an application" ... What?

 

So I remote in her home PC to see what's happening... Basically, she goes to the RDWeb portal, opens an RFP session to her work PC, then, from her work PC, opens another RDWeb portal session to open the applications she needs from there ... I was speechless!!!

 

 

 

To those unsure of what is the issue ;

 

The RDP session she opens to her work PC, is opened INSIDE a RDP session that is opened on a server used to serve the RDWeb application, THAT MEANS, opening any applications from the portal from her work PC will "grab" the current RDP session she opened from her home PC, effectively creating a loop, that's never going to work.

 

Tried as best to explain, I don't think she understood, except for the fact that it won't work... I need a break, my head hurts!!!

 

 

EDIT ;

telegraphic explanation ;

user opens session A from home, to access her work PC ; session B, then from session B, logs into the portal to open applications, that effectively is going to open session A that is currently opened on her home PC.
Session B is inside session A, = SessionA(sessionB) ... you can't open applications (session A) from inside Session B

Edited March 24, 2020 by wkdpaul

[FakeNSA]

1 hour ago, wkdpaul said:

*facedesk*

 

BACKSTORY ;

 

We have a client who we migrated from Citrix to RemoteApp (RDWeb), they go to a web portal and have access to their applications from there, allowing them to have access from anywhere.

 

That turned out to be a great idea seeing as everyone is now working from home.

 

But, some of the accountant and HR people still needed access to their work PC when at home. No problem, we setup everything on the target device and publish a RDP icon sending them a TS to their work PC.

 

STORY ;

 

Just got a ticket, a user can't make any applications work, every time she clicks on an app from the web portal, it just closes. 
 

Tried as best to explain, I don't think she understood, except for the fact that it won't work... I need a break, my head hurts!!!

That's a next level fail right there.

Truly impressive. Good luck with that headache, bud.

Edited March 24, 2020 by FakeNSA
Snip

[Tedstonegenious]

On 1/16/2013 at 5:29 AM, the_devil52 said:

Not an experience but it's related: http://xkcd.com/627/

That was printed and stuck to a wall where I did my internship a while ago. 

[Koeshi]

43 minutes ago, Tedstonegenious said:

That was printed and stuck to a wall where I did my internship a while ago. 

I do tech support for a living and that is a large part of what I do

[FakeNSA]

1 hour ago, Koeshi said:

I do tech support for a living and that is a large part of what I do

The shiboleet, or the following of checklist?

[Bananasplit_00]

Did I post this here? Might have but I didn't find it.

 

As everyone is working from home we have a lot of users on VPN link. We use VPNs to access some remote systems that are not on site when we work from the office.

 

One morning I got a message from a user asking what was up with her laptop. The WiFi was working great on her personal laptop but the work laptop said something about a DNS error she did not understand.

 

I was preparing for the worst, troubleshooting VPN is a PAIN. I asked her what VPN she was using and she replied: I'm using VPN A and VPN B right now

 

 

Told her she could only use one at a time, she went quiet for a good while and then messaged me back that it was working now

 

[soldier_ph]

8 hours ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

Did I post this here? Might have but I didn't find it.

 

As everyone is working from home we have a lot of users on VPN link. We use VPNs to access some remote systems that are not on site when we work from the office.

 

One morning I got a message from a user asking what was up with her laptop. The WiFi was working great on her personal laptop but the work laptop said something about a DNS error she did not understand.

 

I was preparing for the worst, troubleshooting VPN is a PAIN. I asked her what VPN she was using and she replied: I'm using VPN A and VPN B right now

 

 

Told her she could only use one at a time, she went quiet for a good while and then messaged me back that it was working now

 

She probably just needed some VPN  Vitamin D.

[Jae Tee]

This isn't anything tragic, but it goes as follows. 

 

In the past few months my family has finally come around to the fact that I actually know about computers. What im trying to say is my older siblings finally started to take my word. But one of my older brothers was frustrated. It made no sense how a high end laptop would be so slow after just 1 year (some people believe that all electronics just BECOME slow over time, and in reality that is HARDLY the case). After a quick look I found out his one and only drive was a 2.5 in HDD.

 

As i said this isn't a huge problem but most consumers prioritize things like the cpu and AMOUNT of storage when basically the only thing they do is on the web, when something like an SSD (and a bit of ram) would be the single best thing for them in most scenarios. 

[Aimi]

Knew someone that was trying to play games on their old PC, and barely anything would run with the stock hardware. Got a part number from him to figure out what he was running so I could find upgrades...

...He was using a system designed for cash registers.

[Koeshi]

19 hours ago, FakeNSA said:

The shiboleet, or the following of checklist?

Sadly I am not shibboleet compliant

[FakeNSA]

1 hour ago, Koeshi said:

Sadly I am not shibboleet compliant

Neither am I, man. No worries. 
Us poor tech support shmucks gotta stick together!