Category Archives: Tech Misadventures

Technical Support Misadventures and Goofups

Why You Shouldn’t Let Billy Bob “Help” You With Your Computer

Why You Shouldn’t Let Billy Bob “Help” You With Your Computer

Herein lies the classic tale of Billy Bob and the computer.

Herein lies the classic tale of Billy Bob and the computer.

Yesterday I had a remarkable experience with a customer whose computer I had restored some six weeks ago. (We’ll call him “Jim.”)

Now you should understand that I had done for him what I always do: a thorough, professional job that puts the computer into really great shape, software-wise.

Jim had called me a couple of days after I restored his system, complaining that he still had “the same damn problem.” His computer was “slow.”

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The Case of the Unreachable Software (Case Study)

The Case of the Unreachable Software (Case Study)

Kathy needed help. She was running a small business from her home — one completely dependent upon internet access and two software programs that I frankly hadn’t heard of. Not that it necessarily mattered so much to me that I hadn’t heard of them. The principles for troubleshooting such problems tend to be pretty much the same. But since her problem was with programs that are not commonplace, Kathy was worried. All the more so because her business depends on them.

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Downgraded, Upgraded, Dead-Graded and Led Astray

Downgraded, Upgraded, Dead-Graded and Led Astray

Today I had one of those strange experiences.

memoryI was called in to look at a computer that had recently been upgraded by one of the more prominent IT shops in town.

They had upgraded Bill’s hard drive (which had previously been a tiny 20 GB), and his memory — all at a very reasonable price.

Except… now the computer would suddenly and spontaneously reboot after running for about 8 to 10 minutes. Like clockwork.

Odd…

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