Trying to help her play a DiVX file and it's frustrating because everytime I tell her to do something she asks why and tries something else. :| I have no patience for this kind of stuff.. I mean I should since she's my gf, but I don't. In fact I have to hold myself back from yelling at her :frown:
I $@%^ hate giving tech support to my gf over the phone
- Thread starter fs5
- Start date
Was just about to suggest this.
On a tangent, I want to get a PDA or laptop and a cell connection to do remote support from the beach.
that's a good freakin' idea.... I wish I could do it now, but then I'd have to direct her how to set it up, not to mention configure the router
yeah, I'm the same... I don't mind helping out a friend with a computer problem, I just hate doing it over the phone since you can never be sure of exactly that the person is doing and what they're seeing on their screen.
Nebor
Lifer
- Jun 24, 2003
- 29,582
- 12
- 76
Exactly...
"Ok, open up the Program Files directory."
"What's a directory?"
"It's a folder."
"Why didn't you just say folder?"
"Because I call it a directory."
"Well it's not a picture of a directory, it's a picture of a folder."
"Let me tell you about format c: ....."
omg, now the audio is out of sync by like 10 seconds... she has a P4 2.4 ghz, I'm betting it's the 100 start-up items / spyware that's bogging her system down. :| it never ends
the worst thing about giving tech support, I think, is dealing with people who refuse to try and figure it out for themselves. I mean, I wasn't born with an innate knowledge of all things computer-related... when i got my first computer, I didn't have a sibling or friend (or hell, even the internet) to rely on for advice. I had to figure it out the hard way.
I could never deal with doing it for a living, you need the patience of a rock and I have the patience of old dynamite Have a drink or smoke a bowl before helping your g/f with her computer if it irritates you. Also try to teach her the basics of system updates, spyware & virus scans, and how to avoid it in the first place. Also not a bad idea at all to install a non-IE browser and a remote desktop app on her pc.
Have a drink or smoke a bowl before helping your g/f with her computer if it irritates you. Also try to teach her the basics of system updates, spyware & virus scans, and how to avoid it in the first place. Also not a bad idea at all to install a non-IE browser and a remote desktop app on her pc.
then you rush over for a little su'm su'm??
I've noticed that the trick with tech support over the phone is to start off the conversation with "Do EXACTLY what I tell you to do. Don't DO ANYTHING, dont PUSH ANYTHING, unless I say so. Now..." Usually that helps out tremendously.
dfi
The most annoying type are the ones who don't do that to begin with - most people realize defeat at the hands of their computer and do this without being told. The ones who don't are also, of course, the ones who might take offense at that
BTW: You might want to consider a fresh install. Spyware is being written like crazy, and last I checked the two programs widely regarded as the best - spybot & adaware - only catch about 60% of them each. Many people find themselves unable, even with all the tools available, to completely rid an install of spyware.
PingSpike
Lifer
- Feb 25, 2004
- 21,765
- 614
- 126
Yeah, its the worst over the phone...when in person you can just pull a Nick Burns "Move!" and get in there and go to it.
Over the phone...OMG.
You: "Double click on my computer"
Them: "Ok...Nothing happened, this stupid peice of junk! It must be frozen"
You: "You have to double click on it"
Them: "I did!"
You: "Try it again"
Them: "Oh, now it works"
You: "Click on the start menu"
Them: "Whats the start menu?"
You: "Stab yourself in the face with a pen"
Its horrible because you never know if they messed up a double click, or like a virus scanner update thing happens to come up and freak them out. Heaven forbide you have to do something that you can't envision the entire process in your head...like they use award bios and you don't have it to follow along with them.
This one seriously happened to me, the woman's computer was not detecting its hard drive so it needed to be rebooted and to go into bios.
Her: "It says primary master hard disk fail, insert boot disk to continue."
Me: "Ok, you need to restart the computer. Press control alt and delete at the SAME TIME."
Her: "Nothing happened."
Me (somewhat confused): "Well, ok, lets do it the hard way I guess. Turn the computer off and then turn it back on."
Her: "What do I do?"
Me: "Press the power button, it probably has a circle with a small line going part way through it. Its round. Hold it down for 5 seconds, then release. Then press it again to turn it back on. It should beep...right after that start tapping delete."
Her: "Ok...."
Her: "It says...primary hard disk fail still."
Me (WTF? no boot?): "Ok...uh...try using the reset button, its right below the power button and is smaller and green."
Her: "I don't see it...is it near contrast?"
Me: "No, its on the computer...not the monitor." (stifling rage)
Over the phone...OMG.
You: "Double click on my computer"
Them: "Ok...Nothing happened, this stupid peice of junk! It must be frozen"
You: "You have to double click on it"
Them: "I did!"
You: "Try it again"
Them: "Oh, now it works"
You: "Click on the start menu"
Them: "Whats the start menu?"
You: "Stab yourself in the face with a pen"
Its horrible because you never know if they messed up a double click, or like a virus scanner update thing happens to come up and freak them out. Heaven forbide you have to do something that you can't envision the entire process in your head...like they use award bios and you don't have it to follow along with them.
This one seriously happened to me, the woman's computer was not detecting its hard drive so it needed to be rebooted and to go into bios.
Her: "It says primary master hard disk fail, insert boot disk to continue."
Me: "Ok, you need to restart the computer. Press control alt and delete at the SAME TIME."
Her: "Nothing happened."
Me (somewhat confused): "Well, ok, lets do it the hard way I guess. Turn the computer off and then turn it back on."
Her: "What do I do?"
Me: "Press the power button, it probably has a circle with a small line going part way through it. Its round. Hold it down for 5 seconds, then release. Then press it again to turn it back on. It should beep...right after that start tapping delete."
Her: "Ok...."
Her: "It says...primary hard disk fail still."
Me (WTF? no boot?): "Ok...uh...try using the reset button, its right below the power button and is smaller and green."
Her: "I don't see it...is it near contrast?"
Me: "No, its on the computer...not the monitor." (stifling rage)
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