Grar.

[kageneko.livejournal.com]

Hi. I'm new here. Before I go on, I'll give a little background on myself. I currently work for a company that develops enterprise software. I only deal with IT departments and usually with people who are qualified to work with Active Directory, group policy management, and fun stuff like that. So, while for many people these questions many not sound entirely dumb, please, consider the source.

The calls have been stripped down to protect the innocent.

Well, today seems to be "Ask a Help Desk 101 Question" day.

Call #1:
Caller: So, how do I remove (insert product name here)?
Me: You can remove it using Add/Remove Programs. This is outlined in the Administrator Guide on page (insert page number here).
Caller: Well, I see it there, but it doesn't give me the option to remove it.
*pause*
Me: Are you logged in as a local administrator on the machine?
Caller: I'm logged in as the service account for (insert product name here).
Me: Is that account a domain or local administrator on this machine?
Caller: No. Hang on and I'll login as the local administrator.
*wait a few minutes*
Caller: Well, what do you know? I can remove it now.

Um... duh?

Call #2:
Caller: (insert file name) cannot be found.
Me: Okay.
Caller: How do I get around this?
Me: Have you tried copying the file from a working system?
Caller: No. But I'd need to get into Windows, right?
Me: Have you tried Safe Mode? This error occurs when Windows is loading, but after our pre-boot authentication screen.
Caller: Oh, no, I haven't tried Safe Mode. I'll do that and copy the file.
Me: If for any reason that doesn't work, we can edit the registry entries.
Caller: How can I get edit the registry entries? Don't I have to be in Windows for that.
Me: Safe Mode.
Caller: You can use regedit in Safe Mode?
Me: ...
Me: Yes.

Comments

[purple-mctacky.livejournal.com]

for many people these questions many not sound entirely dumb, please, consider the source

Glad you put that in there. Because I was like, "Come on, that's not THAT bad."

[kageneko.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree... if I were doing end user support, these wouldn't be so bad. I DO have some classic gems from those days.

But since I'm supporting people who should be as knowledgable as me when it comes to standard functionality? The height of stupidity.

[purple-mctacky.livejournal.com]

yes, I agree, especially the part about being logged in as administrator. They should be forced to do the chicken dance naked down Main Street for that.

[mathsnerd]

and have it videotaped and broadcasted on YouTube!

[geekgrrl-ca.livejournal.com]

I revisited a classic gem last night I wowed my coworked by asking the enduser for a child... to take over control of the computer (was doing that long before i saw 3 dead trolls in a baggy)

[evilbill1782.livejournal.com]

Oh Lordy.
I will admit to not being very security-conscious and always logging in on an administrator account, but that's because I'm always doing stuff that needs admin access anyway. *g*

[purple-mctacky.livejournal.com]

i tried locking down my users out of the admin account and there was so much software they just couldn't run.. it got to be a pain. I just tell them that they can expect to be reformatted when they get infected.

[evilbill1782.livejournal.com]

Indeed. Of course I keep an up-to-date firewall, have Ad-Aware and Spybot installed, and refrain from opening dodgy e-mails, going to dodgy websites or installing stuff that I don't know what it is. *nods*

[kageneko.livejournal.com]

You know, I have to admit that for years I ran without anti-virus and never once got infected (though this was before the exploits that could get you just for being online). I managed it by using some damned common sense: not opening attachments I wasn't expecting or going to websites that I shouldn't be.

All the time I had friends complaining about some bug they got from installing a screensaver they'd gotten in email from a friend. Meanwhile, Here I am using my computer without a single virus infection.

[evilbill1782.livejournal.com]

Yeah, same here. In fact I can't even remember the last time I had a virus infection.
Spyware's another matter; no matter how careful you are, *something* manages to sneak on, just from normal web browsing and even with an ad blocker. But fortunately it can be dealt with. :)

[jdotmi.livejournal.com]

My company is going all nutsoid about locking out local admin access. Sadly for them, ODBC queries that we run in Excel and Access require it for some retarded reason. And the best part is that it's a good 50% of our users who need access to those queries.

Them: "Please don't give anyone local admin."
Me: "Do you want us to be able to order magazines and books for our stores."
Them: "Of course!"
Me: "Then they are getting local admin. Either develop a system that actually works or stfu."

[harry-whodunnit.livejournal.com]

I wish *I* had your problems. This is a typical conversation for me:

User: I'm having trouble with the scheduling.
Me: Which scheduling system are you on?
User: I can't schedule.
Me: Which system?
User: What do you mean?
Me: Which scheduling system?
User: (snotty tone) Um, the SCHEDULING system?
Me: Look, your office has three different scheduling systems in use. You'll need to narrow it down for me.
User: It's the one ON MY SCREEN, duh.
Me: (urge to kill rising) Are you trying to schedule A or B?
User: I'm trying to schedule AB! God, you're so incompetent!
Me: (notes down user's location) Maybe, but an hour from now *I'll* still have the use of my legs.

[kageneko.livejournal.com]

Hah! I've had those sort of ones too, mostly when I was working help desk.