(no subject)

[greatblondino.livejournal.com]

I run Microsoft server apps at work - Windows, SQL, Exchange, CRM etc. A few weeks ago, one of my backup programs started kicking up errors. Symantec told me I needed a patch from Microsoft. So, I go look for the patch (you have to specially request it), but it's only valid for US English and doesn't work in UK. Bollocks.

So I try to call MS support, except I need my support ID. Ok, I'll log into the licensing portal and get the code from there... except the page that supposedly tells me the ID is broken. So I call the support team for that website and they say it's broken for them too, but be patient and it'll be fixed 'cos their technical guys are working on it. A week, two weeks - and it's still broken. Three weeks and the link to the page disappears.

So I can't call MS support for my real problem because I can't get my support ID because the site that tells me it is broken and the support team for that site can't get it either 'cos their tech support can't fix it, then it just vanishes.

Lame.

Comments

[evilbutcute.livejournal.com]

For what its worth, I've been having mucho trouble with their broken ass licensing site for a week now.

[nem0.livejournal.com]

I've been having trouble with it since the end of February. That thing is a pain in the ass.

[evilbutcute.livejournal.com]

It's so annoying. We pay a lot of money for our EA agreement and licenses and access to the software, and it's such a hassle when we need to get anything from it.

[nem0.livejournal.com]

Seriously. I mean, they're Microsoft, they don't have an army of web monkeys to throw at the problem? It's not like we're talking about some obscure product information page or a set of patches for Windows 98 or something.

[syberghost.livejournal.com]

The lesson you learn from this should be "track your own support IDs". We find a Wiki works well, but even Word docs dumped in a directory beats relying on the vendor to know your ID.

[canray.livejournal.com]

Secure sticky notes. ;-P

[webmiss-k.livejournal.com]

Also a good idea to have it onsite for some really horrid, internet killing disaster situation. Thoughts like that have been ingrained in me for many years though, at this point we may well have a hell of a lot more to worry about if the internet is *that broken*.

I hope those two sentences make sense. I'm close to asleep. Reflexive typing.

[jecook]

pretty close.

Now the *real* anal retentive will have a paper copy in an Armageddon-proof safe for when the NAS/SAN/DFS that holds all that information suffers Sudden Array Death and you have to restore damn near a terabyte worth of data from tapes that take 24 hours to pull from the off site tape contractor... :)

[greatblondino.livejournal.com]

I would track them if I had any way of obtaining them in the first place...

[merlin-t-wizard.livejournal.com]

But, I'd bet that if you bought a new support contract, they'd be able to get you that new ID right now.....

[mattcaron.livejournal.com]

So, I go look for the patch (you have to specially request it), but it's only valid for US English and doesn't work in UK.

What, it throws a wobbly if because you folks put "u" in colour? I mean, really, WTF is the difference between US vs. UK?