(no subject)

[ex-samimnot908.livejournal.com]

Sorry for crossposting if it occurs

Full error message:
windows networking: the following error occurred while loading the device VNETSUP Error 6107: Could not set up instance data

Registry problem: Windows ecountered an error when backing up the system registry. Make sure you have enough space on the drive for three copies of the file "C:\windows\system.dat This error should not cause any loss of information, but if space is not made on the drive, you may experience additional problems. Please fix the problem and restart your computer

Access to the specified device, path, or file is denied

illegal op error
feh
The unformated long version dealy
Alright I've recently accquired an old Toshiba laptop (94-96 era...) and when I boot the computer up, after 95 loads etc, it brings up an error message saying "windows networking: the following error occurred while loading the device VNETSUP Error 6107: Could not set up instance data" I turn my head and click "ok" and it gives me an error that concerns me a bit more. It says "Registry problem: Windows ecountered an error when backing up the system registry. Make sure you have enough space on the drive for three copies of the file "C:\windows\system.dat This error should not cause any loss of information, but if space is not made on the drive, you may experience additional problems. Please fix the problem and restart your computer" A little concerned at this point I hit "OK" again. Windows finishes booting normally. The clock is correct and the only desktop icon is "My Computer". I decide to work on the problem at hand, and I double click it. Nothing. I hit enter. Nothing. I right click start in order to get into "my computer" but no window pops up. I go into control panel, but not only do i get the error "Access to the specified device, path, or file is denied" but i can't go anywhere else in the explorer without getting the "illegal op" error. At THIS point, I get the blue screen of death and am returned to the desktop. Exploring the start bar, I find that all the icons are missing and everything has .ink at the end of it.. I'm a mite confused... can someone help me?

Arghh....

[kyndig.livejournal.com]

So I thought that since I no longer answer end user calls my tech support job would improve exponentially. It has not however. To give an idea of what I do I am basically the third line of support. I work for one of the largest pc manufacturers in the world. To get to me, a commercial customer has to call in for support, then the call screeners answer that call, from there if neccessary they send out a field tech. If the field tech gets out there and doesn't know how to fix the problem, then they call us.

So yesterday I get a call from a field tech. First this tech is babbling and ranting at the speed of light as though this is a priority account. It isn't, this company probably pays less for support a year than I do for phone service. Anyway, he is absolutely panicked because he says the machine won't display video. He ordered a new lcd (this is an all-in-one unit :( ) and a new inverter card. Well he put the inverter card in and there was no effect (yeah, big surprise..) and then tried to put the LCD in but it didn't fit right. He had ordered a touch-screen LCD because the customer had told him they had touch screens. Well they didn't. I know this because this model has never ever ever shipped with a touch screen. It's not designed to have a touch screen, and there are missing connections on the system board that would have to be there for a touch screen to work on it. Well, he tried to install the touch screen and when it doesn't work calls me panicked.

So, I get the call and all he is saying is "I need the part number for the correct lcd". Now, I don't work in part lookup and if I send out uneeded parts it is my ass in trouble. So I start doing problem determination with him...turns out when he turns the machine on the lcd displays "no signal.". Now...let's think about this logically, why would a bad LCD be able to display no signal...? oh..that's right, it wouldn't. when LCD's go they generally do one of three things, none of which are display no signal. So, we start trying to determine the actual problem.

Pretty soon from his description it sounds like the box isn't posting. So I tell him to take it down to bare bones. Processor, Power Supply, and System Board. That is it, nothing else connected. No memory, no drives, no PCI cards, no anything. I have to explain this to him at LEAST 4 times. He won't shutup long enough for me to tell him what to do and to make matters worse the moron has the same vocal cords as Jar-Jar Binks. So, we finally strip it down to bare bones, and oh look, no post, no 1-3-1 (no memory found) beep code. Bad system board. mayyyybe bad processor but not too likely.

Now because this tech has gone on site about 10 times and it costs the company money each time I have to follow procedure and do a conference call with him and the group above me. Now the group above me is pretty much right below the product engineers. Actually they are usually on the same floor. What this means is they are very rarely wrong and you don't argue with them. Ok, fine.

I call the group above me, and we discuss it, and come to the conclusion, yep, bad system board. So now I transfer this goomba of a field tech in. The next two hours are spent between this damn field tech who won't listen and the guy above me. The field tech swears up and down that this machine had a touch screen. No..no it didn't. There is only one model of this machine made with a touch screen, and this isn't it. Unfortunately the field tech won't believe us, and it takes two hours of arguing with this guy till he agrees to send the bloody touchscreen back and order a system board.

Now I know this doesn't sound as frustrating as it truly was, but there are two things to consider, 1) this should have been a 15 minute call, not a 2 hour one. 2) THE DAMN FIELD TECH MAKES MORE MONEY THAN ME!!

Bah. I love working support :/