Bloody Customers..

[caerleon.livejournal.com]

OK.. the machine hangs when booting.. brings machine into shop, boots no problem.. takes machine home, machine hangs on boot.. have you got everything unplugged apart from monitor, keyboard and mouse we ask.. yes he says.. brings machine back in.. machine boots perfectly using our mouse and keyboard.. replace mouse and keyboard.. machine goes home.. machine hangs on boot.. have you got everything unplugged apart from monitor, keyboard and mouse we ask.. yes he says.. today he brings replacement mouse and keyboard back.. it was the USB hub he says.. now, is it me or does "have you got everything unplugged apart from monitor, keyboard and mouse" mean something different from what I've always understood it to mean?..

Comments

[said-by-me.livejournal.com]

Long ago I learned to ask...

Is the keyboard plugged DIRECTLY into the machine?

[caerleon.livejournal.com]

If it had been a USB keyboard and mouse, I might've understood, but this was a PS/2 keyboard and mouse..

[ximinez]

I think the trick is to not ask yes/no questions, where if they don't know, they can sound like they can. I like iterative questions: "List everything that's plugged in to the back of the computer."

[korenwolf.livejournal.com]

Oh yes my favourite all time call when I did frontline helldesk for an ISP
Me: "Can you see an icon labelled $isp"
Luser: "No"
Me: "Ok list all the icons in that window"
Luser: "$randomsomething, $isp,"
Me: "Click on that one please" (and go and die you brainless moron)

[dmsalem00.livejournal.com]

The proper(luser/bofh) answer to that question is:

"Yes(except my printer/hub/gamepad/anything USB)."