You'd think I'd know better by now...

[reynardo.livejournal.com]

OK, no excuse. I asked for this about 5 years ago. How?

Mum: I wish your brothers could come around. It's been two weeks since your father mucked up the printer settings and they haven't been able to come and fix it for him.

Me: Do you want me to have a look at it while I'm here.

Mum: Oh, but it's probably some sort of computer problem. Very complicated.

Me: Er... Mum, what have I been working as for the last 8 years????

Mum: Oh.

Parents fuss because their old 'puters aren't working. Floppy drive on the main one isn't going, and hasn't for about 5 days. I get Mum to pick me up a spare and I head up to do my Dutiful Tech Supporting Daughter role. I sit at the beast, await its ultra-slow startup (Windows 98 on a USB cable connection - they won't buy a new one because they're waiting for my grandmother to pass over her fairly new bought-on-a-credit-plan computer - don't ask) then look at the floppy entrance.

The button is out.

I hit the button and a floppy pops out - with only the plastic casing, no metal slide. Oh. Dear.

Mum: But that can't be causing the problem, dear. The floppy drive has been acting up for a week now.

Me: And how long has this floppy been missing its metal slide, though?

Mum: Oh, about a week.

Me: facepalm

10 minutes and $20 to replace the drive, 5 minutes to show Mum how a spool of masking tape and a marker pen can make identifying the wires and plugs behind the beast so much easier, and I leave with the title of "Favourite Daughter" yet again. She got the lovely job of explaining to my father that if the floppy jams as you're taking it out, yanking it hard will not solve the problem.

I bet it happens again.

Comments

[random-c.livejournal.com]

...this is exactly why I'm donating one of my old powerbooks to my mother.

[xenex.livejournal.com]

When I recently upgrade, I gave my Dad my old iBook.

Best technical support investment I've ever made...

Completely unrelated but...

[enigma-o.livejournal.com]

...Flaming Lips icon! Yay!

[xenex.livejournal.com]

Yes!

And now I realised I've missed a d in that comment too!

Yay!

[residentgeek.livejournal.com]

My dad called me one afternoon and told me he bought a new printer. Then he called back at 10:30 that night saying it didn't work. I spent almost an hour on the phone troubleshooting and reinstalling drivers when they suddenly discovered that no one had put the toner in the damn thing. So I've gotten in the habit of mentioning that it's $75/hr if my family calls me after 9PM to troubleshoot.

Other than that, they get free tech support and a spyware scan whenever I stop by. Gotta love it.

[geekgrrl-ca.livejournal.com]

Yay, family techsupport. If I charged my family for all the techsupport I've done I could pay off all the "loans" they gave me. :D

[almjbs.livejournal.com]

Yay :)