ext_154253 ([identity profile] goose-entity.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] techrecovery2006-06-27 02:11 pm

sweet baby jeebus have mercy!

Student laptop dropped off, asked if I could have a look.

Let's see, what's wrong with it...


1. McAfee. V7. Last updated February 2003.
2. The spyware. Oh my.
3. AOL. The poor, innocent Dell (... ok, not so poor or innocent then!) is running.. AOL.

Due to the machine being so trashed by viruses and spyware, AOL stopped working. Not necessarily a bad thing, mind... so, what did the AOL "tech" recommend? Formatting the hard drive. Then buying a Mac.

... what?!? Did the black satellite beam down teh st00p1d ray while I was on holiday last week?!!?

GAAAHHHH! AOL!!!

[identity profile] patgund.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, sounds about right. And having known a couple people who *worked* tech support at AOL, they more than likely were praying the student would be stupid enough to format the hard drive........

[identity profile] photosinensis.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
My recommendation: revoke the student's computer privlidges. S/h/it is not ready for a Mac. S/h/it is ready for a Smith-Corona.

[identity profile] nem0.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 07:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Sounds like a guy who came into the shop last week. He had an ancient budget machine with no virus protection and severe spyware investation. Oh, and it had 96 megs of RAM. When one of the guys offered to sell him some spare 128 chips for 30 bucks, the guy balked and said he wasn't going to spend that kind of money on his computer.

[identity profile] twistedsyx.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 07:42 pm (UTC)(link)
for some reason, those people manage to impress me... I'm not sure as to why tho...

[identity profile] twistedsyx.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Everytime I hear someone say that they don't know how to drag and drop I yell fired real loud, and go off about how they need to get a mac for training. However, I do that with the mute button on.

[identity profile] kestrelct.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 08:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, one time we were explaining something to my boy's psycho ex and she was like "Slow down! You keep saying things like drag and drop and I don't know what that is!" I take great satisfaction in being able to use a computer to write webpages, while all she could do on hers was get virii.

[identity profile] kizayaen.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
I had a call the other day where a woman's popup blocker was preventing her from getting a popup that she needed.

"Okay. Let me have you hold down your CTRL key..."
"I don't know what you're trying to have me do!"

*facepalm*

This went round and round a good dozen times.

[identity profile] licon.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
Though, to be fair, formatting the hard drive and then getting a Mac *would* solve most of the problems - longterm too :)

[identity profile] fuego.livejournal.com 2006-06-27 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
yes, and many many other problems also.

hell, he could skip the formatting and just go straight to the buying a mac step. save the headache.