Computer Technician Stories

[Haktar]

Originally Posted by JW The Computer Guy

Ok, a while back I fixed an elderly ladies laptop. When she came to pick it up I showed her the ropes of all the software I loaded on to it for her, she sat down, and started to move the mouse erratically, and I asked what was wrong, and she replied "I was taught to use a mouse backwards", and by backward I meant the mouse buttons and cord facing you. In order to click, she curled her fingers back so she could reach the mouse buttons. That was one of the strangest things that I have ever seen someone do!

hahah the librarian at my old school used the mouse this way also

[PBComputer]

A few years ago i had a client, who thought i was there just to ring and i would go running, (even if i was busy with another client) on day, there ring me at 6am!!! i was a sleep, they woke up me, and i asked them to ring back during office hours!. since that day they have never rang or being in touch, in fact i know they have another it firm looking after them. (good ridens to nasty clients, would i go back only if i was on triple time)

[Larry Sabo]

One of my clients was 92 years young and still mentally sharp and curious enough to browse the web, send and receive e-mails, etc. He had outlived two wives and was happily married to his third. During one of my visits, he told me his son had set him up with a wireless connection to a neighbour's router and I casually asked how old his son was. "Sixty seven," he said, "same age as my wife." This took me aback until I realized this son was by his first wife. There can't be many men who can say their son is the same age as their wife, but I had the pleasure to know one.

[Larry Sabo]

A SOHO client of mine had been told by the power company to disconnect all electrical appliances in the house because they were about to switch over to a newly-installed power line. This he did, except for the computer, which he simply switched off. The reconnection surge fried everything inside the case: motherboard, power supply, hard drive. Nothing useful was left (and he didn't have a current backup, either!).

I bought him a new computer, as requested, and was about to descend the basement stairs with it, carrying it by the handle cut-out at the top of the cardboard box it came in. As I swung the box in front of me, to negotiate the narrow stairs, the handle ripped out and the box tumbled end-over-end down the full flight of stairs. My customer looked at me calmly and asked dryly, "What do you do for an encore?"

Ross was a terrific guy, one of my most loyal customers, and a true friend. Sadly, he passed away this past year, but not before phoning to say goodbye.

Edit: I forgot to mention that the computer was none the worse for the tumble. It worked just fine.

[technut]

A client I had to see a while ago was complaining of a loud noise coming from the computer. When I got there it was the cpu fan making a helluva noise.
He said the noise would come and go. Everytime it started he said he picked up the front of the tower and banged it on the floor, hard!
He said he had been doing this for weeks everytime the fan became loud and he wondered why his computer wasn't working properly!!

Had to replace the hs/f and hard drive. Told him never again to bang or kick his computer!

[kagman]

When i was a tech for compusa I saw many strange things.. Case in point. One of our apple techs was given a laptop to work on. He starts to take apart the computer to find that it had become a roach motel. (no joke) Roaches came out of the computer and they also had there eggs all over the laptop. We where all shocked and rather discussed.. he puts the computer back together and tells the boss what happens. We call the customer and ask them to please take this computer back. The lady comes to the store to pickup her computer. She was told what we found and that we could not work on the computer because it was a roach motel. We also assumed that the roaches messed up the computer in the first place.

Turns out that the lady was new to this country, lived in a roach infested apartment and assumed that the roaches in her apartment was a normal part of living in America. She left our store in tears.

--Jose--

[NeutronTech]

This one was when I was working for a cable company. I was on call on the 4th of July and got called to go to a customer who's tv wasn't working and the internet was out. I was getting ready to go to a BBQ so I wasn't happy about going out. I get there and walk in to look at the TV first. She has a cable box and it needs to be on channel 3. The tv was on 65.... I put it back on 3 for her and then headed to the computer. Walking into the room I see the modem lights are indicating that it is locked on and working fine. She says "see look at the screen. It's black and that's all it does"........ the computer was turned off. I turned it back on and said happy 4th and walked out. She didn't even say thank you or I'm sorry or anything.

[Checkmate]

Just recently had a client that called in. Had 3 PCs in the house, all of them not working correctly. Various issues like can't start up services, no internet. So as I'm taking information on what the issues are, the client proceeds to tell me that "Homeland Security" has taken over their computers and stops them from doing anything.
So get out to the house, pick up the PCs. None of them working properly at all. One can't even access HDD, bring back to bench. Attempt repairs, recover. Nothing working well... no virus activity. So advise let's move to Windows 7, fix all the little nasties from Vista. They agree, I return the 2 desktops, and get ready to pick up the laptop, and watch the client start going into services and turning stuff off.

Client was saying that Homeland Security was still in the PCs because they couldn't turn off system services. It was giving them the warnings and they sworeit was HS stopping them.

Was just amazed watching this person already breaking their new OS.

[Tech Checkers]

My Father-in-law brought a new PC, more than happy to set it up for him, let myself in, setup, optimised and all good.... 90 mins later received a 'phone call that the Mouse was not working... tried some 'phone support and no joy; drove back over , wandered in and....

He has the Mouse ON the Screen trying to move it round

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From the World of Coincidence:

Install a new (replacement) DSL Modem Wireless Router all good, 30 minutes later receive a "it's not working" , turn around , back to site and no it isn't ... swap out nothing... 'phone the ISP and IN THE 30 MINS that I have driven away the account's been suspended for non-payment due to the last month's bill having an outdated credit facility !

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Setting Up an 8 (!) Screen FOREX traders PC, 3 days and a lot of grrrrr... though he paid "by the hour" for 2 techs and was ecstatic with the Final Result.. maybe I should look at FOREX as a Money Earner !

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[drpcfix]

We record all our phone calls, we had 2 really good ones recently..

The first one -

Customer calls and says her daughter was showing her friend her pet turtle via skype, holding the turtle up to the webcam, the turtle peed on the laptop and it stopped working.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15079951/tu...-recording.mp3



Second one, a business customer - I did find the recording.. listen;
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/15079951/re...11.29.2011.mp3