Ahha lovely users. /rant
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I recently switched a computer which meant some configuring of both hardware and software. The old computer was using a serial connection to speak with a machine and now the future is here it's time to use an Ethernet cable. Out with the old win98 in with win7. While doing a switch one user exclaimed how happy he was with getting some new hardware because the old was so slow and the program wasn't working correctly. When connecting to the machine using serial connection it tended to fail apparently and he explained that they could sometimes restart the computer many times in a row. Upwards of an hour it could take to get things working because of how slow the computer was to boot. I got the same problem and I had to use the serial connection to configure the machines ip address. When connecting failed I didn't restart, I checked available options. Namely the drop down box next to the connection button. Let's try using the other com-port and voila, instant success. :java: So here the users has been having problems for who knows how long, wasting huge amount of time all because of one small option. It's like people isn't even trying. :mad: Not the sort of thing I want to discover late during a Friday.
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I recently switched a computer which meant some configuring of both hardware and software. The old computer was using a serial connection to speak with a machine and now the future is here it's time to use an Ethernet cable. Out with the old win98 in with win7. While doing a switch one user exclaimed how happy he was with getting some new hardware because the old was so slow and the program wasn't working correctly. When connecting to the machine using serial connection it tended to fail apparently and he explained that they could sometimes restart the computer many times in a row. Upwards of an hour it could take to get things working because of how slow the computer was to boot. I got the same problem and I had to use the serial connection to configure the machines ip address. When connecting failed I didn't restart, I checked available options. Namely the drop down box next to the connection button. Let's try using the other com-port and voila, instant success. :java: So here the users has been having problems for who knows how long, wasting huge amount of time all because of one small option. It's like people isn't even trying. :mad: Not the sort of thing I want to discover late during a Friday.
Why let anyone know there is a problem (or at least the people who could fix it) when you can waste time? ;P
Mongo: Mongo only pawn... in game of life.
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I recently switched a computer which meant some configuring of both hardware and software. The old computer was using a serial connection to speak with a machine and now the future is here it's time to use an Ethernet cable. Out with the old win98 in with win7. While doing a switch one user exclaimed how happy he was with getting some new hardware because the old was so slow and the program wasn't working correctly. When connecting to the machine using serial connection it tended to fail apparently and he explained that they could sometimes restart the computer many times in a row. Upwards of an hour it could take to get things working because of how slow the computer was to boot. I got the same problem and I had to use the serial connection to configure the machines ip address. When connecting failed I didn't restart, I checked available options. Namely the drop down box next to the connection button. Let's try using the other com-port and voila, instant success. :java: So here the users has been having problems for who knows how long, wasting huge amount of time all because of one small option. It's like people isn't even trying. :mad: Not the sort of thing I want to discover late during a Friday.
I was in a disaster recovery situation... The PC that controlled a huge assembly line had gone dead (along with everything else in the building). There were 2 backups. Both were declared "dead" years ago. I am software, I don't support this thing at all, but my boss figured I could get anything to work, so off I go to the warehouse. I ask the users what they do and how it works. They explain it to me and I listen. I realize the entire thing is controlled by a piece of software that wont start because of a missing pass code. As I poke around, I realize there is a batch file with the password in plain text, which starts the whole thing. I get it running after a grand total of 10 minutes. Everyone thought I was a hero. All I could think was, why on earth do they pay our tech services department? All 3 computers had the same problem... someone just needed to open the batch file, read the password, and type it into the program :wtf: :mad: :confused:
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I was in a disaster recovery situation... The PC that controlled a huge assembly line had gone dead (along with everything else in the building). There were 2 backups. Both were declared "dead" years ago. I am software, I don't support this thing at all, but my boss figured I could get anything to work, so off I go to the warehouse. I ask the users what they do and how it works. They explain it to me and I listen. I realize the entire thing is controlled by a piece of software that wont start because of a missing pass code. As I poke around, I realize there is a batch file with the password in plain text, which starts the whole thing. I get it running after a grand total of 10 minutes. Everyone thought I was a hero. All I could think was, why on earth do they pay our tech services department? All 3 computers had the same problem... someone just needed to open the batch file, read the password, and type it into the program :wtf: :mad: :confused:
Kind of sounds like some scenarios that I've seen, where only one person knows how something works, and they are conveniently out of the office.
"the debugger doesn't tell me anything because this code compiles just fine" - random QA comment "Facebook is where you tell lies to your friends. Twitter is where you tell the truth to strangers." - chriselst "I don't drink any more... then again, I don't drink any less." - Mike Mullikins uncle
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I recently switched a computer which meant some configuring of both hardware and software. The old computer was using a serial connection to speak with a machine and now the future is here it's time to use an Ethernet cable. Out with the old win98 in with win7. While doing a switch one user exclaimed how happy he was with getting some new hardware because the old was so slow and the program wasn't working correctly. When connecting to the machine using serial connection it tended to fail apparently and he explained that they could sometimes restart the computer many times in a row. Upwards of an hour it could take to get things working because of how slow the computer was to boot. I got the same problem and I had to use the serial connection to configure the machines ip address. When connecting failed I didn't restart, I checked available options. Namely the drop down box next to the connection button. Let's try using the other com-port and voila, instant success. :java: So here the users has been having problems for who knows how long, wasting huge amount of time all because of one small option. It's like people isn't even trying. :mad: Not the sort of thing I want to discover late during a Friday.
While at Silicon Graphics in the mid-80s... Tel Aviv University (TAU) calls: We're having major problems with the systems. please come immediately, without delay! Me: Well, lets do some troubleshoo... TAU: No! We've troubleshot this for 4 days and we can not figure it out. Me: OK, I'll be there by Monday (it's Friday). TAU: No! Come now. Be here by tomorrow. Classes start Monday. Me: OK, I'll be there as quick as possible, but that is an extra $15,000 in emergency assistance per the contract. TAU: That's fine! Come now. So, I literally got on a plane within 45 minutes (no TSA back then...), arriving the next day. After 7 minutes "onsite", I discover someone switched off the powerstrip behind the desk. Logged the call as "Emergency Electrical Flow Reset & Recovery", you know, so it looks more 'impressive' on the bill they'll soon get. Me (a week later): Here's your $30k bill. TAU (a month later): Well, we fired the $32k/year computer tech; we should recoup some of that.
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I recently switched a computer which meant some configuring of both hardware and software. The old computer was using a serial connection to speak with a machine and now the future is here it's time to use an Ethernet cable. Out with the old win98 in with win7. While doing a switch one user exclaimed how happy he was with getting some new hardware because the old was so slow and the program wasn't working correctly. When connecting to the machine using serial connection it tended to fail apparently and he explained that they could sometimes restart the computer many times in a row. Upwards of an hour it could take to get things working because of how slow the computer was to boot. I got the same problem and I had to use the serial connection to configure the machines ip address. When connecting failed I didn't restart, I checked available options. Namely the drop down box next to the connection button. Let's try using the other com-port and voila, instant success. :java: So here the users has been having problems for who knows how long, wasting huge amount of time all because of one small option. It's like people isn't even trying. :mad: Not the sort of thing I want to discover late during a Friday.