I had a system in for work the other day. Usual stuff. No antivirus.
Full of spyware. An IE history listing a heap of porn sites.
4-5hrs of cleanout later its running a lot better. The owners seem like a nice old couple, so I give them the tutorial on system maintenance. It takes about an hour with all the "how do you do this" questions. I dont mind if I have the time. Anyways, they take it home. I get a call 2 hrs later and all I hear is an earful of static and screeching. Usually this means someones plugged the phone line into the network port. An hour later I get a another call. They cant get ADSL going. Its obvious they dont wish to spend their retirement fund on getting a computer tech out so I do my level best to diagnose the problem over the phone. Trying to explain line filters and isolation tests to a non tech savvy sexagenarian isnt easy.
Four phone calls and a loaned line filter later, they are still not getting net. I get the 5th call. The lady has called Microsoft and they've told her my newly installed AVG antivirus is blocking the net. She gets a little bit heated on the phone.
Apparently its "my" fault. She states the computer was functioning just fine beforehand Ive created the issue. This is a common enough misconception. I've been blamed for all manner of things.
Remotely causing systems to fail. Installing virus's and spyware. Deleting files. Masterminding 9-11. Assassinating Kennedy. Etc.
Its human nature to blame others for issues they've inadvertently created.
I explain that the system got internet fine in my shop, and there must be a configuration issue.
We've been through as much as I can do over the phone, but she refuses to believe that they may have plugged it in wrong. Never mind the phone line in the network port problem.
Its obvious the lady wants me to come out and fix the problem free of charge.
I've had this situation several times before. I cant work for free. I make this clear.
She hangs up in my ear. Problem solved.
I never got my line filter back.
Full of spyware. An IE history listing a heap of porn sites.
4-5hrs of cleanout later its running a lot better. The owners seem like a nice old couple, so I give them the tutorial on system maintenance. It takes about an hour with all the "how do you do this" questions. I dont mind if I have the time. Anyways, they take it home. I get a call 2 hrs later and all I hear is an earful of static and screeching. Usually this means someones plugged the phone line into the network port. An hour later I get a another call. They cant get ADSL going. Its obvious they dont wish to spend their retirement fund on getting a computer tech out so I do my level best to diagnose the problem over the phone. Trying to explain line filters and isolation tests to a non tech savvy sexagenarian isnt easy.
Four phone calls and a loaned line filter later, they are still not getting net. I get the 5th call. The lady has called Microsoft and they've told her my newly installed AVG antivirus is blocking the net. She gets a little bit heated on the phone.
Apparently its "my" fault. She states the computer was functioning just fine beforehand Ive created the issue. This is a common enough misconception. I've been blamed for all manner of things.
Remotely causing systems to fail. Installing virus's and spyware. Deleting files. Masterminding 9-11. Assassinating Kennedy. Etc.
Its human nature to blame others for issues they've inadvertently created.
I explain that the system got internet fine in my shop, and there must be a configuration issue.
We've been through as much as I can do over the phone, but she refuses to believe that they may have plugged it in wrong. Never mind the phone line in the network port problem.
Its obvious the lady wants me to come out and fix the problem free of charge.
I've had this situation several times before. I cant work for free. I make this clear.
She hangs up in my ear. Problem solved.
I never got my line filter back.
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