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Dealing With The Always-Breaking Family PC?
Corby Ziesman asks: "I am sure many on Slashdot are entrusted to maintain computers for their family members. I've built a few computers for my sister over the years; however she constantly complains to me that 'something's wrong' with the computer, and claims that it 'just stopped working' all by itself. She blames the computer I built, calling it 'a piece of crap', yet it works flawlessly once I start using her old computer after she has upgraded. I've considered revoking her access to Windows, and giving her Ubuntu Linux or something, however she has a lot of games and art applications like Corel Painter that require Windows. How do I get her up and running, so that I don't have to keep fixing the computer every month? I'm tired of digging in the registry, checking the processes for spyware, and all that. I have also tried to educate her about how to use a computer intelligently, but she seems to lack common sense when it comes to what software is suspicious and bloated, and what is trustworthy. So I ask the Slashdot community: how do you cope with your family members who have a talent for torturing computers?"
Your family, that is.
But serious, look at some sort of OS imaging system. VMWare, Deep Freeze, a Live CD, etc. Then just create an area where they can save data. If they need new applications, you add them to the image.
It never failed once, and I never had to fix it, and my mother is very happy with it to write letters and her e-mails.
Don't give her admin rights...
Set it to automatically scan for spyware, etc, at a time when she isn't on but the computer is.
And make her use Firefox if she isn't.
First time I tried it I fired up a random application (mIRC) and was surprised that everything (that I tried at least) worked flawlessly.
Should help ease the transition, but don't forget that you can probably find native Linux apps that do what the Windows apps do as well, might be worth looking into them. So WINE can be used as a stepping stone or a permanent solution.
...I think the key word here is "pirated".
Tell him/her to buy a Mac.
Problem solved.
I run: Windows, OS X, Linux, FreeBSD. Just because you have a hammer, doesn't mean everything is a nail.
I take family that refuses to learn, and leave them to their own devices. They were smart enough to get into this mess, they can figure their way out. At most I would give them URL's to self-help websites and the like. It's given me a lot of peace of mind, and a few relatives that now "get it".
Install Windows on it for the games and the few applications that are Windows only that have no Mac equivalents. Tell her to use Windows for the games only, otherwise due to her unwillingness to actually learn how to use a computer it will just fuck up again. Then hit her to ensure the point sinks in. You might also want to 'zidanity' her too, just for fun.
Tell her to use the Mac side of things for all the internet stuff - install all her favourite applications there, or equivalents thereof, and don't install them on the Windows side.
Also on the Windows side, don't give her admin rights, so she can't install it if she tried.
Then slap her about a bit to get the point home.
Family PCs aren't worth the hassle, get them something that is far harder to go wrong if used by retarded assmonkeys. And in this case, a good candidate is Mac OS X. Also you'll feel at home if you have to use it too, which is a bonus, because it also gives you all the nice geek toys too.
Then kick her in the ovaries.
I got my Parents a Mac, set it up to their printer. Because my brother was connected to broadband and only surfed the web, I put him on Ubuntu. Since set up of bother, I only have 1/10 of the hassle, if that.
Do one or the other. There are a lot of programs for Ubuntu that are free and have the same capabilities as Windows software. Your sister may be even happier if she finds even more programs (because it is free) than she could use before hand. If your sister uses a lot of graphics programs, Mac may be a wiser choice.
I don't think there is a windows based solution right now that will make you happy right now.
Install decent firewall/AV software, maybe NOD32 and Outpost (Kerio kills my system sometimes). If she still keeps breaking her computer, give her the XP install CD and stop fixing it for her. If your sister can force you to fix her computer for free over and over, you've got other issues.
Because PC's are marketed as appliances, and appliances (as we all know) "just work" for years without our having to think about, most users are incapable of grasping the facts that any geek takes for granted (and which I won't recap here).
Your path is clear, unless you *want* to be a Windows support specialist, or have a secret masochistic streak; the next time your sister's box goes on the fritz give her the 800 number to Dell...and let them deal with her.
At the very least, after a Bangalore call center experience she *should* come back to you with a better attitude.
Some days it's just not worth
chewing through my restraints.
If a family member or friend of mine called a bunch of work I had done for them (for free) 'crap', I would take the hint and not do stuff for them anymore. Seriously, why are you maintaining your sisters computer? Is your time less valuable than her money or something?
I play the foaming at the mouth linux zealot for my family. No matter what the problem, I reload with Linux and recommend a few good books.
They don't bug me for computer help anymore. Yes, I'm a dick. But I don't want to fix their windows crap and if they actually take to linux I'm willing to help.
I'm not anti-Linux, I use Linux where it's appropriate, but in this case it's just going to make them even more dependent on you.
What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
If she calls a computer you built for her "a piece of crap", then forget it. She obviously doesn't respect you, or the work you're doing for her. Let her buy her own PC, and when it fails, let her take it to Best Buy and see how much they charge.
That should change her tune quickly. The only reason she's not learning how to manage a PC is that there are no consequences when she breaks it. She'll just get you to fix it. If she has to PAY for it, however, she'll learn quickly enough.
Make her run as a dumb user - now she can't install stupid shit.
Test each of her apps to make sure they still work without admin access.
If an app breaks, you can troubleshoot with regmon and filemon, i.e. many apps need r/w perms in their own directory for some retarded reason.
If she has a fast internet connection, set things up so you can RDP or VNC into her machine for the few times she'll legitimately need to install new software.
1) Point out to her that her computer is as likely to stop working on its own as a rock is likely to hit her on the head on its own. It's not completely impossible, but it's very unlikely.
2) Tell her that if she keeps breaking her computer, you're going to start charging her (or simply stop providing support altogether).
3) Warn her of the dangers that lurk deep within the tubes of the internets (basically, scare her). Point out that these dangers are completely subject to 1 and 2 above. (She has to do something to be "infected" and if she does it, you will refuse to help or will charge for your time and effort).
My family and friends have all been put on notice that I charge "dinner" for setup, but don't provide support unless they use a Mac or pay me money (or more dinners - note the plural). Macs aren't as trouble free as you might assume, but they're easier to fix than a Windows box. I'm always very clear about possible dangers and try to educate people, but there's only so much you can do. Scaring them goes a long way toward keeping them out of trouble in most cases.
The holy trinity of security software is important to protecting Norms computers. Antivirus, Antispyware and Firewall. I make sure anyone's computers who I won't see often (who are not particularly computer literate) has Avast anti-virus installed, spyware - search and destroy and lavasoft adaware & Zonealarm.
I find avast particularly useful for protecting peoples computers as its free for private use (register for free for a serial) and has in my use of it and all the other computers I've set it up in *always* caught all the viruses coming through in mail.
Set anti-spyware apps to run regularly.
Set a restore point when you do a fresh install.
Make a disk image of the fresh install. Keep it on a different partition or removable media. Worst comes to worst use that image to have the fresh install you set up (drivers, apps and all) up in under 30 minutes.
Repartition the hard drive or add an extra one. Move 'My Documents' and any other data they use to a non-system partition.
Consider disabling icons on the desktop so to force them to browse to 'My Documents'. This encourages them to keep all their work in one place.... hopefully. I've seriously found people keeping word documents in the wastebin in the past.
As I said though, the holy trinity of Windows Security. It's a necessity.
Oh and obviously, set them up on a limited user account rather than an admin one!
Promote Charity on Myspace, Show Your Colours!
I say do what the professionals do. Use XP Professional, and set family up with User level access, and tight security settings, that will stop her from doing stupid stuff. Giving them Linux or a Mac usually works best but if you family is going to need windows only apps and give a fuss if they don't have it. Then spend the extra cash and get XP Professional.
When setting up permissions make sure they cannot install software without access. And don't give them Administrator access and not the admin password. But make sure these is enough for their apps to work.
The next step is removing as many traces of Internet Explorer as possible and get them to use Firefox or Opera as the default browser. Also make sure they have a Virus Protection software and anti-Spyware tools. If they are not freeware make sure they are registed and will keep themselves updated automatically.
Finally explain to you family about the last system they said was broken and state you noticed no problems with it. Let them know their actions can damage the Software, and there is nothing that you can do, or Dell or Compact, to stop that. You need to tell them that it is not worth it to overly cutify your PC, while some are reputable most will damage the software, and for most cases there is no good way to know if it bad or good from observations, or guessing by the quality of the website, or the terms in the legalese.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
First, stop making her computers. Make her get a Dell or something and use their support. I guarantee you - if you persist and make her a computer and put Linux on it - every user error she encounters will be your fault, not hers - and this is based on what she's already doing. Get out of it now before it stresses your relationship too far...
Second, if she uses your support - charge her appropriately. I've found that if a client has to pay because they clicked some spyware into the system, they learn and don't do it again. Or... I make a regular income from them...
I was about to say make her buy a Mac but half of the posters already said it.
Seriously, I wish my mother and sister had bought a Mac.
You just got troll'd!
Charge her your standard rate, as if she were calling a business to fix it. You spend two hours cleaning Bonzi Buddy and 180solutions out of her machine....charge her for two hours labour.
Once it starts hurting her pocketbook, maybe she'll realize it's easier to learn it herself.
That's what I do with my relatives, and it works quite nicely. The only ones who get free support are my parents, and my wife's parents. And they're both on dialup, so they don't get a lot of crap to begin with.
Next time she foobars it, fix it, but tell her you're going to start charging her $40/hr or so, starting with your next visit. Make it $10-15 less than the going rate for most techs in your area.
She'll probably get pissed, and call around to a few other places, only to find out they're all more expensive. But she'll learn something in the end.
"City hall" in German is "Rathaus" Kinda explains a few things......
My family has been PC for over 15 years, since our first computer (I have my own setup with Macs or Linux boxes, a long way away from them). The thing is, I can only be so helpful over the phone, and then I'm useless because they can't even explain the problem to me really. Then they have to take it to a shop, which is a tragedy, and end up with some wierd peripherals and upgrades. It's really a mess. A linux box is a solution for a very small percentage of people. Web. E-mail. Ok. My parents like to use their digital camera also, for example, or *try* to edit their home videos off their camcorder. This isn't even easy in Windows, let alone Linux. So let's not pretend Linux is the solution to everything just because it is stable. It is not easy to use (yes I use it - even Ubuntu, I know from first hand experience). I'm just going to get them a mac (or help them buy it and set it up next time I'm in town). Atleast I know I'll be able to properly diagnose things over the phone, and I suspect they will get the hang of it quickly as well. I'm no blind fan boy, but Macs are simpler yet cover more bells and whistles out of the box for simple people, like my parents, than any other OS/box.
An other option is to make a custom Ghost Image of the OS and all the Apps.
Partition the drive one with all the software and the other drive has her documents and music and stuff. So when she messes it up tell her to put the CD in and wait an hour and it will be good as new.
If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
you're either going to have to downgrade her account (i'm assuming she's on admin) or you're going to have to deal with it. I share a computer with 3 other tech-illiterate family members - i'm not a crazy codemonkey or anything myself, but i know a spyware-infested program when i see one, so it falls to me to keep the computer clean. i basically end up rooting through their shit on a monthly basis and removing anything i find suspect. if anyone complains, i run a spyware scan, and, when 10-20 spyware/malware programs show up in their doc's/local settings/etc., they generally don't complain anymore. but i'm getting the impression you don't want to do that, so they only way is to limit what she can via account controls until she smartens up. Flat-out refusing to fix her computer would probably help, too. If no one's going to clean up after her shit anymore, she's either going to learn to be more careful or learn to fix it herself. Both are positive outcomes.
...not necessary when you know what you're doing. I set up both my dad's laptop and my mom's desktop (and laptop, but she almost never uses it) and I had no problems with either of the systems. They both have limited accounts, use Opera, and have an anti-virus running (NOD32) as well as auto-update enabled. My dad spent a good part of the last year away, so I haven't touched it in that long, and the only problem he asked me about was to get rid of the WGA shit, which I did through VNC. The computer my mom uses is my old PC, still with the original XP install from around 2002, dad's is about 2-2.5 years.
Of course, this doesn't mean it's possible in your case, after all, you can make everything idiot-proof, but someone will make a better idiot (don't take this personally)
I had similar problems with my big brother.
His windows mashine always had a virus or some other problem.
He where asking for help around ones per month.
But then I installed linux on the mashine one day.
His windows friends where very skeptical about it.
But now I only had to help him twice the last 2 years.
Okey, All he does is send email and surfe the net,
but for this linux is ideal.
Give her a power user account Install Firefox, disable IE Install ClamWin anti-virus
Error 2101: all your sig are belong to us
"She blames the computer I built, calling it 'a piece of crap', yet it works flawlessly once I start using her old computer after she has upgraded. "
I'm guessing your sister is a preteen or teenager, but this isn't a bad idea even if she's an adult.
Stop building her computers if that's her attitude, and explain to your her and your parents why. Chances are, she's doing something that's causing the problems or she just wants a newer computer. Let her spend some cash and wrestle with Dell tech support.
she seems to lack common sense when it comes to what software is suspicious and bloated, and what is trustworthy
Nothing about a computer is common sense. Nothing about a computer is intuitive. It is entirely learned, and much of it is complicated and esoteric.
I suggest at least part of the problem is your unrealistic expectation that everyone have complete knowledge of computers.
Slashdot - where whining about luck is the new way to make the world you want.
Here come all the Apple fanbois to tell how they got their parents to buy a Mac. If my kid told me that, I'd beat his ass and then disown him.
Don't make a computer for anyone who insults your handiwork.
1-800-WWW-DELL
... whatever, and suggest that she purchase her next computer from Dell, pointing out that it comes with full tech support for X years, they're available 24 hours, and so on.
Yes, that's right, tell her to get a Dell.
If she doesn't appreciate or respect the abilities or labor you provide to her, then politely decline for any number of reasons, such as:
1) I am really quite busy lately, perhaps you should seek help from a full time support technician at .
2) I'm not up on the latest adware/scumware/malware removal techniques, but I've heard that is really good, I think carries it.
3) I'm not familiar with that application, perhaps you can call for assistance?
4) I'm really short on time to research the problem, have you tried finding the answer on ?
Then, one of 4 things happens:
1) She's thrilled with the support they give her, and your problem is solved.
2) She's frustrated with the support they give here, she falls back to you for support, in which case you politely recite a reason above and point out that she has free support with her shiny new PC - your problem remains solved.
3) She learns to use her computer responsibly, and to be somewhat self sufficient at "fixing it", and your problem is solved.
4) She despises the supprt she recieves from Dell, learns to appreciate your efforts and in the process becomes a much kinder, more understanding person when asking for help - and your problem is stil solved.
Regardless, suggest she "get a Dell" regardless of the reason, and your problem is solved.
If you really want to stir the pot, and get to scenario 4 above much faster, suggest she buy a new PC from Walmart instead. That virtually guarantees your place amongst the Gods of Tech Support in a matter of days.
Brad
1) do not build computers for your sister, or any other relative that isn't going to learn to use them appropriately.
2) let dell, or geek squad, or whatever local mom and pop support shop deal with the problem.
i don't think that anyone can fault you for not wanting to deal with this anymore after genuinely making the effort to help your sister and being repaid by ingratitude. once support starts costing your sister, she's going to think twice about using it. she's going to have motivation to become more savvy on her own and you're not going to have to deal with her frustration and ingratitude. sounds like a win all around.
The basic thing I do is lay some ground rules for whether I will fix a computer.
For instance: If there is enough space to backup an image of the OS, I create that backup, and lay Ground Rules of:
Yes, that's a pain, so do it once every couple of months. But have a schedule, and stick to it.
Now, if these instructions didn't work, or if you didn't follow them, here's the rules for when I swing by to help out:
These are not intended to be as oppressive as they are. I'm actually fairly nice, cheerful, helpful, knowledgeable, and understanding.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
Assuming the hardware and RAM is beefy enough to support it, consider the rather drastic approach of virtualization for this problem.
Using Linux as the host OS. Set it up so you can remotely SSH in to "fix" things when something breaks. Then use something like VMware to create a Windows virtual PC. Keep a copy of the finished image (or create a snapshot if you are using VMware tools).
Follow the advice of the person that gave the suggestion to use Ghost -- use a second drive for documents, email, etc. When she breaks something, all you have to do is shut down the Windows virtual machine, restore the snapshot, and restore it.
You could even go as far as creating an icon on a special linux user login -- "Fix my PC" -- and have it to it automatically.
Of course, you'll be sacrificing some of RAM and a chunk of CPU performance due to virtualization.
. 62,400 repetitions make one truth -- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
I recently built a computer for the cluster of my family which still lives under the same roof. What I did was install all the basic needed programs, then I included a fairly detailed HTML file containing documentation, and instructed them all to read it before using the computer. It contained information about how to intelligently use the Internet, that free software which does not come with source code should not be trusted (basically everything for Windows), and instructions about regularly running AdAware. (I was able to setup Spybot to run as a scheduled event every Sunday at 3 am, so they don't need to ever worry about that.)
The final step was to boot to Linux using a boot CD and swapping a hard drive in temporarily. I made an exact copy of the hard disk contents and used dd to get the excact boot and partition records and wrote my own hard disk restore program to put on a CD. This is actually rather trivial if you know how to use dd and make a bootable CD.
So far they haven't complained yet about the computer, though it's been less than a month. They have a copy of the restore disc though just in case they manage to screw things up royally. (I run a server out of their house using their cable Internet connection, and they have ftp access to it so that they can easily back up their data if they need to do a disk restore.)
-Steven
Do you hand hold them through supper preparations, lawn care, car maintenance? Probably not.
Take the same approach to computers.
When the n00b users finally get pissed off with the generally lousy quality of their OS and applications, maybe they'll number enough to force the developers to make computers work the way they *should* work: effortlessly.
In my decades of computer use, I've always been thrilled to find software that works intuitively and sophisticatedly. It doesn't happen often enough. It should.
--
Don't like it? Respond with words, not karma.
If they somehow manage to break that, add glue.
Have learned a coupla things:
-the wife is generally not so willing to make changes
-the kids will bitch but will also deal with change far more easily
-nobody really needs all the crap they think they need.
After doing the whole win32, image, anti-virii, anti spyware dance one too many times, I finally just setup two computers.
The kids have been running Linux for about the last 4 years. Was rough at first because I had to do some extra admin to make devices and applications work. Recently my workload has dropped to almost nothing. (That's my benchmark for how well desktop Linux is doing, BTW --and it's coming along nicely.)
The kids PC is now running Ubuntu Dapper Drake. It's just sweet in that it mostly just works. They've been burning CD's, dealing with cameras, surfing, word processing, etc... with no issues to speak of. I set up user accounts for them, they ended up sharing one go figure. If they want an application, I find them one and they deal with it. All in all, a very nice solution. Interestingly, their friends come over to use the machine a lot. They like it because it's not a hassle. None of them have had any significant problems using the machine.
When they ask for something windows only, we talk about why they think they need it and what the alternatives are. Not a bad conversation to be having with one's kids, IMHO. Mine know the tradeoff between all the bad programs and learning how to do some things differently. Positioned right, they can use the computer uninhibited, or use it with extreme care. They choose uninhibited and safe every time!
For my wife, she does online poker. That means win32 for the best overall experience these days. So, we've got a machine running a default copy of XP Home, that I got at a steep discount. ($200!) We load only a few open tools and her poker clients. The rest of the machine stays factory with updates off. This machine is used for paying bills online, banking, etc... so general web surfing is out. There is a VM installed for that. Once the sites are known, it's easy to differentiate which ones can be surfed from the native OS and which should be surfed through the VM.
I don't run anti anything either. I've got the home network sitting behind a simple NAT, running Linux. (Quest routers are great!) The only inbound connections allowed are for gaming and are mapped to the console IP, or the Linux box as necessary.
The Linux machine receives it's normal updates and has performed just great. No issues at all. We did get the win32 machine hosed a while back. (Switched client based e-mail to gmail and that is not likely to happen again.) Restore from the discs provided, overlay drivers and install apps and it's all good again. Takes about an hour and I printed up a quick and dirty cheat sheet and burned a CD with the installers necesary for the box.
The spyware people target kids. If you are running a win32 box, with kids on it. It's gonna have everything under the sun running on it no matter what you do. Actually that's not totally true, but your admin burden goes way up if you lock the box down too tight. --nothing works unless you deal with it. Ubuntu has been great about this. I admin the box only when major changes are necessary (new printer, network, device....); otherwise it just does it's thing in user space.
Putting the kids on Linux brought the problems to a screeching halt. I suspect a Mac would have the same effect. (I just went the cheap route.)
As for sharing computers. I've no problems sharing a win32 box with my wife. We both know what the machine is used for and do exactly that. Anything goofy happens in a VM or on the Linux machine. (I did setup quick icons for doing both of these things. The family thought it was interesting that more than one person can be using the Linux box at the same time! VNC or X window, whatever you prefer --I do the X thing personally.)
Sharing a win32 machine with kids is a mess! The Linux
Blogging because I can...
I used to be the default repair guy for my entire family until a few of them (mostly sister in law and an aunt) started branching out and "freelancing" me to their friends. As I grew more tired of the antics and the basic unwillingness to do simple things like run some sort of firewall and not open every email attachment sent, I suddenly became much more "stupid" in their eyes. I suddenly couldnt fix the simplest problem, I let their computer sit unusable and those that wanted one bought Hp's or Dells and it became those companies problems. I was my experience that the 'piece of crap' mentioned in the article was usually sitting in the computer chair rather than on the desk.
Other like my mother for example, have always made a point of watching and writing down things when im fixing common problems and have become nearly self-sufficient, they still call when there is a big problem but are almost appologetic in doing so. Im more than happy to help them and sometime initiate giving their machine a "checkup" when im visiting.
Sit them down in front of you, look them in the eye and say:
"This is not working. I try to do my best helping you with your computer problems in any way I can; I even built your last computer to save you some money. I have been at your beck and call, day and night, for years. What I get from you is a constant stream of complaints."
"Clearly, what I can offer you in help is not good enough by far. I do not know the reason - it could be incompetence on my part, it could be you inadvertently doing things you should not, or it could be that Windows, and the programs you want to run on it, just aren't very good quality. Quite possibly it is a combination of these. It doesn't matter, though - you are miserable, and that makes me miserable too."
"So from now on I will not interfere. No longer will my bungled attempts at fixing things just make everythng worse. I suggest you buy your next computer from a real vendor, with a service contract, and contact their professionals if you ever experience a problem with your new machine. You will be a lot happier knowing you can rely on people who help users for a living, and I can be free of the guilt of trying to do things that are perhaps over my head."
"I am truly sorry I have inconvenienced you like this for years. I wanted to help but of course I whould have known better."
Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
I got sick of weird questions from my dad, so I finally just started suggesting he get a Dell or a HP with a support contract. He was happy to have a no brainer solution, and I felt he got what was coming to him for asking me dumb questions. Plus the nice support folks get to deal with him instead, and he doesn't get paranoid I'm going to "accidentally" find the porn in his browser cache. I guess for a perfect stranger it's fine though LOL
Just punch her in the face.
I just say that linux on my machine doesn't have that problem, so I don't know why they are having that problem. They usually keep asking, in hopes that I'll get annoyed enough to take a look, but I keep giving the same answer. If they keep pushing, I reason that it's probably spyware, a virus, a windows bug, or a bad program, none of which I know about because I spend all my time tweaking linux instead of learning windows oddities. I don't ask them to fix my linux machine because they wouldn't know what they are doing, so why should they expect me to give good help on a windows box?
There are a few people that I try to help, but they keep their requests to a minimum and invite me over to bbq's. The other people you may consider helping are those that can help you in some way, working out a "scratch your back if you scratch mine" type of deal. But when it's someone looking for free advice, playing dumb is the best thing I can suggest.
For years my sister was the same way. She'd have botched up her PC to the point of it needing to be reformatted at least once every few months. I told her she couldn't install all those P2P apps, explorer toolbars and things like WeatherBug on her PC anymore because they load a ton of shit that kills her PC. She retorted with "It's my computer and I'll install anything I want on it!" To which I said OK, but I've told you how to not break your computer, so if you do it again, I'm not fixing it.
Ignorance of computers is one thing, and I can understand it to some extent. But when that ignorance becomes INTENTIONAL, that's where I draw the line.
I used to have to deal with this with my Aunt and Uncle. They were nice about it, never rushed me, and always offered to pay, but eventually it was still a pain to have to drive over there every week or two to remove viruses, etc.
Eventually, I sat down and talked to them about installing Linux. I didn't go into technical details, but I explained that they could do everything they did under Windows, but it would take them some time to get used to different programs. I also explained that my cousins games wouldn't work. They decided to let me give it ago, and Installed Suse 9.1 (the newest version at the time).
I set up wine and got most my cousins games working, set up seperate accounts for each family member, set up their email, etc. Since then there hasn't been a single problem with that computer. A couple of months ago, they were given another computer that is running Windows XP. After a couple of months of the same cleaning up crapware off the machine every couple of weeks, they even asked me to install Linux on it as well. Unfortunately, some software that my Uncle runs on it won't run under Wine, and I haven't been able to find any alternative to it under Linux (it's some custom software written by a friend of his that ties in various topography maps with a database keeping track of caves and other geological stuff in the area). It's funny though, with the exception of my Uncle who needs to use this software, everyone else in the family prefers the Linux box, and only uses the Windows machine for iTunes or if someone else is on the Linux box.
If you approach them diplomatically and explain that installing Linux will require that they learn things a little different, but that in the long run it will make it easier on everyone, you might be surprised how receptive non-technical people can be toward the idea. My own experience (not just with my aunt and uncle, with others as well) has show me that, while most people may not be proficient enough to install and configure Linux, if you set it up for them and then walk them through common tasks, people can run just fine with Linux.
Famous Last Words: "hmm...wikipedia says it's edible"
Let her deal with their technical support instead.
It's not worth your aggrivation. I stopped building computers for others long ago. They can take responsibility in their own hands.
I was going to say pretty much the same thing - except to add that if VMware isn't available or usable, do what I used to do years ago and simply make a copy of the base install on a separate partition. Leave the user with a DOS (this was Win9x days) batch file which will copy everything back over in the event of an otherwise-unrecoverable problem, and make sure they never use C:\ to store documents.
But if VMware, or better still Linux of one form or other, is an option then by all means go with what the other posters in this thread have said, there's good advice here.
Perfectly Normal Industries
You grow a set, and ask her to reciprocate all the time and effort in an area of her expertise. If she can't, offer her a reasonable rate to fix her computer. If she declines, tell her shes on her own. Tell her you suck at fixing computers, as evidenced by 'your track record'.
"Old man yells at systemd"
This isn't so hard. The answer is simple: Support them when YOU have free time, not when they do.
The last time my mother's computer went fritzy, I forced her to just buy all new parts. She tried the "Dell has a computer for $x" approach and I said "Ooooh, good. I won't have to do tech support any more." She didn't buy a Dell. I eventually got her new parts, but I think I spent about 2 months doing it. She had to limp along with a slow-as-snails malfunctioning computer for that whole time.
The other method is a little tougher. Make THEM do everything, with you on the other side of a phone. Preferably while you're busy doing something else, even if it's just a video game. About the 10th "eh, what?" will bang it into their heads that maybe they should try harder to understand what's happening. And make them feel stupid when you've told them to do something more than twice. "Did you X?" is usually enough with my family. Sometimes a "Why not?" gets the point across. "Maybe you should do that before calling me" is the final try. This is typically used for 'Have you rebooted the computer?" and other pointlessly mundane things that they should understand as instinct. The first thing my mother says now is usually "I tried rebooting it."
The last method is to make sure that EVERY fix hits their pocket book. I haven't had to resort to this yet, but from experience when it HAS taken money to fix it, they are reluctant to even want a fix if they think it'll cost money. I don't mean charge your family a service charge... Mom didn't charge you for thousands of dinners she cooked. But make sure it requires a new part... graphics card, mouse... Something related to the issue, but generally as cheap as you can get it. (This IS a drastic measure.)
And if you can't get any of that to work, simply don't help them buy the next computer. Make them buy a Dell or some other piece of crap and deal with that tech support for the next 5 years. Things will change.
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
Education is just a matter of explaining the common sources. Explain to them that anything advertising to give you something for free, often has a catch--just like real life. You can trust someone established, but otherwise ask someone who might know for sure (ie: you).
Configuration has to be done by you. Enable Automatic Updates (including installing). Enable the Windows Firewall. Install Windows Defender (have it auto-update as well). Mozilla Firefox certainly isn't a bad choice either (it updates itself pretty smoothly now). It's all free, and it all works rather well, and best of all, it works on its own. I wouldn't go crazy with "Security Suites" or Anti-Everything software, they cost money, they cost system resources, and sometimes have a habit of causing more problems than they solve. The education you gave her, or as I like to call it, common sense for the internet, is the best product of all.
I know people modded that funny, but that isn't a bad idea. However, since the poster mentioned Linux, why not set Linux up on a dual boot, disable all internet access on MS Windows, then set up internet access on Linux only. That way, the sister will still be able to run the "holy" Windows programs, but will not easily be able to download and install malware. No XP Professional required.
I don't understand why they wouldn't supply the basic security features in the Home version. In fact, they should have put it in Windows 95. Linux and FreeBSD both had file permissions from the beginning--okay I haven't been using them that long, but I know it was before '95. I wonder why that is...oh yeah, MS doesn't care about their customers, they just want to fleece them.
Your sister is an ingratious person who doesn't appreciate the effort that you put into furnishing her a computer in the first place. My advice to you is that, if she wants a store-bought computer, and feels that it will be better, let her have one, and stop giving her tech support. On the other hand, you might also consider getting a new, more appreciative sister.
This is what I like to do (but I don't know how legal it is).
- Create seperate partitions for windows/linux/data/media/pr0n (maybe you don't need that last one for relatives
;-) )
- Install windows
- Install *nix (setup grub to go to windows after 2 seconds)
- Create an image of the windows disk on the *nix system (with only the standard apps installed), dd windowsPartition | bzip > windows.img
- Create a script (+ corresponding menu-item) to put the image back
When the user ruins [his|her] install, [he|she] can repair it [him|her]self, this way you'll be bothered much less. There are only complaints when they want extra apps necessary in the base windows install (you could make a separate disk for these, but they won't think about what's needed and whats extra, so they will -most likely- put everything in there...).If performance is not really needed, you can install qemu/vmware and let them run an image (with a clean image on the side). If there is a problem, they can use the standard image super-easy. I believe this last way is a good one to 'convert' them to *nix.
All my family's just using Ultima Linux (disclaimer, I'm the developer...) – took a while to convince them to switch, but after they saw what it was like they were all impressed – been working beautifully. Most of our machines still have Windows on them and are dual-booting, but it's been several months since anyone ever actually switched back, we just don't have any reason to... as far as games, etc. go, Cedega works beautifully for most of them... got all the printing handled through CUPS and our home network... plus, on the offchance that a problem does occur, all our machines have SSH enabled, so fixing stuff's almost trivially easy, at least as far as I'm concerned.
:-)
By the way, in case anyone's wondering, we have seven machines that are more or less always-on, two or three others that are sometimes in use, and then a single Windows laptop that my dad sometimes brings home from work – other than that, most everything's running Linux. As far as printing we have an EPSON all-in-one in my room, a Brother all-in-one in our family room, a Lexmark inkjet that my brother and sister share through the network... three machines hard-wired in, most of the others on wireless... all sorts of different hardware and configurations, and yet it runs just fine... so yeah, I'd say just switch to Linux, guaranteed to solve all your problems in no time
Creative misinterpretation is your friend.
This sister doesn't deserve any support, period.
Set the machine up to your liking, then use Deep Freeze to ensure that it never changes.
Or, if they're the media types (digital photos, home videos, burning DVDs, etc) get them an iMac and maybe one of those iLife 06 how-to books. $1299 buys a dual core iMac with DVD burner, Radeon X1600 graphics, the iLife suite, remote control for the media center stuff, etc etc etc.
A free (WGA retina scan needed) tool from Microsoft that can help with a family computer is Microsoft's Shared Computer Toolkit.
e fault.mspx
URL:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sharedaccess/d
This has similar functionality like DeepFreeze, is free, has a good amount of features like rollback-ing if the machine gets spyware infected (Note: you will need to repartition to be able to use this functionality.)
It also has a great number of tools for locking down users. It may not be all what you need, but its a start, and the price is right.
AVG free
...some of ya'll are sadistic. Nobody should ever say the phrase "Get a Dell" to anyone ever
Spybot
AdAware SE
Firefox/Opera(Whichever you prefer)
Set the first three to auto-update and auto-run at maybe 3:30 in the morning, and tell her not to ever ever use IE ever again ever.
If she uses IM alot, tell her that AIM is adware-riddled shit that is 100% guaranteed to mess her computer up even worse that taking a hammer to it and that she should keep it away from her computer and put Trillian on it. Tell her that if she does install AIM you won't offer support ever again. Check every week to make sure its not on there. (AIM crippled my system several times, so this advice is from experience)
If she insists on using P2P, Ares and BitComet are what I use. Ares is generally clean, and what little gets through is killed by Spybot or AdAware.
Alternatively, if she manages to mess that up, just tell her to make you a list of what she wants and you download it whenever you have spare time.
Is she somehow still manages to mess this up, tell her she should just stay away from computers.
This is basically what I did for my friend's sister's computer. He was more or less in the same situation as you are, and I owed him a favor. I basically just took her computer, virtually duplicated my setup, and told her just to be careful and not to click on anything that prompts her to install something(Unless it was Flash or something similar). Luckily, she fell in love with Trillian(Her main problem was AIM kept putting stuff on her computer) and Ares(Periodically got some spyware off of limewire) and she hasn't had a problem that required anything more than a basic reboot since last October or so.
I tried to switch my parents to Mac computers, because they are more forgiving to users, but they didn't want to.
I make lists for them in extremely untechnical language and leave them in an easy to find place. Then whenever they call I tell them to look at the lists. They contain such helpful information as "unplug the purple thing (modem) and the silver thing (router). Plug them back in." Once you see what problems crop up over and over, you can deal with them like this.
Also, try switching them to less dangerous software, ie, teach them to use BitTorrent instead of limewire or something. That saved me a lot of time.
Finally, know when to refuse to help. When you've taught them how to run ad-aware a thousand times for naught, get out of there, and maybe reference them to someone who's paid to deal with inanity.
"Just because you're eloquent doesn't mean you aren't a fucking crackpot." -Wavebreak
They sent their son to Engineering School.
High maintenance family and friends should buy their own computers from the mega-corp computer vendors. The geeks of the world have enough to do without working as full time IT for their family, friends, and all associated off-shoots. Let them talk to tech-support in India a few times and see how their tune changes.
If someone (regardless if they are family) calls a computer you took the time to build for them a "piece of crap" then they no long deserve your help. Unless it really is a piece of crap in which case you should no longer build computers.
If you are dead set to go down this road then your best bet is to build the computer and setup the software exactly to their specifications. Of course, give them recommendations and help them along to good choices but do not be pushy. If as some later point they have complaints gently remind them that the computer was made to their specifications.
I have supplied my parents and mother in law with G3 macs over a year ago, and have not had any problems or calls since.
My best friend, brother in law and 2 coworkers have also switched from unsatisfactory PCs to new Macs. (Minis and iBooks).
If people are not happy with their current Wintels, they are not so hesitant towards switching to Macs.
My "converts" all LOVE them and love using them.
All that and no support calls.
The best part... no more thanxgiving weekends spent cleaning up spyware on a dialup line!
If you don't know what AltaVista is (was), get off my lawn.
I can't speak about that computer configuration, but I can speak for where I work at, and that's an internet café which gets 100, 150 different persons a day, doing all kinds of stuff.
a rd:
We don't use any kind of restrictive software (like CyberCafé Pro, or similar), or anything else that blocks or stops the user from doing something. It's in our policy or similar. Apart from the normal apps (Office, MSN Messenger, etc...) there's only one other program that's installed and most people don't even notice it.
It's called Deepfreeze, and according to their http://www.faronics.com/html/deepfreeze.asp#Stand
"Deep Freeze instantly protects and preserves baseline computer configurations. No matter what changes a user makes to a workstation, simply restart to eradicate all changes and reset the computer to its original state - right down to the last byte. Expensive computer assets are kept running at 100% capacity and technical support time is reduced or eliminated completely. The result is consistent trouble-free computing on a truly protected and parallel network, completely free of harmful viruses and unwanted programs."
It'll set you back around 30USD, that for sure. But from our experience here at the cybercafé, it saves us from reformatting it each month. Just a reboot and voilá, just as it was 3 or 5 months ago. Just set up a "ThawSpace" drive, with sufficient space for her saved documents, mp3, what ever and instruct your family to save their stuff there. It'll be there in the next reboot, and forever (until they decide to delete it of course). Windows configuration, virii, trojans, insert malicious piece of code here) will have a REALLY bad time from there on.
I've been using it for almost 10 months now... and I haven't reformatted a computer since (apart from hardware failures.) Need to change something? Just push the magic key combo (CTRL+ALT+F6 default) and input the password, set it to off on the next reboot and change what you need. After you finish just reboot it once more and the changes you did will be kept.. forever.
I just gave a computer to my in-laws. They are computer stupid. I got an email the other day asking how to open a zip file without WinZip installed. *sigh* Before I gave the computer to them, I made a ghost image and burned it to a DVD marked "Initial computer configuration -- Use to restore system". That was just for the worst case scenario that things are just too broke for me to help with over the phone. Since I hate hate hate phone support (worked a helpdesk for long enough, thank you very much), I installed Openvpn with keys and config setup so that they can click on the tray icon and connect back to me. From there, I can VNC into their system to help them out. If they are having problems with their Internet, then I can tell them to call SBC and get that fixed.
For my other family, I have done the same thing with the OpenVPN and VNC. I don't have them always connect on the VPN because I don't want to be able to get into their stuff at any time. I have told them that their privacy is protected and I can't get in unless they do this specific thing. It has worked out great since the in-laws live 1000 miles away and my other family lives 150 miles away. God bless the Internet.
Also, education goes a long way, but only works if they utilize it. Far too many times does it fail, but sometimes it works. My Dad at least does regular nightly backups to his external hard drive.
she has a lot of games and art applications like Corel Painter that require Windows.
If she's got the money and need for those programs, she should also have the money to get the system fixed "right". She's obviously not going to pay for what she expects for free and what she calls "crap", so let her get the same crap and help from someone who cares much less. The full price of non free software is much larger than the purchase price, let her bear all of it.
When she's sick of it, set her up with Xandros and Parallels. Image her crummy Windoze install and rewrite it whenever it has problems. "Fixing" Windoze never works and it's a waste of time that's getting worse all the time. Keep it off the net as much as you can and it will last longer. Get her used to free software like the Gimp and Unreal Tournament and she won't go back to a single screen UI again.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
My mother is totally braindead when it comes to computers. I did finally find a solution for her though, and it's actually worked thus far. Installing Firefox and removing shortcuts to internet explorer for starters. After that, installed some good firewall and antivirus software (Kaspersky and Kerio, if you care) along with Spybot and Adaware. I told her that when kerio comes up with a warning, don't allow the software access in or out, unless you absolutely know what it is. Teatimer from Spybot also has a little popup which i've said to always deny. Also not installing anything unless she absolutely knows what it is. And running a regular virus/spyware scan. Once she actually complied with everything (my mom keeps track of this stuff with Post-It notes, which I recommend inept users make use of), her computer has been free from anything. The most that she gets now (this is less than a year since she's started getting on the internet at all and even using a computer, mind) are nothing more than tracking cookies.
So yeah, a decent bit of software and adhering to the most simple of the unwritten Laws of the Internet will save the unwilling computer Merlin from having to deal with the feebles. That and Post-Its.
sup
Assuming every other comment here is jumping to the wrong conclusion... Perhaps your sister is incompotent, ignorant, and frustrated, rather than actually evil and malicious?
For the most illiterate of computer users, I've found that making shortcuts to the important maintenance apps (antispyware, antivirus, defrag, Windows update, etc.) in a single "Monthly Maintenance" folder on the desktop, and replacing the IE icon with a link to Firefox (perhaps named "Internet Explorer", with the IE icon, in the worst cases) solves all the ignorance and incompotence problems. Now, if person X won't do that simple and basic task every month, THEN you can really assume the worst, and dump them on their ass (for their own good, as much as yours) as every other comment here has suggested.
That one I can't account for. You really need to find out what the problem is. Arogance and condecention can cause intelligent people to ignore REAL problems, just because the user's poor description of the problem happens to sound dubious.
The ONE THING this sounds similar to, is people not knowing the difference between a Network/Website problem, and a computer problem. I find it's absolutely necessary to explain that things that happen while using the internet are NOT computer problems, and may solve themselves in a few days. That takes care of the ads that look like pop-up system error messages...
Slashdot gets worse every day... Pipedot: News for nerds, without the corporate slant
Well, looks like someone has lost all sense of measure. Thanks for sharing. That's how I like my "evangelism", with a healthy dose of shock jock bullshit.
Oh, and I love the title you chose. Money and family indeed. Do you have a wife? Mother? Daughter? Do they know you post this sort of thing? "Rape her"? WTF is wrong with you?
Always breaking "PC"? You misspelled "Windows". Sift this discussion for tips on how to stop enabling your sister's and the monopoly's tyrannical behavior. Use Linux, MacOS, or extreme policy. Tough love.
You're enabling bad behavior. Tell your sister to take care of her PC herself. Problem solved.
I'm thinking with the reasonable power of current machines plus half a gig or more of RAM, a base VM of Windows+all applications, with daily or weekly revert to the stored copy. Data can be stored on a separate drive. New applications will be wiped out automatically, clean registry, etc.
This might be easier and cheaper (in time and money) than any other solution, especially given that VMWare has a free version. Given one of the newer Intel processors with hardware virtualization support, Xen + a windows VM might also be a good idea.
Just make it clear that no data should be stored on C:/.. or make it small enough that no data can be stored on C. Any new applications will need to be on a clean VM + install and 'snapshotting' of the new state.
This could make a good Linux distro - just pop in a windows CD ala BootStrap, create your indelible Windows VM and enjoy more security and peace of mind. User gets Windows, you can administer remotely via Linux and VMware/Xen.
All bow to his Noodliness!! His Noodle Appendage has touched me!
If she keeps saying that the machine you built is crap, tell her to buy this week's Dell special. When she inevitably comes back with "it's broken, fix it", tell her to call up Dell, because they obviously built a piece of crap too.
Ok, this might sound a little mean, but it DOES work. If you always help people as soon as they have a problem, they'll never work things out for themselves. They go into Moron Mode and stop thinking.
The best way, is to either say you can't help, or offer to help but you can't do it yet. If you leave it just about long enough, they'll have worked it out for themselves by the time you get there. Most problems are usually user error, rather than a fault with the PC. If you get there and they still have the fault (and they have tried to work it out) then it is something wrong with the PC.
It honestly works. I do it to family all the time, and they manage to work a lot out for themselves now.
1. Firefox instead of Internet Explorer. It's possible to set it up the way that she will never know you replaced it. :)
2. Free antivirus solution (free for personal use just as AntiVir Guard) running in the background.
3. SpyBot for spyware scheduled to run
4. Skype for communication so you don't have to go to her house
H.
There's a free full version of Corel Photopaint for Linux. It's from the Corel Draw 9 package (the best CD imho). I bought a commercial licence of the entire package and it's still the best design package that runs on Linux. Somewhere there must still be a download of Corel Photopaint for Linux, look around.
Mac OS X + Mac Mini. Problem solved.
No matter what you do, your sister should show you some respect.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
1. For *everyone* who wants you to fix their PC, push Linux. Hard. My kids use Linux for all their IM, surfing, homework, downloading etc., and I'd devote 10% of the time maintaining their PC compared to when they used Windows. ...
2. If they insist on Windows, consider whether you want come back again in 6 months when "your fix didn't work". Think hard about this; it's as predictable as the sun rising tomorrow...
3. Ignore all requests except from family members. "Sorry, I don't do my 9-5 job at home" will suffice for some, for others maybe "I'll do that if you'll do X for me for free", where X is the job the other person does for a living (e.g. "do my accounts", "fix my car", "wash my windows".) People tend to forget that you get paid e.g. $30+ per hour for doing this sort of work, and that it's only reasonable if they offer something of similar value in exchange
4. Imaging software (e.g. Ghost, g4u) is your friend; take an image of their PC after it's built, then just restore over it next time they have a problem. Make sure their data files are held on a different partition first, though...
5. Never, ever, EVER think "I'll just do it this one time". I'm sure crack addicts start out with exactly that thought in mind, and look where it gets them!
6. While you might not be able to avoid doing it for family members, you probably can get away with not giving them admin rights. Do that if you possibly can; it won't necessarily save you, but it will lengthen the time before you get called back (see point 2). Unless of course you're doing it for Mum and she's going to cook you a good meal, wash all your clothes, clean up your apartment, throw out the mouldy food in the pantry,
I _hate_ fixing other people's PCs, even though I've spent a large chunk of this weekend working on my own.
A few more possibilities:
1 - image the machine with Ghost or similar. When it crashes, restore the original image.
2 - Install and have her use an image built in VMWare. Disallow writes to the disk image.
3 - get a copy of "driveshield" and install the OS on top of that. (The OS section of the drive is rendered unwritable and a reboot will always restore a "fresh image".)
Good luck.
I talked my mother into switching from XP to an iMac just over a year ago.
Only problem she's had since was a full mailbox at her ISP.
I'm sick of supporting Microsoft's problems - whenever people ask me for advice these days my answer is simply 'buy a Mac'. When they go and buy a PC instead because they think it's cheaper in the short term, afterwards when they come to me complaining about problems x/y/z I feel quite justified when I say - 'If you don't want to take my advice that's fine, but why is this now my problem?'
Something for the dog days of summer when the mind goes blank, the boss needs filler, and it is too damn hot to think.
The piece writes itself, it draws the predictable response, and everyone goes home happy.
Tell them that they are too stupid to own a computer, pack it up and give it back to you.
See: http://www.snopes.com/humor/business/wordperf.htm
To invoke the old saying, stop giving them fish. Removing spyware isn't rocket science in most cases. Tell them you are busy and give them detailed isntructions on how to run antispyware. Tell them to try that and if it doesn't work to get back with you.
http://www.popularculturegaming.com -- my blog about the culture of videogame players
Calling something you put work into (that is actually fine) a piece of crap is disrespectful. If my sister treated me like that over computers, I wouldn't build or support hers. She could get a Dell, break it the same way, and have fun with their customer support. Maybe once she learned something on her own I might help her out again. You're just enabling poor behavior on her part.
Really, the solution isn't in doing something to her computer: it's in changing your relationship with her.
I had a similar problem. (except for the ungrateful sister ;-) The problem went away when I gave my sister Firefox.
The relatives need to understand that you are providing them a free service that should not be taken advantage of. I got into the tech business because I got tired or paying $75 to $125 every six months to have our family computer repaired. If you were to suddenly be unavailable when these mysterious "just quit workings" happen and the family had to result to the alternative, I beleive they would either learn safe computing or give up computing (which isn't likely).
If it's a pain to offer support at a distance, try all the above measures, but also try installing an SSH daemon and a VNC server. You can start the VNC server with SSH and then do your support over the phone. I assume that occaisional contact is actually a problem, but it might not be. It's how my dad handles my grandparents' machinery.
If someone drops a fort on Will, he makes a reflex save.
I had to fix windows computers for my whole family, until I decided to scream.
I told them, "From now, I won't support Windows anymore. If you like it, use it. If you have problems, find someone who knows (and wants) to fix your problems, and I don't want to say you how much it will cost. But if you want from now i'll support linux operating systems for free."
They accepted my terms, i wiped out all windows operating systems from all computers and put Ubuntu Linux on it.
As a result : calls for 3 days because they couldn't find the right icon, and now finished, quiet, easy !
Maybe I miss the windows period, when they needed me...
My wife's login does have admin rights, because she got tired of haggling with Windows every time she wanted to install things, but she's the computer science major and probably safer at Windows issues than I am - and other than browsers, the important application that runs on that machine is Turbotax, which she's in charge of.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
Other than games, there's probably nothing she needs to run on Windows that needs network connectivity. (Obviously Windows's updates and her anti-virus software need to run and use the network, but you should set them up to do that automatically, because she's the type for whom that makes sense.) There may be a few things like Photoshop if she's a professional, or Turbotax and equivalents, and you may need to be Administrator to install a few of these. But she certainly doesn't need to run a browser under Windows except for Windows's own administration - so set up IE's permissions so it's only willing to talk to Microsoft.com, and let her dual-boot over to Linux for her regular browser use, music playing, etc. If she can run games under Wine, even better, though I realize not all of them can work that way.
Bill Stewart
New Fast-Compression-only CPR http://preview.tinyurl.com/dy575ks
When did VMware make snapshots depend on VMware Tools? (I have snapshotted Linux VMs that are text-mode-only, which cannot run VMware Tools.)
You wanna install Linux? Oh man. For crying out loud, GET THEM A MAC!
whj
Keep this in the suitcase for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Joe Dougherty, Florida, USA
The words I thought I brought, I left behind. So, never mind.
Why do you continue to build computers for your (obviously) ungrateful sister, especially since she's such a whiny cunt?
I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
Like most of the posters here it seems I've been through this hurdle myself.
Firstly I think that charging them for "friendly help" is a bit steep. I'm much more of a "lets discuss and work it out" sort of guy. So here are the rules which I impart.
ALWAYS:
1) Have a separate partition/HDD for files. Have the user save their files to this area.
2) Despite what PC vendors say, AntiVirus is not an option, it is mandatory
3) Anti-spyware is also mandatory
4) A firewall is mandatory
5) I support ONLY the Mozilla suite. IE and Outlook are too much trouble.
6) Have an image (ghost/dd/whatever) that you can restore and save it to the 2nd Partition/HDD where the user files are
7) Ensure that the 2nd Partition/HDD gets backed up! Or at least make the user accountable for it.
8) Ensure all the updates are run on at least a weekly basis
DISCUSSION POINTS:
1) Discuss the point at which the machine get restored. This can be at either your or the users request. ie. "This is going to take me at least 4 hours to fix. However I can restore it and you will be up in 30mins".
2) Discuss safe practices of surfing. ie. "If you don't click on unknown email attachments then your machine will keep running for longer without being restored".
3) Discuss user level privileges. ie. "I can drop your level of access down so that if something does happen to your computer it is unlikely that you will need a complete restore"
4) Discuss your support options. ie. I'm happy to help you for 30 mins every couple of weeks or when I'm over, but if it becomes more than this then we will need to get some outside help".
5) Discuss and reiterate the outcome of a restore ie. "You will need to spend several hours reinstalling all your programs after a restore and any customisations to your desktop will be lost"
6) Discuss the importance of saving files off "C:". ie. "Any files you save on C: WILL be deleted after a restore".
7) Discuss the importance of backups ie. "If you have either a bad virus or a hardware failure we will need to restore your data from a backup. If you haven't backed up then you WILL lose data"
I find that heavy handed tactics such as denying them admin rights or mentioning fees really causes grief in a family relationship. However frank discussion of expectations and outcomes really does make things easier in the long run. If you can get across the message that a restore is something to be avoided but makes your computer usable again then you should have few problems and requests will be carefully weighted before you are approached.
Also I'd think about some VNC/Terminal Server setup if you and your family are on broadband. Haven't crossed that hurdle myself thanks to the poor rollout of ADSL here in Australia, but definately something to do in the future!
Of course you can't please some users. If your problem is PEBCAK then don't do support. If you aren't getting the respect you deserve as a professional support person then don't do support.
If you're serious about helping her out, and feel like going through the brain damage, make sure you install some sort of reasonably secure remote access software - so when she claims "it's not working" you can SEE what's going on in the GUI.
It truly sounds like your sister may just be one of those people who aren't meant for computers. There are people that shouldn't drive, people that shouldn't be in a kitchen cooking, people who shouldn't be allowed to get anywhere near houseplants, and yes...
People who shouldn't own computers.
If you're on the other side of the fence, embarrass her by saying you'd be happy to take the computer home with you where you'll happily use it without any problems, and if she needs a computer badly she can call Apple or Dell or whoever she likes. Let her decide and deal with the machine.
+++OK ATH
First off your are all nicer than me. My advice is simple, if she breaks it, she can pay to have it fixed. You set her computer up, it worked when you left, if she crashes it or what ever, she can pay to fix it. You are not her slave, she needs to take resposability for her actions, and learn to fix her own problems. While I am admittedly ignorant in the field of computers, (I'm learning, I'm learning), I am not ignorant in the field of people taking advantage of your good will and generosity. Stand up to her, make her deal with the problem she is creating, you'll both be better off for it.
They call me....Tim??!
Just say no!
Even if you don't use it. Whenever my father-in-law asks me about a computer problem, the answer is always: "Gee, Jerry. I don't know anything about that. I don't use (Windows, Excel, etc.)."
It's not your job to build your sisters computer, and it's not your job to fix it when it breaks down. I have a theory as to why you keep doing it though. And as I see it, there are two possibilities:
i think you have two basic choices, change the way you set up a windows box, or move to a different OS.
1) stop setting up your sister with administrative rights! set up an admin account and multiple user accounts(sister, games, pr0n surfer, etc) with no admin prives. when dumbass hoses her account, delete the old one, and recreate a new one. what about my games? if you have them now, i will load it for you. if not, you'll have to wait 'til next time. i need the admin password occasionally for online stuff ah, no you don't. infact tell me when you need it? cat got your tongue? in fact that's the reason you got into this mess in the first place. obviously you know not enough to wield the awesome responsibility of administrator.
set up the pc with remote desktop so you can access the computer remotely if necessary. i'm sure there are all sorts of widgets to report ip address changes, etc, so your sister being on dhcp dsl/cable shouldn't be an issue for remote access.
find something your sister does well so you can barter for your time. everytime you fix her computer/install software, she does *whatever she's good at* in return. pick something that requires a little time and not easily purchased, like a home cooked meal, or knitting a sweater, dog walking service, etc... this will eventually give her the hint that your time is worth something. and don't barter for something ephemeral:sex; a date with your sisters hot friend; help with your french homework; etc... these things will only bring you grief. only accept a bonefide service, durable goods, or handmade product(i.e. pot roast) that your parents might approve of.
moving her to XP pro will give you more control remotely, and better granularity for permissions and other rights that she won't miss being administrator all the time...
2) move from windows to linux/freebsd. ubuntu/linspire/knoppix/dragonfly one of the new easy to use and install distro. granted these won't have all of the features your sister is looking for in a computer: something her friends are using; sharing pictures and movies from youtube; being able to jump on the latest and greatest 'net meme... yeah linux/bsd/*nix will typically lag in this arena with the exception of...
3) mac os x. the out of box experience with apple products is second to none. from the initial account setup to the tight integration of applications, it's really just the best for people who want to surf, share pictures and movies, do some word processing and spreadsheet action, and general light to medium computer usage for folks who don't want to drag out the command line. get your sister a mac. hopefully you live in a big metro area, invite her to snacks/drinks after school/work, and drag her to one of the free application seminars at the apple store, help her find the mac that is appropriate for her, and let her know that when she has problems, there are a store full of people and "geniuses" that can help her. if she balks at the price, subsidize part of it just to get this leech of a family member off your back. i would suggest a laptop(mac book), so she can easily walk into the store with it.
or keep sucking her exhaust and waste by-products and keep fixing the pc you built for her while she spoonfeeds you with insults.
three can keep a secret, if two are dead - benjamin franklin
Best Solution is to not allow her to touch the OS.
Use VMware, and create a virtual Machine, as it will act the exact same as Windows, then when she has issues with the OS, just revert to an older saved version of the VM.
Very easy to do, and keeps the machine as clean as a brand new machine.
These products enable you to throw away changes that are made to the user's machine on each reboot. So you set things up just right, in a pristine state, then turn on these products' respective "freeze" feature, and the machines will keep themselves clean by simple reboot. ShadowUser lets you specify directories whose content you don't want to be discarded. So you can tell it to keep changes made to anything in "My Documents" but discard changes to any other portion of the disk. This way your family members never get viruses, spyware, and simply can't screw up any configuration settings.
I believe something in vmware tools allows for snapshots to be made while the virtual machine is active, in the background. Otherwise, I believe snapshotting only works while the machine is paused or it pauses the machine, I don't remember which.
Now that you ask, I need to double check. It was my understanding that the vmware-tools did more than just provide a VMware optimized video driver, I thought it also provided optimizations for disk and possibly network as well. I could be wrong about that though.
Linux virtual machines can have vmware-tools installed without a GUI on the guest OS. Don't know about DOS.
. 62,400 repetitions make one truth -- Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
Tell her to take it to Geek Squad. When they charge her $800+ to run Spybot and Adaware because she is too lazy to update her anti-virus she will be the one feeling like "a piece of crap". That or you could always just tell to use Linux, run Wine or use GIMP or another art application.
"One day your going to wake up and realize that your not as witty as you think you are." -Me.