O O Ø O O O O
Computers Suck
I love my friends and family. I hate their computers.
Kev Needham | 2004-12-14
There's a large number of folks who, like me, are the toll-free tech support lines for those closest to them. For the most part it’s not a bother, because the requests from a given individual over a calendar year are usually something less than two. Unfortunately, as more and more people rely on that support, the aggregate requests turn into a solid stream, and can really chip away at the support resource’s will to live.
This is especially true if the giver of support has other sources of stress impacting their day-to-day operations. These sources of stress can include things like their real job, their (lack of) life, tooth extractions, their own computer behaving very poorly following the installation of the latest and greatest video card for the best eye-candy of the year, networking gear that goes *poof* and is replaced by the vendor with pieces of trash, and a migration to a new server and operating system... all in the same month which, sadly, is only halfway done. Oh yeah, and Christmas shopping. Can’t forget that.
As you have probably guessed by now, I’m a tech support line for people I know. Contrary to how I make it sound, I actually enjoy doing it. Most of the people I know who are in a similar situation do, too. There are limits, however, and they’re stretched pretty thin when technology and life conspire against me at every opportunity. Those limits are surpassed when I have to fix a problem I have fixed multiple times before, especially when it’s the same person doing the same thing.
I did the rounds tonight, and visited three people whose PCs were acting up. This after helping two people at work get around issues with their systems, and repairing faulty data caused by a multi-billion dollar company’s inability to use text delimiters when exporting data fields with commas in them to a CSV file. My day was filled with fixing other people’s problems, and I’m in a heinous mood as a result. What would have made my day much easier-aside from the faulty data-would have been people applying a little common sense before they got in trouble with their PCs.
If you have a special someone who helps you out, a thank-you is certainly appreciated, but what would be even more appreciated would be if you could follow practices which would prevent a lot of the problems from occuring in the first place. In the interests of protecting that someone’s sanity, try doing all of the following as a matter of practice—they’re common sense when it comes to a computer:
- Dump Internet Explorer. Use Firefox or another alternative browser.
- If you use high speed (DSL or cable), buy a router. They’re $40-50, and are a great way to filter a lot of badness out. If you need help setting them up, chances are we’ll give you some pointers. If you use a modem, make sure you have a software firewall of some sort, and understand how to use it.
- Read the US-CERT’s common sense guides on home computer and home network security. They won’t tell you exactly how to do things, but they’ll help you understand the issues and some best practices. Feel free to ask questions.
- Spend the $30-50 and get anti-virus software for your computer. Some companies are offering multi-packs for the whole famn damily. They’re worth the money. Update the subscriptions, and for crying out loud update the virus definitions at least once a week.
- If someone sends you an email warning you of a virus, check this page or this page first. Don’t delete anything willy nilly, stand on your head and rub your tummy, or run around naked in your neighbour’s petunias prior to consulting these pages.
- Patch your system. Turn on auto-updates (i.e. Microsoft updates, Symantec LiveUpdate, etc.) where possible. I know some people will argue against this, but for the overwhelmingly large majority of home users, it’s a good thing.
- Scan your system for spyware or malware regularly. There are some decent free tools out there. If you find some badness, your support person or the documentation will probably help you out.
- Don’t install crap like “Smilies,” click on banner ads that promise to “speed up your connection,” or install any “free” games or business apps. Chances are they contain spyware or malware, and they’ll create more problems than they’re worth. Ask before installing. I know I’d rather spend sixty seconds looking a program up than three hours rebuilding your system. If it’s not from a company whose name you know, don’t install it, no matter how cute it is. Come to think of it, don’t install anything you don’t absolutely need.
- Don’t blindly click on the “Ok” button of a window that pops up while surfing with Internet Explorer. You and I will both regret it.
- No matter who it’s from, don’t open attachments with .exe, .pif, .com, or .bat extensions. Ever.
- Never delete anything from program files or a program directory first. Always use the “Add/remove Programs” function (or similar) to remove programs. Don’t ever remove the c:\windows directory because it’s got too much stuff in it.
- Never click on links in emails purporting to be from your bank, eBay, PayPal, Amazon, or any other transmission asking you to log in to your account to check some details for whatever reason. Always type the URL manually into your browser.
- If you’re in over your head, don’t be afraid to call. Chances are your support person will walk you down off the roof, and may help avert a catastrophe. It’s better to sing out if you’re in trouble, than to press the equivalent of the big red button.
If folks followed these steps, I would very rarely have anything to do to keep their boxes running, and I’d probably be a little happier at the end of the day. Ok, I’d definitely be happier at the end of the day.
Your computer is a tool, and you should know how to wield it. That means educating yourself on the care and feeding of your box of joy, and not always relying on calling someone because it’s easier. I know I’m more than happy to explain things, but you do have to listen and follow advice. Something to think about when you get the shiny new computer in a couple weeks.
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
PD DCLXXXII
P.S.—I know it’s Windows-centric. So are my friends and families. That’s reality, and it’s where I’m trying to keep a toehold.