Last Thursday, our computer repairs (Sydney) lab got a call from a single partner law firm. We had previously set up and networked this firm’s two computers. The caller said that her Assistant’s computer had crashed and could not be fixed. We were about to send a computer repairs Geek out, but she called back and said that her son was looking into it now and that it was something about a system error. She also told us that her son (17yo) was reinstalling Windows.
At this point, the boss (who took the call) was thinking “OH #@#$#@@!” (And that is a technical term, I assure you!). You see, the computer in trouble was the one that held all the client’s database, accounts, etc. Not wishing to panic the client before it was certain that she needed to be, the boss called the office to talk to her son directly. The son said that the error on the screen was some white text on a black background. The son said, ‘ It was saying something about how the system will shut down”. He then went on to say…. “After I reinstalled windows, now the internet doesn’t work.”
The boss was thinking, “Well………No ****”.
The son proceeded to tell Mobile Geeks that he was pretty good with computers but welcomed any instructions. He assured us he would be able to follow them with no problems. To test his knowledge (and trust me, when you are dealing with the main database drive of a business, you want to be sure) the boss told him to use his mother’s computer in her office and download the Ethernet drivers off the manufactures website and then install them on the other computer. That would get the internet working again”. Unfortunately, our valiant assistant and his mother’s helper did not know how to install drivers…and if that was the case, he SO should not have started reinstalling Windows, especially in a business environment.
Naturally, we hopped into the Geek Mobile and flew there.
As it happened, the boy reinstalled Vista. So, all the old stuff was in the “Windows.old” folder. It was sheer luck that he did not attempt a reformat. He told us he planned to start with that…oh boy! We rebooted the system with the windows.old and it was running fine. No problems found. Client rescued! Mission accomplished!
As you understand, on Friday, we were surprised to receive an email from the client saying that the computer was doing the same thing as it was before. It was displaying the same shut down message.
Of course, off we went there! At the door, the son informed us again that the same error message about imminent system shut down was on the computer.
So, ladies and gentlemen, are you ready for the error message? The error message which prompted this kid to put in the Windows disc and reinstall Vista (risking his mother’s business in the process)? Are you really ready for it?????
“CPU Fan has failed and will shut down automatically. Service immediately.”
And this is what the boss thought when we saw the message “………………….!!”
What followed was a computer repairs training session that his mother also attended. The boss figured, it was important for her to understand that despite the fact that her son knew more about computers than she did, he did not know enough to start experimenting. The free lecture finished with theboss opening up the computer and replacing the CPU fan.
The moral of this funny story is that it was funny only for us. The client was, of course, relieved that there was nothing seriously wrong with her system, but was still required to pay Mobile Geeks for two call outs, when we could have done it in one.
Over and out
MobileGeekette
