The website of Tate Johnson
"Welcome to tatey.com, the transmission belt for my random (and sometimes communist) propaganda. Please, grab a beer and poke around, you may even find something interesting – Cheers, Tate"
This evening I had a pleasure to attend to my mother’s “broken” computer. “Oh, the internet doesn’t work — I can’t access my e-mail”. You know, the usual statement you really don’t want to hear. Trouble-shooting is a pain in the arse, and it’s one of the most least interesting tasks you can perform.
I jump on to her computer to start the trouble-shoot process. Immediately, I realise that someone has loaded a new operating system on the machine. Low and behold, it’s a counterfeit copy of Windows Vista. WTF? This machine was previously installed with Ubuntu Linux, an OS that my mother is most familiar with. Furthermore, she also purchased a new ADSL modem on the recommendation of whoever “fixed” her computer. Funnily enough, the internet is *still* broken. My mother explained that the “tech” took the computer and returned it to her as-is. I’ve always stressed the importance of contacting me first, but she usually relies on the advice of her [misinformed] friends. Admittedly, my mother and I aren’t particularly close — it’s not often that we talk.
At any rate, if the “tech” had bothered to diagnose anything, he’d have noticed that there is no sync between the ADSL Modem and the ISP. Wouldn’t that clearly indicate an issue with the hardware, phone line, telecommunications company; or the ISP? I’m unable to conclude how wiping a perfectly legitimate Ubuntu installation in favour of Windows Vista would “solve” her internet connection issues. I also found that he had replaced the DVD+/-RW optical drive with a CD-R optical drive. To top matters off, he had incorrectly configured the resolution for the display.
In addition, he’s wiped all of her e-mails and family photo’s. Way to go, moron. He also recommended that mother should purchase a new computer, because her existing machine is incapable of utilising Vista to it’s maximum potential. Again, WTF? FYI, it’s an AMD Athlon64 something something, with 1GB of RAM and a 80GB HDD. Mother browses the web, reads her e-mail and occasionally chats on IM. Vista… yeah right.
I’m so angry at this tech. Now I have to wipe her computer and install Ubuntu Linux again. At least installing Ubuntu Linux is 10x easier than Windows.
December 25th, 2007 at 12:28 am
Ask her for the guys contact details, give him a call. Be polite and try to figure out if his intentions (removing Ubuntu) were the result of plain stupidity or malicious stupidity. At least then you can decide whether to be angry in general or really angry at the “technician”.
December 25th, 2007 at 12:49 am
I’d go back and talk to him, about the Cd-R drive and retrieve the former drive. Also talk to him about compensation for the loss of data.
December 26th, 2007 at 11:13 am
I’d personally take the matter to the Business and Consumer Affairs cause what the tech has done is down and out right stupid and should not be in the business of working in the IT industry.
January 5th, 2008 at 6:50 pm
(I decided to check out your site as per your sig on the ubuntu/slug lists)
Beyond the possible legal consequences which could rebound from the counterfeit Windows installation (on to your mother, might I add), The CD-R drive issue is plain and simple theft. I think it is clear enough by these actions alone that it was not only ignorance, put plain and simple stupidity, tossed up with theft and incompetence.
Family photo’s? thats where it gets real dirty, I have pretty extensive knowledge on a lot of civil and criminal area’s in the law, and when it boils down to it, from what you have said here, you have a clear and cut case for the courts and money retrieval for irreversible loss and damages. And thats just for the photo’s alone.
If I were you, and thats not to say you should, I’d be heading straight o my local solicitor, via my local lawyer.
Regards,
Tony.
January 6th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Thanks for your support everyone! I’m pleased to see that everyone is more or less in agreement. At the same time, I welcome the advice that you have shown.
Unfortunately, this happened all off the books, and it turns out he was more of a “friend’s friend” than a qualified tech like I had originally been lead to believe.
At any rate, I’ve restored her configuration and setup a gmail account. It’s a nice and easy IMAP solution to permanently store her e-mail.
April 4th, 2008 at 12:51 am
And to make sure this crap doesn’t happen again set to boot from only the HD and then set up a BIOS password. If you mum ever gets someone, qualified and paid or just a friend of a friend of a friend to “fix” anything on the computer again that requires changing the boot sequence, and needs the password they would have to get in contact with you (short of ripping out the BIOS battery of course).
All the best mate.
May 14th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Epic Fail n00b tech …..
/howis