Many years ago as you will soon see, we did a PC build for this customer. Nice guy, early 20s doing a minimum wage job and saving up for his first gaming rig. It wasn't absolute top of the line but it was more than I would have needed myself, definitely above mid tier.

The thing was he wanted to buy the parts one by one, as he could afford them. We tried HARD to talk him out of this, explaining he'd waste money that way as he bought each component at the current market cost when he could get it all cheaper buying everything at once once the prices had fallen, or use that money to get a higher spec for the same budget. But he was adamant, "no it's just not how I work, I can't save that much money without being tempted to spend a bit of it here and there. I know what I'm like, I can save enough for a part at a time but I'm just not going to save a large amount of money like that". Ok fair enough, we're all different and it's good to have self awareness.

So over the course of at least four months he comes in and pays for everything bit by bit. Might have been even longer. We put his parts aside in a slowly rising pile until it's finally all there. For the cost and time he's been waiting it's even worse than you are imagining. He wants the brand new Vista OS but he's also read up on it being flakey so he wants to dual boot with XP for stability, on separate disks. So he's saving up and paying for the second disk and second license, and a second labour charge for the work. If I remember right he wanted Vista Ultimate Edition too, not the cheaper Home version.

It's finally all there, he's giddy with a massive grin on his face with that final purchase. All we need to do is build it. On the bench it goes, XP on the first disk, Vista on the second. Drivers, Updates, etc etc and our QC. Computer goes back in the box for the case, and his peripherals go in a bag. Off he goes just delighted the day has finally come. In an hour he's going to enjoy the most powerful gaming experience hitherto of his life.

Annnnnnnd NOPE. In an hour he's on the phone with us. "I can't get it to work. It turns on but the mouse and keyboard don't do anything". Derp. He's being cool about it but we all knew how much he was looking forward to this. We suggest the obvious stuff to no avail. We're going to have to see this for ourselves and ask him to bring it in.

He's back the next day. We get it back on the bench and.. it works perfectly fine. Absolutely no issues at all. He's relieved, we double check he knows where to plug everything in, off he goes.

Only to call back the next day. It doesn't work again. But this time he's got news. It's working in XP, but not Vista. Ummmm..... I say we're really sorry but can he bring it back, but with his keyboard and mouse?

It's exactly as he describes. Totally fine in XP. Unresponsive with Vista. We plug in our cheap unbranded bench keyboard and mouse as well to investigate and see the yellow "!" triangles for his in device manager. His Microsoft keyboard and mouse. Identical hardware, proved functional by the dual boot, his Microsoft keyboard and mouse don't work with the premium shiny new Microsoft OS. Outstanding work, round of applause for them.

We try all we can do, which is essentially nothing. It's not a special keyboard, no extra function buttons or RGB lights or anything so there's no software or driver to try. It really is just a basic USB HID. It doesn't get more simple than this, it is how you computer, it is how you Operate the System. Precisely zero mention or help online can be found.

Sad and unsatisfactory, but we have nothing to try. We apologise and say we'll happily take it back in at some point in the future and see if any windows updates help or something. I don't remember what came of it in the end. He could still use XP and he accepted it, it was he himself who said he wanted to dual boot exactly because of the reputation Vista had. But none of us expected, like, the most fundamental requirement of using a computer to be a show stopper.

I think he ended up using his old peripherals from his other computer at least temporarily. But wow, Microsoft. You really outdid yourself raining on that kid's parade.

I've been meaning to ask, possibly its my lemmy app. I see the about for this community but no rules. I had some stories rejected from r/talesfromtechsupport. For example just mentioning NSFW requests from customers. Are we going by the reddit sub rules or are we OK for that here? Thank you.

I get a job for a department I've never visited before. I'm mostly access all areas so my card being rejected on the door tells me I'm in a specialist area. I explain I'm IT and get shown through to the right room by one of the staff there and I'm left to get on with it.

As I'm looking around I see one of those brainwave sensing hair nets. I know better than to touch anything but inside I am geeking tf out, giddy just being in the presence of tech I've only seen in Back To The Future and Ghostbusters. And what's this? An EM shielded room with a huge heavy metal door and frame? Soooooooo cooooooool!

Whatever it was I came to do I get done pretty quickly. But I notice the mouse cursor is shimmying and drifting to one side. I check the mouse, blow on it to clear anything that might be confusing the optics. Chase some cables, nothing fixes it.

It couldn't be, could it?

I don't quite go as far as closing my eyes and putting my fingertips to my temples like an X-Men character but I admit to staring at that brain mesh cap and thinking at it, REALLY HARD.

Nothing. I'm unworthy.

Eventually I find the real culprit. Some more wires pass through the wall into the EM shielded room where a second keyboard, mouse and monitor control the same PC. The mouse is resting on the keyboard in such a way the optics is hovering slightly above the flat surface of the table. Of course that's the problem.

But for a fleeting moment though, a fantasy came to life.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/29322896

Thank you Blaze. I'm having problems with my app right now so apologies if I don't reply, hopefully I will be able to see updates on my own post.

Hi, looking for current suggestions for home CCTV please.

It's been a while since I looked into it (and never actually proceeded to buying, so not had that experience). Ones I have used were for an employer and not administered by me.

One thing I know I don't want is some cheap dodgy thing that has a mandatory connection to a suspicious Chinese IP address only website they couldn't even be bothered to register a domain for.

Probably goes without saying here any Google or Amazon type kit will be unacceptable but ideally it will be truly closed circuit. No online services, local VLAN or VPN access only. I can create a VM for management and storage.

It will be externally facing the street with the intention of capturing evidence of a certain individual causing issues. It would be a range of 20-40 meters from an upstairs room, so no doorbell type cameras. If I do go ahead it will be with the approval of local law enforcement.

Any suggestions very much appreciated, as well as any questions I'm not familiar enough to know to ask. Thank you.

Hi, looking for current suggestions for home CCTV please.

It's been a while since I looked into it (and never actually proceeded to buying, so not had that experience). Ones I have used were for an employer and not administered by me.

One thing I know I don't want is some cheap dodgy thing that has a mandatory connection to a suspicious Chinese IP address only website they couldn't even be bothered to register a domain for.

Probably goes without saying here any Google or Amazon type kit will be unacceptable but ideally it will be truly closed circuit. No online services, local VLAN or VPN access only. I can create a VM for management and storage.

It will be externally facing the street with the intention of capturing evidence of a certain individual causing issues. It would be a range of 20-40 meters from an upstairs room, so no doorbell type cameras. If I do go ahead it will be with the approval of local law enforcement.

Any suggestions very much appreciated, as well as any questions I'm not familiar enough to know to ask. Thank you.

One day I'm introduced to the new Networks guy. He seems.. fine? But I get a vibe from him I can't shake. He's sort of vague and noncommittal about everything. Which I empathise with, its his first day and I get the impression he's a recent graduate. I've been doing this job for decades and I still don't have the confidence to talk in absolutes when there's even a .01% chance of outliers or being caught wrong. Benefit of doubt is given.

It's quickly withdrawn. I was projecting my low self esteem onto him. He like me has a level of confidence mismatched to his abilities, but in the polar opposite to mine. We're all the new kid at some point in our careers, we all start somewhere. I'm more than happy to support him. But it soon becomes clear we don't share the same understanding of what support means.

"Hey, I need your help with something"

Sure what's up?

"A switch needs moving"

...yeah? And how can I help?

"...can you move it?"

..........I can help you move it, sure.

"Oh. Thank you"

So he's never installed rack equipment? Neither had I, until my first time. No worries, I'm still learning stuff all the time.

Grab yourself some ladders and I'll meet you with the toolkit.

"I'm sorry?"

You'll need ladders.

I may have put slight emphasis on "you". After a silent moment of mutual blank stares passes I think he hasn't quite understood what is happening but has chosen to go one step at a time. He goes off for ladders and we meet in the server room. I find the switch and I hand him a screwdriver. He holds this like a curious relic for a moment, and after quiet contemplation his gaze turns back to me.

Two screws on either side, undo those so we can move it please.

"Here and here?"

Yes, just those.

It's only going up a few Us in the rack, we don't even need to unplug anything. He looks to me for next steps. I talk him through the rack mount clip nuts and hold the switch for him while he screws the bolts back in.

"Oh so it's actually very simple!"

Yes, if you need a second pair of hands again next time I'm happy to help. But you got this now yeah?

"Yeah!"

Over the next months I get the odd message asking me to check or patch something. I feed this back to my line management. Job roles are reaffirmed. He is to ask for my support only in times where it is physically not a one person job. I hear much less from him until...

"Can you help me installing this firewall?"

Of course, where?

"Here, just above this router"

...I'm not sure what you need me for. It just rests on top of the existing kit. You don't need a second person for this.

A couple of days go by. Firewall is still sat on a desk. I mind my own business.

"Can you help me with this firewall?"

How so?

"I don't know how to mount it"

Same as last time, four nuts four bolts.

"It isn't that way in the instructions"

Fair enough, it isn't. They have steps to attach a sliding mount and he can't figure it out.

"I can't see how this attaches"

Looks like you have instructions that don't match the parts provided. This is a fixed bracket, not a sliding one.

"How can I install it then?"

Just attach the bracket and ignore the sliders and the runners.

"But that isn't in the instructions?"

I don't have what isn't in the box, dude.

"Then what would I do?"

I'm sure there is documentation on the manufacturers website.

I try my very best to maintain my neutral face long enough for him to click that I'm not offering to research this for him. I am not at all comfortable with this. For a friend or a colleague with a better mutually supportive relationship I would be there for anything he asked. I feel unkind, honestly. But management have made clear to him and to me where our responsibility lies and ends. Plus enabling helplessness is no favour to him as a professional. It's not his lack of experience at fault. It's an attitude that someone else is going to be far less gentle about challenging. We don't have the same line management but his role is above mine, I have no place to say more. All I do is make mention of it and forget about it.

"Can you help me with another job?"

What is it you need from me?

"Can you do xyz for me?"

I'm available to support you to do this yes.

"I'm just not really a hands on guy, can you do this for me?"

This is communicated up several levels of both lines of management. Last I heard it was explained to him in no uncertain terms that his role was not limited to what could be accomplished via SSH from his desk, and if he wanted a career as a network engineer he better step beyond his days in a university classroom network lab and join the world of skills being actually practised.

I still have mixed feelings about letting him learn the hard way. It's not how I would approach someone I was responsible for or senior to. The reality is at this company I would have been told to know my place at the very bottom rung on the ladder and not presume to interfere. I will never, ever take a management role.

I get a job to install some hardware on all the PCs in an office. It should be the easiest bread and butter task I could be asked to perform. I haven't touched this particular device but its just some USB kit, simple right? We even have our own documentation as well as the manufacturers.

I get down there and start from the beginning of our internal instructions. And immediately hit the first hurdle installing some software. "Do you want to modify or remove this application?". So it's already been installed? Confused, I skip this and move on until something actually starts behaving as expected. Eventually I figure it out. A colleague must have made a start before the hardware arrived, so I'm picking it up halfway through on a separate ticket that hasn't referenced the old one.

OK, so I carry on with the device installs. There's a driver, and a custom firmware, as well as the software. I run the install batch file for the driver, move to the next desk and repeat for each. Back on the first machine I go to install the firmware. "Device could not be found".

Ummkay? I open up device manager and devices and printers, unplug and reconnect and watch as both windows do their twitching and burbling as they recognise the hardware being reattached. Two distinct devices appear, as expected for this type of kit. But one of them is not as it appears in the documentation. I confirm with another dis/reconnect its definitely this device that dis/reappears.

So I raise a ticket with the hardware provider. They send documentation that confirms this should work, but no troubleshooting guide. They say this is what the software provider sent them, so I raise a ticket with software company as well. They too provide basically the same instructions.

The only difference between theirs and mine is the current firmware is later than the version in their screenshot. So I try the older version. Same result. I dig online and if I understand correctly the software and hardware come from different suppliers and the firmware is made by another entity altogether. The stuff I'm reading gives vibes that its more of a project than a company. No wonder the two suppliers are unable to help and refer me to the other.

Between some health issues, closing times and waiting for responses I've had to give up and make another trip about 5 times now. It's getting on my nerves. I've also been out to an existing installation to try and compare, but nothing obvious came to mind. I've been banging my head against the wall with the firmware so I work backwards. I know SOMETHING is installed from device manager, even if its not what I expect to see from the documentation screenshot. I try installing the driver again with the batch file and.. cmd pops up for a fraction of a second and closes.

Arse. That's way too fast. There's my problem. This time I open a command prompt and paste in from copy as path. ".....could not be run". Obviously the firmware updater isn't going to see a device that hasn't got a driver for the OS to recognise it. I open the batch file in notepad.

Now I can write very basic batch files but that's it. I take a look and there's something along the lines of:

If xyz x86, run install32, with parameters

If xyz x64, run install64, with parameters

I get it, but I have no idea how to fix it if its not working. So I find the 64bit version and use copy as path to paste in the full path, and add the switches (just to make it silent, nothing special). This takes a good minute, so progress. I try the firmware again, and it "just works".

Sigh. Thankfully this whole job is for a yearly seasonal cycle so "as long as its working by the end of next month is fine" is the time frame, no impact other than the time I've wasted. If I had sat down for just one computer I would have noticed straight away, but my setting one off running and moving on to the next desk plan means I missed the command window closing suspiciously fast.

To solve the problem for the future I create my own batch file and document it, noting not to use the provided batch file. As I'm working on it, something catches my eye.

If xyz x64 run install64

Versus

\path\to\install64.exe

It cannot be, right? I've already finished the rest of the installs so I'm not wasting further time undoing one to test. But is that truly it? The firmware people just forgot a file extension?? I run the batch file again and paying more attention this time it does say "Install64 was not recognised as an application" or whatever the exact wording is. I can't be bothered to contact the firmware people but I close the tickets with hardware and software with my findings, "hope this helps".

When we reimage for Windows 11, I'm going to keep my eye out for this request for this office. I need to know.

Hi. I was messaging a friend earlier and managed to amuse/embarrass them so they replied "DEAD" and "I CAN'T TURN OFF CAPS LOCK BECAUSE I AM NOW A GHOST".

So I remind her that even a soft light hologram has a physical light bee and they could shimmy about until they hit the right button.

This is from Red Dwarf, right? Was Rimmer trying to turn off a rogue scutter but couldn't touch it, and Ace reminds him after hilarity ensues that actually yes he could have? I tried to find a clip or anything but came up short. Cheers if you can name it.

Hi, looking for suggestions for apps/instances/websites for end of day chilling. I woke up in the middle of the night and can't sleep. Phone addict that I am i reach for lemmy and mastodon and.. no I doomscrolled all day, i don't want any more of this right now.

I am politically engaged, I do care. But it's no benefit to anyone if I stay awake getting angry about tech bros and fascism and warzones when I should be resting or sleeping.

So, general recommendations also welcome for other users too but if you're answering for me, please keep in mind the 3am scenario, meaning:

No videos or podcast/audio books

No brain or text heavy content, no articles or ebooks

Simple, short, funny happy stuff. That also fits well on a phone screen. Webcomics are good, but like The Far Side or Perry Bible Fellowship. Not like Calvin and Hobbes or anything I need to enlarge to read.

I also prefer scrollable media like lemmy and mastodon where you can just stop at any point. You don't have to come back to it later or feel like you have to finish the chapter etc.

Thanks in advance, hope you're all keeping your mental health protected too.

I've blocked dozens of communities, quit the app and relaunched and still get posts.

Also in settings under block list I only see blocked instances. I've blocked at least one user too, it doesn't show any communities or users only the instances.

Anyone else seeing this? Thanks

We were preparing for clients to be permanently onsite who required Internet access. We don't want them on our network and they don't want to be on ours either for security reasons, so we provide a simple consumer grade broadband line. It's just the ISP router to a dumb unmanaged switch wired up to each desk, plain and simple. I test each socket myself, every single one is fine.

Someone from the client comes in, they spend the day doing whatever and nothing is brought up. They proceed with their plans to get their staff come in, equipment is delivered, they set up their own desks. We're literally providing furniture and a basic home network style basic ISP line. Everything else is theirs.

They complain that they can't get online, and fall back to whatever previous arrangement they had so they're not in the office. I test each port with my laptop, again working perfectly. Report this and suggest to discuss in person if they can replicate it.

Someone comes back in. No fault found. Cool. They get their people to come back in.

"It's not working again". Test with my laptop, demonstrate Internet is working immediately. I explain how there's nothing special about this network whatsoever. No firewall no proxy no filter no nothing. It's just connect and go, there's nothing to configure or enable or log into. It just works, for me. I suggest contacting their own IT for support.

In the background on our side there's some grumbling and "you said you tested this" and "the client are unhappy and raising it to our management". Shrug. WorksOnMyMachine.jpg

Client falls back to previous working arrangements again, WFH I assume. Their IT comes in, we meet and demonstrate both our laptops "just work". We have a brief polite, ultra professional conversation about next steps. You know the type. Neutral tone, customer service voice, and the unspoken communication that this is either a you problem or an us problem, and it's not us.

Client has been updated that their IT confirms Internet is working. Client returns to site. Internet not working. Louder and stronger grumblings from our managers. Shrug. WorksOnTheirMachineToo.jpg

Nonetheless this is obviously all my fault so I go to meet the client. They're all back in the office, again none of them can get online. I take my laptop, plug it in. INTERNET, yaaaaaaaay. Client team manager remains absolutely professional, but is strong in their desire to "get to the bottom of this so we can proceed as agreed in The Contract, obviously we can't work here if none of us can get online"

"Well. Except Bob"

Huh?

"Bob's the only one who's been getting online"

Oh well good for Bob. Well done Bob. Bob's actually piqued my interest. This is no longer a you problem, this is now a puzzle. Now I'm actually personally invested.

I drop all assumptions about their equipment, which again they installed and set up themselves. Their hardware, them wiring it all up, so it's my first time actually looking properly. I Ask Permission to Investigate Their Equipment, express that I will do my best but I am limited by not having any account on their systems, let alone admin. This is agreed and reinforces that I would never have touched their gear without their authorisation.

I do some basic tests on Bob's laptop under his account. All working fine as reported. Move onto the next desk, not working. I go to check the obvious, physical connection, and wtf is this?

This isn't that long ago but it's the first time I've seen one of those USB-C laptop charger/docks. The ones with HDMI, extra USB, network adapter, 3.5mm audio etc. My brain halts for a moment. It calls back to the 2000s when a friend had a PCI card, he had no end of intermittent problems with this multiple function gigabit network card, USB and Firewire device.

It's New. And it's trying to Do More Than One Thing At A Time. I immediately hate it.

"Everyone please disconnect your docks, except for this desk I am at now"

Client staff disconnect, including Bob. The laptop I'm sitting at can all of a sudden pull up a Google search for asdfghjkl.

"I'll disconnect this one, the person on the next desk please connect and try your internet"

asdfghjkl, immediate search results displayed. I tell client manager I believe I know what next steps are and I'll email their IT. She's obviously tech literate enough to know I've proved something and seems confident in me now, some of the business language tone softens.

I email. "Hey client IT. I think it's your docks and their network adapter. They do work, but only one at a time. As its your kit I'll leave it with you to confirm but that's my suspicion. Honestly I don't want to be right about this but hope this helps"

A little while later I hear back client IT updated firmware on all the desks and the problems disappear. Management scoff, obviously it was a them issue all along. I get exactly the amount of apologies and congratulations I've come to expect.

I did get one thank you though. From the client manager. A sincere one, even through the professional mask.

Possibly another approach to my last post, but with wider scope - https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/25640154

Is it possible to share a blocklist of communities based on themes? I would find a non English language list very useful, but as I said in the previous post blocking an instance like *.de or *.nl means interrupting comments by users in an English post. Instance level blocking means people who speak multiple languages (and I am one myself) are hidden from me.

But if this were possible it could also be used to block communities for topics I have no interest in, such as sports or all the software I never use announcing update releases. It makes tuning my feed a chore and I think this would improve the experience for everyone's tastes.

Hi. Recently joined and wondering if this is possible. There are many instances with country codes or top level domains, naturally content there is in the relevant language. German in .de for example.

However many users in these instances speak English and participate in other communities.

Could I filter out posts from non English instances without then interrupting replies in comments because the user is blocked by instance?

Thank you.