@?&*^% Computers anyway

I know this is off topic, but I'm just happy to have my news reader
back fully operational again ( decided to drop thunderbird and go with
Agent 4.x )

After 20 years of frontline computer support you'd think I'd learn by
now.
While doing some data backup from a clients HD ( VIA the USB port)
to my computer something from his computer infected my computer,
caused all sorts of problems with the operating system. I still
haven't figured out what it was. Did the AV scan and cleaned up a
lot of stuff prior to the backup. Thanksfully none of the other
computers in my home were on at the time, that would have been a
serious mess. Then the hardware mess started

I added a 2nd drive to my system changed the fan location and added a
5.24 floppy drive. the 5.25 drive "pop"ed ( yes the noise was loud)
upon startup, took out my entire computer....Oh I was not happy.

So I'm slowly getting my system back to normal status. And changing
e-mail clients and newsreading SW around again. and trying to clean
up the mess. It's taken me a couple of weeks to do this. Word of
advice for those who care to listen -- Do not have more than 2
harddrives "just laying aroung with "Archived Data" I found stuff
that I wrote back in 1988 that I thought was lost forever, actually I
forgot it was there.:-)

The nicest thing is that just prior to everything taking a nose dive I
made $350.00 in 3 days repairing 3 computers ( probably about 8 hrs
total ) . XkatX, if I remember a post of yours long ago about no
money being in computers, depending upon where you are and how good
you are, there can be money made in this field. What I do is more
listening to people then much of anything else. If you ever think
about joing the ranks, drop me a note and I'll fill you in on 20 yrs
of experience.


Now back to the bench, my son's laptop and his GF's parents computers
are waiting.

It feels good to have an operational computer again :-) Now to catch
up on everythings that been happening

Alex

"Alex Nemeth" wrote in message
...
snip
The nicest thing is that just prior to everything taking a nose dive I
made $350.00 in 3 days repairing 3 computers ( probably about 8 hrs
total ) . XkatX, if I remember a post of yours long ago about no
money being in computers, depending upon where you are and how good
you are, there can be money made in this field. What I do is more
listening to people then much of anything else. If you ever think
about joing the ranks, drop me a note and I'll fill you in on 20 yrs
of experience.
snip

Who? Me?
I'm really not sure what post this was, buuut... I probably said something
about it a looong while back - don't remember.
IF I did say no money, although I'm not sure I did, but not saying I didn't,
I would have meant that there's no real opportunity. EVERYONE is in the IT
field, one way or another. I went to school for that and then quickly gave
it up after not long. Everyone and their dog seem to be in school for
something computer related.
IIRC, I did, a little while back, make mention of a friend having a small
computer fixing thing going on and how he wanted me to help out with that
(then there was the issue of being paid under the table and all that - he
offered me $60/computer I took on, and offered me whatever the rate was for
the work needing to be done - be it something simple like hardware
installation, virus removal, fixing this, fixing that, whatever) I guess
I'm really not interested at all in that kinda stuff. My own personal
computers have kinda slid down the drain just because at one point, I
enjoyed doing this or that with my own computer, enjoyed lending a hand if
someone had some issues, but now - meh. I think I'd much rather catch up on
laundry than fix a small problem with a computer, build something, work on
something.
Why do I want to do that when it seems everyone else does as well? There
was a guy that I had a few classes with who was bragging about this and
that - school and education related. We got into some conversation and he
asked how I was getting along with the (crappy and useless) microcomputer
specialist, and was shocked when I said I was currently working at a salon -
as in doing hair - and I asked him how his was going, and he said he worked
at a shotty call centre doing tech support over the phone.
I think, as far as that one friend's offer went, it wasn't so much the work
or the money, it was getting paid under the table that kind of made me fear
the 'what if...'
I just haven't seen much option as far as that goes. I am, however, totally
willing to open my ears and hear, though. Working and doing what I was
doing a while back - fixing someone's computer day in and day out - was a
headache. The *only* thing I came out with as far as that goes was great
stories best saved for nights of drinking games lol

On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:49:29 GMT, 'Kate wrote:

On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 03:41:25 GMT, Alex Nemeth the
following was posted in blue dry erase marker:

I know this is off topic, but I'm just happy to have my news reader
back fully operational again ( decided to drop thunderbird and go with
Agent 4.x )

Good to see you post.
I'm glad you got all that straightened out.


Now if only I can get Outlook to import it's old settings maybe I can
get e-mail up & operational


'Kate

On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 04:04:28 GMT, "xkatx" wrote:


"Alex Nemeth" wrote in message
.. .
snip
The nicest thing is that just prior to everything taking a nose dive I
made $350.00 in 3 days repairing 3 computers ( probably about 8 hrs
total ) . XkatX, if I remember a post of yours long ago about no
money being in computers, depending upon where you are and how good
you are, there can be money made in this field. What I do is more
listening to people then much of anything else. If you ever think
about joing the ranks, drop me a note and I'll fill you in on 20 yrs
of experience.
snip

Who? Me?
I'm really not sure what post this was, buuut... I probably said something
about it a looong while back - don't remember.

yea...I think it was long ago..my memory isn't what it used to be :-),
and with half the posts missing from google.groups I can't even check
myself... Oh well topic for another day.


IF I did say no money, although I'm not sure I did, but not saying I didn't,
I would have meant that there's no real opportunity. EVERYONE is in the IT
field, one way or another. I went to school for that and then quickly gave
it up after not long. Everyone and their dog seem to be in school for
something computer related.
IIRC, I did, a little while back, make mention of a friend having a small
computer fixing thing going on and how he wanted me to help out with that
(then there was the issue of being paid under the table and all that - he
offered me $60/computer I took on, and offered me whatever the rate was for
the work needing to be done - be it something simple like hardware
installation, virus removal, fixing this, fixing that, whatever) I guess
I'm really not interested at all in that kinda stuff. My own personal
computers have kinda slid down the drain just because at one point, I
enjoyed doing this or that with my own computer, enjoyed lending a hand if
someone had some issues, but now - meh. I think I'd much rather catch up on
laundry than fix a small problem with a computer, build something, work on
something.

That's why it took me so long to getthis thing fixed. 8-10 hours a
day looking at computers and the last thing I wanted to do was to fix
my own.

Why do I want to do that when it seems everyone else does as well?


There
was a guy that I had a few classes with who was bragging about this and
that - school and education related. We got into some conversation and he
asked how I was getting along with the (crappy and useless) microcomputer
specialist, and was shocked when I said I was currently working at a salon -
as in doing hair - and I asked him how his was going, and he said he worked
at a shotty call centre doing tech support over the phone.
I think, as far as that one friend's offer went, it wasn't so much the work
or the money, it was getting paid under the table that kind of made me fear
the 'what if...'
I just haven't seen much option as far as that goes. I am, however, totally
willing to open my ears and hear, though. Working and doing what I was
doing a while back - fixing someone's computer day in and day out - was a
headache. The *only* thing I came out with as far as that goes was great
stories best saved for nights of drinking games lol

chuckle I know the feeling and I have pictures too! ( seriously we
really did do this last year about this time too :-) )

"Alex Nemeth" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 25 Sep 2006 00:49:29 GMT, 'Kate wrote:

On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 03:41:25 GMT, Alex Nemeth the
following was posted in blue dry erase marker:

I know this is off topic, but I'm just happy to have my news reader
back fully operational again ( decided to drop thunderbird and go with
Agent 4.x )

Good to see you post.
I'm glad you got all that straightened out.


Now if only I can get Outlook to import it's old settings maybe I can
get e-mail up & operational

Ugh... I had this problem with OE a while back and it just made me angry.
Good ol' Outlook never fails to have some sort of issues

"Alex Nemeth" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 24 Sep 2006 04:04:28 GMT, "xkatx" wrote:


"Alex Nemeth" wrote in message
. ..
snip
The nicest thing is that just prior to everything taking a nose dive I
made $350.00 in 3 days repairing 3 computers ( probably about 8 hrs
total ) . XkatX, if I remember a post of yours long ago about no
money being in computers, depending upon where you are and how good
you are, there can be money made in this field. What I do is more
listening to people then much of anything else. If you ever think
about joing the ranks, drop me a note and I'll fill you in on 20 yrs
of experience.
snip

Who? Me?
I'm really not sure what post this was, buuut... I probably said something
about it a looong while back - don't remember.

yea...I think it was long ago..my memory isn't what it used to be :-),
and with half the posts missing from google.groups I can't even check
myself... Oh well topic for another day.

My brain has just kind of disappeared or something... I think...

IF I did say no money, although I'm not sure I did, but not saying I
didn't,
I would have meant that there's no real opportunity. EVERYONE is in the
IT
field, one way or another. I went to school for that and then quickly
gave
it up after not long. Everyone and their dog seem to be in school for
something computer related.
IIRC, I did, a little while back, make mention of a friend having a small
computer fixing thing going on and how he wanted me to help out with that
(then there was the issue of being paid under the table and all that - he
offered me $60/computer I took on, and offered me whatever the rate was
for
the work needing to be done - be it something simple like hardware
installation, virus removal, fixing this, fixing that, whatever) I guess
I'm really not interested at all in that kinda stuff. My own personal
computers have kinda slid down the drain just because at one point, I
enjoyed doing this or that with my own computer, enjoyed lending a hand if
someone had some issues, but now - meh. I think I'd much rather catch up
on
laundry than fix a small problem with a computer, build something, work on
something.

That's why it took me so long to getthis thing fixed. 8-10 hours a
day looking at computers and the last thing I wanted to do was to fix
my own.

It actually, for some strange reason, makes me almost happy when this piece
of junk goes wonky
Actually, oddly enough, I got up this morning and when I made my way to the
computer to check how my downloads were going, I was shocked to see the
computer had restarted itself, but NOT in a good way... It was stuck forcing
me into the bios saying that there's a potential of everything on the E
drive being lost due to something or another.
Hitting the restart button (which sometimes works to fix random problems)
resulted in the same booting issue, so I skipped it, only to have the
computer start up properly but then give me that stupid, 'YOU MAY BE A
VICTIM OF SOFTWARE COUNTERFEITING!!! PLEASE PAY US MONEY FOR A REAL KEY AND
DISC FOR WINDOWS!!!!! IT'S ONLY $149!!!'
So, needless to say, I rebooted about a gazillion times (for the broken
drive E issues and then for the 'I'm so victim' problems) and in the end, it
said that the computer had recovered from a VERY SERIOUS crash problem - or
something.
I find it rather humorous

Why do I want to do that when it seems everyone else does as well?


There
was a guy that I had a few classes with who was bragging about this and
that - school and education related. We got into some conversation and he
asked how I was getting along with the (crappy and useless) microcomputer
specialist, and was shocked when I said I was currently working at a
salon -
as in doing hair - and I asked him how his was going, and he said he
worked
at a shotty call centre doing tech support over the phone.
I think, as far as that one friend's offer went, it wasn't so much the
work
or the money, it was getting paid under the table that kind of made me
fear
the 'what if...'
I just haven't seen much option as far as that goes. I am, however,
totally
willing to open my ears and hear, though. Working and doing what I was
doing a while back - fixing someone's computer day in and day out - was a
headache. The *only* thing I came out with as far as that goes was great
stories best saved for nights of drinking games lol

chuckle I know the feeling and I have pictures too! ( seriously we
really did do this last year about this time too :-) )

Yea, sometimes, though, it's real scary...