Tuesday, April 26, 2016

help, please

I called a customer service support line last night

     My PC has been acting funny.  Before actually taking it in, I decided to give the live chat help a try.
     It was about 11 and alcohol was not involved.
     So, I get connected to a gent named Rob, using our desk top computer.
     He asks me to describe the problem, which I do.
     He asks me to turn off the computer and turn it back on again.
     I do.
     The screen pops up that asks my ID.
     Now, Emily and John will know what kind of problem a question like that causes me.  I find my list and type it in.....but no, not it.  I try again, with a capital.  Nope.  I try again with a capital at the front and a capital at the back.  Nope.  I try again with a capital at the back only.  Nope.  I try a totally different password for a totally different computer.  Yup.  Go figure.  And these are written down!  I can't figure it out when they are in writing in front of me!!
     That has taken me about 15 minutes.  Seriously.
     He asks me a series of questions, which I dutifully answer.
     I open Safari and the computer starts acting funny...screen goes crazy.
     I follow the directions to turn off the computer and open it in safe mode.  And by the way, it does take longer, much longer, for a  computer to open in safe mode.
     I do that.  Everything looks ok.  Then Bingo, screen goes crazy.
     I restarted three times in safe mode, then once in recovery mode, and nothing changed.
      Meanwhile, I download a malware program on my desktop computer and move it to a thumb drive.  (I make it sound simple....but it took me a long time to do this.)
     The thinking was Safari may have contained a virus.
     Popped in the thumb drive and restarted in safe mode.  That's when we find out you can't download a program if your computer is in safe mode...so I turn it off and restart it again.
It is now about 12:15  I mention I am tired, and if this process takes long, I might be better to quit for the night.
     I am assured it is only a few minutes.
    At 12:30 I manage to finally get the malware onto the computer.....and I do not have any malware on my little pc.  But, then I lost all control of mouse movement and the screen was an artwork in progress.  Someone taking LSD and watching it would blow their mind.
     At about 12:40 we decided I needed to make an appointment at the store.  And we did.
     At about 12:50....or somewhere in that time zone.....I signed off.
     Ever been so tired you can't sleep?  When you hit the sheets and suddenly they hit back?  When every noise is a masked murderer, wild animal, fanged monster or Trump supporter?
     So I sat up in my chair and read until about 2.......only to awake somewhere around 6.
     So here I am....tired, happy for a Cubs win, freezing and not at all expecting I will go to sleep.
     I think I'll just finish that book tonight....only 110 pages to go.

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