QOTD: Are You Always Fixing PCs for Others?

[Guest]

It's a double-edged sword. I enjoy the praise, but don't enjoy the lack of compensation 🙂.

 

[Guest]

i usually get called to fix my friends computer about once a month, that's probably because i took my time to do some research prior to building mine. but apparently he thinks i can solve all computer related problems because of that :S

 

[Phesto]

[citation][nom]lucuis[/nom]I fix computers quite frequently for friends or friends of friends, family and family friends etc. I enjoy it.[/citation]
I feel exactly the same way. I like figuring out what is wrong and bringing a supposed dead computer back to life.

 

[Guest]

ALWAYS. and all the time. at work it happens every day. I sell consumer electronics.

 

[Rancifer7]

Always, but then gain i do get compensation for it.

 

[keither5150]

I just remembered one problem that was too funny.

My wife's co-worker asked if I could fix a virus. The co-worker's IT guys said it was a virus that hijacks the browser but they couldn't fix it.

It turned out that the back button on the mouse was stuck.

I still charged my $60 after cleaning her mouse.

 

[mosdapwn]

Happens quite often,
I hardly ever say no, except to ugly people,
Glad to be of service.

 

[subliminalpain]

The most common problems i seen are software related.. I don't mind fixing computers for family and friends, comes in handy when i need a favor in return.

 

[dasin88]

I work as a Student Technician for the IT department at the University I attend (I'm an English major, I always have a hard time explaining that to people for some reason.) I fix computers at work, after class, (I try to keep my job a secret but professors always seem to hear about it one way or another, it's a relatively small university.) in the dorms, and of course every single time I go home I end up having to help out with the family computer. The most common problem/s are definitely viruses and spyware. I give people a lot of slack, but I still just can't come to understand why so many people actually click the sketchy links they receive on facebook, or download malicious "registry fixers" after seeing a flashing pop-up.

 

[fancarolina]

FYI Thinkgeek.com sells that T-Shirt.

Standard Answer to computer problems:
Shut up and reboot.

 

[rjkucia]

Quite often - however, most of the time I get their old hardware, and having some new toys makes it worth it :]

 

[haze4peace]

Although many of my friends are computer savvy, I still fix many computers for family, some friends, and even strangers. I do enjoy it though, but sometimes it can be a pain in the ass. I always have the best software to install, love open source and micro xp! =]

 

[mamw93]

Ya... but most of the time when they tell me the problem it's a pebcak or id10t error. Though sometimes it's a good problem that could happen to anyone and doesn't involve them being tech illiterate.

 

[grant_77]

Most common problem I've had is lack of ram, overfilled/fragmented HD's, and people leaving thier Ipods plugged in while booting their computer and think they've toasted it. (both ipod and computer)

It's nice tho when u can unplug their ipod and u look like a genius, or they purchase $40 of ram and tell me its like having a new computer.

 

[Guest]

It's good for the guys that are earning when fixing the computers of others ... in my case, I'm already a CTO of a tech company, but still receives a lot of calls from family members and old friends to fix their computers or help in building one ... most of the time, i'm being asked to fix their network connections ... and yes it takes up a lot of my time sometimes ... i enjoy giving recommendations on new builds, but dislike fixing issues

 

[mitch074]

I used to, yes. I still do, sometimes.

Except those that I converted to Linux and who learned better methods (security-wise, I mean). Those, I check upon every few months, and they simply tell me "everything's fine, no problem, it works perfectly". Sometimes, they add "it's very simple, in fact, and I don't have to bother you with questions because, well, the answer is usually online", or "it's very fun! I found out how to do this, this and that! Did you know about it?"

I scratch that: one needed some more help one day when attempting to "sudo apt-get dist-upgrade" from Ubuntu 7.10 (which was itself an upgrade from 7.04) to 8.04 (a known UTF-8 conflict in that particular setup that took a dozen minutes to solve).

 

[69camaroSS]

Sure if they agree to mow my lawn, clean my bathroom, do my taxes, etc. . . That usually puts things into perspective for most people. Of course there is always that one person who says "sure. Why not??"

 

[Guest]

Yep, people will run you ragged with every little problem. The 100% Off Family & Friends discount doesn't pay real well either. I have built Hundreds of Custom PC's for clients over the last decade or more and for some reason, every one of them believes it comes with FREE Lifetime support. I've had someone call me at Midnight wondering why his speakers weren't working when his wife secretly muted the sound because he was playing his game to loud. With Windows, it's only a matter of time before someone with minimal knowledge will have something messed up and you chase your tail around fixing everyone's problems for not much money. I can say, if you want to make any money, stick with commercial, because with residential, everyone wants a highly skilled tech that will work for $3 an hour.

 

[g0rilla]

Yes, although I get paid when I help my neighbors. At work, I am the go-to guy for most problems. Occasionally the company that manages our network will come in and do stuff...usually just ends up screwing things up and everyone complains.

 

[Mr_Man]

So far, no one has asked me to look at something that I was unable to at least diagnose, if not fix. I should probably not let it get out that I'm minoring in computer science.

 

[x3nophobe]

Yes, and I charge for my services.

 

[anarchy4sale]

All the time, but not nearly as often I used to. I am always fixing my parents computer though, my mom cant seem to keep hers running without some sort of issue. I mainly just do family now, but amazingly it still consumes a lot of time.

 

[moofachuka]

one friend asked me to fix his pc so i promised him i'll do it once... but now, a lot more ppl are bugging me... it can't be helped -_-" i regret it now

 

[KyleSTL]

I'd invite the prospective owner over for an afternoon or evening, sit them down at the table full of parts and talking them through the process. This single action has made life a whole lot easier. Once a person has actually built a PC their less intimdated by the process and/or less likely to call you up the next time they have a problem. A few have even gone on to do Tech support for a living.

This is my new MO for anyone who wants advice or upgrade. Worked for my dad, and I'm about to start this process with a friend of mine for a new HTPC.

 

[Guest]

I learned long ago not to touch another non work related person's computer including family unless I wanted to get into a life long indentured servitude contract dealing with their "issues".