QOTD: Are You Always Fixing PCs for Others?

[bildo123]

Heh...Funny you should ask. In other words, a few times a month. Very recently, as in 1AM last night, I returned home from a buddy's house. For "some reason" his 6~7 year old Netgear WGR614 wireless router is having troubles connecting wireless devices. Honestly this router made no sense, e.g. broadcasting a secured wireless network while I have the screen in my face saying 'disabled' for wireless security. Assigning IP's to one wireless device, but not to another. CONNECTING perfectly fine, yet unable to ping any device on the network? Exactly...All for free (At that point it was a challenge)

I don't mind at all when I get paid though. Usually its like the rest said above, "It's slow". I then explain the format process, which most don't mind. But those who do...well, good luck.

 

[guhland]

A definite YES on that one!

 

[migs008]

Oh hell yeah. Not only myself though. There's about 3 of us in my immediate family that can fix computers. My dad, my brother and ME. We built our computers and fix problems with any of them if they appear. The problems usually made by the rest of the family(2 sisters and mom). Adding to that my mom makes us her personal IT tech unit and deploys us to numerous friends and families to fix computer related problems. It got super annoying the past 2 years since we went here to the US. NEW family and friends of hers that need computer help. She kept like dogging at us to fix it faster and kept nagging "Come on fix it already its already been 3 days". It's a stupid laptop!!! AND I just came back from work THEY didn't even bring the damn POWER cord so it's out of battery how the heck am I suppose to fix that?!!

 

[Guest]

It's part of my life.

 

[quietstorm]

Yep, all the time! Family is free, but have to charge others. Most of the time it's virus issues/software. Most of them don't have recovery discs so there's the headache of finding/ordering the discs, etc. Every once in a while it's nice to have a break though...some days after working on them all day you just don't want to tinker with them in the evenings.