***ing Windows XP!!!!!

[ffutures]

Started trying to fix a worm and multiple viruses on my brother-in-law's computer on Monday evening. Spent most of yesterday on it, from about 9 AM to 10 PM with a break for an Indian meal, and ended up with a PC that kept freezing and locking up. As part of this I ran the setup disk and "repair windows" option, which seemed to make things considerably worse, and amongst other things had to back up 15 CDs worth of files, all of them in one bloody directory. I was not a happy bunny.

Started again tonight at about 6 PM, did a clean Windows reinstall.Seemed to work OK until I got to the sound card driver install then the whole ****ing freezing thing started again and I couldn't make the uninstall program work to get rid of it. Ran a windows repair installation again, this time making sure that no sound card driver was installed. This time Windows worked. Eventually got everything working again (I sincerely hope) and took care of things like service packs and security patches, finishing a little after eleven. I make it a total of 24 hours work to sort the damn thing. Let me just say again that this was just the time it took to get Windows XP working again properly, and more or less nothing else apart from the modem, printer, and anti-virus software. Still a huge pile of software to install, but they can take care of the rest of it for themselves.

Last time I had to do a clean Windows 98 install it took me about thirty minutes to get it up and running.

Linux is looking more and more attractive...

Comments

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

Get a Mac! BWAH HA HA HA!

You've got my sympathies: I'm doing Windows support very part time as a favor for a friend at her company and it's a nightmare.

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

Too much PC software, hardware, etc. here, plus I need compatibility with work, family, etc.

To be fair I should say that the problem was unusually bad; they'd let the anti-virus software expire and run without it for something like a month, there was no firewall, and I can't seem to wean them away from Outlook Express, Internet Exploder, MSN messenger, etc. I hope I'll never have a similar situation on my own machine.

[jonnynexus.livejournal.com]

Even if they have to stick with Windows, you could just try installing Firefox and Thunderbird (the Mozilla equivalents of IE and Outlook) and see if they say anything.

I think when a lot of non-technie people say "IE" and "Outlook" what they mean is "web browser" and "email" so when you ask them to do without they freak. Show them something like Firefox and they're amazed, saying, "But that looks just like Internet Explorer?"

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

I had them using Opera for a while, I've installed that again but they really seem to have trouble with the idea of not using Outlook. It's worth a shot though, thanks for suggesting it.

[cdybedahl.livejournal.com]

I think that the biggest crime (by far) that Microsoft has committed against humanity is to convince the masses that what you describe is how computers should work.