This mother tereza **** needs to stop.

My family and my wife's family all runs Macs with the odd exception. We don't have the same problem you poor people have. :D

In all seriousness I support two PCs. Mine and my sons - thats it. The bit above is true though. Everybody else has a Mac or iPad including the wife. I am not doing PC support after dealing with Windows (ok servers mostly) during my day job. I see people at work that agree to look at people's personal computer problems just for beer or something. Why!!!

Haters gonna hate.
 
I don't mind fixing problems for my Mum, because well, she's my Mum. But then she goes telling all and sundry at her work that I can take a look at their computers for them. Which I do mind doing.
 
I don't mind it for the most of the time as sometimes you pick up info on a new bit of malware etc.

What does bother me is if they expect me to go to them. No! - you want it fixed then bring it to me, leave it and then come get it when it's ready. Fairly firm on the that and it works.
 
I had this problem , it is so dead easy to fix it is unreal

Get a copy of acronis , install it on target machine , create a hidden backup partition
take an image of system (when it is working fine etc) , stick it on the hidden partition,
configure acronis to enable boot time recovery.

Now when , they screw it up , all you have to do is reboot , hit F2 , and tell it to recover.
The recovery will only take 5 mins , job done ...... until they next time they bork it.
 
LordSplodge said:
My family and my wife's family all runs Macs with the odd exception. We don't have the same problem you poor people have. :D

In all seriousness I support two PCs. Mine and my sons - thats it. The bit above is true though. Everybody else has a Mac or iPad including the wife. I am not doing PC support after dealing with Windows (ok servers mostly) during my day job. I see people at work that agree to look at people's personal computer problems just for beer or something. Why!!!

Haters gonna hate.
Click to expand...

Person I help most: next-door neighbour.
Next-door's computer: iMac.
:p

I agree with the sentiment though. I've found since Vista/7 I'm fixing a lot less.
 
theforce said:
As hardware enthusiasts we all have friends and relatives that want our help when it comes to their computers. I have no problem building their new computers and solving all their hardware problems for free but every single time they encounter something or mess up their computers because they either installed 100 useless applications they manage to become malware collectors, it's me to the rescue.

My attempts to hint that l am not oblidged to solve all their software errors, it's like throwing eggs on a wall. I format their PC's and tell them not to install bogus software and use common sense, only to visit them a few weeks later to discover that they downloaded all that **** that caused them the problem in the first place.

Any ideas of how to deal with this guys because l find myself spending my free time fixing other people's PC instead of just chilling.
Click to expand...

And this, mantoddlers, is why taking a passive aggressive approach is the worst thing you can do (unless you also download and watch anime, that would be worse).

OP, have you talked to these people about your issue (I'm kidding, I know you haven't) or done anything other than post on a like-minded forum for the anticipated pat on the back you so obviously need? (I'm not kidding here)
 
I find it a little annoying myself when people call upon me to fix their computers, even more annoying when it seems like things that go wrong are then pushed onto me since I was the last one that tried to fix something.

Computers are pretty simple, if people looked after stuff, didn't visit dodgy sites so often and ran PC's with updated anti virus and spyware etc they wouldn't have so many problems. Also no poking around inside PC cases while standing on carpeted floor, as my brother found out when he fried his motherboard and graphics card I assume from static. :rolleyes:
 
Agreed by the way that many people think you fixing something for them is not worth any sort of remuneration. A few times I've told people that I won't do a headache job for free. Once I ask them if they would expect a plumber to come around and fix their boiler for free, they soon come around to the idea of getting me several beers in the pub at the very least least.

The worst thing is word of mouth though - I flat out refuse to help randoms in the local who approach me who have heard through someone else that I can "fix PCs". Unless it's an old codger who's really struglling, in which case I usually make an exception.
 
You need to tell people that you won't fix their computer. It's really not a complex thing to grasp. Your passive-aggressive behaviour and inward-directed rage will get you nowhere - people will continue to walk all over you.


For me, I will fix the computers of my immediate family and best friends - no-one else. I never have a problem with them as they wouldn't take the **** and are always appreciative. I will also help out work colleges in the office if I can (...our IT support are appalling), so long as it's a relatively minor job. Beyond that it's a "no, sorry, I don't have the time".
 
orderoftheflame said:
"Want my professional opinion or personal opinion?"

"Personal."

"Ask a professional."

"What's your professional opinion then?"

"I charge for that."
Click to expand...
I like that. :cool:

For me I just tell people to bring the systems to me & not to expect me to do it for free, Apart from me Dear old Ma of course. :)

I actually don't mind sorting peoples Lappys/Systems out if they bring them to my home & I can do them in my own time. I will not stop what I am doing for anybody but I will sort things out when it suits me.
 
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