Around 8:20 am one morning several years ago
*RING*
Me: Hello. Good morning! IT support. How can I help you?
User: Hi, morning. I can’t unlock my computer.
Me: Do you mean the computer is hang? When you move the mouse does it respond?
User: Nope. Dead as well.
Me: Ok, that confirms it. Can you restart the computer?
User: Ya, I did. I pressed the power button and it won’t work.
Me: Oh that. You gotta hold the computer’s power button for 4 secs or more before it will power down. Power it up again after it has done so. Call me back if you still have problems after the computer has re-started, ok?
User: Ok. *hangs up*
Me: *puts down phone, thinking: another happy customer*
Roughly a minute later
*RING*
Me: Hello. Good morning! IT support. How can I help you?
User: Ya hi. I called earlier. My computer still hang.
Me: Ok. You mean it still don’t respond after you restarted it?
User: Yep. Actually, it didn’t seem to restart. I even held the power for 30seconds.
Me: * perplexed* What do you see on screen?
User: It stills says This computer is locked and in used by me. Press CTRL-ALT-DEL to unlock.
Me: Nevermind. Let me come to your desk. You are just next door.
A while later
(Stomped with deliberate heavy foot steps to user’s desk) Me: Show me how you power down your computer.
User: *Pushes power button on LCD Screen and held it, and tried to explain again*
Me: *trying very hard not to laugh but cuts user of in the middle of his sentence* Ahh… I see your problem. Would you mind step aside for awhile.
User stepped aside, and I went over tested his keyboard and mouse one more time to assure it’s really dead. Satisfied that it met all the requirements of a stalled computer, squatted down and push the power button on the unit sitting on the floor. After System powered up about 1.5 minutes later, I tested mouse and keyboard and asked user to login.
(After verifying that user has successfully login) Me: Ok sir. That should work now. Call me again if there still problems. Have a good day.
I think I saw a blush embarrassment on his face as I left.
lycan2046
