Dear Users... (A thread for Sysadmin, Technical Support, and Help Desk people)

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JoeMorgue said:
Reoccuring event, a version of which is currently happening, that I've gone through about 4 times now.

Company: "IT, we need you to set up an account so we can order product/service. Give so and so in Accounts Payable the information and set it up the account with her e-mail as the info so we can keep track of it."
IT: "Okay so what happens so and so leaves?"
Company: "Oh that won't happen."
*Sponge Bob Announcer* "Five Minutes Later"
Company "Well so and so quit and all the account information for ordering that product/service is under her account...."
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Surprise. Passwords for external accounts, e.g. external IP registrations, Apple ID's, etc.
 
arthwollipot said:
FML.

A mandatory update to the Windows 10 license went out to all staff which essentially revoked Direct Access for people across the country who are working from home. Which is about half of the total number of staff on our network, or approximately 4,000 people.

There is an automated fix, but a lot of people didn't receive it before having their Direct Access revoked. There is a manual fix, but it requires remotely accessing the computer and using an administrator password, which requires a different remote access software that is available to anyone to install but which is not automatically installed, and which sometimes doesn't install correctly when someone is having problems with Direct Access.

For those staff who can't get it fixed one of these two ways, the only option is to return the computer to the office, which isn't an option for staff in Melbourne who are under mandatory lockdown.

We opened the lines at 7am, and at 7:01am there were already 9 calls waiting, and only one T1 available to take calls.

This sucks. Worst Friday ever.
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1) Buy 10 million floppy disks
2) Put the update on one floppy, and test it works.
3) Floppy copy 9,999,999 others.
4) Insert each in an envelope, add a stamp, go to Post Office, and drop them in the big red box outside.
5) Thank senior non-IT management for this process.
 
Norman Alexander said:
1) Buy 10 million floppy disks
2) Put the update on one floppy, and test it works.
3) Floppy copy 9,999,999 others.
4) Insert each in an envelope, add a stamp, go to Post Office, and drop them in the big red box outside.
5) Thank senior non-IT management for this process.
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This assumes that the computers have floppy drives. None do these days. So you need to deliver users a USB plug-in floppy drive. Assuming that the computers have USB. In which case . . . .
 
So just as a heads up if you're carrying a printer with a lower printer tray up a flight of stars and tilt the printer in just right way the paper tray will slide out and punch you square in the balls.
 
I got a bounce message from my ISP saying that an email I had sent had been bounced by the receipt's ISP because it was malformed and that I was to get some help/action/fix by forwarding the massage to the postmaster at my ISP. That email to postmaster@myisp.com was bounced with an email from the postmaster saying that "postmaster@myisp.com" was an invalid address.

:boggled:
 
JoeMorgue said:
So just as a heads up if you're carrying a printer with a lower printer tray up a flight of stars and tilt the printer in just right way the paper tray will slide out and punch you square in the balls.
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You are in the USA, surely such a poor design is grounds for a multi billion dollar group lawsuit?
 
JoeMorgue said:
So just as a heads up if you're carrying a printer with a lower printer tray up a flight of stars and tilt the printer in just right way the paper tray will slide out and punch you square in the balls.
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I have a (somewhat long in the tooth) Epson Workforce 645.

It is a chore to get the paper tray to come out at the best of times. Sometimes I'm a little bit afraid I'll break something if I pull on it much harder.

I'd almost be willing to try your solution if I thought it would work.
 
Wudang said:
Have you tried a "whois" for your ISP's domain? Usually includes a technical contact I think.
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The message I sent was addressed to a number of addresses as a reply to a message from some else.

Tried again this morning, just in case the problem had gone away, with the same result. I then sent a new message to one of the non-working addresses. It did not bounce. So the problem appears to be in the content of the message to which I was replying. Not going to expend any more effort. ;)
 
quadraginta said:
I have a (somewhat long in the tooth) Epson Workforce 645.

It is a chore to get the paper tray to come out at the best of times. Sometimes I'm a little bit afraid I'll break something if I pull on it much harder.

I'd almost be willing to try your solution if I thought it would work.
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Suggest you buy a JockstrapWP first. :thumbsup:
 
arthwollipot said:
A mandatory update to the Windows 10 license...
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Further to this.

We've got it (mostly) fixed. If a client can return to the office, it fixes itself automatically. Not everybody can do that currently, so we have a manual fix for those who can't connect to Corporate Network over direct access. Problem is, it requires a local admin password to run. Because of course it does.

Retrieving the password and copying the scripts and accompanying data is easy enough. But often, the only tool we have that can actually remote access the affected computer is Skype for Business - we have to send them a Skype message and get them to present their screen.

The problem with that is that the presentation suspends when the computer prompts for the admin password. This is a standard limitation with Skype, and there isn't a workaround. We have to read the password out and get them to enter it.

Here's the rub: it's a strong password. And I mean STRONG. So this is what it's like:

"Okay, ready? Capital T, full stop, dollar sign, lower case G, numeral 3, plus sign, backslash that's the one above the enter key, lower case U, lower case B, capital Y, left curly bracket..."

Left curly bracket!. It's a bloody nightmare is what it is.

At least it works 100% of the time.
 
arthwollipot said:
Further to this.

We've got it (mostly) fixed. If a client can return to the office, it fixes itself automatically. Not everybody can do that currently, so we have a manual fix for those who can't connect to Corporate Network over direct access. Problem is, it requires a local admin password to run. Because of course it does.

Retrieving the password and copying the scripts and accompanying data is easy enough. But often, the only tool we have that can actually remote access the affected computer is Skype for Business - we have to send them a Skype message and get them to present their screen.

The problem with that is that the presentation suspends when the computer prompts for the admin password. This is a standard limitation with Skype, and there isn't a workaround. We have to read the password out and get them to enter it.

Here's the rub: it's a strong password. And I mean STRONG. So this is what it's like:

"Okay, ready? Capital T, full stop, dollar sign, lower case G, numeral 3, plus sign, backslash that's the one above the enter key, lower case U, lower case B, capital Y, left curly bracket..."

Left curly bracket!. It's a bloody nightmare is what it is.

At least it works 100% of the time.
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What's wrong with "p@sswerd"?
 
arthwollipot said:
Further to this.

We've got it (mostly) fixed. If a client can return to the office, it fixes itself automatically. Not everybody can do that currently, so we have a manual fix for those who can't connect to Corporate Network over direct access. Problem is, it requires a local admin password to run. Because of course it does.

Retrieving the password and copying the scripts and accompanying data is easy enough. But often, the only tool we have that can actually remote access the affected computer is Skype for Business - we have to send them a Skype message and get them to present their screen.

The problem with that is that the presentation suspends when the computer prompts for the admin password. This is a standard limitation with Skype, and there isn't a workaround. We have to read the password out and get them to enter it.

Here's the rub: it's a strong password. And I mean STRONG. So this is what it's like:

"Okay, ready? Capital T, full stop, dollar sign, lower case G, numeral 3, plus sign, backslash that's the one above the enter key, lower case U, lower case B, capital Y, left curly bracket..."

Left curly bracket!. It's a bloody nightmare is what it is.

At least it works 100% of the time.
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And that's when you learn how many people don't know the NATO phonetic alphabet, or even the need to produce a similar effect.
 
TragicMonkey said:
And that's when you learn how many people don't know the NATO phonetic alphabet, or even the need to produce a similar effect.
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I read an article a little while back that argued, quite persuasively, that the current Phonetic Alphabet (either the American or the European one - yes, they are different) is not that helpful and should be replaced. Something to do with the way sounds are transmitted over things that aren't shortwave radio.

The main reason I use a standard Phonetic Alphabet is that I have it memorised, so I don't have to hesitate to think of a word. I just say N for November, C for Charlie, Q for Quebec. People I speak to say "S for... uh... Su...zanne?"

A Phonetic Alphabet is useful. The Phonetic Alphabet isn't that great.
 
Despite everything, we have just managed to reduce our backlog of open incidents, which at the beginning of the week was in the 180s, down to zero.

That feels good. Sense of accomplishment.
 
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