Yesterday - 10AM I had a job interview for a position as Software Analyist. The interview went well. I was told to expect to be called back for a second interview next week.
Directly after the interview I was called to troubleshoot an Internet connectivity issue. I arrived at the house to find a generic computer running Windows 98 without the ability to get a dial tone from the modem. First I checked the phone jack by plugging a telephone into it to check for a dial tone. The jack was working properly. Next I checked the phone cord inself. That seemed to be fine as well. I looked under Device Manager (right click on My Computer, choose Properties) to see if there were any conflicts with the dialup adapter. The computer reported the modem as working fine.
I went to my car to check for another modem. I found one. The question was, would it work? In removed the non-functioning modem and installed the new one. I rebooted the machine and it did not detect the newer modem. I attempted to locate the new device using the Add New Hardware Wizard (Start - Settings - Control Panel - Add New Hardware). The device could not be found. I removed the obviously broken modem and explained to the owner of the computer that she most likely needs a new modem. She recommended that I take her tower with me. That way I could purchase the modem and install it at my leisure.
I left her house and went to the nearest electronics store - Radio Shack. They were out of internal dialup adapters. Next I went to Best Buy to check their price on a modem. I was shocked and angered when I found out that they were trying to get $40 for a modem! How could I charge someone for a $15 part? I walked out of the store.
I arrived home and began looking in my basement through piles of old towers. I removed two modems, found the drivers online at www.driverguide.com and copied the files to a floppy disk. I removed the old modem and replace it with the new one. I booted the machine and the Add New Hardware Wizard appeared. I directed the wizard to look at the floppy drive for the drivers. All was successful. I connected the phone cord to the modem and dialed into the users Internet access account. Another problem solved!
My plan for the day. I must drop off the Dell laptop by 8:00. Then I have to be somewhere from 9-6. Then I will go to the house with the past modem issue and hook the computer back up, submit a bill and go home.
I got another call yesterday stating that this site www.pathwaystowellbeing.org will need some updating.
My first Verizon Yellow Pages ad came out a few weeks ago -it's a nice ad, and it really sticks out on the page. The problem is that they listed my business under the wrong category! They put it under Networking instead of Service and Repair! Yes, I dabble in networking but that is not my main focus! Verizon really screwed up! The funny part of this whole thing is that back when I was putting the ad together I was told by my contact person at Verizon that I was going to receive a proof of my ad before it actually went to print. Several weeks had gone by so I emailed the contact again. She told me that she would get the proof to me. A few more weeks passed so I contacted her again. She told me that she was passing my request along to her manager and apologized for taking so long. I never received a reply from her manager, nor did I get the proof! Then the phone book arrived in the mail. It was too late!
I have sent an email to the contact person with whom I placed the ad. She hasn't replied (this was two weeks ago I sent the email). I spoke with another gentleman from Verizon about the problem. He said that he would look into it (that was over a week ago - still no return call). Why should I have to pay for an ad that is listed under the wrong category? I have already begun to receive phone calls for networking jobs that are beyond my comfort level. I have no problem installing a wireless network or a small business or home network but I am getting calls to set up larger networks. Then I have to explain to them that I do not specialize in networking! How does that make my company look? Not good! Verizon really screwed up! The ad would have cost $130 a month! That's a lot of money to be listed under the wrong category! I hope that they don't expect payment anytime soon!
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
I worked on a laptop yesterday. It was another Dell running Windows XP. I can't tell you how many Dells I have worked on in the past six months. Does this mean that Dells are junk? Probably not, I think that it means that there are so many people out there who own them. If I were to take a guess at what type of computer I fix most it would have to be Dell. Anyway, the laptop was a return visit. I originally fixed it last week. It was plagued with spyware and viruses. A clever virus had the CDROM drive disabled so I was unable to install any software that way. Luckily, upon examining the startup menu, I noticed an executable file with a suspicious name, it had the words cdrom in the file name. I deselected it as a startup item and upon the next boot the drive worked. After that point it was simply a matter of booting to Safe Mode and cleaning the machine up. I tried to drop the laptop off at the owners how the following day but I was informed that she would be out of town.
About a week had passed and the owner called to set up a time when I could drop her computer off. I met with her, explained what the problems were and how to combat them (don't open attachments, scan downloaded files with antivirus software and be careful). The following day I recieved a call from the Dell owner. She was having problems again. I told her I would be at her house in a half hour to check it out. I arrived at her house and she booted up the machine, it stalled. I attempted to boot into Safe Mode, it stalled again. I asked her what was going on when it began to have problems. She said that there wasn't anything inparticular. She was downloading some updates and it stalled. I realized that the problem most likely wasn't related to any of the previous work I had performed. Then I tried Last Know Good Configuration and that failed. I shut the machine down the hard way - by holding the power button down for as long as it takes, put the laptop in its case and headed home.
I began working on the machine. I booted to Safe Mode and let the machine load for about fifteen minutes. It finally came alive! That's when an error message popped up telling me that updates had not been completely installed and that some components of Norton Antivirus had not been completely removed. The evidence was plain as day. The problems were not with the work I had performed but they were caused by the user. I accessed the System Restore feature (I set a restore point after I cleaned up her machine the first time.) and restored the system to a date when I was certain that the computer was functioning properly. I rebooted to finish the process and the computer was back to a healthy state.
I will return it to her tomorrow - free of charge.
About a week had passed and the owner called to set up a time when I could drop her computer off. I met with her, explained what the problems were and how to combat them (don't open attachments, scan downloaded files with antivirus software and be careful). The following day I recieved a call from the Dell owner. She was having problems again. I told her I would be at her house in a half hour to check it out. I arrived at her house and she booted up the machine, it stalled. I attempted to boot into Safe Mode, it stalled again. I asked her what was going on when it began to have problems. She said that there wasn't anything inparticular. She was downloading some updates and it stalled. I realized that the problem most likely wasn't related to any of the previous work I had performed. Then I tried Last Know Good Configuration and that failed. I shut the machine down the hard way - by holding the power button down for as long as it takes, put the laptop in its case and headed home.
I began working on the machine. I booted to Safe Mode and let the machine load for about fifteen minutes. It finally came alive! That's when an error message popped up telling me that updates had not been completely installed and that some components of Norton Antivirus had not been completely removed. The evidence was plain as day. The problems were not with the work I had performed but they were caused by the user. I accessed the System Restore feature (I set a restore point after I cleaned up her machine the first time.) and restored the system to a date when I was certain that the computer was functioning properly. I rebooted to finish the process and the computer was back to a healthy state.
I will return it to her tomorrow - free of charge.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
I got a call last week. It was a previous client. Problems with an attempted wireless router installation. We set up an appointment for this morning - 10:00 AM. The challenge; to install and configure a wireless router to allow two laptops (with built in wireless) to share a DSL connection. It should have been easy but, it wasn't. As a matter of fact, I had encountered this exact setup before. Verizon DLS with a Westel modem and a Linksys router. The user tried to install the router but got stuck. He called me. After some searching I found the answer. The solution is simple, Verizon uses PPPoE, so this must be configured through the router. (Type 192.168.1.1 into your web browser's address bar and press Enter. Type in your user name and password to log into the router interface. From here you will have to find PPPoE. It's there, so keep looking.) don't forget to enter the user name and password for Verizon under the PPPoE dialog, and turn off the DHCP server.
The task began with a suggestion from my client. She wanted a virus and spyware scan. I downloaded and installed Microsoft AntiSpy as well as AVG AntiVirus ran a scan with both applications and was pleased to say that nothing was found. I examined the startup menu and didn't find anything unusual. Then I began the router setup.
I changed the appropriate router settings, changed the SSID connected the cables, rebooted and followed all other proceedures mentioned in the router's manual (Yes, I actually look at the manuals!). I opened up Internet Explorer and it connected to my client's preset homepage. I turned to the other laptop to see if it could see the wireless connection. The connection singnal strength was reported as "Excellent". My mind began to think about what I would do with my free time since I would be finished much earlier than predicted. I typed www.google.com into the address bar. The Google homepage was displayed. I typed in a search and got results. I clicked on a link from the results page only to find that the link timed out. I opened the command prompt (by going to Start - Run - if you are using Windows XP type "cmd" - without the quotation marks - If you are using Windows ME (I know, Windows ME is almost painful to use.)type "command" - again, without the quotes then press Enter. This will bring up the command prompt.) and typed in used the Ping command to see if the computer was connected to the Internet. Without going on and on, I just have to tell you that the connection was spotty - at best. I checked, double checked and rechecked my double check to make certain that the settings were correct, they were. I changed Ethernet cables. That didn't do anything. I decided to call Verizon to see if there were any other settings that needed to be changed. The support person asked me the standard questions. I explained to her what I had determined thus far. She was stumped. We ruled out the problem being in the modem. When hardwired directly to the modem the Internet connection was fine. Since the router settings were correct that could be ruled out as well. The Verizon support person consulted a higher level support technician. Their answer was to return the router, get a replacement and try again.
Three Hours had passed. The client had decided to return the router and attempt the install again at a later date. I got in my car, opened up all four windows and drove away listening to great music. I wasn't satisfied with the results of my morning appointment but the summer breeze was blowing on my face again. I hope that the problem is solved with a replacment router!
The task began with a suggestion from my client. She wanted a virus and spyware scan. I downloaded and installed Microsoft AntiSpy as well as AVG AntiVirus ran a scan with both applications and was pleased to say that nothing was found. I examined the startup menu and didn't find anything unusual. Then I began the router setup.
I changed the appropriate router settings, changed the SSID connected the cables, rebooted and followed all other proceedures mentioned in the router's manual (Yes, I actually look at the manuals!). I opened up Internet Explorer and it connected to my client's preset homepage. I turned to the other laptop to see if it could see the wireless connection. The connection singnal strength was reported as "Excellent". My mind began to think about what I would do with my free time since I would be finished much earlier than predicted. I typed www.google.com into the address bar. The Google homepage was displayed. I typed in a search and got results. I clicked on a link from the results page only to find that the link timed out. I opened the command prompt (by going to Start - Run - if you are using Windows XP type "cmd" - without the quotation marks - If you are using Windows ME (I know, Windows ME is almost painful to use.)type "command" - again, without the quotes then press Enter. This will bring up the command prompt.) and typed in used the Ping command to see if the computer was connected to the Internet. Without going on and on, I just have to tell you that the connection was spotty - at best. I checked, double checked and rechecked my double check to make certain that the settings were correct, they were. I changed Ethernet cables. That didn't do anything. I decided to call Verizon to see if there were any other settings that needed to be changed. The support person asked me the standard questions. I explained to her what I had determined thus far. She was stumped. We ruled out the problem being in the modem. When hardwired directly to the modem the Internet connection was fine. Since the router settings were correct that could be ruled out as well. The Verizon support person consulted a higher level support technician. Their answer was to return the router, get a replacement and try again.
Three Hours had passed. The client had decided to return the router and attempt the install again at a later date. I got in my car, opened up all four windows and drove away listening to great music. I wasn't satisfied with the results of my morning appointment but the summer breeze was blowing on my face again. I hope that the problem is solved with a replacment router!
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Sunday, July 10th, 2005
I have completed the Welcome Kitchen Catering website.
I also redesigned Vermont PC Solutions.com.
I have solved many computer problems in the past month or two. Most of them have not been spyware/virus related. I did work on one computer with virus problems - (Norton Anti-virus could not remove the infection, so I had to manually remove it). Another client had a fan die on her graphics card, luckily her computer was under warrenty. IBM replaced the part - no questions asked. I reinstalled Windows 98 (yes, I did write Windows 98!) on another machine. The owners felt that Windows 98 was a sufficient operating system for the tasks they typically perform. After I returned the computer in brand new condition, the owner attempted to reinstall the DSL software but had problems. She decided to take the computer to the company which supplies the DSL connection. When the computer was returned my client booted to find out that the mouse driver was no longer functioning. My client called the DSL company to explain what had happened, the person on the phone told her that "it was not their problem." Instead of pouring more money into this seven year old computer my client is in search of a new machine. She will have a lot less problems with Windows XP (I hope).
For leisure; lots of hikes, camping, photography, and swimming in Lake Champlain.
My next major task is to overhaul this site The Cook's House. I don't expect to start on this project anytime soon due to my hectic schedule but it must be done sometime.
I also redesigned Vermont PC Solutions.com.
I have solved many computer problems in the past month or two. Most of them have not been spyware/virus related. I did work on one computer with virus problems - (Norton Anti-virus could not remove the infection, so I had to manually remove it). Another client had a fan die on her graphics card, luckily her computer was under warrenty. IBM replaced the part - no questions asked. I reinstalled Windows 98 (yes, I did write Windows 98!) on another machine. The owners felt that Windows 98 was a sufficient operating system for the tasks they typically perform. After I returned the computer in brand new condition, the owner attempted to reinstall the DSL software but had problems. She decided to take the computer to the company which supplies the DSL connection. When the computer was returned my client booted to find out that the mouse driver was no longer functioning. My client called the DSL company to explain what had happened, the person on the phone told her that "it was not their problem." Instead of pouring more money into this seven year old computer my client is in search of a new machine. She will have a lot less problems with Windows XP (I hope).
For leisure; lots of hikes, camping, photography, and swimming in Lake Champlain.
My next major task is to overhaul this site The Cook's House. I don't expect to start on this project anytime soon due to my hectic schedule but it must be done sometime.
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