Things PC users do to Technicians that drive them nuts!

If you have ever had your computer in to a computer repair shop they will ask for a couple of key pieces of information, such as user name and password.  This is typically only the user name and the password for the turning on and entering into the desktop part of the computer.  We do not usually need your other user names and passwords to other account sunless we are scientifically working on an issue within.  You have the sole responsibility for knowing your user name and passwords to your email - when your PC is worked on many times the cookies are cleaned and OMG you will be asked to enter you user name and password. So many times people depend on those little black dots and then when something happens that clears that data - the user is lost and angry with those around them (couldn't not possibly be their fault for not knowing their password? ) Nope, it is the evil PC repair technician that 'stole' your password from you and removed it from your computer!  OH, wait here is another I would like to share on this topic. I have also been accused of changing peoples passwords, only to later have the user finally figure out their own password.  Such is the case that occurred today and started today's Rant.

Today our client, we will call him Mr. Grumpy Man, came into our little computer shop to pick up with recently worked on PC. I was busy with another client and I asked our assistant to show Mr. G his computer and I even had the PC plugged in and running, and ready to use.  I hear Mr. G first stating that he wanted to look for his Documents, well he started heading out to Internet Explorer to look for those 'documents' (after a moment or so I chimed in, Documents, He is looking for email" - it is a little confusing for us when our clients use the wrong names for things but that is nothing to complain about as I can see that happening.  Our tech quickly showed Mr. G his AOL email program (yes he was using AOL software to access his email and the web in general). A short while passes and I hear Mr. G complaining that we wiped out all of his passwords that before he brought the PC here it had all of his passwords and how is he supposed to get his passwords back!  Now, I could just tel Mr. G was going to be a fun client.  I was able to finish my work with my client and take over as the lead tech for Mr. G. I moved the mouse and keyboard in front of me and said "well let me try, sometimes, I can get it just right, what was the last password you remember?"  The man reluctantly (yes, this is a pet peeve for another day, that is people not wanting to share the passwords I need in order to help them or fearing that I care about these pieces of information :-) gave me the information and I then slowly and very meticulously typed in each character, and hit the enter key and TA DA! after multiple attempts by the client I did it one time, very specifically hitting each key, and there is worked.  Mr. G's emails and AOL started to populate the screen.  Mr. G then says oh, e I new my password. .... HOLD ON, you Mr. Grumpy Man, just spent 10 plus minutes on your own entering incorrect information into the PC, you then accused my staff of 'purposely removing your password' and now, once I log right in with the information you gave me, I log right in, and suddenly you know the information? Then sir, why the hell didn't you enter it? Well, he could only tel me "I did" obliviously you didn't since I did and it worked. Not that I did anything different other than being very deliberate and making sure I was correct.

The moral of today's rant is KNOW YOUR PASSWORD!