Prayers To Computer Gods Often Go Unanswered

1. Is there a fuse somewhere along the power lead to the power switch? If yes - check that fuse.

2. Neither. You can decide whether to get to his place or not.

Have him try using a different keyboard. I have seen a similar situation where a PC would not boot up. The owner took it back to the shop 3 or 4 times and they never found anything wrong with it. Turns out that something had happened to the keyboard and caused a short. It would prevent his PC from starting. A new keyboard solved the problem.

(1) what do you think is going on
-Is he positive the power outlets are working to full potential. Not that they are just giving power. Some PSU will let the fan turn on and that is it if the power source is not up to snuff. Have him move it to a completely different room and plug it in.

-I do not see how the KVM (keyboard video mouse) could effect it from not even giving a code beep. However since at the computer shop he took it to the only difference is the power outlet, KVM. Have him try swiping the KVM from a workstation and plug it in. Again I fail to see how or why the KVM would cause it to not at least give post code, beep, or whatever you call them. However you know just as well as I do that computers repair makes no sense.

(2) is he taking advantage of me or does this come under normal friendship duties?
Yes it falls under normal friendship duties of being a friend. However only to a certin extent. Being a fellow geek I can say it will never stop. However this ‘free’ service only applies to friends NOT ‘acquaintances.’ Still there is a line. If it is constant I mean every week calls then give them a referal and just say NO. If they get mad and stop being your friend obviosly they where not a good friend. That or do what I do. John calls me and says he jake I need computer help my response Is I need a cheescake. Renee calls says jake I need computer help. My respnse is I need my lawn mowed. Etc. Barter.

Sherman,

“Another” story of us amateur techies supporting friends. If his box worked at the store, but not at home, is he connecting to some setup of power protection/correction, i.e. UPS or power strip? That’s the first place I’d look.

Your comments on back up really hit home, as I’ve finally issued an ultimatum to my “supported” friends. Either you invest in an external hard drive and Acronis TrueImage, or the best you’ll get from me when you call with a problem is, “too bad, so sad.” I just don’t have the time or the inclination these days to fix systems if the user isn’t willing to invest a few $$ to protect himself.

Regards,

Jeff Heyen

P.S. Your articles are the highlights of Windows Fanatics, for me.

n this otherwise interesting article, you wrote this: Quote: ” He was greatly relieved to see his stored data was still intact. (He has a different backup strategy than I recommend. His strategy seems to rely a lot on favorable response from a deity.).”

Your reference alludes to God, the title says “Computer Gods” but yet you call Him a deity. Why not call Him as He is - God? Why is God referred to simply as a deity?

It seems to me that people are so hellbent on taking God out of everything these days, its like they are ashamed to say the name God. But instead simply say deity, or worse yet, Gods. Plural.

There are no, read plural, Gods. There is but one single God. The great “I am.”The Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Sounds to me like the fuse in the power lead plug has blown, I bet the shop were using their own power lead too.

1. I think it is an AC power problem where your friend is plugged in…maybe
the secondary place he tried to plug into is also on the same AC circuit
as the first place. I’m willing to bet when he plugs into the same spot his
working workstation is plugged into the server will work.

2. I don’t think he is taking advantage of you….he trusts you and he is
becoming frantic and he considers you a knowledgeable source.

Maybe he has a bad power cord at his house, but when he goes to the shop, they use their own power cord?

As to question 2: If this is really that important to him, he should pay someone to be available to solve these problems. In other words…yes, he is taking advantage of you.

Best bet is the power strip has both switched and unswitvhed and/or both protected and unprotected outlets. The monitor is plugged into an unprotected/unswitvhed outlet while the computer is plugged into an outlet that is either switched off or has an open breaker or burned out surge protection.

Or the line cord is bad. Or the wall outlet for the computer’s power strip is not the same as the one for the monitor or its power strip, and the wall outlet leading to the computer is not powered for some reason — e.g. blown fuse, wall switvh, etc.

As for part two, that really depends on the history of your relationship.

Oh, and while I’m still fuming about typing this comment twice, please suggest to Chris that the “Submit Comment” button needs to be relocated further down the page so that my deathless prose doesn’t go down a rat hole every time I forget to fill in the “Anti-Spam Word” which is not requested until after I get to the button and erase my whole comment.

check household power. Specifically, the receptacle(s) that power his stuff. Make sure that the neutral (white) is making a good connection. The red light on power strips are often just neon bulbs that detect power on the black lead only.. Make certain that the receptacle(s) can power, say, a curling iron or something that draws a couple of amps without arcing or sparking when the plug is wiggled. Use a tester that tests for all three contacts.

- Larry -

You seem to have made all the correct suggestions. Making the problem move is a very interesting way of saying it. I think you’ll find the problem presents itself more clearly when he gets back to you.

*** is he taking advantage of me or does this come under normal friendship duties?

Are these normal friendship duties for you and anyone else? Are they normal for you with this fellow? Do YOU think he’s taking advantage?

Personally I think that unless you’re closely related, this fellow needs an available (or onsite) tech, due to the amount of hardware he has. One computer would be one thing… a network is a horse of a different color.

If he doesn’t call a lot, consider it a good deed. If you’d rather not be bothered, draw a line in the sand. Maybe you could put together a troubleshooting chart for him (and others).

Good luck in any case.

This really sounds like a power issue. You state he plugged it into another circuit (which I take to mean in a different part of the house). Is he plugging it directly into an outlet, or into a power strip? If the power strip is bad or its fuse burned out, he won’t get any power. Did he take the power strip to the PC shop?

Do other things (e.g. lamp) work in the outlet(s) he plugged into? It doesn’t sound like a circuit breaker problem because it would most likely affect more than just his server, but wiring in a socket can be wacky sometimes. Maybe it’s time to pray to the gods of electricity, or do what I did - hire an electrician to wire things the right way.

Cheers,

Glenn

It’s tough when friends ask you to do things you normally expect to be paid for yet they don’t expect you to charge them. If I can “fix” the problem on the phone I don’t feel compromised, I’m just happy to have helped, but if I have to drive to their house I give them a choice: (a) I bring my wife, do what I can for them and they feed us a nice dinner. (b) I come by myself and they pay me at my regular hourly rate for the visit (but I usually give them a break on the time unless the visit kept me from other paid work).

I’m also up for barter arrangements if the friend in question is amenable. The main thing is; you have to assert yourself and make it clear when a friend is “crossing the line”. TANSTAAFL is the order of the day.

In the shop the new power supply brought it up, ok, bad power supply.
I’ll admit to be computer technically illiterate. Could it be that before
the old power supply went, it toasted the mouse, keyboard and monitor
somehow or is there a relation to the cables, perhaps a loose plug on one
of those peripherals or something not making proper connection or good
ground?

On the other hand, it sounds like a task of calling a tech to the site and
have them troubleshooting by chasing down the things that work one
place and not the other. Yeah, I know, $igns, but which i$ more co$tly,
calling the tech or having a $erver and LAN which will not work and
keep the bu$ine$$ afloat?

Your friend may not be using you, some people are not that aware that some people make their living as a starving computer tech. If your friend does not have much money or is on social security don’t charge him.
1. Check all connections outside of box.
2. Check all connections inside of box.
3. Test power supply with power supply tester.
4. Start praying to whatever imaginary friend (God) you have.

Sherman,

Sounds like the story of my life. You have to decide for your self if this person is a true friend, or just calls when he needs something.

Not knowing your relationship, it’s a tough call. But I have been in your situation since I was being asked to fix (vacuum tube!) TV sets, 8-track players, etc. You know the old expressions “beer-buddies” and “fair weather friends”. Well those folks can and will come out of the woodwork, regardless of your expertise. Whoever said “barter” was right on track. And there’s always my favorite, a fifth of Single Malt Scotch” as payment!

Earl… please. Find a forum… pick your battles. This definitely is not the place.