I was a techie at a really small firm in Paraguay S.A., only 3+ supervisors. We were open until 20. We sold computers and repaired hardware but not operating systems. Pre-installed, what is that? Please refer to Microsoft. Google? LOL!
It was a long time ago, so please imagine the small details. Paraguay has a humidity of 80% and 32°C in the shadows at 10 in summer. Air-conditioning is a luxury and we have stand ventilators. But one summer night, around 18-19 or so...
**|J:caller B:me**
>J: My name is "J", I'm this old and have a problem.*Ohh crap ... blue screen of death! Either reboot or call Microsoft, if it isn't a hardware error*
>B: Hello, you are talking to "B". How can I be of assistance?
>J: My computer is giving me an error. I bought it last year at your firm.
>B: Please describe me the error or tell me the color of the screen?
>J: The screen goes blue with an error code. This is the code
>B: this error code refers to an OS error. I'm sorry but you must call Microsoft to fix this!
>J: I know, I called. They closed at 18.
*Supervisor comes up cause we need to have our meeting. Bah, we live in Paraguay. He wants to close early, since no one ever needed anything after 18. The only reason why we closed at 20 was because it was the owners idea to be special.*
>B: The only thing I can do is pick up the pc and reinstall as a service. We will fix it in 2 days.
*(Rant in 3... 2... 1...!!!) J was actually clear, calm and serious.*
>J: I really need this computer to work today because of a serious reason...
*(can't remember, if it was work or family but it was the best reason one could have given me at that time)*
>B: I am not really sure how I could help you since it's an OS error. This is normal, we've had several complaints about this version
*Supervisior yells my name...*
*mute mic*
*yell back give me 10 min, I'll close up!*
>J: To be honest you are my last hope, I need it to work! Could you help me reinstall it?
>J: I have never done it and I'm afraid, besides they said that an idiot could install it. I'm not an idiot, they are idiots for making a crappy product.
*Triggered my revolutionary anti-Microsoft, open source spark... lel I have never had a support call like this, I'm intrigued.*
>B: Ok, to reinstall it, you will need a copy, do you have one?
>J: yes
>B: Place it into the CD-drive and reboot.
>J: Nothing happens and it goes back to the blue screen of death...
*Cd-rom is not selected as first boot device... gotta get into the bios.*
>B: Ok, stay calm, this is going to be tricky. Once you reboot, immediately start pressing DEL repeatedly. A hidden menu will appear. That is called the bios.*
>J repeats instructions... bip... keyboard hitting sounds
>J: it is back at the BSoD
>B: Then you missed it, start hitting and then reboot!
>J keybord hitting... bip... keyboard hitting...
>J:There is a green screen menu*
>B: overtime my ass, we're open until 20!
*(boss knows me and I'm safe!)*
*I just showed a noob the first secret of them all! I'm not ending this now besides I already have the key, since I'm the one who is going to open! Corrupt bastard, admin type who once in his life reinstalled something, your fat wife is the bosses sister SOB... is what I wanted to say... However, J is still waiting at the entrance to the Matrix!*
>B: With the key buttons, move to the last tab of the menu. There will be a boot option. This boot option has to say CD-Rom.
>J: Yeah, I figured out that by reading. What else is here, what can I do with this menu??? WOW!
>B: J, seriously please don't touch anything else here or we could damage your pc and then we WILL need to get it fixed at our service!
*(Yep, overclock that thing and bye bye, no safety rom in a class C electronics of S.A.)*
>J: OK, understood. Now what...???? (J exited the bios, I could tell)*I'm like I can but seriously don't want to, this would take 3 hours at least. Maaaaaann universe you had to pick me today? out of my head*
>B: go to the last tab, save and exit. enter
>J: BIP... it is loading something at the top
>B: EXCELLENT! Now it is a step by step easy setup, Win98 will guide you through the rest...
>J: no it wont, I have this x version.
>B: OMG! Why did they sell a normal user that version, that version is for someone like me or a programmer???
>J: Microsoft, you know....
>B: i knooowww!!!
>J: Could you help me step by step?*
>B: ok but you owe me dinner! laugh
>J: laughs! DEAL!
>B: ok but you gotta give me a little time to get the manual for this.
*Couldn't find it, someone must be using it at home... crap. Only option is to install it by guiding J step by step... Im using linux, no pc at the firm has an W... Linux + Windows. AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHA, one has to die! Google? LOL. Couldn't find his version of Win98, but I do have a similar one... it'll have to do. Time to unearth another pc to use.
search mainboard + proc ... harddrive... mem... video card (cus GPUs were something new, rofl) hotwire that thing to a keyboard a mouse and a screen all in 20min or less...*
>J: plays elevator music
>B: WTF? J ARE YOU THERE???
>J: Yeah I'm here, I just felt it was appropriate while I waited...
*OMG, who the fuck is this guy??? Is he trolling me???? BIP... Mine boots up and loads...*
>B: Are you still waiting at the first Win98 install screen?
>J: Of course.
>B: great... Do this... and that
>J: Ok ok ok ok ok
*and so on and so forth, UNTIL!!! until I realized I fucked up! There was one different setting and yeah the universe praised me with a second try!
J was cool about it, he said we are human we make mistakes, hence Microsoft... we realized we were of similar minds and even as we had a hard battle with our machines, we had a strange but fun game night.
While I was still there the in morning, the lovely supervisor cames in again.
*Eventually, it worked out J was out of his mind, couldn't believe he managed to do it, neither was I!
I was expecting a third or fourth try, ending in me marrying his sister in law... hahaha*
*call ends*
*Supervisor asked me WTH is going on... phone rings! Not me, I dont care, not my call, I'm done for the week!*
*Supervisor asked me WTH is going on... phone rings! Not me, I dont care, not my call, I'm done for the week!*
>X: I want to talk to the supervisor... I have something to report
>**HEAVY RANTING!!!**
*one could hear her screaming*
>S: Yes ma'am, what can I help you with?
**HEAVY RANTING!!!**
*one could hear her screaming louder*
10 min pass, supervisor hangs up.
Cheese white, silently talks to me. Come with me, I'll drive you to get you some breakfast. Where would you like to go?
It was the brother in law of the sister in law... or some other strange "conexión familiar", that is the norm in paraguay
I never took his job, but the supervisor became my B****
Had 2 great years until the company shut down, I would have loved to own that place!
**SNAP!**
I'm still friends with J!
Btw, the key word to the error puzzle is **"MILENIUM"**
Thank you very much for reading this very very very long call.
Want a techie potato? Google it! hahahaha
Kudos from Brandynette
PLEASE DONT FORGET TO VOTE NOW!
PLEASE DONT FORGET TO VOTE NOW!
