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Although this is more of a "cursing out co-workers" post, posting it here because it involves techie stuff.
One thing about me being in tech support is I'm very anti-toolbar. This happened after trying to troubleshoot a customer's internet explorer only showing a blank white page. After about an hour and a half, I removed the google toolbar and it worked.
Since then, the first thing I do is go into add/remove and uninstall ALL the IE toolbars.
Some customers object. I simply tell them that:
1. Since IE 7 and 8 already have a search box and pop-up blocker, toolbars conflict and cause issues. Plus, some antivirus softwares install their own toolbars/add-ons to IE so you don't need them.
2. Some are blatant spyware like MyWebSearch.
If a customer still refuses, I document that "customer refused to let me uninstall possibly offending software" and I also let the customer know I documented as such.
Also, another thing I do first thing is go into MSCONFIG and clear startup (I leave services untouched) of anything un-needed and only leave the needed stuff (printer driver, security software, etc), and reboot.
Many times, this solves most if not all of the client's issues. You won't believe how many times a customer's IE takes 2 minutes to load and it's because there's 5 toolbars installed. Or the times when a computer is taking 5 minutes to start up and I see there is a half a task tray's worth of startup items down there.
Now about the co-worker's part....
Seems many of my co-workers are downright allergic to doing these 2 simple things.
One time, a CO asked me to come look at this customer's IE. It was taking a super long time to start up and giving errors, and I could see why:
Me: Remove those 4 toolbars from add/remove, especially Alot as that's adware.
CO: But what if he likes his toolbars?!
Me: I can make a safe bet that's the reason for the problems. You have to level set him that they actually conflict with IE's existing features.
CO: But I don't want to spend the 10 minutes trying to overcome his objections!
Me: Then don't. Just put in your notes that he refused to let you remove them. *walks away.*
CO: Where are you going? Any other advise?
Me: I gave you the advise. Now it's best to actually try it.
Seriously, it's just toolbars. It's not like it's some expensive software that takes hours to reload. Once it's gone, it's gone and if the customer wants to reload it afterwords (and in many cases fuck up their IE), then go ahead. I just don't get the aversion to doing it.
Another thing is the startup. I see a customer has talked to another tech who's removed maybe 2 things from startup. Again, afraid to remove anything. I remove all but 3 or 4 (the needed stuff) and the computer is running like a champ.
It isn't just my fellow techs...
People pay good money to have their systems "optimized" at the store at time of purchase. What exactly is done? Remove all the trialware from add/remove and THAT'S IT. Startup in MSCONFIG is not touched and they don't remove any IE toolbars. They don't bother even running a program like CCleaner to get rid of dead registry keys and temp files. Some optimization, huh?
Curious, I asked a store tech why they never do those things on an optimization.
Me: *Asks him about the toolbars and startup.*
Store tech: Well, we don't know their preferences. What happens if we uninstall the toolbars and they come in here screaming at us?
Me: That's why you have to tell them they conflict with IE.
Store tech: Yeah but sometimes you have to convince them and it takes like 10 minutes.
Me: Oh, I see. Thinking: lazy bastard.
Sorry for taking so long on this.
One thing about me being in tech support is I'm very anti-toolbar. This happened after trying to troubleshoot a customer's internet explorer only showing a blank white page. After about an hour and a half, I removed the google toolbar and it worked.
Since then, the first thing I do is go into add/remove and uninstall ALL the IE toolbars.
Some customers object. I simply tell them that:
1. Since IE 7 and 8 already have a search box and pop-up blocker, toolbars conflict and cause issues. Plus, some antivirus softwares install their own toolbars/add-ons to IE so you don't need them.
2. Some are blatant spyware like MyWebSearch.
If a customer still refuses, I document that "customer refused to let me uninstall possibly offending software" and I also let the customer know I documented as such.
Also, another thing I do first thing is go into MSCONFIG and clear startup (I leave services untouched) of anything un-needed and only leave the needed stuff (printer driver, security software, etc), and reboot.
Many times, this solves most if not all of the client's issues. You won't believe how many times a customer's IE takes 2 minutes to load and it's because there's 5 toolbars installed. Or the times when a computer is taking 5 minutes to start up and I see there is a half a task tray's worth of startup items down there.
Now about the co-worker's part....
Seems many of my co-workers are downright allergic to doing these 2 simple things.
One time, a CO asked me to come look at this customer's IE. It was taking a super long time to start up and giving errors, and I could see why:
Me: Remove those 4 toolbars from add/remove, especially Alot as that's adware.
CO: But what if he likes his toolbars?!
Me: I can make a safe bet that's the reason for the problems. You have to level set him that they actually conflict with IE's existing features.
CO: But I don't want to spend the 10 minutes trying to overcome his objections!
Me: Then don't. Just put in your notes that he refused to let you remove them. *walks away.*
CO: Where are you going? Any other advise?
Me: I gave you the advise. Now it's best to actually try it.
Seriously, it's just toolbars. It's not like it's some expensive software that takes hours to reload. Once it's gone, it's gone and if the customer wants to reload it afterwords (and in many cases fuck up their IE), then go ahead. I just don't get the aversion to doing it.
Another thing is the startup. I see a customer has talked to another tech who's removed maybe 2 things from startup. Again, afraid to remove anything. I remove all but 3 or 4 (the needed stuff) and the computer is running like a champ.
It isn't just my fellow techs...
People pay good money to have their systems "optimized" at the store at time of purchase. What exactly is done? Remove all the trialware from add/remove and THAT'S IT. Startup in MSCONFIG is not touched and they don't remove any IE toolbars. They don't bother even running a program like CCleaner to get rid of dead registry keys and temp files. Some optimization, huh?
Curious, I asked a store tech why they never do those things on an optimization.
Me: *Asks him about the toolbars and startup.*
Store tech: Well, we don't know their preferences. What happens if we uninstall the toolbars and they come in here screaming at us?
Me: That's why you have to tell them they conflict with IE.
Store tech: Yeah but sometimes you have to convince them and it takes like 10 minutes.
Me: Oh, I see. Thinking: lazy bastard.
Sorry for taking so long on this.
I pruned them back to one, and ran spyware sweeps because two of them were My Web Search and Daily Coupon Printer.
in one quote:
Eric the Grey
)
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