That myth can be put to rest. If things worked, the system would not need constant repair and help -- from free labor to boot. For most people it is enough to say no no more freebies for Windoze but they can get help with OS X, Linux, or BSD, preferably the latter two, and explain why. It ends up less toil for everyone involved. But you're right insofar as Power Users won't change but then they can ostensibly take care of themselves. Regular people, once they get curious, just need a brief orientation and then some initial reassurances that you really are available. For the most part the support requests drop to zero once they learn to find their way around.

The main tip is to provide an opportunity for them to try anything else and see that it is easier to use and less work to maintain. You can do that with loaner machines, if necessary.

I remember when disks were genuinely floppy. They measured 5.25 inches across and you could bend them (though you were warned not to as it could damage them). They had an exposed recording surface, so they were kept in paper envelopes when not in use. To use one, you took it out of its envelope, pulled a lever to open the drive door, inserted the disk (there were three wrong ways to insert it and only one right way), then closed the drive door again.

I can't remember their capacity but it was pretty low, much lower than that of a rigid diskette. They had a little square hole in one corner and if you covered that up, the disk became read-only. Or it was the other way around!

+1

I tell to everybody I can salvage their files but I will not install Windows, they can have Linux if they wish. One mother of three chose Linux years ago, I saw her about three years later and (being sure she is back on Windows) asked if her PC is still running. She said it runs still Linux what I installed. This is rather rule than exception. I can name a bunch of friend I installed Linux for, they are still using it and they do not ask for additional support - means they have got no problems with it.

Yep, the disk became read-only with the hole covered. It was convenient in some situations to put tape back over the notch.

There was also 8" before. But even with the 5.25" ones you generally had to scratch them, crinkle them, or expose them to very, very strong magnets to have any bad effect. I've seen them work after getting greasy finger prints or writing. However, if the indoor smoke was so thick you couldn't see the ceiling, then you generally had to clean the heads every month or so, or else you'd get write errors and then eventually read errors.

But either way, 8" or 5.25", when dealing with the big boss it was not appropriate to ask bluntly if they put it in backwards or upside down. Instead it was more diplomatic to recommend "re-seating" the disk and then discretely seem to look away while they took the disk out, oriented it properly and then put it back in the right way.

One experience for a buddy of mine that recently moved to Cali, I set up a linux machine for him, and he has grown to prefer it to Windows and has been using it for 2+ years now.

No because I never took on the title of being the fixer for other people's problems.

I'm not a selfish person. I don't mind much fixing or reinstalling windows for them, I just want them to have a little initiative in learning basic windows maintenance if windows is their prefer OS.

When I was using windows 95 back in the early 90's, I bought books on various topics of windows 95 from troubleshooting to writing batch scripts.

Those of you who still reinstall windows for others, you can understand how tiring it can be. I'm talking about the exhausting process of backing up their data, reinstall the windows OS, download the applications and drives, rebooting again and again, etc.

This is why I switch to linux full time. I didn't want to deal with windows anymore. For example, I don't have to backup my data if I reinstall linux because I have a separate home partition. I don't have to download drivers because linux supplies the drivers it detects in my system. The only driver I have to install myself is for my Dell laser printer. And that's pretty much it.


The only time I have to deal with windows is when I have to help fix or reinstall windows for the others.

I don't mind. My motto is, "We're all in it together."

(I didn't make that up myself. It's from the movie Brazil, where it actually has more of a cynical double meaning.)

Separate partition or not, it's physically still the same spinning rusty pie plate, so backing up is a REALLY GOOD idea (personal experience - only once so far, but bad stuff still happened).

I stopped "fixing" family/friends computers several years ago. If it's not a reasonably paid gig I have no interest in it.

I was at first extremely frustrated with helping family members or neighbors fix their computers. I decided that I didn't want to be so selfish and would do my best to help them. The reason? You just never know when you're going to need their help. Sure maybe not computer help, but remember they're certain things in life that I have no clue about. A lot of them just want to do simple things and their computers are being a pain about it. I try to fix it, and show them what to do/what not to do.

I always help family and friends no matter what and I hope they will do what they can for me.

http://www.cafepress.com/mf/13962944...uctId=70079855

Tommy, I think your family will get the point if they see this on your desk or table.

This thread reminds me of

My sister was always having trouble with her Windows. The biggest problem is when I would tell her to go to such and such a menu, she would say, "Oh, yeah, I see the problem."
She would always jump ahead of me and choose the wrong option. My Linuxy brother had already given up on her because he hadn't run Windows since 1993 or something like that, so he had an excuse. I had gone back to Windows for a while, so I could help other people, but my sister is 800 miles away and I couldn't just walk next door and do it myself anymore.

So, now she's on Linux Mint. Since all she does is access the Internet, it's no problem. She does still have a Windows laptop, but she only needs it to run one application - an embroidery manipulation program. I run that application in VM Win7, but there is no way I'm going to talk her through installing and maintaining Win 7 on VM!

I just say I can't fix it to anybody else who asks.