IT BS thread

Hence the reason I got out of desktops. Now I deal with stupid app teams and vendors that shit on servers. Egos of users, especially lawyers and doctors, is not something I really ever want to deal with again. With app teams, I can warn them that they are about to do something stupid, watch them ignore me and do it anyway, and then tell them "told ya so" when they fail.

 

I'm selling my laptop and need to wipe everything off of it. Got a few questions though. Anybody have any recommendations on how i should do it?

I haven't started yet but I'm using these 2 links (below) as my guide.
http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/computing/how-to-wipe-your-pc-with-windows-10-11364002707321

http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/com...ean-installation-of-windows-10-11364000633913

I also have a windows 10 disk I bought for when I built my desktop. Is there any reason can't I use that and the laptops activation code to reinstall windows?

Thank you!

 

Use ultimate boot CD to wipe the OS by writing 0s for a few passes. Then, if you are selling it with Windows installed, install windows.

 

I work Sunday - Thursday so today is my Monday. However they don't want to pay overtime (which is fine) so I just leave early when I hit my 40 hours and the end of the pay period/week is every Sunday. I was supposed to leave at 13:06 today but then a nice steaming pile was deposited and I can't leave until computers are re-setup for 6 new 3-sided cubicles for assistants to the 3rd most important group in the company behind the owner and the owner's daughter.

However the monitors are on stands that require drilling through the brand new desks to clamp the stands down. No one told me where to put anything or had a plan/layout so I don't know if the monitors are going in the corner of the cubicles as they are supposed to (but then people walking down the hall can see the screens) or if they are going on the new raising/lowering/standing tables that were added in at the open-end of the cubicle. However the ergonomics and layout for putting monitors on the raising/lowering tables is a cluster for chair placement, as well as depth from the screen location to space where the keyboards and mice are in front of the monitors.

I wasn't told anything about resetting up equipment just that the cubicles were being installed "Saturday or Sunday". I called my boss at home to find out where the story is and where to setup and get the warehouse/shop guys to drill for the monitor stands but he wasn't relayed any of that information by anyone and if it's a cluster and no one informed or left us (IT) instructions on what they want then oh well.

So I had the cubicle installers (who work for the company) start going up their chain of command and I get to sit here until we get it figured out, overtime approved which is nice but sigh.

This sort of thing happens at least once a week, also why I don't mind giving notice on Thursday.

 

https://www.wired.com/2016/07/radio-hack-steals-keystrokes-millions-wireless-keyboards/

 

"You should be able to trust your wireless keyboard."

Idiot article starts on an idiot premise. Unread closed and back to my sour beer.

 

Many people probably don't realize that whatever they type into their cheaper wireless keyboard can be seen by anyone. Some companies like Logitech use encryption with their unifying receivers.

I tried the sour beer thing, couldn't get into it.

 

Like most good beers it's a seriously acquired taste.

 

Hello IT people. Just curious what laptops you're using, or your favorites? Anyone have an opinion on Razer?

 

you are suggesting that IT people like computers enough to work on them all day at work and then want to sit and work on them at home too. i only touch my home computer when i'm working from home.

 

My bad. I'll post this question in the food section.

 

That's the ticket. We love food.

 

My work uses HP and Apple laptops the thousands. They are about the same in reliability. Cost, yeah, well that Apple is real "special" and you need to pay for the privilege of owning one. My personal computer is a 4 year old Toshiba and I just bought my wife a Toshiba last Christmas. IMHO every major brand of computer is pretty much the same. There are only a few places that make them and an Intel chip is an Intel chip.

I'd never heard of Razer before and 30 seconds on their web page didn't impress me much. My bet is that Razer is a screwdriver shop that buys the components and puts them together with a screwdriver. Not that that is a bad thing, I'll build my own computers to get exactly what I want. If you are a gamer then maybe that's the right place to go.

 

Something to note is that the laptops offices buy are not cheap. A $300 hp from Walmart isn't going to perform the same as a $1000 hp elite book, even with the same specs. The battery is going to be larger and last more years on the professional grade laptop.

Fwiw, I've never owned my own laptop. I have always built desktops. My wife has had a few crappy sub $500 laptops. If I were to buy a laptop right now, it'd be a Chromebook.

 

My outfit buys the elite books for a couple of reasons, the biggest being that they do a better job of keeping the internal parts consistent. That makes a big difference when you are supporting a lot of them. The business class computers also come in a stronger case with metal hinges to withstand the abuse people give a computer they didn't pay for. The guts are pretty much the same however. For a home user that won't abuse their equipment I see no need for the heavy duty case. My budget for a home, non-Apple laptop is around $600 any more that that and you're buying stuff a home users doesn't need. The OP was asking about Razor laptops so it makes me think he is a gamer which pretty much eliminates the chromebook from the equation.

FWIW, I too used to build my own desktop computers, until four years ago when I bought my own laptop. I haven't had a desktop computer at work since about 1997, nothing but laptops. The ability to have all my data, software, links with me for meetings and business trips is invaluable. But for home use I would tell myself various lies about cost, and power, and whatever. The truth is for me being able to put my computing life in a bag and bring it with me is every bit as important as being able to do that for work.

 

I'm looking for a laptop to replace my current lap top and be a desktop replacement. Initially I was going to possibly buy the xps15 around November or so, I was on youtube watching a review of the razer, but in the comment section, people were saying they tend to break a lot and pretty quickly.

I'm also thinking about staying with the latitude models.

 

Hahaha @drwx's snarkiness aside (I quite like working on my in-home server!) my next laptop will be a laptop from Tuxedo Computers most likely. @bongwhisperer it really matters what your budget and use case is.

As far as Razr: my experience with them is a headset I thought was terrible beyond terrible and a keyboard (Blackwidow Ultimate) that I realized was junky compared to my current Ducky Shine II. I avoid Razr stuff.

 

This is why they don't let me talk to users anymore. I talk to servers, other infrastructure people, the helpdesk, and app teams. There a whole other team of pleasant-sounding people that specialize in talking to users.

 

Pretty much: if you're good enough they'll leave you the hell alone and put someone who can talk in front of you

 

I've got a couple of techs that can talk to users and are sharp as hell. And a few that are sharp and make me cringe every time they open their mouths. And a few that are good with users and not as sharp. I used to hire for tech skill, but for the past couple of years I've looked for interpersonal skills first, tech second. I can teach any willing learner how to be a good tech, but I've failed miserably trying to teach interpersonal skills. My outfit tends to promote from within and they look at my group to hire the server and infrastructure folks. The grumpy ones seldom get the nod for promotion. The ones that are tech and user savvy get the job. (and between you and me, my managers and I do a little happy dance when a grumpy tech leaves.)