End User Support Nightmares
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- Oh I have huge issue on my laptop, user explains the issue... and you drop all your work, cause it is P1 user issue.
Oh its my personal laptop btw at home. And no mention of any fees or charge for your services (well actually 1 user only gave me)
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- Oh can you help me with writing Power Point presentation.
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- Why should I create password for my account, you IT guys already have all the passwords and can do everything.
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- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
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- send emails to anticipate problem and raise awareness, for exmaple I learned that in Outlook desktop app, the PST file is limited 50 GB, and it it grows bigger it will stop downloading emails to the PST, but it didnt display any alert to the user btw.
So we send emails to raise awareness, no one reads it. Cause at the end they clearly tell you it is gona be your problem when the problem happens and you will deal with it. So why bother reading your email.
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@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- They can never understand the relationship of ISP WAN and Local Area Network, no matter how I tried to tell upper management that LAN speeds are not related to ISP and it wont affect, but I really cant blame them so much on this one, cause it is a bit advanced perhaps
This one is easy. The LAN is like the interstate - very fast. The internet is more like the side roads in your neighborhood, much slower.
Now this isn't really how it works, in fact probably really just the opposite, but they will probably understand this analogy.
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@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
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@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
How long does it take you to re image ? Cause it takes me 1 min to blank user windows pass with Linux ntpasswd
And yes this was pre saltstack days
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@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
How long does it take you to re image ? Cause it takes me 1 min to blank user windows pass with Linux ntpasswd
And yes this was pre saltstack days
It takes me about 8 mins to reimage. But even so, I would still do it anyway. Get rid of the old user's crap, change the computer name to something I know belongs to this user, etc.
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@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
How long does it take you to re image ? Cause it takes me 1 min to blank user windows pass with Linux ntpasswd
And yes this was pre saltstack days
It takes me about 8 mins to reimage. But even so, I would still do it anyway. Get rid of the old user's crap, change the computer name to something I know belongs to this user, etc.
I see, well in this scenario and most scenario where I work starting fresh is not easy, cause we have very high turn over rate from expats so they do the handover on their laptop so we can't format . And the handover person can come in next day or next months
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@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
How long does it take you to re image ? Cause it takes me 1 min to blank user windows pass with Linux ntpasswd
And yes this was pre saltstack days
It takes me about 8 mins to reimage. But even so, I would still do it anyway. Get rid of the old user's crap, change the computer name to something I know belongs to this user, etc.
I see, well in this scenario and most scenario where I work starting fresh is not easy, cause we have very high turn over rate from expats so they do the handover on their laptop so we can't format . And the handover person can come in next day or next months
Seriously - it's 8 mins from an image. Assuming no centralization, perhaps you don't care about PC name, you boot from USB, use Clonezilla to pull the image down, boot - create user and done. The user can enjoy a cup of coffee for 15 mins max while you do that, assuming you were handed the laptop right when the new person just walked in.
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@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
How long does it take you to re image ? Cause it takes me 1 min to blank user windows pass with Linux ntpasswd
And yes this was pre saltstack days
It takes me about 8 mins to reimage. But even so, I would still do it anyway. Get rid of the old user's crap, change the computer name to something I know belongs to this user, etc.
I see, well in this scenario and most scenario where I work starting fresh is not easy, cause we have very high turn over rate from expats so they do the handover on their laptop so we can't format . And the handover person can come in next day or next months
Seriously - it's 8 mins from an image. Assuming no centralization, perhaps you don't care about PC name, you boot from USB, use Clonezilla to pull the image down, boot - create user and done. The user can enjoy a cup of coffee for 15 mins max while you do that, assuming you were handed the laptop right when the new person just walked in.
Are you dense? we cant format, the Handover data is still in the laptop. It is needed for the next person fills the position and takes over.
I understand that you know CloneZilla and you are good at it, noted. But dont turn every comment to a guide cause not every scenario is an scenario identical to where you work at.
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@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
How long does it take you to re image ? Cause it takes me 1 min to blank user windows pass with Linux ntpasswd
And yes this was pre saltstack days
It takes me about 8 mins to reimage. But even so, I would still do it anyway. Get rid of the old user's crap, change the computer name to something I know belongs to this user, etc.
I see, well in this scenario and most scenario where I work starting fresh is not easy, cause we have very high turn over rate from expats so they do the handover on their laptop so we can't format . And the handover person can come in next day or next months
Seriously - it's 8 mins from an image. Assuming no centralization, perhaps you don't care about PC name, you boot from USB, use Clonezilla to pull the image down, boot - create user and done. The user can enjoy a cup of coffee for 15 mins max while you do that, assuming you were handed the laptop right when the new person just walked in.
Are you dense? we cant format, the Handover data is still in the laptop. It is needed for the next person fills the position and takes over.
I understand that you know CloneZilla and you are good at it, noted. But dont turn every comment to a guide cause not every scenario is an scenario identical to where you work at.
Of course that's true - but you have important data on a machine? no backups? or just don't want to deal with restoring the data?
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@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
How long does it take you to re image ? Cause it takes me 1 min to blank user windows pass with Linux ntpasswd
And yes this was pre saltstack days
It takes me about 8 mins to reimage. But even so, I would still do it anyway. Get rid of the old user's crap, change the computer name to something I know belongs to this user, etc.
I see, well in this scenario and most scenario where I work starting fresh is not easy, cause we have very high turn over rate from expats so they do the handover on their laptop so we can't format . And the handover person can come in next day or next months
Seriously - it's 8 mins from an image. Assuming no centralization, perhaps you don't care about PC name, you boot from USB, use Clonezilla to pull the image down, boot - create user and done. The user can enjoy a cup of coffee for 15 mins max while you do that, assuming you were handed the laptop right when the new person just walked in.
Are you dense? we cant format, the Handover data is still in the laptop. It is needed for the next person fills the position and takes over.
I understand that you know CloneZilla and you are good at it, noted. But dont turn every comment to a guide cause not every scenario is an scenario identical to where you work at.
Of course that's true - but you have important data on a machine? no backups? or just don't want to deal with restoring the data?
He's not IT, don't worry about it.
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@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
Wipe the box to get access?
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@scottalanmiller said in End User Support Nightmares:
@dashrender said in End User Support Nightmares:
@emad-r said in End User Support Nightmares:
- You used Recovery disk to blank/clear Windows User password, cause management fired a person and he didnt provide the password for his account, okay you solved the day. But now management looks at you like hacker than can hack the NSA or FBI, and no longer trust you. And guess whom they want to fire next.
This seems really weird. I'm assuming no centralized authentication then? Why not just wipe the machine? use an image to rebuild it... all badness from last user is gone.
Wipe the box to get access?
no, not to get access, to give it to the next user.
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Here's my daily RDSH shout out...
Mo PC's mo problemz
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Of course that's true - but you have important data on a machine? no backups? or just don't want to deal with restoring the data?
We do have backups done on a regular interval via the help of SaltStack.
again not every situation is similar situation to the usual places you guys work, I work with MSF France as an I.T Supervisor in a hospital, where the users need to be mobile and work in locations at camps offline. and Central Authentication system can do more harm than good, and we have a lot of policies and rules to maneuver around.
trust me Jared you wont be able to survive here. it is way out of your comfort zone with everything ready for you in place and having a big budget for everything. Here I.T budget has to be shared with the Yemeni crisis and you can imagine where will the money will always go to. So we have to live and operate with what we have and do the best with it.
Oh and before suggesting something clever, that you assume I have not thought about already, We cant use cloud services in MSFF.
