Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Distraught and downhearted, but not defeated


I hustled this morning; ate my breakfast, skipped emails and blogs. I was out the door and in front of my township computer by 9 a.m., to greet the technician engaged by the great State of Ohio to install my new government accounting computer.

He arrived at 10:30.  Traffic. As I live in the middle of a large area currently untrafficed as a result of the shut down of the national government, I was inclined to put it down to lying abed.  But I was gracious and carried on; I finally had the technician to install the computer that was delivered August 31st.

There is a protocol for saving all the data on the old computer and installing it on the new. Two hours were required to run my old computer through the protocol.  It was a completely hands off affair; the State of Ohio provided the program to gather the data and reinstall it. 

While that happened the young man (named Darius, can you believe), unpacked the new one. Then we chatted and I told him some features I knew locally of our federal park, which might reopen for his pleasure some day. He is a great bicycle enthusiast, and it’s not like we don’t have hundreds and hundreds of miles of bicycle trails, starting just outside the town hall door.

He’s from the central part of the state, and had no idea we even exist, up here.

Then the transfer was over and I noodled around to see what is going on. 

First, we have been migrated from XP to Windows 7.  Although I am used to it at home, it’s a new shock at work. I’ll get used to it.  I checked the all important government accounting program. It’s there.  I checked My Documents. It’s there. I can’t find the scanner image manager, but I will.

I checked email. No addresses. No folders and folders of public records. I checked for bookmarks on the internet, like the site I use to pay federal withholdings.  Nothing.

Darius direct dialed a super secret help line number. I sat in mute silence.

Darius and George (I know George; I’ve been in big enough computer trouble in the past to be connected to him) exchanged technical banalities. All systems can fail. No code is perfect. The protocol was complete. This was unforeseen.

The sentence of death: “Yes, I’ll relay that to the customer.”

Bottom line:  Darius did nothing wrong.  Underscore line: the customer will have to call the Ohio Auditor of State, who is assuming responsibility, to see if their technicians can devise a solution to find the missing bits and pieces on the disc of gold, the one used to gather the data.

Darius went on his way at 2:30, late for his second installation of the day. I came home. I’ll think about it tomorrow.




32 comments:

  1. Of all the foibles I really hate is the tech glitch, it is a nasty one.

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  2. Getting a computer bod in is a bit like the search for the Holy Grail...you never seem to get Sir Perceval....

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  3. Isn't it amazing, the hours we pour into technology, only to have the technology then create a whole new host of hour-sucking problems?

    Think about it tomorrow, indeed.

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  4. The photo you have at the end says it all... except I'm not sure she's gritting her teeth tight enough. What a bummer!

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  5. First of all - Darius??? Isn't that about as soap opera-ish as you can get? Wot, is his sister Tiffany? Bah...

    Technology, while wonderful in some aspects, really is the bane of our human existence. There will come a time when we will rue the day computers were hatched.

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  6. I agree with the above. And I wish you best of luck recovering from the "upgrade."

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  7. With a name like Darius, one of the greatest emperors of all time, you would think that it would work out perfectly well.

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  8. This stuff always leaves me with questions. So you have this new state computer (since end of summer) and you still have the old computer? Also he did a backup of the old computer? Just call me don't-know-enough-about-the-problem but it seems a simple connection and transfer from the old computer to the new computer would bring those missing folders back to life on the new computer.

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    1. This is the government, so it's slightly more complex. It was on the old computer, which we still have, but it's brains were wiped clean. God forbid there be unauthorized use of our tiny township data. So, all the info is somewhere in the transfer protocol on the golden disc. Someone can find it, but it won't be the tech who was on site. He's gone off to another job. It will be moi, who will call the auditor's help line and some tech will either walk me through finding and restoring it, which neither of us will like, or will remotely access my computer, get on the disc drive (which I am sure can be done) and fix it. Just a giant pain in the kiester, which I could not deal with today and probably not tomorrow. I have REAL work to do, you know.

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  9. *Computer glitches *sigh. But someone will take responsibility! How comforting is that ?! LOL. I do hope it all gets sorted out without too much trouble. I do not miss the days of all the systems I had to contend with for work. In theory it was all reasonable but in practise very cumbersome. While working for the employer, I saw so many "systems" come and go. The last cumbersome system seemed to stick. I wonder if they are still using it but I won't ask.

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  10. Drat. And rather a lot of other words expressing disgruntlement (which is a word I love).
    I hope the solution is found quickly and easily.

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  11. Hi Joanne, thank you for sharing this. I hope it all works out well for you.

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  12. I used to hate it when we had to call in the computer "experts" to install the latest and greatest update. Things never worked as well and there always something missing from our files that we would discover about 15 minutes after they left.

    You certainly have patience, Joanne.

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  13. Hari Om
    ...............aaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh......................... and other unmentionables.

    Coming out in sympathy. YAM xx

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  14. I go completely crazy when things get lost in my system. I've been known to cry. The relief when things are once again sorted is quite great. I loved Windows XP, and Windows 98 too, with the 3D pipes screen saver.
    I hope you get all your missing bits back very soon.

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  15. That feeling of 'There's nothing I can do about it' is something that computers are very good at inspiring! Best wishes for a speeding 'recovery'!

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  16. "Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair" (Darius the Great)

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  17. Computers are the bane of my existence. We are Macs and since my partner works part time for Apple, we always have the newest ones at home...so my computer at home is SOLID. It works like a charm, never breaks down and when there is a problem, it actually talks me through it and believe me, I am very computer illiterate. But, our computers at work are AWFUL. Windows. They break down, freeze, you name it, on a daily basis and our IT people seem almost as clueless as I am. They always blame the program that I was trying to run. It is too big, etc. I am trying to get us all switched over to MACS but no one else sees the logic of spending the money. I see the peace of mind that would be in store for us. I hope it gets better. It is NUTS when your computer is off kilter.

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  18. *sings* Always look on the bright side of life..de do de do de do.
    Jane x

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  19. Oh dear, Joanne - when I saw you yesterday and you were nashing your teeth, I didn't realize it had to do with AOS and their marvelous "down"dates. Betcha a quarter George will fix it - if it's who I think I remember, he's The Man! In the mean time, if you'd like to do a little head banging, I have some sandstone walls.

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  20. This sounds like it's going to be a long, exasperating ordeal!

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  21. Did any one of them tell the Ohio Auditor of State that he was assuming responsibility or was it just assumed. Lots and lots of luck - hope it gets sorted soon.

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  22. Ignorance is bliss. I just call my son. He has a back door into my computer and can fix it for me. He is always telling me to stay on the line with him and that he will walk me through it, so I won't have to rely on him. Really. I do not pay attention as he rattles off what is happening. I gave birth to him........he can fix my computer.

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    1. Kathy -- I love your last line about your son rattling off to you while he wants you to pay attention -- and you thinking you gave birth to him now he can fix your computer. I have a son like yours that says the same -- now I have an excuse not to pay attention. thanks -- barbara

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  23. OH. I am so sorry. Hope Darius and reach in, grab your data.

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  24. Why does this not surprise me. Oh, I guess its because things like this do happen often to friends of mine that work with computers. They'll find the problem -- someday. Hopefully soon.

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  25. wow---every day, i realize how much i don't know---good luck :)

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  26. Joanne
    Not told you before but I love the way you write

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  27. Sorry to hear about the computer problems trying to get it all set up. Imagine if you had to go through the same thing, but deal with another country in doing so. The national company I work for sends a lot of work to India (nothing against India but cheaper labor there). They took the IT department there too. When I have to call tech support on something, I shudder, hoping I'll get someone who can speak halfway understandable English. One tech actually told me one time "you're not listening to me" when he was telling me to do something. I was trying to do what he said, but I couldn't find what to do and then when he could get control of my computer, he realized I couldn't do what he wanted me to do (of course he never apologized).

    Hope all problems get fixed quickly. So frustrating to learn a new system and incorporate it into your work routine.

    betty

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