Voodoo Association

I don't work on my friends' computers anymore.

Especially if they offer to pay me.

You probably wonder why.

Well, it all comes back to Voodoo Association. That is, no matter what grave ailment was cured in the process which was paid for, inevitably there will come some problem AFTER the repair was done. And the logic that follows is:

"Hmm. This is a new error. I didn't see this before the computer was fixed. It must have something to do with the repair process."

The very next thing that happens is:

[ring]

"Hey Will, I'm getting this error. When I [X], [Y], and then [Z], there's this [Q], and so I click [R] and [S] happens."

95% of the time, this error has nothing whatsoever to do with the repair work which was done. I could go on to rant that it was a screensaver, desktop changer, chat program, calendar manager, filesharing app, etc, which was downloaded from www.spyware-and-pop-ups-r-us.com, but the point is moot: the user still doesn't know what the hell is going on, but now they have someone they feel justified in pestering about it.

Depending on the degree to which the person who was helped is spastic, varying levels of random phone calls occur.

And this is why you will find many people who know how to do support simply will not do it for you, even if you offer to pay them. Sure, what you are offering them might be pretty good money, but we already know better. The un-ending calls afterwards eat into that money and our patience, as well as make us want to avoid contact with you entirely.

There are vast discussion groups on the internet, wherein practically every known pop-up, error code, system warning, errant behavior, virus activity, ad infinitum, have already been discussed exhaustively.

Learn to use google.

Learn to use your PC.

At least try to figure it out.

Please.