"My Fifteen Minutes as a Tech Support Guru" Topic

A few weeks ago the contracted travel agents got new computers for their office. I helped them assemble the machines and get them set up. It wasn't too crazy as they are your standard out-of-the-box machines. They baked me some cookies for my trouble, so it's not all bad.

Today one of them came to my desk and asked me what I know about external floppy drives, as the one they'd got in the mail today wasn't working. I followed her over to their area to see what I could do. I plugged it into the USB port, got a confirmation that the computer was talking to it, and tried to open the drive, getting a prompt asking me to insert a disk. The travel agent told me that she'd already put a disk in there and it wasn't working.

I removed the drive, looked inside the flap, and saw what looked suspiciously like the edge of a small cd, not a floppy disk. I excused myself for a moment and took the drive back to my desk to remove the disk and come up with a tactful way to explain the difference between a cd drive and a floppy drive. I was able to do so without anyone losing face and once again saved the day.

"without anyone losing face "

Congradulations; you will go far Padawan.

Great story and good on you.

But floppy drives? As in 3.5"? or, heaven forbid, 5.25"? What are they using these for, out of curiousity?
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Tim

Losing face has a different meaning when the loser has finger nails like claws. Well done, Lad, well done. Do you suppose they meant to order external CD drives and ordered floppy drives by mistake? I didn't know anyone even made those these days.

They are 3.5" floppies. I think the main reason we still use them for some applications is that "we've always done it that way."

Some of our programs and our auditing procedures require that we transfer relatively small files around the office for various stages of auditing. We go through periods when we can't use flash drives and other periods when flash drives are allowed. Otherwise, I think flash drives would be the preferred way to do everything we instead do with floppies. I work for a government agency.

Flash drives are forbidden in the US Army. They transfer infections and are no-no's.

It was all the rage for a bit then suddenly STOP no more flash drives.

That used to be a problem with floppies as well. Ironically, they may now be safer since the modern virii may be getting too large to fit on one…

Nicely done. It's nice to see someone use tact in dealing with folks these days. Far too often folks feel it nescessary to ridicule others, well done on your part.

I think the main reason we still use them for some applications is that "we've always done it that way."

I don't know if you can even buy 3.5" diskettes anywhere anymore. I haven't seen them in years… Wow.
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Tim

I expect some shop in the PRC still makes 3.5" diskettes. They don't last forever, the magnetic medium deteriorates, and Bongolesian computers still use them.

Bongolesian's got computers?

mmmm …….. cookies

JW

Posh – why don't they just transfer the files electronically via the internet or through a LAN? Why not install a good system of tracking use of USB drives and install a security program that scans the dang thing before you are allowed to look at anything on the drive. There are better ways to protect your system and provide for productivity other than an outright ban on a useful piece of hardware. I know – you work for the "gubiment" – and I know how it works, but it is still a silly requirement. I understand why USB drives are not allowed in some military installations – security issues are the main concern – but in most offices it is just plain silly.