You're good with computers
You're good with computers
Comments
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"I haven't used Windows in over a decade, so I'm afraid I can't help you" is one of my favorite sentences.
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I do something similar. "Last time I used windows it was Windows 98..."
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"'Windows'? Sounds like a simplistic freeware CAD program from the nineties found on one of those CD-ROMs that used to come with magazines. Are you sure that's an operating system?"
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Snap. The problem is you never forget. It's PSD.
"OK, OK, enough. I can't watch you ham fist this anymore. The reason it says file not found is a DLL it needs isn't found. There used to be this tool, DependencyWalker. Ah there still is. There you go, you are missing that DLL. A search will show us... Yep... That is what we need to install. Oh look it runs."
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"Why is my computer doing X instead of Y?"
Idk I don't fuck with windows 11. I switched to Linux... But from I can see try A, B then C.
"That worked thanks"
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The things is you really can't be that good with windows.
Sure you can get good with registry and group policy and other stuff that is needlessly complicated to do relatively simple stuff. You can know your way around WMI and .net and powershell...
But at some point, the software actively hides the specifics of what is wrong. You can't crack open something to see why it's showing some ambigious hexadecimal code or a plain screen. You can't add tracing to step through their code to see what unexpected condition they hit that they didn't prepare to handle. On Linux you are likely to be able to plainly see a stack trace, download the source code, maybe trace it, modify the source code.
Windows is like welding the hood shut and wondering why mechanics have a hard time with the car.
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As someone who works as a sysadmin/systems engineer in a Windows environment, I find your analogy is a bit extreme. Not denying the issue, it's a constant frustration and problem. It's just that I find you can get a lot farther than most people think.
So less "hood's welded shut" and more "Why the fuck are the headlights a single unit? I just need to fix the high beams! Why is the transmission welded shut? Who in the fuck wired the radio and power steering together? And why in the hell is none of this documented anywhere?" Maybe that's worse, tbh. You can get very deep, but most of it is horrors.
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Yes indeed! There are a lot of tricks old Windows admins still hold onto to get stuff done and sometimes it's so damn frustrating (like resorting to BITS to move files at times).
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Guess it's a matter of degree, that was the sort of stuff I was alluding to in the first part, that you have all this convoluted instrumentation that you can dig into, and as you say perhaps even more maddening because at some times it's needlessly over complicating something simple, and then at just the wrong time it tries to simplify something and ends up sealing off just the flexibility you might need.
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My Linux "skills" are more like:
I'm just looking stuff up.
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All the better, you know how to find help.
You might even be a better windows fixer than someone certified simply for that. That, and you'll share your learning process with that person asking for help.
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It's worse when you know that you changed a configuration somewhere but can't find it. When you do find it, what source of wizardry is this. With a helpful ###changed this to fix xyz, hopefully it works this time###
What did I do!
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My mindset totally changed few years ago when I started being honest with myself and with others.
It's true, I'm in that meme... I don't know much about Windows anymore. Initially I admit I was ashamed about it because I imagined that I'd be judged for it.
What I did though, instead of trying to be better... was to be honest about it :
- yes, it's true, I don't know Windows or MacOS as well I know Linux... but there is a reason WHY. Explain why, namely the consequence for my freedom, and theirs, totally changed the discussion.
One day I even told my friendly neighbors : "Look I could fix your Windows computer but... I'm a professional, and I don't know Windows so much. So I would have to look solutions up and that will take time while going against my principle, so I would have to charge you for it, and it's not cheap. Instead, if you switch to Linux I'll help you, and for free." Guess what, they not only tried but they didn't even need my help! They even, back then so few years ago, install WiFi driver via the command line on their own.
So... yes, be in that picture, sure, just don't be ashamed about it if you believe it's for good reason. Do not be afraid of explaining others too and who knows, they might not only understand but even want to tag alone on this constant adventure for collective empowerment!
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My Windows skills are slowly leaving me... and I work in a Windows environment. Thanks for the words of confidence, given how long I've been the computer guy I guess it's a bit of a shot to the ego to be real about it at times!
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Attaching less weight to the ego is the best thing that can happen to boost learning :D
It hurts confidence initially, especially as you land on your ass, but only until you learn something new and empowering, then get excited again! It's one of the most enjoyable rollercoaster IMHO.
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The funny thing is, that windows used to be a piece of piss. Once they started trying to make it fool proof, is when it became a fucking nightmare.
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What distro do you recommend? I know Linux tangentially from my Steam Deck, and am looking to finally swap my PC.
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Debian with KDE. It's just simple without any weird (anf hard to understand) extras like Ubuntu anf Mint.
Any distro with KDE will pretty much feel the same and debian is just a work horse.
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Honestly I'd say it doesn't matter much. What matters is that your data are safe and you can afford a bit of time at first when things are a bit different than what you are used to.
If you have a LOT of time or are very eager to learn, take something strange or not very popular. If you are in rush then start with a distribution that is popular, ideally that a friend, colleague or acquaintance also uses. Think of it as a team exercise.
I personally use Debian but others might prefer Ubuntu or Mint to start with.
But... yes, can be anything, just BACKUP your (and by that I mean data you have produced, e.g. documents, photos, saved games, etc) data then you should feel free to try!
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The Linux propaganda here got to me about 2 years ago and I switched to Linux mint. Pretty smooth sailing for day-to-day stuff. However, a few days ago I decided that I wanted to try modding fallout new vegas on my computer and that's been a pain in the ass (still trying to figure it out). The problem is that a lot of the default packages in the mint repositories are outdated and cause a lot of more recently updated programs to malfunction. So I've had to figure out how to get updated packages by using the terminal (first time I've needed to open terminal this entire time) and update them one by one, figuring out which new thing is breaking one by one until everything is working.
For that reason, I'd recommend going with a distro that doesn't have as much of a lag between updates if you're planning on doing anything like what I described. There's almost certainly ways to do what I'm trying to do that are less tedious/frustrating in mint, but I don't know what the fuck I'm doing, dont understand most of what I'm reading, and there just isn't much out there for my specific issues.
Despite my gripes, I'm still enjoying Linux more than windows. If something didn't work on windows, and it couldn't be solved with updating drivers or something similar, I'd just give up. Since everything is wide open in Linux, I know that the solution to my problems are achievable if I just do it right. Instead of being told no by my OS, I'm given a list of reasons why something isn't working, and then I can just go and fix it
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I usually recommend Pop_OS! (Though I havent tried that one myself) or the good old classic Linux Mint.
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Being "good with computers" is always relative, and to most people computers are basically black magic.
Here's some stuff I've seen other people do.
Had a coworker buy a whole new laptop because their Google account had signed out and they couldn't remember the password. (obviously buying a new laptop didn't help)
My mother couldn't figure out how to hang up a MS Teams call so she just closed the lid on her laptop, which she still assumes turns the whole PC off even after explaining to her multiple times it doesn't...
My former boss call me into work on a day off to "recover" the main software we used since it had disappeared from the computer. It was still there, an update had just changed the desktop icon.
And most recently a buddy installed multiple viruses on their computer after I told them to 'backup their files' before doing a clean Windows install. I had forgot to mention that backing up their files just meant coping them to another drive...they immediately started searching up shady "file backup" programs from random sites on the internet.
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At this point, it is weaponized incompetence. You tell someone once or twice that closing the lid is not turning off the power and that should be it.
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I was just explaining to my girlfriend that people’s ignorance about computers provides a space where even people without advanced skills can make a decent living doing support.
Like, not everyone can get a gig as an advanced sysadmin making bank, but you can probably find some tech support roles that pay really well to support folks who essentially think technology is magic.
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I am not "good with computers" I am simply able to use google
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You have to be good at knowing what and how to google.
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90% they didn’t reboot
10% path issues
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Maybe no problem when it's a problem within a multi-platform program like a browser or Steam
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My favorite action movie. I love Commando so much. Cool pic in the meme.
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Your friend's Windows skills:
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That's right, it goes in the square hole
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i still fix my freinds windows computers, even tho i havent used it for a hot minute. i simply am that good of a tech support.
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Turn it off and on again?
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Lol format c:
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Hence my dad's machine running mint.
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my friend, who works in networking for a major tech company, can't even help me with what seems like a simple Windows issue sometimes because of how fucked up Microsoft has made Windows
his solution to most microsoft-product problems these days is to just use a different brand
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Just tell them to Let Off Some Steam.
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LMAO This is how I feel getting tech support for my work computer. The dude treats me like an idiot and I'm over here like WTF Windows is do weird with all its crusty old BS 😖
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And then my iOS skills...
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Didn’t realize Freddie mercury was so jacked
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That's Bennet. He had a really steamy scene.
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Two (at the time future) US governors here, BTW. Minnesota and California.
Edit: I was mistaken, this is not Jesse Ventura on the left.
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That is Vernon Wells, not Jesse Ventura. This was Commando, not Predator.
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Damn, you're right. Schwarzenegger next to a mustachioed man in fighting gear just made me default to Predator. My face blindness did the rest.
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I don't know if I should be happy or sad that they actually turned out to be relatively decent governors.
Relatively. Let's be real though, the bar is through the floor at this point.
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i quit. fix it yourself
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I remember that!
ERROR: Root device mounted successfully, but /sbin/init does not exist. Bailing out, you are on your own now.
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Something tells me they're still better then the owner though
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Once I am at the stage I can write basic drivers as recreation I might consider learning Windows properly ngl. Powershell's OOP features and all.
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I don't understand that reference.
Enlighten me-
Once upon a time I had an outdated computer running Windows, and got good at fixing it. So I started fixing my grandparents and cousins computers, and they started calling me when they had an issue. 9 years ago I switched to Linux (which fixed every issue I had), and now when they ask me to fix their Windows 11 I just sit in front of the thing with a blank stare.
edit: 9 years, not 7
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Two actors from the movie Cammando.
The guy in the right was super elite. The guy on the left, not so much.
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I mean the hilarious thing about the movie is that the guy in the left was also supposed to be super elite or whatever and be the final boss for Arnold. Arnold circa 1982 vs a guy who looks like he drinks a 6 pack of beer every day. The most lopsided boss fight in a movie.
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Reverse those for my windows and Linux skills, and then put a toddler on the floor for my Mac OS skills.
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Still have to deal with windows at work, so I end up somewhere between those two on both.
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What is the implication here?
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which movie is this?
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Commando... Arnie has great one-liners
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Let off some steam, bennet!
https://www.reddit.com/r/LPOTL/comments/14g7zax/let_off_some_steam_bennett/
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Blatant disregard for rules?
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no, silly, just blatant disregard for other people's wellbeing, which is president material
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So, you want a leader that does what they want, doesn't listen to the majority, could well harm those around them with their actions?
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Hey I just want it to be my team winning even if it hurts the land and everyone I love ok? /S
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I helped a family member with their Windows PC a few days ago and, omg, I hate using Windows. It's so bloated and unintuitive. It's a mess, and it seems to get worse every time I use it.
One of the reasons I switched was just being sick of dealing with Windows issues, the time spent troubleshooting, having to constantly tinker. And despite all the users out there, the frequency of hitting a dead end and just having to deal with it was common enough.
So after yet another Windows-fuelled rage and four glasses of wine, "Fuck it! I'll see what everyone's raving about..."
An hour later...
how's Fisher price walled garden doing?
Edit: it sounded like they switched to Mac, that's what the insult was.
It’s layers and layers of configuration screens, all ducktaped to each other.
It's not even ducttape.
It's that paper masking tape that falls apart if you sneeze on it.
I literally wanted to argue with top level comment about the fact that in Linux everything is fucking disconnected and a lot of placement makes some sense from technical PoV but sure as hell not from "I dunno what I'm doin" PoV.
But then this comment snapped me out of it. Control Panel in Windows is no more. I forgot as I still default to it on Win 10. They fucked up one of the most important parts of why Windows was better for green folk. :<