Technology is killing us here in Mesquite.
For the second time in five months, Charlie’s office computer has gone south on us. It is a brand-new laptop (Samsung Galaxy), a very high-tech piece of machinery, and it replaced the Dell desktop computer that fell victim to a power surge. The latest catastrophe was caused by a Windows 11 operating system update (H22).
One would think that, before Microsoft releases an OS system update, it would be vetted by thousands of computer nerds whose job it is to make sure that (a la the Hippocratic Oath) it would “do no harm”. From a business owner’s standpoint (like Charlie, who runs a bookkeeping and tax service from her computer), an “improvement” that has the potential to WIPE OUT HER BUSINESS should be a non-starter.
Getting ahold of Microsoft personnel via phone or chat to rectify a Microsoft-created problem is difficult, to say the least. Hours are involved and, often, the service from the other end of the phone is hit-or-miss. Often, the consumer ends up talking/chatting to a tech who has a very strong accent, so it’s hard to follow him or her, and sometimes the tech doesn’t understand your problem or is incapable of helping you. And, nowadays one never knows if the guy on the other end of the phone is really a Microsoft tech or an Pakistani imposter whose goal is to steal your financial information (which nearly happened to us several months ago).
Thank you, globalization!
In the most recent case, the Microsoft techie’s advice was to re-install Windows, which he attempted to do remotely. It didn’t work, as the re-install froze the computer at a certain point. We were well and truly screwed at that point, so I had to drive up to St. George, Utah and throw myself on the mercy of the Best Buy Geek Squad. Luckily, a tech named “Kobe” was able to get the laptop working. However, he informed me that the OS system wipe/re-install had erased all of Charlie’s business software and device drivers.
Those would have to be replaced by us.
So, Charlie had to spend an afternoon on the phone with Intuit and spend another several hours with our So Cal tech guru, Chris Bradshaw, trying to get the computer back to the condition it was in several days ago. And, then, will have to call our printer guy, Chris Doubleday, to get that device communicating properly with the laptop.
All of this will take time and money.
One would think that Microsoft would be liable for the costs and trouble that it put on Charlie with a defective OS update. However, my Geek Squad tech “Kobe” told me that, no, they are not liable because the consumer essentially waives his rights to redress when he opts to use Windows. Recall all of those “disclaimers” and legalese that one skims though and accepts when using the Windows system?
Typically, the buyer quickly scrolls to the bottom of the legalese and clicks on “Accept”.
“Kobe” told me that he had fixed over 100 computers in the past month that had been laid low by the H22 system upgrade. Those computers included a variety of manufacturers, models, and ages. He explained that, when Microsoft designs an OS update, it tries to put together a patch that will work on computers that vary considerably in sophistication. Charlie’s new computer is more technically advanced that most that are out in the world and in use. Glitches are going to happen, he said, when upgrades have to make sure they can work on the lowest common denominator (maybe a 20-year-old desktop) and the newest tablets right off of the Best Buy shelf. It is a daunting task, for sure.
Luckily for Charlie, her bookkeeping company data and tax files are saved. For the past several decades, she has utilized a triple data file back-up system: an external hard disk; Carbonite online backup; and Microsoft “cloud” storage. In addition, her son Jonathan, who does most of the bookkeeping grunt work, keeps the company files on his computer. So, once Charlie gets her business software re-installed, she should be back in business.
However, the exasperation and stress involved in an OS upgrade fuck-up like this do take a toll on the both of us.
I believe that this is the last year that Charlie is going to do taxes. The proprietary software costs a lot, Charlie’s client list is reduced from former times, and she’s getting older. The extra money that she earns is nice but we don’t need it to survive.
And, it’s not worth the grief dealing with cranky clients and the bozos at Microsoft.
