This morning, my internet connection has been rusty, and I tried all (which turned out to be most) of my usual tricks before calling my ISP’s support number. Does anyone know about this ‘turn everything off, make small talk with worn out support person, switch it all back on and it works again’? Is there any actual science in that?
Also, you know those mornings when you get to nine o’clock and you think ‘goodness me, is that all it is, surely it’s later than that, I’ve been awake for hours’ and ‘what a very strange night that was, how am I going to stay awake all day, and even possibly get some of that enormous pile of work done’? Well, I am having one of those.
And one other thing, I left my vacuum cleaner out on the front verandah all night (after vaccuming my car which was in a right bloody mess I can tell you), and it is still there this morning.
Yes, they always say that thing
about turning everything off then turning it back on again, in case you are incredibly stupid and have just done something dumb. Like not having even turned on the modem in the first place. Which is highly likely in my case.
I guess the vacuum won’t be frost-bitten or anything?
Hmmm, there isn’t a black market for vacuum cleaners, then? Wouldn’t it be nice to say “oh, damn, can’t vacuum, somebody stole it”? I just settle for “oh, damn, it’s buried under that huge pile of stuff…”
Yes, switching everything off, waiting a bit and switching everything back on can help. In fact you’d be surprised how many times it fixes all sorts of problems.
Whether there’s actual ‘science’ behind it, I wouldn’t know.
Btw – I work as a tech support person for an ISP.
No vacuum cleaner frostbite and no black market either. Not that my vacuum is worth anything.
Caramaena – turning everything off then back on seems to work nearly every time, but I am wondering why. Why on earth would it work? I was embarrassed I hadn\’t tried it this time. Have you ever worked as an in-house support person? That would be my worst nightmare of a job. All those people wanting their computers back on NOW.
I’ve only ever worked as tech support over the phones for dialup and dsl. I’m actually second level at the moment (the guys on the phones call us when they get stuck).
To be honest, I don’t know exactly why it works. I suspect things can get bogged down in the operating system over time and a shutdown/restart tidies everything up.
I don’t mind helping people fix their computers. More often than not, it is possible to fix that computer NOW.
What I’m currently doing (as well as the other described above) is phone faults – I report them to the wholesaler, who then sends out a tech to fix the fault. So I’m the bunny that has to tell people that ‘yes, I know you want your phone fixed now, but I’m sorry it may not be fixed for a couple of days’. Much prefer something I can actually help with now.
Sometimes I suspect that when you call to ask why nothing is working, the time it takes you to reboot gives someone on the help desk the chance to unplug their coffee maker and plug your server back in 😉
I have not had (touch wood) to call the helpdesk once since I learned the switching off, leaving, switching on again thing.
I think the science is probably the same as the science that’s in play when you have hopeless writer’s block and deal with it by throwing your hands in the air, going to bed and sleeping for nine hours, and then finishing the book review in fifteen minutes over your morning coffee.
Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything like that.
I have not had (touch wood) to call the helpdesk once since I learned the switching off, leaving, switching on again thing.
I think the science is probably the same as the science that’s in play when you have hopeless writer’s block and deal with it by throwing your hands in the air, going to bed and sleeping for nine hours, and then finishing the book review in fifteen minutes over your morning coffee.
Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything like that.
I also work in tech support, not for an ISP but for a company which has web applications for customers. Yes, PCs do love to go nighnighs. A proper shutdown and reboot can restore connections to networks such as LANs and ISPs which may have “slipped” or just timed out (I don’t go any deeper than that!)
To be honest, I don’t know exactly why it works. I suspect things can get bogged down in the operating system over time and a shutdown/restart tidies everything up.
That is exactly right.
I don’t tell people to do this to make them feel silly. I tell them to do it because it actually works. It should always be your default action and THEN if you get the error or problem again, you can look for other causes. (Assuming it’s not something along the lines of “oh yes, not that old thing again”)
It’s dust on the electrons. If you stop them whirring around, they can lick themselves clean.
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Switch off and reboot.
I want to do the same thing to certain prominent politicians.
hehe david – I think you’re going too far. With certain politicians it should just be switch off – *no* reboot 😉
David Tilley’s answer is perfectly correct – dust in electronic equipment can be a killer. It also leads to the reason why you should not let you computer cables get too tangled or wound into small loops – the electrons have trouble taking the corners, plow into the barrier (cable-covering) and can’t make it to their destinations.
I also agree (partly) with his comment about the desire to turn certain prominent politicians off. I just don’t want to reboot them. Can’t we recycle them or something? The world would be a happier place.
I think the science is like the laying on of hands performed by the NRMA man, who arrives after you’ve been waiting next to your clapped out car, leans on the bonnet while he asks what seems to be the matter, then watches you start it up first go.
Some people just have the vibe, man.
Am v.impressed that you vacuum your car. Do you dust the dashboard too?
Re your question on my blog – yes I’ve just finished The Secret River recently and loved it. Such prose! Will be re-reading again one day. And I am NOT a Grenville fan at all. Hated Lillian’s Story and could take or leave The Idea of Perfection. But this latest? Wow.
Also, Eucalyptus. Clearly I’m on a homegrown author jag at present. Loved this one. Have you read it?
perry middlemiss, does that mean that I shouldn\’t have my cords coiled neatly and tied up by rubber bands? Because I wouldn\’t be able to bear just having them all hanging around.
Suse – Vacuuming the car is a highly infrequent activity. I have, once before, wiped the dashboard down. I once had a boyfriend who took such good care of his car, he painted the wheels black whenever he washed it. Which was often. He was – and probably still is – a much nicer person than that makes him sound.