I have worked at my current company longer than I ever worked anywhere, which is a funny thing to have happened considering my work history includes four layoffs. I worked there from 2012 to 2014, then elsewhere for a year, and then came back in August 2015 and have been ever since.
When I re-started, I was given a laptop, and it was not new-out-of-the box, but it worked, I wasn't complaining. I had to send it in a couple of years ago to fix something, I don't even remember what now, but otherwise, it has continued to work, mostly---the battery wouldn't hold much of a charge, making it less portable than it should be, but I largely work from home and can keep it plugged in, so it was fine.
A few times this year, the battery stopped charging, and the first time I mentioned it, someone asked if I had tried plugging it into a different outlet. My expression at the question would have been something like this:
But I tried it, and I'll be damned, the battery started charging again. (There's no reason I understand why that would work. It's the same power source.) So when it happened again a few times, I did the same thing.
Then last month, that didn't work, and the battery dropped lower and lower, until finally I reached out to IT to ask what I should do. They asked if I could try a different charger to see if that was the problem, but my personal laptop has a different plug shape, so no. They said I could go to Best Buy and buy one and be reimbursed for it, or they could send me one. I wasn't in a rush, as the machine was working and this was right before my vacation, so they said they would send it, and it arrived during Thanksgiving week.
But when I was back to work and looked at it, oh, surprise, it wasn't the right kind of plug for my machine. I sent them this picture to show why this wouldn't work.
The IT person who answered said that the person who could send me another was out on vacation, and would be in touch. At some point this week, someone asked me to look for and send them the specs for my computer, which I did.
Then on Thursday, I got an email from IT saying they had sent me a message in Teams, please respond. (I don't keep Teams open, unless it's for a meeting; the editors use Discord for our chats.) I opened Teams, and the chat literally just said hi. I said hello, and he asked if my laptop was an HP. I said yes, and then nothing for a while. (I admit, I was a bit miffed. We needed to use Teams for this?)
A while later, though, he came back into the chat and said, "would you say your laptop is pretty old" and "judging from these specs and the info I got, it seems a little outdated"! Oh, do you think? Are we just realizing that now? I said yes, it is old (I got my years mixed and told him it had been given to me in 2014, not 2015, but honestly, close enough), and he asked if I'd be okay with getting an updated one---he did not say new, but it has to be newer than this one. Of course I agreed, and he said great, he'd send it out. I thanked him, and said just tell me what to do with the old one.
His first answer was, "is there a trash can near you?" I just about fell off my seat laughing! He went on to say he was kidding, he'd give me the info to mail it back to them. I can only assume they want to destroy it themselves. Which is fine with me.
The new machine arrived safely on Saturday. When I saw that it didn't have the right kind of port to plug in the separate monitor I use, I put out a call for help on Facebook, and one of my friends knew exactly what I needed to get to make it work (I figured there had to be some sort of cord-plug-converter thing that would work, but had no idea what to search on). Now that should be all set, too! It remains to be seen how much of a pain it will be to set it up, but one thing at a time.
I don't know where you found that llama photo but I about died laughing. Ah my. Here's hoping everything works smoothly now, and I'm glad they sent you a new machine.
ReplyDeleteWell, I don't think it's before time! That was one old computer. Hope the upgrade is a real improvement.
ReplyDelete"Is there a trash can" - lol!
ReplyDeleteHooray! I think you've been more than accommodating and deserve an upgraded machine.
ReplyDeleteTrash can indeed.
On the list of Weird Things I Have Learned From Unhappy Computers, is indeed that if it's struggling it can in fact make a difference to plug it into a different outlet... at least, if it's on a different circuit. There can be more ambient power draw on some circuits than others [hi, refrigerator], and more "noise" on some than others. (this is prooobably not an issue if you have really good, solid power, but if you have a 1940s or 1950s house where the incandescent lights flicker whenever you turn on the printer or iron or microwave, then... well. Things get interesting, including computer problems that only show up at home, not at the IT help desk, because the IT help desk has good power sources...)
ReplyDeleteBut the best solution is *fixing the problem* rather than increasingly-esoteric and magic-feeling workarounds! Hope your new computer behaves itself beautifully!
The work computer thing is the bane of my existence, and I don't even work that much, but without the computer nothing is doable. Why can't things just work? Why do organizations expect people to do work efficiently with shit that doesn't work? ( I know - money). It does make it very satisfying when something finally works though, which is both good and kind of sad.
ReplyDeleteThere are way too many plug in types and I don't know the name of any of them. My laptop power cord is like the tube one which is what I will call it. LOL Getting something "new" is always a challenge. I'm easily frustrated with tech. Hope it goes well for you!
ReplyDeleteHa! Glad they send you a new one and hope it's not a pain to get used to. The pic of the two different cords had me laughing.
ReplyDelete