Back to Helpdesk: Why do you want me to connect to the Computer without the issue?

Posted by EricCoon@reddit | talesfromtechsupport | View on Reddit | 45 comments

If my main responsibilities run dry (running the IT side of in-house events) I'm expected to assist with our IT Hotline. We have two infrastructures: one for internal (desktops) and one external (laptops) use, where external video conferences are allowed. To connect to the external environment, the user needs to start a remote tool and enter a code I provide.

Today I had following fun call:

User: I have an urgent problem. I can't hear anything in a external video conference. I had the same issue yesterday.
Me: Oh, you should’ve called us earlier—usually the sooner, the better. (some conversation while I start my external remote tool and login there)
User: Well, I was busy. And just joined from a coworker yesterday. Now I urgently need to hear in this call. Can you come over?
Me: Not really, I'm in Home Office today. But no worries, I will remotely connect. Please start Program X.
User: I can’t find Program X.
Me: But you’re outside of Citrix, right?
User: Yes, I am. On my desktop.
Me: Hmm... Wait a second. Desktop? Not on your laptop?
User: Yes, I can’t find the program on the desktop.
Me: But the video conference with the problem is running on your laptop, right?
User: Yes.
Me: ...then please try searching for Program X on the laptop.
User: I found it!
Me: *remoting in* Ah! You seem to have an headset connected and the sound is routed there.
User: Oh yeah. I didn't want to use them.
Me: *switches settings, sound starts in the background* There you go, I set everything to your laptop audio devices.

Ah, the good ol' helpdesk days... relaxing calls, full of small riddles, and always good for a laugh. What more could you want? *sips coffee* xD

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moon-meadow-maker@reddit

Part of your job is remotely changing individual users' audio settings for them!!?? That seems crazy to me.

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duranfan@reddit

I guess you've never heard an exasperated user say, "I have no idea what you're telling me to do, I'm not an IT person!"

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Titanium125@reddit

usually this comes directly after asking the most simple fo questions like, is it a laptop or desktop? Is it WiFi or Ethernet? etc.

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SeanBZA@reddit

Or to open the laptop, before even turning it on.

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ROOCIS643@reddit

I had someone tell me it after asking them to open a browser. They work with computers btw.

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EricCoon@reddit (OP)

That's first level IT Support. Helping with even the most basic stuff. We have quite a lot elderly users who are not very computer literate. Also without connecting, I couldn't have known if something else happened. Some users were able to run the video conference in the browser inside the citrix. Our citrix has the audio channel disabled. So no sound either.

Otherwise, my main role includes changing audio settings and other stuff locally, when setting up PCs for events 😆

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moon-meadow-maker@reddit

Makes sense. I come from the event production side. I was just thinking about how difficult it would be to do that service at scale for remote users. I'm happy for you if the company sees the value in it and it keeps you all employed. I still get asked whether events can be completely automated with no technicians on site, which is obviously a no.

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XBlackSunshineX@reddit

User stupidity dictates if I need to press the "hit OK to proceed" button for them. Welcome to IT.

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Livid-Setting4093@reddit

It happens a lot at my work. The monitors do not have speakers but PC sees them as a possible sound output device and switches to them from time to time.

Prudent-Natural-8420@reddit

It can be set to headphones with no headphones plugged in

I've seen it a few times

wiggum_x@reddit

Teams tries to define my docking station as an audio device, and chooses it all the time. I'm constantly switching that.

Ginger_IT@reddit

Why don't you just buy a cheap set of speakers and connect them to the dock? The results would be the same with less interaction by you.

Cloudraa@reddit

i feel like the even easier solution would be disabling the dock as an audio device entirely

my external mic and my PlayStation controller both have an always on audio jack that windows counts as an output even with nothing plugged in and this is an easy solution

I wish I could tell my computer to not require a login if connected to my dock.

thats a security vulnerability in case someone manages to get remote access, technically :p

Any idea how to set up a USB stick to appear as a keyboard so I can insert it to type my pin?

you can use a yubikey but you still need your pin as well

Could you elaborate on that please? I have seen yubikeys, but don't understand how they work.

you can use them as a sort of hardware key that needs to be plugged in to sign in, but you can only use them as an addition to a pin or password and not instead of one

So, short of rubber duckying myself, this is an uphill battle.

i mean yeah but is entering a 4 digit pin for a few seconds a couple times a day really that big a deal lol

For the use case that I'm bitching about, yes.

In this case I'm docking my surface to my TV, with the touchcover closed (to keep the display off, and operating it solely via my Arc Mouse. To watch videos.

Every time the cover closes, it logs out. I currently wake it with the mouse and have to pull up the onscreen keyboard to enter my pin.

well you could set it to not sleep when the lid closes while plugged in if its just a home thing

Yeah... I was just hoping for it to be a dock option.

Changing that (the lid suggestion) setting would be a harder thing to relearn.

I tend to try to automate things in my life based on IFTHEN types of conditions. Obviously, based on my explanation, the suggestion would be contrary to a IFTHEN thought process. (Autistic)

powertoys awake might be a good solution, its an icon in the system tray that you can right click and enable or disable sleep

if you can remember to turn that on and off when you dock/undock it, it should work nicely :)

This is an excellent suggestion.

I'd imagine that one could use it in conjunction with Windows Task Scheduler.

I mean yes... But also, at that point when I'm using it that could also occur.

I already have the built-in speakers and mic in the laptop. and I have a USB headset. I don't need another option that it *might* default to correctly. I just go in and pick what I want.

Fair enough.

beerbellybegone@reddit

Wouldn't it have been easier to just tell them to unplug the headset? Much more idiot-proof for when they come back saying they can't hear through the headset

KelemvorSparkyfox@reddit

The user gets confused between the laptop and the desktop. What's the betting that they would pull the network's connection instead of the headset's?

TinyNiceWolf@reddit

"Hey, you gave me the wrong headset. It had a round plug, and it was really hard to get it into that square hole. You need to give me the right headset, because next time I might not have a pounding tool handy. (Also, on a completely unrelated matter, my laptop doesn't turn on any more.)"

qqby6482@reddit

A usb a plug can easily fit inside an ethernet poet

Battlepuppy@reddit

In my computer at work, the USB port for my headphones are accessed by funkiness. I can't get my fingers in the spot to get them around the plug without moving all the equipment.

I can give them a tug to unplug ( you damage them when you do this) or move equipment.

I am forced to move equipment when I plug back in, no options,and I swear to God, that usb port closes up every time I try to plug them in, and my knuckles get banged as I jimmy it.

I rather just switch them programmatically.

Stryker_One@reddit

USB extension cable perhaps?

Yup, that would do it. As things tend to go, i don't have one at work, and I don't happen to remember when I'm at the store.

Plus, plugging them back in doesn't automatically switch them back. I have to go and choose them as a peripheral after they are plugged in.

Jonathan_the_Nerd@reddit

and I don't happen to remember when I'm at the store.

I have ADHD (just recently diagnosed). When I was in college, my dad taught me a trick to remember things at a specific time. Form an association between something you'll see in the future and something you need to do. He gave me an example. "Next time you see our dog, you're going to laugh out loud." We were out of the house doing something at the time. When we got back home, I laughed because I remembered we'd taken the dog to the vet and wouldn't pick him back up until the next day.

You could try something like that. Next time you see [store logo] up close and personal (because you're walking towards it), you will remember that you need a USB extension cable. Or set it to trigger on something else you know you'll see or hear. Try it and see if it works.

Sounds good!

ManWhoIsDrunk@reddit

Maybe a bluetooth/dongle wireless...

Pyrrhus_Magnus@reddit

They can't even change the audio device in the program, and you expect this person to be able to use bluetooth?

deeseearr@reddit

They're going to call back complaining that the headset doesn't work either way.

That's just another easy ticket. Having incompetent users is job security.

Sometimes it's better to fix the now problem and get them on their way rather then teach them how to do basic shit. They will call back. That's another ticket. (good, I'm here for tickets) Root cause is the user so it's a whatever ticket. Can't fix users just guide them.

joppedi_72@reddit

It's even funnier when you have someone coming in from the outside to hold a presentation and connects to your projector with HDMI and Windows decides to default all sound through HDMI instead of usb or local soundcard, and on top of that the persons IT-dept has locked down the laptop so hard that you can't change sound device.

Happened to me several times while working IT within marketing and PR, it's always interesting to explain to users that even though you're "IT" it doesn't mean you can bypass what another companys IT has locked down on that companys computers.

Environmental_Pin95@reddit

The users who make a ticket then go on vacation and they return and wonder why it was not fixed yet.

Some take the laptop with them and other issues require them to log in so they are in their own profile. So the ticket is not closed. LOL!!!