Bad trackpoint
Posted by robjeffrey@reddit | talesfromtechsupport | View on Reddit | 34 comments
I had a call complaining about their mouse not working as it was 'twitching' all over the screen.
Coming from a graphic designer, this was a bit more than annoying, it was work stopping, so I went to their desk to take a look.
The mouse cursor was twitching in place without touching the mouse. I had them disconnect the corded mouse and it still happened.
Being a laptop with built in touch pad and track point, we used the keyboard shortcuts to disable them with no effect. Even with no enabled mouse, the cursor continued to twitch.
I was about to get them to turn it off and hand it over when I asked if they had any other mouse for the laptop, Bluetooth or anything? It was a look I won't forget. I could see in their eyes their recognition of the problem, embarrassment, and then regret for asking for my assistance.
Without saying a word, they reached into their laptop bag, pulled out their Bluetooth mouse and powered it off. The cursor remained perfectly still on screen after that.
We all have days like that, not something to be embarrassed about. I've overlooked the obvious solutions in the past and I'm sure to do it again, probably later today even.
DavidIQ@reddit
At least they recognized their folly!
NewUserWhoDisAgain@reddit
I had a person go "Why would it do that" when they revealed they had a bluetooth keyboard shoved in their bag causing all kinds of nonsense on their screen.
"Because your keyboard is in your bag."
"Sure but it shouldnt that!"
"What- Why shouldnt it do that? Something is pressing on the keys. It will send the signal to your computer."
"But it should just know!"
centstwo@reddit
r/watchpeopledieinside
slasherbobasher@reddit
OMG I am so glad this is a real sub!
centstwo@reddit
The classic is the pallet of empty cans falling over.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WatchPeopleDieInside/s/Zq0IcVbq3M
Cruxwright@reddit
Work gave me a T480s Lenovo Thinkpad. I have to use the BIOS to disable the trackpad/trackpoint as the windows' settings don't seem to apply.
Outside-Rise-3466@reddit
This is way "less bad" than the VP with a crooked monitor, and IT fixed it by pulling the cord out from under one side of the base. That problem was obvious. At least in this case, the problem wasn't obvious until it was hindsight.
me_groovy@reddit
I had this before, it was because the user had a lump of makeup on the touchscreen and had closed the lid because they had an external monitor.
savevicleo@reddit
i wonder why that laptop wasn't designed to disable the touchscreen when the lid is closed
Counterpoint-RD@reddit
It probably does - if the lid closes far enough... Wild guess: with the makeup in there, it didn't get quite that far, and so... 🤷♂️...
TinyNiceWolf@reddit
Why doesn't the OS detect when there's more than one pointing device actively sending positioning data, and stick a "mice fighting" icon in the taskbar? Likewise for multiple active keyboards.
robjeffrey@reddit (OP)
Thats a good idea.
With Lenovo laptops that have both a track pad and track point, it would be on all the time though.
TinyNiceWolf@reddit
If people switch between a track pad and track point, but don't use both at once to move the pointer, it could keep track of the most recent time some input from a given device caused it to move the pointer's position. If both devices cause a pointer movement within a second of each other, put up the icon. (Or else, have a setting for a "normal" number of simultaneous mice, and notify whenever a third or fourth one starts moving the pointer too.)
NatChArrant@reddit
I specifically tell my users "I'm going to ask some really basic stuff, because if it's a basic thing, and I don't ask, we'll never find it"
That usually puts them in a more collaborative frame of mind. Usually.
oloryn@reddit
I call this Oloryn's First Principle of Computer Troubleshooting:
"When something computery seems to be stubbornly refusing to do what it ought to do, when you figure it out, it's going to be something embarrassingly stupid.
The (very important) corollary is: When something computery seems to be stubbornly refusing to do what it ought to be doing, you look for something embarrassingly stupid.
If you refuse to believe that you could have done something embarrassingly stupid, you've lost before you got started. Humility is a virtue in IT and computer programming."
dplafoll@reddit
That's actually really great, and I am going to shamelessly and gratefully copy it going forward. 👍
NatChArrant@reddit
I give you my Papal Blessing, my child (waves hand around vaguely)
Of course, since I'm not Catholic, it's not worth the papal it's written on ....
7CuriousCats@reddit
I read it as PayPal blessing and I was so confused lol
cShoe_@reddit
Bless you for your patience!
DoubleOwl7777@reddit
i literally had that exact thing happen today! minus the support part.
Ordinary_Plate6977@reddit
I once had to go out to a user with no less than 4 keyboards attached to their docking station. She had piled three of them up out of the way and then attached the usb cables anyway. One of those who complained to her boss, my boss and anyone who would listen in-between.
I drove 40 mins to the building, surveyed the desk, then removed the surplus keyboards from the embarrassed user and told her to put them in the cupboard and drove 40 mins back.
The resolution I put in for the ticket read. Surplus keyboards unattached and removed from SU desk. Problem shouldn't occur again. Copied both bosses in. Never heard a peep back.
robjeffrey@reddit (OP)
I try not to record resolutions in tickets that point out people's mistakes. Especially when involving superiors.
I will, however, have a private chat with them to let them know the actual cause, but in a ticket I would have said something akin to 'equipment causing the fault removed'. The user will know the truth and once I have a good laugh with the bosses they will too. ;)
Users appreciate the discression and personal work relationships can only benefit from it.
mafiaknight@reddit
That depends on how called out I've been. If User is bitching about me to the bosses, I'm 100% dropping the unvarnished truth in the ticket and emails.
If User is simply asking for help, and just happens to be an idiot, I'll keep that last part to myself.
robjeffrey@reddit (OP)
Oh, absolutely.
I just try to give the benefit of the doubt first.
I won't take their crap and don't expect them to take mine ;)
Ordinary_Plate6977@reddit
We ended up having a good working relationship once she stopped involving her boss in every little whinge. He learnt to take her complaints with a pinch of salt and she learnt IT would fix her tickets in our timeframe not hers.
djshiva@reddit
Literally just had this same issue a couple weeks ago. I went through every troubleshooting step you could imagine. Same end result.
OcotilloWells@reddit
I used to have an external number keypad. Once in awhile I would lay something on it, then wonder why my computer was acting possessed. I'd usually do it months apart, so I wouldn't immediately remember to check for that.
erikkonstas@reddit
At least there was an adequate report, not just "the mouse goofy"...
centstwo@reddit
Well, actually, ya see, the mouse is Mickey and the dog is ...
Optimal-Condition803@reddit
"Well Mickey, it's not enough grounds for divorce to complain that your wife Minnie's teeth are badly aligned"
"I didn't say that, I said she's f***ing Goofy!"
NatChArrant@reddit
Thanks, I needed that LOL.
androshalforc1@reddit
No your honour i didn't say she was mentally unstable, i said she was fucking goofy.
GreyWoolfe1@reddit
I must be an oddball. I actually like using the touchpads on my laptops. I do use wireless keyboards and mice on my personal computer and the company laptop with docking station.
iaintnathanarizona@reddit
This was about 7 years back. Had just started a new desktop support role. Added company email to my phone and was not receiving notifications. Went as far up as our exchange admin, was on a call with him when I realized I had disabled notifications on my email client months before starting my new role. Thanked him for his time.