• Anon (unregistered)

    Where's the wtf, that they're running it on Windows?

  • Rob (unregistered) in reply to Anon

    Windows isn't the only system that supports CTRL+ALT+DEL. In fact, it's even older than Windows is.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control-Alt-Delete

  • jtl (unregistered) in reply to Anon

    At least it didn't ask him to press any key.

  • (cs)

    I guess the WTF is supposed to be that old people are computer illiterate and we should therefore point and laugh at them.

    I have scratched my head a few times when asked questions like, "How can I download the internet?" Or my Grandma's favorite question, "I need to email you my computer, what do I do again?" That would be a really cool trick, Grandma! What program are you using?

  • (cs)

    gramps only has 6 fingers :(

  • Carl (unregistered) in reply to Pope
    Pope:
    I have scratched my head a few times when asked questions like, "How can I download the internet?" Or my Grandma's favorite question, "I need to email you my computer, what do I do again?" That would be a really cool trick, Grandma! What program are you using?
    Clbuttic.
  • LeSpocky (unregistered)

    Have you tried to turn it off and on again? lol

  • (cs) in reply to LeSpocky
    LeSpocky:
    Have you tried to turn it off and on again? *lol*

    I love the show!

  • name (unregistered)

    that ease my soul to know that there's worst than me

  • (cs) in reply to LeSpocky

    2 problems I have with this article:

    1. If they keyboard is not responding, what's CTRL-ALT-DEL going to do?
    2. I though "The Sage" had fixed the problem before, that's how he got the title. How could he have done that if he was clearly computer illiterate?

    Other than that, I definitely believe it. I love how the troubleshooting part of the documentation basically tells you that this is standard procedure. Welp, gotta restart my browser now, guys! CCCNTTTARALLLLLLLLLDDDDDDDDDDDDD++

    Damn...didn't work. Must be something else wrong with this hunk of junk!

  • king (unregistered)

    If the old sage doing it the wrong way the entire time, how did he fix the machine all the times it broke down before?

  • (cs) in reply to Pope
    Pope:
    I guess the WTF is supposed to be that old people are computer illiterate and we should therefore point and laugh at them.
    Or that folks who work in a paint store should necessarily be computer literate?
  • (cs) in reply to Outlaw Programmer
    1) If they keyboard is not responding, what's CTRL-ALT-DEL going to do?
    iirc ctrl-alt-delete is trapped by the OS, not the program, so if the program has hung somewhere, the OS can still get the ctrl-alt-delete signal and reboot.

    In fact...

    Wikipedia:
    DOS and all real mode systems

    On a PC running DOS or a system that runs in real mode, this keystroke combination is recognized by the keyboard handling code in the BIOS and treated as the CPU's NMI signal, which, except for rare exceptions, invokes a soft reboot.

  • m (unregistered)

    I hope they don't have one of those computers that goes BOOOPBOOBOOBPP when you hold down too many keys at once.

  • (cs)

    Hey, I know that guy. He rebooted my computer by turning the monitor off, waiting 30 seconds, then turning the monitor back on.

  • Phillip (unregistered)

    I suppose not even <> surrounding the text indicating a key to press would have helped, it would have just been two more keys to hold down. <CTRL> + <ALT> + .

  • (cs)

    The real WTF is old people using computers!

    That's why they need robot insurance

  • rich (unregistered)

    Isn't 16 a little late to be starting his sophmore year in HS?

  • (cs) in reply to Volmarias
    Volmarias:
    iirc ctrl-alt-delete is trapped by the OS...

    Yeah, that makes sense. Guess they were going for "if our program is locked up, users will only notice when they type stuff and it doesn't work." Whereas, in my experience, if they keyboard is not working, it's probably because it's not plugged in anymore!

  • Fernando (unregistered) in reply to Volmarias
    1) If they keyboard is not responding, what's CTRL-ALT-DEL going to do?

    Well, the same as:

    http://www.ruicruz.forunsbb.com/imagens/keyboard.jpg

    Keyboard error or Keyboard not present. Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter SETUP

  • Alan (unregistered) in reply to m
    m:
    I hope they don't have one of those computers that goes BOOOPBOOBOOBPP when you hold down too many keys at once.

    Really, thats my cats favourite noise - judging by her eagerness to replicate it on my laptop.

  • sweavo (unregistered) in reply to m
    m:
    I hope they don't have one of those computers that goes BOOOPBOOBOOBPP when you hold down too many keys at once.

    I hope they do! "ooh, it's booping, sonny! We musta got it on the run! Try an git your toe one the other + key!"

  • cod3_complete (unregistered)

    LOL that was funny. I can't imagine anybody could be that clueless but oh well senior citzen type I guess.

  • (cs)

    Wow! An old guy who doesn't understand computers? WTF?

    Next time I'm in Home Depot, I hope I get his help rather than that of the 16 year old smart ass who knows about CTRL+ALT+DEL but probably nothing about paint.

  • Russ (unregistered) in reply to Fernando
    Fernando:
    1) If they keyboard is not responding, what's CTRL-ALT-DEL going to do?

    Well, the same as:

    http://www.ruicruz.forunsbb.com/imagens/keyboard.jpg

    Keyboard error or Keyboard not present. Press F1 to continue, DEL to enter SETUP

    Nothing wrong with that per-se. If you have a usb keyboard, you can plug it in and hit f1 or del. Often I will simulate keyboard errors just to make sure this screen comes up and I don't miss the key to enter bios (I'll hold down a key for example, and it will generate a keyboard error).

  • Average Nerd (unregistered)

    Master Kan: Quickly as you can, snatch the pebble from my hand. [Young Caine tries to do so and fails] Master Kan: When you can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to leave.

  • Andy (unregistered)

    People. The whole point of the story isn't "ha ha, old people can't use computers"...it's that somehow, despite what happened, up until then he was the 'sage'. What he did to get that title, I'm not sure.

  • (cs) in reply to king
    king:
    If the old sage doing it the wrong way the entire time, how did he fix the machine all the times it broke down before?

    Because the next line in the manual is to turn the machine off, of course this still doesn't fix it as he just turns off the monitor. The last step says to unplug the machine and he unplugs the power strip, finally getting the problem machine and everything else to reboot.

  • jtl (unregistered) in reply to rich
    rich:
    Isn't 16 a little late to be starting his sophmore year in HS?

    Not if you turn 16 after the cutoff point in July, in some systems. I had a September birthday and turned 16 at the beginning of sophomore year.

    Of course, the real check is 'what grade did you complete last'. That's really all that matters. Some people get a late start at the beginning of their education and are slightly older than their classmates.

  • tamosius (unregistered) in reply to gabba

    the real WTF is that you expect to get some useful help in HomeDepot :-)

  • (cs)

    The only sage here is the thing that goes into all fields.

  • tamosius (unregistered) in reply to gabba
    gabba:
    Next time I'm in Home Depot, I hope I get his help rather than that of the 16 year old smart ass who knows about CTRL+ALT+DEL but probably nothing about paint.
    the real WTF is that you expect to get some useful help in HomeDepot :-)

    P.S. I guess it's a bit more clear with a quote what I'm talking about...

  • (cs)

    a bit off topic, but bear with me ;)

    on german keyboards, functions keys have translated labels... e.g. ENTF instead of DEL (ENTF for 'entfernen'), EINF (einfügen) for INS and CTRL becomes STRG (for Steuerung).

    an austrian friend of me once called and asked for help as her computer is not repsoning anymore and pressing "Strong Alt Entf" does not help.

    she still is quite persistent in calling control/steuerung 'strong', even though i did epxlained to her what it really means.

    (useless info: swiss keyboards use english labels as the same layout is used in all parts of the country by french, italian, rhaeto-romanic and swiss german speaking people)

  • (cs)

    Andy was closest to the Real WTF: assigning the "title" and function of guru to somebody based solely on the fact that they were willing to try something, instead of basing it on actual competence at said task. I run into it all the time at my work. Customers who simply use the program for their work tend to frequently get "promoted" to in-house IT support positions. As a software customer service rep for all my customers, guess who gets to field their inane and truly WTFey phonecalls for help every 3 minutes of every day...

    It is another WTF how the "Sage" was so clueless with following the instructions that it's a wonder he ever fixed the problem before...

  • Sage (unregistered)

    Last time I checked, no amount of ctrl+alt+del-ing restarts windows. In fact, all that happens is a little window pops up, called "task manager," whatever that is.

    CAPTCHA: sagaciter

    PS: Sage goes in all fields.

  • mike (unregistered)

    TRWTF is that Jared didn't RTFM instead of relying on the Sage in the first place.

  • BobB (unregistered) in reply to A Nonny Mouse
    A Nonny Mouse:
    gramps only has 6 fingers :(

    And I know why! It was the great Paint Can Catastrophy of 79! Sure I was only a few months old and couldn't program, but I sure could mix some paint! And since I was such a youngin' in the business gramps saw a paint can lid coming at me full speed but caught it with his hand at the expense of his fingers!

    Poor gramps, we still honor your brave four fingers.

  • (cs)

    My Fingers! The nails do nothing!

  • Paul (unregistered) in reply to jetcitywoman

    [quote user="jetcitywoman"... assigning the "title" and function of guru to somebody based solely on the fact that they were willing to try something, instead of basing it on actual competence at said task. [/quote]

    Like my wife's sister, an elementary school teacher, who was put in charge of her school's new computer lab because she was the only one who had a computer at home (it's kind of backward where she lives). Well, actually, she /was/ the only one with any competence at all, with a direct line to me for advice and support.

  • Gumby HW (unregistered)

    Yeah, but what I really want to know is: did he put other things under the sensor? Like a ham sandwich? Like certain bodily parts?

    Cool if, instead of photocopying his butt he turned it into a paint by numbers set!

    Captcha: wonderfully is "ilium" which is right around your butt -- kinda literally!

  • (cs) in reply to Sage
    Sage:
    Last time I checked, no amount of ctrl+alt+del-ing restarts windows. In fact, all that happens is a little window pops up, called "task manager," whatever that is.

    CAPTCHA: sagaciter

    PS: Sage goes in all fields.

    Actually, win 95 and 98 it would pop up task manager first and if you pressed it again while task manager was up, it would restart the machine. Oh and Windows 1-3.x would restart the computer :D

  • (cs) in reply to betlit
    betlit:
    a bit off topic, but bear with me ;)

    on german keyboards, functions keys have translated labels... e.g. ENTF instead of DEL (ENTF for 'entfernen'), EINF (einfügen) for INS and CTRL becomes STRG (for Steuerung).

    an austrian friend of me once called and asked for help as her computer is not repsoning anymore and pressing "Strong Alt Entf" does not help.

    she still is quite persistent in calling control/steuerung 'strong', even though i did epxlained to her what it really means.

    For some reason I'm not sure about I keep thinking of it as "string"...

  • (cs) in reply to Pingmaster

    So that's how you write WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTFFFFFFFFFFFF ! Man, if I'd known that sooner.

  • Tux (unregistered)

    Or its really Linux, CTL ALT DEL will trigger a shutdown. Transverbero!

  • dave (unregistered)

    cccccccnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnttttttttllllllllllllllllllllllll=============aaaaaaalllllllllllllltttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt=================ddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeellllllllll

    arg, couldn't reach shift.

  • David Masover (unregistered) in reply to gabba
    gabba:
    Wow! An old guy who doesn't understand computers? WTF?
    The WTF isn't that he's "an old guy who doesn't understand computers", it's that he's known as "the sage", and is the one responsible for fixing a computer.
    gabba:
    Next time I'm in Home Depot, I hope I get his help rather than that of the 16 year old smart ass who knows about CTRL+ALT+DEL but probably nothing about paint.
    I'd rather get his help for picking out paint, sure. But in what ways is the 16-year-old a smart ass in that story? Sounds like he was helpful.

    I'd rather have both of them, actually -- the 16-year-old to operate the machines, and the Sage to help me pick out paint.

  • Teh Irish Gril Riot (unregistered) in reply to gabba
    gabba:
    Wow! An old guy who doesn't understand computers? WTF?

    Next time I'm in Home Depot, I hope I get his help rather than that of the 16 year old smart ass who knows about CTRL+ALT+DEL but probably nothing about paint.

    Whoa! Settle down there, gabba.

    This story hits a little too close to home for ya?

  • (cs) in reply to Andy
    Andy:
    People. The whole point of the story isn't "ha ha, old people can't use computers"...it's that somehow, despite what happened, up until then *he was the 'sage'*. What he did to get that title, I'm not sure.
    He got that title by knowing how to do his job... mixing paint. He was a sage from another age.

    Do you suppose they sold sagebrushes there?

  • Teh Irish Gril Riot (unregistered) in reply to FredSaw

    Could be he got the title 'Sage' because he smelled like sausage. Or, he packed some serious meat. One never knows, does one?

    Well, does one? Huh?

  • Ie (unregistered)

    Back when boxed software came with instructions, I'd never seen any manual that used the "+" nomenclature without defining rather early within the first 5 pages of the book that it means "at the same time" and that CTRL = one of the control keys, etc.

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