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“But If I Close Them, How Will I Work?”: The Everyday Struggles of Accidental Tech Support

A frustrated person troubleshooting a slow laptop, surrounded by office tools and paperwork.
In this photorealistic image, we see someone grappling with a slow laptop, embodying the challenges of tech support at work. Sometimes, even the most reluctant helpers find themselves troubleshooting for colleagues.

If you’ve ever found yourself the unofficial IT guru at your office, you know the pain: someone’s laptop is slower than molasses, and you—armed with basic troubleshooting skills—are suddenly the savior. But sometimes, helping isn’t just thankless; it’s an existential test of patience.

The story of Reddit user u/Angry_Doragon on r/TalesFromTechSupport is a familiar tale for anyone who’s ever tried to help a “computer novice” colleague. You come in to fix a simple problem, only to be met with resistance, confusion, and—astonishingly—blame for making things “worse.” Let’s dive into this hilarious, all-too-real scenario, and what it says about office life, user habits, and the limits of helpfulness.

The Scene: An Overloaded Laptop and an Overloaded Helper

Doragon isn’t even the official tech support—just the go-to person for basic troubleshooting. One fateful day, a colleague seeks help for a laptop that’s crawling along at glacial speed. The symptoms? Microsoft Word is sluggish, Excel is unresponsive, and everything else is just plain slow.

Upon investigation, Doragon discovers the digital equivalent of a hoarder’s closet:
- 10+ Chrome tabs open
- Multiple Word windows
- Several Excel files
- A laptop that hasn’t been rebooted in weeks

You don’t need to be a tech genius to spot the problem here. But as Doragon soon learns, the real issue isn’t the hardware—it’s the human.

The Conversation That Launched a Thousand Facepalms

Doragon politely suggests the obvious: save your work, close everything, and reboot. That’s when logic takes a back seat and panic drives the conversation.

“But Doragon, how do I do work if I close them?”
“Then continue from where you left off. Reboot only takes a minute anyway.”
“I need all these files. What happens if they disappear?”
“That’s why you should save them. Now do it.”
“Nevermind I’ll do it later. But the laptop is still slow. What did you do to make it so slow?”

You can almost hear Doragon’s internal scream. Imagine being called over to fix a problem, walking your colleague through the fix, only for them to ignore you and then accuse you of making it worse. That’s when Doragon bows out, vowing never to help this person again. And who can blame them?

Why Does This Happen? (And Why Is It So Funny?)

Everyone in tech support—or those “accidentally” drafted into it—has a story like this. But why does this particular scenario repeat itself in offices everywhere?

  1. Fear of the Unknown: Many users treat closing documents or rebooting as the digital equivalent of jumping off a cliff. “Will my files vanish? Will the universe implode?” The answer, of course, is “no”—but logic is powerless against anxiety.

  2. Attachment to Open Windows: Some people treat every open tab and file like a precious heirloom. If it’s closed, it’s gone forever. (Spoiler: That’s what the ‘Save’ button is for.)

  3. Blame the Messenger: When things don’t immediately improve, the helper gets the blame. This is a universal law of office tech support.

  4. Change Aversion: Even a simple reboot feels like a major disruption. But as any IT pro will tell you, “Have you tried turning it off and on again?” is not just a meme—it’s a way of life.

The Tech Support Tightrope: Help, or Let Them Flounder?

Doragon’s experience raises a question every unofficial IT helper faces: When do you stop helping? Setting boundaries is crucial. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is let a colleague learn the hard way (or, more likely, escalate to professional tech support).

But let’s be honest—sometimes helping people is its own unique comedy. The misunderstandings, the frantic clicking, the incredulous “You broke it!” accusations—these are the stories that unite office workers everywhere.

Lessons for Everyone (Not Just Techies)

  • Save Your Work.
  • Close Unused Tabs and Files.
  • Reboot Regularly.
  • Don’t Shoot the Messenger.
  • And if you ask for help, maybe—just maybe—try listening.

Share Your Own Tales!

Have you ever been the accidental tech support in your office? Got a story that rivals Doragon’s? Share your tales in the comments below! Let’s commiserate, laugh, and maybe—just maybe—learn how not to be “that colleague.”

Remember: next time your computer is slow, it might just be time for a reboot…and a little gratitude for your friendly neighborhood IT helper.

Original Reddit Post: Sometimes I don't like helping people