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TalesFromTechSupport

How a Floppy Disk Boot Fiasco Taught One Company the Value of Hard Drives

Vintage PCs booting from floppy disks, showcasing Windows 95 and network connections in a retro office setting.
Dive into the nostalgic world of the 90s as we explore how our AS/400 programming firm utilized vintage PCs, network cards, and Windows 95 to connect seamlessly over Ethernet. This cinematic illustration captures the essence of our tech journey, highlighting the unique blend of custom software and file server networks that defined our daily operations.

Picture this: It’s the mid-90s, pastel colors and dial-up tones fill the air, and your boss just spent hundreds of dollars—per computer—to ensure that not a single byte of precious project data gets stranded on someone’s C: drive. How, you ask? By custom-ordering brand-new Compaq PCs with no hard drives, forcing everyone to boot from floppy disks like digital pioneers crossing the Oregon Trail. What could possibly go wrong?

Welcome to the world of AS/400 wizards, Netware magic, and the most creative (if ultimately regrettable) attempt at centralized computing you’ll ever hear. Today, we’re diving into a real-life tale from Reddit’s r/TalesFromTechSupport—one that’s equal parts nostalgia, facepalm, and pure IT comedy gold. Grab your 3.5" disks and let’s boot up this story.

The Case of the Missing Terminator: 1980s Tech Support and the “Ether” Panic

Cartoon depiction of thin Ethernet cables connecting vintage Mac SE computers in a school setting.
This vibrant cartoon-3D illustration captures the nostalgic essence of thin Ethernet networks connecting Mac SE computers in a school district office during the late '80s.

If you think IT support is wild today, imagine being a tech wrangler in the late ‘80s—armed with a trunk full of cables, a Radio Shack loyalty card, and nerves of steel. Today’s story, plucked from the nostalgia-fueled halls of r/TalesFromTechSupport, proves that some tech headaches are truly timeless.

Let’s set the scene: It’s 1988. The Mac SE is Apple’s hot new thing, shoulder pads are big, and Thin Ethernet (10BASE2 to the cool kids) is the backbone of school district networks—literally. Our protagonist, u/jasondbk, embarks on a 4-hour odyssey to save a small office from the brink of network oblivion. Why? Because one tiny piece of hardware—about the size of a large grape—keeps going missing. And the reason? Pure, unfiltered user logic.

When Mom and Pop Want to Make a Game: A Wholesome Saga of Passion, Webhosts, and the Elusive Good Dev

A cinematic image of a mom-and-pop team brainstorming ideas for a new game project, surrounded by tech tools.
In this cinematic scene, a dedicated mom-and-pop duo dives into creative brainstorming, inspired by a 20-year-old flyer that changed everything. Their journey into game development is just beginning!

Picture this: It’s just another day, you’re minding your own business, when your phone rings. The voice on the other end is an older woman, polite and a bit flustered, asking for help with her “database” on something called Hostinger. You offer your best support voice, thinking you’re about to guide someone through a routine password reset. But as the conversation unfolds, you’re pulled into a tale that’s equal parts heartwarming, bewildering, and a little bit tragicomic: a mom-and-pop team chasing their game-making dream, tangled in web hosting woes, and searching for a developer who won’t ghost them—or, uh, get deported.

This is no ordinary tech support call. This is the story of Mom and Pop’s Game Development Adventure.

When Manuals Lie: The AV Timecode Fiasco That Drove a Tech Mad

Close-up of commercial AV equipment showcasing sync and timecode connections for event setup.
A photorealistic glimpse into the intricate world of commercial AV gear, highlighting the crucial sync and timecode connections essential for seamless event setups. Discover why trusting the brochure might not always be the best approach!

If you’ve ever found yourself staring at a blinking control panel, clutching a user manual that reads like a choose-your-own-nightmare, and wondering why tech never works as promised, you’re in good company. There are few places more chaotic than the backstage of a live AV production—except, perhaps, the mind of the engineer who designed your gear. Today, we dive into a tale of timecode gone rogue, looping lies, and why sometimes, the best troubleshooting tool is a healthy dose of skepticism.

It all started innocently enough: a seasoned tech prepping for a high-stakes event, confident in his gear (well, as confident as anyone can be in flaky AV hardware). What could possibly go wrong? Spoiler: Everything. This is a story from the trenches, where manuals are more fiction than fact, and “loop-through” means whatever the engineer decided that day.

When Mark Said “No New PC For You!”: A Tech Support Tale of Office Awkwardness

Mark denying a new PC request in a tech department, illustrating office dynamics and decision-making challenges.
In this cinematic depiction, Mark stands firm against a request for a new PC, capturing the tense moments of office politics and decision-making that many can relate to in tech environments.

Picture this: It’s 2010. Windows 7 is the hot new thing, the world is finally breaking free from the shackles of Windows Vista, and your company is rolling out shiny new PCs for the whole department. The air is thick with anticipation—there’s nothing quite like the promise of a faster, cleaner computer to boost morale. Five desks, five people, five boxes of cutting-edge IT hope… or so it seemed.

Then comes Mark. Mark, the manager with a penchant for micromanaging and, apparently, for public humiliation. As our intrepid tech support hero (u/OinkyConfidence) is midway through the rollout, Mark strolls by, surveys the scene, and drops a bombshell: “Not one for her.” Cue the record scratch. The unlucky “her” is Sarah, still sitting at her desk, dreams of a new PC dashed in front of her entire team.

Why Won't You Just Submit a Ticket? Tales from the Frontlines of Tech Support

Cartoon 3D illustration of a frustrated person avoiding support requests, highlighting ticket submission options.
This vibrant cartoon-3D illustration captures the humor in how some avoid submitting support requests, despite easy options available. It humorously emphasizes the importance of using the self-service portal and ticketing system, even when distractions arise!

Let’s play a quick game: You’re working in tech support, juggling multiple calls and emails, coffee in hand, when a user’s urgent cry for help pings in—except, instead of submitting a support ticket (using the easy portal or even the magic email address provided), they launch a barrage of Teams calls, hit up your mobile, and narrate their woes in a live chat play-by-play. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever worked in IT, you’re probably grinning, groaning, or both.

In a recent gem from Reddit’s r/TalesFromTechSupport, user u/showyerbewbs perfectly encapsulated the daily struggle faced by tech support heroes everywhere: the Herculean effort some folks will exert to avoid the one thing that actually gets them help—submitting a ticket.

The $10,000 Mistake: When the Boss Yanked the Server Plug Mid-Update

Mark pulling the plug on an Exchange server during critical updates in a finance office at night.
In this photorealistic scene, we capture the moment Mark made a fateful decision to pull the plug on the Exchange server during late-night updates, an incident that would change the course of his finance operation.

Picture this: It’s 3:00 AM on a Thursday in 2011. The world is quiet, the city is sleeping, and in a dimly lit office, Mark—the owner of a bustling finance company—decides it’s the perfect time to “fix” the email server. He’s got his coffee, his confidence, and absolutely zero patience for IT protocols. What could possibly go wrong?

Let’s just say, if you’ve ever wondered what happens when someone literally pulls the plug on a server during critical updates, this is the cautionary tale you need. Buckle up, because this ride gets bumpy, and there are lessons here for bosses, techies, and anyone who’s ever thought, “How hard can it be?”

The Vintage Mac That Wouldn’t Die (Until It Did): A Hilarious Tale of Tech, Trust, and Thermal Paste

Cinematic image of a laptop repair scene with a technician examining a faulty laptop in a dimly lit room.
In this cinematic depiction, a technician carefully inspects a laptop, reminiscent of past experiences with local repair challenges. This scene captures the tension and intrigue of navigating unexpected repair situations.

Do you believe in ghosts? Because sometimes, in the world of tech support, it feels like old computers come back to haunt you—refusing to die, refusing to be fixed, and dragging everyone around them into a supernatural vortex of bad decisions and magic smoke.

Let me take you on a journey that begins with a vintage Apple iBook G4—a laptop so old it practically qualifies for Social Security—and ends with a local computer shop burning to the ground (no, really). If you’ve ever worked in tech, you’ll recognize the signs: the stubborn customer, the “it’s probably fine” optimism, and the ultimate horror—someone else’s attempt at a repair that leaves you speechless. Buckle up, this is one for the ages.

Gen Z Accidentally Becomes Tech Support After Uncovering Hilarious Office App Misuse

Gen Z navigating tech support issues with a cinematic backdrop of a busy office environment.
In this cinematic scene, a young professional from Gen Z finds themselves unexpectedly stepping into a tech support role, helping colleagues troubleshoot an internal app. Their journey highlights the unique challenges and surprises that come with being the go-to tech guru in the workplace.

You’re Not Tech Support—But Your Gen Z Powers Say Otherwise

There are some things you assume everyone just knows—like, say, how to open a desktop app after you’ve installed it once. But what happens when you discover your entire office has been unknowingly reliving Groundhog Day with their company software? One Gen Z Redditor, u/Gullible_Umpire_3893, learned the answer the hard way: congratulations, you’re now the office IT department.

Let’s set the scene:
Your company relies on a trusty internal app. Nothing fancy—just download, install, open, and enjoy. Or so you thought. But as coworkers start complaining about mysterious computer woes, you, the resident young person, step in to take a look. What you find is equal parts hilarious and horrifying: half the staff is repeatedly downloading and reinstalling the app. Every. Single. Time. They. Need. It.

It’s like watching someone microwave every cup of coffee they want to drink from scratch—boiling the water, grinding the beans, brewing the coffee, then pouring it out and starting again. Except it’s software. And it’s your company.

How a Saturday VPN Call Nearly Turned into a HIPAA Nightmare: A Tech Support Tale

Anime-style illustration depicting a frustrated doctor using a VPN for secure communication in a medical practice.
In this vibrant anime illustration, a frustrated doctor navigates the complexities of communication in a busy medical practice, highlighting the crucial role VPNs play in ensuring secure connections and data protection in healthcare environments.

There’s nothing quite like a quiet Saturday ruined by a tech emergency—especially when it involves a doctor, a VPN, and a side of HR confusion. As any seasoned IT pro will tell you, the most unexpected support calls always seem to land when you’re least prepared, and sometimes, a simple password reset can spiral into a full-blown compliance crisis.

Imagine this: You’re sipping your coffee, enjoying a rare moment of weekend peace, when your phone rings. It’s Dr. Newbie, struggling to log into the company VPN. No big deal, right? That’s par for the course in tech support. But what started as a routine call quickly turned into a lesson in why HR and IT need to be best friends—especially when dealing with sensitive medical data.