Snakebit Friend (Rant)

[JoeWras]

These updates always read like a new chapter in a novel.

 

[Dreamer]

He is lucky to have you for a friend. It is nice that you are so patient with him.

 

[Walt34]

I've heard you can sometimes get the metal bulb base out of the socket by sticking a potato into it giving it a good twist. I assume you have to whittle the potato down a bit to get it to snugly fit into the bulb base. I admit I have never tried this technique.

If that doesn't work what I've done in the past is use a pair of needle-nose pliers to bend the metal light bulb base inward a bit to get a grip on it and then unscrew it.

BTW, it is strongly recommended that one make sure the switch is off before trying this technique.

 

[copyright1997reloaded]

If that doesn't work what I've done in the past is use a pair of needle-nose pliers to bend the metal light bulb base inward a bit to get a grip on it and then unscrew it.

BTW, it is strongly recommended that one make sure the switch is off before trying this technique.

Yes, I can attest it is a good idea.

 

[Dash man]

I've heard you can sometimes get the metal bulb base out of the socket by sticking a potato into it giving it a good twist. I assume you have to whittle the potato down a bit to get it to snugly fit into the bulb base. I admit I have never tried this technique.

A potato works very well actually, and I didn’t whittle it down at all. Just don’t use a large one.

 

[Hermit]

If that doesn't work what I've done in the past is use a pair of needle-nose pliers to bend the metal light bulb base inward a bit to get a grip on it and then unscrew it.

BTW, it is strongly recommended that one make sure the switch is off before trying this technique.

I also thought turning the switch off was a good idea until I came across a light that was hot wired to the fixture first then the switch. Best to turn the circuit breaker off.

 

[Car-Guy]

If that doesn't work what I've done in the past is use a pair of needle-nose pliers to bend the metal light bulb base inward a bit to get a grip on it and then unscrew it.

BTW, it is strongly recommended that one make sure the switch is off before trying this technique.

I also thought turning the switch off was a good idea until I came across a light that was hot wired to the fixture first then the switch. Best to turn the circuit breaker off.

Yep, insulated needle nose pliers have always worked for me.

And turning off the light switch and the associated breaker is a requirement (IMO) and then check it with a VOM before even thinking about proceeding... I've seen some strange things with wiring that surprised the heck out of me, and it only takes once.

 

[OldShooter]

I also thought turning the switch off was a good idea until I came across a light that was hot wired to the fixture first then the switch. Best to turn the circuit breaker off.

With any fixture with two control switches you may find both the socket and the center contact connected to "hot." Definitely turn off the breaker. A distant second best is to make sure you're not grounded (like by grabbing the fixture) while you're trying to unscrew the shell.

A potato works very well actually, and I didn’t whittle it down at all. Just don’t use a large one.

Possibly giving new meaning to the phrase "hot potato."

 

[Chuckanut]

Possibly giving new meaning to the phrase "hot potato."

I can see a new kitchen gadget to replace the air fryer --- The Electrocution Cooker.

 

[RobbieB]

Already been done;

 

[OldShooter]

Yeah, when we were kids we used to do that with nails on a piece of wood.

 

[SecondAttempt]

I say this with all sincerity and without judgement. It sounds like your friend is visiting too many porn and other sketchy websites. Personally I would set him up with some good antivirus software and counsel him that there are a lot of dangers out there. While you being his tech support might be annoying to you, if he were my friend I would be more concerned with protecting him from greater online dangers.

 

[scrabbler1]

I say this with all sincerity and without judgement. It sounds like your friend is visiting too many porn and other sketchy websites. Personally I would set him up with some good antivirus software and counsel him that there are a lot of dangers out there. While you being his tech support might be annoying to you, if he were my friend I would be more concerned with protecting him from greater online dangers.

He doesn't visit porn websites. He knows not to click on unknown links, especially within emails. This latest issue was with the PC's power supply and its inability to power up.

I have installed Malwarebytes but he doesn't run it regularly, if ever. Windows Defender runs a quick scan regularly, but he never runs any full scans.

 

[scrabbler1]

Ugh, just when I thought it was safe......

His PC isn't powering up again! I told him to check the power cord, making sure it is plugged in securely to the PC and the socket. Then again, I just did this last Friday. But I am a little suspicious of the sockets in the power strips because other devices didn't seem to be working until I switched them around his 2 power strips. Maybe he needs another one of those?

Anyway, I'm not making any housecalls, and because our schedules in October will likely prevent me from coming over for several weeks, I'm not sure how he gets this resolved any time soon. It's his own damned fault (mostly) for being so inept and overly dependent on me to fix his problems.

He's still snake bit.....

 

[aja8888]

He doesn't visit porn websites. He knows not to click on unknown links, especially within emails. This latest issue was with the PC's power supply and its inability to power up.

I have installed Malwarebytes but he doesn't run it regularly, if ever. Windows Defender runs a quick scan regularly, but he never runs any full scans.

I had a careless friend like that. Every time his computer, phone or laptop would be "challenged", he would call me and I would go over and straighten it out. I had a computer repair business for ten years and had seen everything. I used to school him on how to keep things safe and running but ignored the messages. One day, I had enough when he called and I told him I was retired and not working on computers anymore. That worked.

 

[Sunset]

These posts about SBF are so entertaining.. it's amazing a person like that has lived so long.

As for his light, he needs to use LED bulbs so they get changed less frequently and are not glass.

I wonder if his computer is "broke" again because he changed where it's plugged in to another socket.

 

[Texas Proud]

Ugh, just when I thought it was safe......

His PC isn't powering up again! I told him to check the power cord, making sure it is plugged in securely to the PC and the socket. Then again, I just did this last Friday. But I am a little suspicious of the sockets in the power strips because other devices didn't seem to be working until I switched them around his 2 power strips. Maybe he needs another one of those?

Anyway, I'm not making any housecalls, and because our schedules in October will likely prevent me from coming over for several weeks, I'm not sure how he gets this resolved any time soon. It's his own damned fault (mostly) for being so inept and overly dependent on me to fix his problems.

He's still snake bit.....

Tell him to buy a new power strip... they are not expensive and if he cannot plug in a few plugs he is worse off than you say...


The power strip might have gotten a spike and is bad... do the cheap check first...

 

[JoeWras]

These posts about SBF are so entertaining..

I know, right?

We lost the stories from TromboneAl and RayInPenn after they quit here, but we still have scrabbler1's true stories of SBF.

It is keeping me going.

 

[Dreamer]

I was thinking of RayInPenn the other day, but could not think of his name. I knew it had been awhile since I had read anything by him. I used to enjoy his stories. Hope he is doing well.

 

[pb4uski]

Why not plug the PC into the wall? If it works then the power strip is the culprit

 

[scrabbler1]

Why not plug the PC into the wall? If it works then the power strip is the culprit

I thought of that, too, after I made the other suggestions. I'll mention it to him next time. He is coming to my place Friday, so I will suggest he bring it with him (if he is unable to try your idea). I can use my power-strip/wall-socket and my own spare power cord, on the rare chance that is the culprit.

 

[scrabbler1]

There was a last-minute change in plans so I was able to go to his place last Friday. While I didn't plug the PC into a wall socket, I plugged it into two of the power strip's sockets which I had just tested with a working small desk lamp he had there. The PC failed to power up. I also switched to my own power cord as a check on that item. So, he brought it back to the repair shop after I left. I haven't heard back from him.

EDIT: I made sure to show him how to reconnect all the cables, and he took notes. I won't be back at his place until November, barring an unexpected change in his schedule (which is what happened last week). So he won't have to wait for me to return to do that easy task.

 

[pacergal]

I know, right?

We lost the stories from TromboneAl and RayInPenn after they quit here, but we still have scrabbler1's true stories of SBF.

It is keeping me going.

+ I, too, miss TromboneAL and RayIn Penn.

OP--you are such a good friend, even though your SBF makes you pull your hair out sometimes.

 

[scrabbler1]

Here's the latest episode of Snakebit Friend.

I was at his place today for the first time since late September. He told me a few days ago how his printer wasn't working when he tried to print our game scoresheets, something he had been able to do (with some difficulty) for over a year.

I had him try a few simple things before I came over when I would look at it. I figured it would be something stupid and easy to fis when I got there.

I was wrong.

I tried for about 30 minutes but we kept seeing "error" in the print queue. He has the exact same make and model as my own printer (HP P1102W), so I was familiar with how it worked as well as some of the error messages I would sometimes see.

Nothing worked. I tried rebooting his system. I checked the cables to see they were plugged in properly. I switched USB ports, as once in a while a USB port is flawed. His PC has at least 6 of them in the back.

I deleted the printer and re-selected it in the printer settings. I made sure it was chosen as his default printer. Nothing helped. Every time I tried to print the one-page file, it went to the printer's queue but failed to print, showing "error" in the queue's entry.

The printer itself showed a blinking blue light which never stopped blinking. From my own experience with the printer, a blinking blue light would appear temporarily before another light would switch to green when the document prints.

He will have another friend take a look at the printer and its connection to his PC Monday night.

Short of buying another printer, I suggested he disconnect his printer and bring it to my place next Friday. I can connect it to my PC and try to print from it. If it works okay, then we can eliminate the printer itself as the problem. I can switch it with my own printer to see if the problem is with the electronic (not physical) connection in his PC, which I suspect where the problem is located.

But I am at a loss to figure out how to fix this. Is there a way to update any printer driver software prior to running the setup routine? I forget how to do that.

Why do these things always happen to my SB friend?

 

[target2019]

Did you delete all the documents in the print queue?