[RESOLVED] More "Quick" tech horror stories

TechTip: NEVER attempt to answer over the phone "Got a simple question for ya".

I really hate the MS Backup software. It gives people a false sense of security This story proves why.

8:00 I get this call.
CU: I need to restore my hard drive.
(I had known this customer for a while and
had helped her on numerous occasions)
ME: Do you have a backup of your hard drive?
CU: Yes.
ME: What program did you use with your backup?
CU: MS Backup.
ME: This shouldn't be *too* hard. I need you to start Windows.
CU: I can't!
ME: Why not?
CU: My roomate formatted my C drive.
ME: (Oh crap) :<

After an hour reinstalling Windows 95. i suddenly find out that she got a 6 gig hard drive with 2 gig free before the incident.
I also found out that she did have a tape drive but had resorted to using floppy disks to backup.

ME: So let me get this straight. You have a 4 gig tape drive.
CU: Yes.
ME: but you used 3.5 floppies?
CU: Yes. I didn't trust the new drive.
ME: (Sensing no end in sight...) Ok Put in disk 1 and start the restore process....

After a grueling 6 hour restore i went to her house and showed her how to use her new tape drive.

LESSON: If you have a tape drive USE IT!!

hehehehehehe, have you ever seen a "newbie-network-administrator" making the backup of a SEVER on floppy disks? Well, I've seen one and i'ts really fun when he got desperate after 3 days of backup!

From just yesterday. First meeting with a potential client. . .in the director's office. I ask her about doing backups. . . she says thats Karen's job, lets go talk to her.
Karen proudly shows me the server and the Jaz drive that she religiously backs up the patients records on every day. Very, very proud of herself. So I ask her where she keeps the tapes. . . "Well, right here next to the Jaz drive." So I ask her what happens if the building burns down. The collective "Oh Sh&t" look they gave each other was priceless. "Uh wow, we never thought of that." They now have an off-site backup strategy and I have a contract with a new client https://forums.windrivers.com/images.../2000/09/1.gif

Midway-- What was he backing up?
Geez 3 days? Was he nuts?
<hr>
Ellingtond--
Dont ya just love those people that think a backup is safe necxt to the drive?

[This message has been edited by Macgyver V2 (edited April 27, 1999).]