Most Embarassing Computer Problem?
By megamatt
@megamatt (14291)
United States
December 18, 2009 1:32pm CST
We all used computers for the first time at one time. And there is likely there have been computer issues that were easily solved and we looked back with embarrassment that we could not figure that simple issue out later on. The type that's after it's fixed, you're slapping yourself and wondering how we did not think of this solution before.
For me, many years ago, I had to get a new monitor for the computer, because the old one had died. Having not plugged in the previous monitor(someone had already set up the computer for me), I had no experience in doing it. I figured if I followed the instructions, I would get it correct. Sometimes a faulty assumption, as I found out as I plugged in the monitor but it would not come on. I thought I had a defective monitor and had to call a technician to help figure the problem. As it turned out, I had not put the plug all the way in. It was mostly in but not quite.
Granted, not as embarrassing as someone who once asked me where the "any" key was on the keyboard but still it seemed like a simple solution that I should have figured out after it was solved.
3 people like this
7 responses
@ImNotLikeYou (33)
• United States
21 Dec 09
Remembering back quite a while, there was a time when I first got speakers. As I hooked them up on the tower, I tried them but nothing happened. I spent countless hours trying to fix them, until my friend told me the cord wasn't plugged all the way in.
@jahernandezrivas (11288)
• United States
19 Dec 09
It's a tie between the monitor being unplugged and wondering why the computer wasn't turning on and also not knowing that the easiest way to solve a problem I had before was to use system restore!
@maryihla (103)
• United States
18 Dec 09
Way back in the dark ages when personal computers were first making their appearance in the office environment, I was working for a small newspaper as the production editor. One day, in the middle of a publication deadline, our computers blinked, flashed, and went down. After nothing we tried would revive them, we called support. Keep in mind this was back when support services were not only located in the same country, but also often even the same city. Plus, they actually understood what they were talking about, not just reading from a handbook in an accent impossible to understand.
After about an hour of troubleshooting, including checking to see if the computers were plugged in, we finally discovered the problem. We had apparently overloaded the one circuit the computers were connected to. A flip of the circuit breaker brought the computers back up, but nothing saved us from the embarrassment.
@megamatt (14291)
• United States
21 Dec 09
It is always the simplest solution. In hindsight you look back back at this and wonder why you didn't think of it. Sometimes the mistake is made when we have the misconception that since it has to do with computers, it has to be high tech. When at many times, its really low tech.
@kaylachan (71762)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
18 Dec 09
I remember when I first got DSL through the phone company. I'm a geek by nature so fallowing instructions and installing a modem should be right and easy? Especially seeing how everything required a few plugs here and there. I plug in the eathernet cord. Everything seems in order right? Wrong. My computer couldn't hold a connection.
So of course I eventually called custmer care. The technition and I spent hours literlly troubleshooting the unit. Needless to say after many hours (and several restarts) I discovered the problem on my own. My eathernet cord had a kink in it and some of the fibers were broken. All that trouble for a simple bend. I felt like such an idiot. I was shipped a fulty cord and it took me several hours to figure that out.
I hooked up to the usb port and had no more problems. Now even though I have a wireless router handy, I keep a back-up cord at the ready.
@Ironically (30)
• United States
28 Dec 09
I couldn't get the LCD moniter into the base and I didn't know how to change inks for the printer...
Thank god my friend came in and helped me! Now i know how to do both.
@cookiebaker (330)
• India
27 Jan 10
My most embarrassing moment was in school when we were being introduced to computers.
that day the teacher was teaching how to shut down computers and turn off the ups. when the bell rang, i carefully did what the instructor told us. faithfully, i turned off the big black switch that was beside me. suddenly every computer in the room got shut down. for some minutes no one could understand anything but later my instructor figured out that along with the ups, i turned off the main switch of that room too. everyone burst our tears by laughing and laughing lol
@Porcospino (31366)
• Denmark
20 Dec 09
When I started going to nursing school I bought a new computer and a new printer. My father offered to help me install the printer, but it didn't work. We kept on trying, but nothing happened. We got very frustrated, and we tried to solve the problems in a lot of different ways. We decided to ask one of our friends for help, and he guided us over the phone. The printer still didn't work and we called another friend who also tried to help us over the phone. Nothing happened. Two hours after we started we discovered that we didn't insert the printer cable properly 
