Frustrations of supporting Windows

Being in the IT world, I'm frequently contacted by family members for help with their computers. And unfortunately, their computers are running Windows 2000/XP/Vista. Why is it unfortunate? Because I am contacted like clockwork, every few months or so, with the same issues time and time again. The top issues that are brought up repeatedly are: a) The computer has a virus or spyware that has hosed the system completely, or b) The computer is running slower than ever. And neither of these problems are fixed in a couple of minutes. It can take hours to clean viruses and spyware or re-install the entire system (if it's damaged badly enough), let alone try and clean up all of the temporary files that Windows leaves all over the C: partition.

As a test, I migrated one of my relatives to Fedora 10, 2 years ago with a new laptop. She only uses the laptop for web browsing, email, basic office documents, and the like. To date, I've only had one call from her, about the computer going into standby mode and couldn't be waken (which was fixed by a kernel upgrade). Everything else she was able to figure out on her own, because she had already used Firefox, Thunderbird, and Sunbird on Windows from before, and the programs are identical on Linux.

So I am seriously contemplating migrating other relatives to Linux as well. There is the initial learning curve, but I think most users will adapt and find their way. Linux (Gnome desktop environment; I haven't touched KDE in years) is laid out in a very logical manner. And, the reduction in support calls to me adds the winning touch. One of the more aggravating things is the time wasted not only on their end, waiting while their computer is down and being fixed, but my time that is flushed down the drain fixing these constant problems. I can never get that time back, and I'd much rather be using that time doing something of my choice. Linux basically runs itself. Tmpwatch cleans out the /tmp directory based on file dates, and most applications don't store other temporary files all over like they do in Windows. And viruses and spyware are pretty much non-existent in Linux. And the Linux kernel is so efficient that overall Linux just runs better right out of the box. The only hurdle I can foresee is gaming. Some Windows games may be a challenge to get working in Wine. But for basic users that only need the basic native Linux applications, migrating seems like a winning solution.

Talkback

This corresponds exactly with my feelings, and my experiences. I have done just what you described before, too - taken someone with a dying/dead Windows system and switched them to Linux, with positive results every time. As it happens, I'm about to get another round of this.

A friend brought me a very sick Windows laptop several months ago. She didn't want to try to switch to Linux right then, as she was in the middle of several important activities using Windows versions of tools that I would replace with OSS versions. So I spent most of a weekend reloading from scratch, first Windows and then her applications - I have to say, she was very, very good at having absolutely all of the original installation CDs. Now, after just a few months, problems have come up again. This time I don't have either the time or the patience to spend the weekend reloading, so I am going to transfer her documents to my MMS (multiboot mini-server) with a fresh installation of Ubuntu Lucid, show her how to use Firefox, Thunderbird and OpenOffice, and let her get along that way for a while.

The stated goal is that this is a "temporary solution", so that she can continue to do what is absolutely necessary while she takes the time to decide what she needs for a new computer, then buys and configures it. My personal goal is that she will realize that she doesn't have to put up with the Windows garbage for what she needs to do, and in the end we will set her up permanently with a Linux system.

jw
J.A. Watson 14 May, 2010 15:06 Reply

Might be a good idea to make sure they install decent anti-virus & anti-spyware software. Sounds like a lack of these are the major problem. Also give a hint as to how much it would cost them if they had to pay for your time.

'Bloods thicker than water, but money's thicker than blood' - Boss Hog - Dukes of Hazard
AndyPagin 14 May, 2010 17:32 Reply

@AndyPagin - I can't speak for apexwm, of course, but in the specific case I mentioned above, the problem was definitely NOT the lack of Anti-Virus or Anti-Spyware software, because I had installed both when I reloaded her computer the previous time, I had shown her how to make sure it was kept up to date, and I believe her when she tells me that she had done that. I also know that she is quite careful with both web surfing.

How much it would cost if they had to pay for my time? Well, let's see, reloading Windows from scratch, with endless iterations of Windows Update, reboot, blah, blah, blah... then install her applications, including Microsoft Office, with endless iterations of Update, reboot, blah, blah, blah... most of a weekend, multiplied out into hours, at any kind of reasonable hourly rate... yeah, Windows really is a good deal, I'll be sure to tell her that.

On the other hand, setting her up with a Linux system this weekend, even considering that I choose to reload it from scratch not only to get the latest Ubuntu distribution but also because this has been one of my test systems, and it currently has OpenSolaris and half a dozen Linux distributions on it... Install Ubuntu, Thunderbird, OpenOffice and a few other packages, with the latest updates (all done in one pass, with one reboot), the whole thing will take about an hour, at the most. I'll be sure to mention that to her.

jw
J.A. Watson 14 May, 2010 17:49 Reply

JW, thanks for the comment, and good luck! Personally I'd like to hear of another successful Windows to Linux migration.

@AndyPagin, I have done just that, but I am pretty sure most of the problems are malware-related. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the malware was automagically installed because they use Internet Explorer. I've seen these types of programs install, run, and no antivirus product has been able to catch it in enterprise environments (including Symantec Antivirus Corporate... one of the top rated products out there). The latest one was called "AntivirusSoft", lots of info on Google about this one. I do like your idea of quoting them the full cost! :)

My next step might be to make them non-Admin users, but it requires training to show them how to run installs and other things as the local Administrator account. Windows 7 is much better with UAC and is a lot easier for installations, however I am pretty sure they are not willing to re-buy Windows again.

Migrating to Linux will get around all of these issues, provided they can use native Linux software. Wine works for some niche applications but it's a gamble. Linux is user friendly enough in my opinion for most normal users, especially now with Ubuntu, Fedora, and the other top distros. Come to think of it, another reason is the near end of life for Windows XP SP3. No end of life date announced yet that I know of, but it will get here eventually. Then what are users supposed to do? I know for sure that some will simply stay on XP and I can already see an increase in the number of problems as no security patches will be released at that point.
apexwm 14 May, 2010 17:52 Reply

From a security standpoint, only experienced users should have Admin rights, irregardless of whether it is Linux or Microsoft. While Linux may not get worms or viruses due to its excellent code, it is still vulnerable to trojans that target the weakest point in computer security, an inexperienced user.

There was once a case of a trojan in gnome-look.org which was enclosed in a .deb file. It was interesting to note that a number of people then installed that file without inspecting it. That was probably the only incident, but with increasing popularity in Linux, I wouldn't say that this would be the same anymore in a few years.

I help manage various Ubunutu installations on my relative's computer, and while they need me to visit to install something, at least I have a peace of mind that I would never need to hunt those viruses or even worse, reinstall. (Windows is different since it has more holes than a Swiss cheese).

After all, administrators are called so for a reason: they are responsible for all the important decisions.

Cheers,
LeeZH 14 May, 2010 19:48 Reply

And not to talk of the money people would have saved on the OS licence fee.

The price people have to pay for the world not doing anything about this vice-like monopoly!
Indian-Art 14 May, 2010 19:57 Reply

@LeeZH, I definitely agree with you. The problem is that especially with Windows XP, it's a pain to install and change settings using RunAs. Trying to explain RunAs to a computer with limited knowledge is pretty difficult. I've had better luck explaining how to log out and log in as Administrator, do what they need, then log out and log back in as the regular account. But even there, you introduce room for more support calls. Luckily Vista/7 have this ironed out finally with UAC. And new versions of Gnome (Linux) use the same type of UAC model where the user is prompted for Admin credentials only when needed.
apexwm 14 May, 2010 21:46 Reply

The problem with XP is separation of privileges. Sure, it can be done. But how many user programs will run on XP without admin rights?
djohnston 15 May, 2010 01:54 Reply

I suspect Microsofts' vice like monopoly will eventually be broken, in Europe anyway.
In my opinion the fact that practically all new PC hardware comes with Windows pre-installed represents an unfair trading practice that prevents fair competition and stifles (destroys) customer choice, and is therefore illegal. Same principal as the web-browser scenario. MS fought to the death to prevent the EU declaring that monopoly illegal and lost. Its only a matter of time....
AndyPagin 17 May, 2010 13:37 Reply

@AndyPagin, I think you are right. Eventually things will catch up to Microsoft, whether it's due to governments stepping in and fixing the infamous Windows Tax issue, or other illegal practice. The interesting note is that Microsoft's IE market share was dwindling even before the Browser Ballot appeared. And their market share in other areas has been dwindling as well, without much intervention so far. I think that they will continue to lose market share, and if a higher party steps in it will only increase the current rate of loss.
apexwm 18 May, 2010 13:36 Reply

@AndyPagin; I think you are right, it is high time the customer has a choice about whether they want windows on their new computer. I have fought trying to get the store to give me a blank disc, on my laptops, but they say they can't because of their contract with Microsoft. So, I pay extra for something I'm not going to use, and I get counted as a windows user, which I'm not, because I have no choice.
ator1940 18 May, 2010 15:02 Reply

@ator1940, not only is the Windows Tax a problem as you suggested, but other 3rd parties are paying PC vendors to include their bloatware as well. We're forced to get a PC with Windows and count towards that total, unfortunately. I always like to look at the market share statistics of actual running machines. There will give us the real numbers. If I can't get a Windows Tax refund, the CDs meet the garbage can and I install the latest version of Fedora. Dell was giving the refunds for a while on new systems, but I am not sure if they are still honoring this. I know for sure they do not on used PCs.
apexwm 18 May, 2010 16:49 Reply