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Tech Support People Are Sharing The Worst Cases They’ve Seen While On The Job (30 Pics)
There's a subreddit called r/techsupportgore, and its name perfectly describes its content: people who fix computers upload photos of the nightmarish scenarios they find themselves in. From melted extension cords to server rooms that look like a jungle, some of these hardware disasters are so bad, you can't help but feel for the folks who have to fix them. So continue scrolling, check out the pics, and don't be surprised if you cringe to the brink of passing out after only a few of them.
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#1
Ticket Said "Camera Flickers To Fuzzy Brown Image Often"
One of the moderators of the subreddit, Coffeechipmunk, said the most popular posts there are those that depict situations just moments away from exploding. "[It's] very dangerous, but very cool looking. They probably get so big because people post the pics and you think, 'Wow, that's just a bomb at that point,'" they told Bored Panda.
The subreddit was created on the 29th of February, 2012, and since then it has grown into a 427K member-strong community. They aren't interested in trivial things like cracked screens or anything -- just the filthiest, nastiest gore there is. And it doesn't seem that it's drying out, too. Just think of all the people who acquire a new gadget or an appliance and are so eager to use it, they skip the operation manual (myself included).
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#2
“The Printer Isn’t Working”
"A lot of the content on the subreddit does rather well, except for people coming for actual tech support, they get redirected to the right subreddit. For actual tech support gore, though, it seems like broken screens and slightly messy wires are the current posts that don't hit too hard," Coffeechipmunk explained.
They think the reason why r/techsupportgore got so popular is quite a simple one: "Honestly... it's very fun," Coffeechipmunk said. "In a time where most of the internet can be incredibly serious and most times saddening or angering, r/techsupportgore is fun because you go on it and you can laugh (and/or cringe) at the crazy posts. Where else can you see a post like, "Wow, these cables really are messy" to, "A lizard fried my motherboard" back to back? I love our growing community. They're a bunch of people that just enjoy tech and to some extent, the worst of it."
#3
End User Had A Heater Next To The PC Which Was Randomly Shutting Off And She Thought She Had Smelled Burning A Couple Of Times. It Is Literally Screaming
If you are, however, afraid that you're gonna end up on this subreddit, there are things you can do to prevent it. There's plenty of information on the internet that you can utilize to become more tech savvy. There are forums, websites, and YouTube channels dedicated to specific fields where you can find comprehensive information on how to reset your iPhone and how to fix a malfunctioning laptop. Heck, if you're feeling really adventurous, you can even learn how to code.
When it comes to technology, the information is out there and it's available. You don't have to study computer science to know this stuff. Like a blacksmith who has an exact feel for how he needs to beat a piece of metal in order to mold it, knowledge and regular use of it will make you better at technology.
#4
I Can't Even...
Jackson Bowen 4 years ago
'I look inside the house and its painted blaaack'
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*sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby 4 years ago
Well why did no one take him out into the back yard? Poor thing probably held that in for years 😂
daveej 4 years ago
Looks like a black toner cartridge broke and spilled toner all over the floor. I wouldn't go near it without a respirator, toner is very bad to breathe in.
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Oskar vanZandt 4 years ago
There is NO WAY you would just clean that up with a vacuum... that powder gets into everything. New carpet tiles required...
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 4 years ago (edited)
Toner vacs are a thing. You'd do the best you can, then work from there. As long as you don't heat it up toner is cleanable, it's just beastly to do.
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Matthew Smith 4 years ago
The cleaning lady gave this room a miss, it's not in her job description
Andrea Owen 4 years ago
I had a guy confidently show me how to replace the toner when it ran out. Pulled the flap before slotting it into the machine and covered his suit trousers and the office in toner. He spent the rest of the day in sweatpants.
Marcellus the Third 4 years ago
Had a small-scale variant of this once with an exploding espresso machine in an office I worked. Learned then that plaster is very absorbent; years later that office still had a ****-brown decor.
Daniel (ShadowDrakken) 4 years ago
That's special right there. That doesn't just happen XD Also, this is why 3rd party/refurb toner voids your MFP's warranty ;)
Deborah Brown 4 years ago
I needed to replace a toner cartridge once. Took the old one out, picked up a new one that had been opened then set back on the boxes next to the printer. Shook it up before putting it in, and I had a scene very much like this one, but it was all over me too. A friend in maintenance had to take me back to the loading docks and blow me off with the industrial air hose. The shipping/receiving guys were laughing their asses off. :D
Jennifer Simpson 4 years ago
Ok I’m sort of a tech geek but I really don’t get this pic what happened? Ink exploded?
Out_Of_Names 4 years ago
I once had a call for a printer that kept leaving smudges on the paper. Ok, a quick easy cleaning normally fixes that. Show up to the site and clean it up. Print a test page and it looks good. Next day they call back with the same issue. Go back, clean it more and fixed. Print a few test pages and then help them with a PC issue. While I'm doing that the printer starts smudging again. So I pop the toner out and take a look..... A near clear white spider with eight blackened feet repelled out of the toner on a thin web, inches from my face. Spiders. The toner was filled with spiders. Wrapped it in plastic and tossed it. The new toner worked fine.
Michelle Albert 4 years ago
Srsly, just lock the door and walk away. Never use this room again. Pretend it doesn't exist. How does this even happen? I just .... words fail me.
Wendy Emlinger (ManyTotems) 4 years ago
I feel sorry for the poor person who had to clean that up. Could you even use a vacuum to pick up that powder or would it clog it to death? You'd need a really fine filter system or it would fire out the other end.
Jace 4 years ago
You’d need a HEPA filter. Anything less will just redistribute the mess, AND it would bond to the interior of the vacuum at the same time. Also: Toner is carcinogenic.
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Celtic Pirate Queen 4 years ago
As a newbie, I was asked to change the toner cartridge. I had never seen an "industrial" copier/printer before (I think I was like 17?) I opened it and pulled the old cartridge out - and yes, it went all over me. So naturally when I open the new toner cartridge it flew all over me as well. First and LAST time THAT s**t happened.
Phil Longmeier 4 years ago
I work with big, high end copiers and I have seen my fair share of toner spills but this......insanity. Clean up? Wear your oldest thowawayable clothes and the best mask you can buy. Vacuum what you can and dry paper towels for the rest. A LOT of paper towels! Wet mop the floor for the rest. When done with the vacuum empty it OUTSIDE away from everything and everyone! GOOD LUCK!
Baali Venomax 4 years ago
So was it the printer or the cartridge that committed suicide this time?
Pretty Pangolin 4 years ago
I thought it was a black carpet. Kept scrolling down. Nope. How did they even do that?
Alice Laughs 4 years ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/red-fang-3oz8xYhan5nJy8vXJC
Load More Replies... #5
Hospital Server Room
#6
First Day On Job; Set Up Those 4 Wireless Speakers For You.
Ola Polowczyk 4 years ago
And here, dear children, you can see speakers resting in their natural habitat
#7
Told A User To Shutdown Their Virus Infected Computer And Ship It Back And To Label It As Infected. They Did Good
#8
Ancient Temple Of Asus
#9
I Need Somewhere To Set This Candle... Oh Here’s A Good Spot!
#10
"My Fan Was Making Too Much Noise!"
#11
I Should Tell Them It's Not A Touch Screen...
#12
"My PC Shut Off Suddenly And Won't Turn Back On"
#13
Quality Repost Here. (I Assume This Has Been Posted Before)
#14
One Of My Co-Workers Was Eager To Unpack Her New Mouse
#15
“My Space Heater Stopped Working”
#16
Professional Cabling At Pepsi
#17
AT&T Has No Idea Why Their DSL Services Is So Poor. It Must Be My Wires In My House. No I Don't Think So
#18
Someone Unplugged Something And Now The Office Internet Doesn't Work...
#19
Customer Came In With His iPhone, His Glass Cracked, He Thought He Could Peel Off The Glass So He Wouldn't Notice The Crack Anymore
#20
Plugging In Your USB Receiver With A Hammer For That Flush Mounted Look
#21
"It Didn't Plug In, So I Bent The Pins To Make It Fit"
#22
Don't Forget To Tip Your Server
#23
My Friend Drilled Holes In His Mouse To Make It Lighter So It Would Give Him An "Advantage"
#24
My Grandpa Thought His Headphone Jack Was A Screw Hole
#25
Work For Local High School, The Disc Drive Wasn’t Working. Probably Been There Since 2012
#26
When The Acid Kicks In
#27
User "Dropped It Walking To The Car." It Came In The Day After The Super Bowl
#28
"But I Like It This Way, It's Convenient." -My Tech Savvy Aunt
#29
Round 2 Of How Students Treat Their Chromebooks In My School, I Have No Words
Add New Image
What do you think ?
misteriosa 4 years ago
I have such brainfarts sometimes, it hurts. 2 months ago, cable/net guys came to make a set up for a future tv upstairs, and moved the wireless router up etc. So, bunch of cables going into things. My children played around, and accidentally unplugged everything. Enter me, managing to plug all the cables in, except one- going from the tv receiver into oblivion. Rechecked everything, tried every hole, and after 30 mins of despair, decided to call the tech support for advice, knowing in my heart it would turn out to be something incredibly stupid, and preparing for the embarrasment. So I called, explained the situation, revised every cable I already plugged in, and leading to the one I have no idea about. 'So, it goes from the tv receiver, but I don't know where to plug it in, it says HDMI at the end of it', 'Did you manage to find the HDMI port on the tv?', 'No, I don't have a tv here yet... oh my God I knew the answer would be obvious and stupid sorry about this thank you'...
deanna woods 4 years ago
Some people don't need to be allowed to use technology because they don't know how to use it properly. You don't take a hammer or any other tool to devices unless you want to destroy it.
Catlady6000 4 years ago
That why there is an owners manual. Am I the only one who reads theirs? For everything from my car to my phone?
Load More Replies...
Rose the Cook 4 years ago
Having an IT tech in the family the most common problems he was called to were, infant or pet had disconnected power OR said infant or pet had urinated on computer.
Monika Soffronow 4 years ago
The younger brother of a friend used to sleepwalk as a kid and he once opened the lid to the record player and, believing he was in the bathroom, proceeded to pee in it.
Load More Replies...
*sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby 4 years ago
Well, at least now I know I'm not the worst when it comes to this kind of stuff 😂
Bob Hildebrand 4 years ago
...and then the coffee cup holder on the computer just broke off. They should make them more sturdy.
Micah Pettit 4 years ago
When working tech support for an online RAM and SSD company, one of my coworkers spoke to someone whose SSD stopped working. Instead of, you know, contacting the FREE tech support, they decided to go to the internet at large. They found a post somewhere (god knows what idiotic corner of the web they scoured) that recommended they put their SSD IN THE OVEN. To be fair, they apparently did get it to work again, but it ran very slowly. Gee, can't imagine WHY. Needless to say, replacement was denied.
Evil Little Thing 4 years ago
To be fair, there are some computer parts that gentle baking may fix - it softens and repairs micro-fractures in solder. SSD is not one of these things.
Load More Replies...
elia 84631 4 years ago
Most of theme seems that caused by stupid people and didn't have idea how to fix it
Liz-ard 2 years ago (edited)
Well, what does this tell us? It tell us that the tech-people that develops both hard and software do not understand how far behind the rest of the common humans are in catching up, evolving and understanding how the tech-people mean things to work. This generation and social gap is the deepest cut that ever have been between them. It excludes the elder generations: pre-1980, and make life difficult for pre-millenniumers, poor people and most people living in developing countries. I was young when the first PCs came. And scared of by a type recorder teacher that know very little about computers, typing lessons in DOS and a hysterical screaming “DON’t press C-A-T!!!” every time the lesson were (thank God!) over. When Windows new graphic platform came I got mesmerised and hooked. Still a noob at age 56 and still fighting to “get it”.
Megan Stone 4 years ago
I never thought I'd find tech dramas so funny!!! Thanks everyone, Hilarious :)
Jace 4 years ago
Most of the “user error” images are great for story-telling, but the majority of problems with stuff in this industry is the industry itself. Every legitimate criticism of the technology gets blocked by special pleading (a logical fallacy, which, in an industry you’d naively expect to be all about logic, is all too common).
Barbara Baldwin 4 years ago
Most of these left me wondering what I'm looking at..call me clueless
Freya the Wanderer 4 years ago
Some of these are good arguments for keeping stupid people from breeding.
Catlady6000 4 years ago
Does no,one read, or at least glance thru the owners manuals for anything? A lot of these never would have happened with a little prophylactic reading
misteriosa 4 years ago
I have such brainfarts sometimes, it hurts. 2 months ago, cable/net guys came to make a set up for a future tv upstairs, and moved the wireless router up etc. So, bunch of cables going into things. My children played around, and accidentally unplugged everything. Enter me, managing to plug all the cables in, except one- going from the tv receiver into oblivion. Rechecked everything, tried every hole, and after 30 mins of despair, decided to call the tech support for advice, knowing in my heart it would turn out to be something incredibly stupid, and preparing for the embarrasment. So I called, explained the situation, revised every cable I already plugged in, and leading to the one I have no idea about. 'So, it goes from the tv receiver, but I don't know where to plug it in, it says HDMI at the end of it', 'Did you manage to find the HDMI port on the tv?', 'No, I don't have a tv here yet... oh my God I knew the answer would be obvious and stupid sorry about this thank you'...
deanna woods 4 years ago
Some people don't need to be allowed to use technology because they don't know how to use it properly. You don't take a hammer or any other tool to devices unless you want to destroy it.
Catlady6000 4 years ago
That why there is an owners manual. Am I the only one who reads theirs? For everything from my car to my phone?
Load More Replies... Rose the Cook 4 years ago
Having an IT tech in the family the most common problems he was called to were, infant or pet had disconnected power OR said infant or pet had urinated on computer.
Monika Soffronow 4 years ago
The younger brother of a friend used to sleepwalk as a kid and he once opened the lid to the record player and, believing he was in the bathroom, proceeded to pee in it.
Load More Replies... *sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby 4 years ago
Well, at least now I know I'm not the worst when it comes to this kind of stuff 😂
Bob Hildebrand 4 years ago
...and then the coffee cup holder on the computer just broke off. They should make them more sturdy.
Micah Pettit 4 years ago
When working tech support for an online RAM and SSD company, one of my coworkers spoke to someone whose SSD stopped working. Instead of, you know, contacting the FREE tech support, they decided to go to the internet at large. They found a post somewhere (god knows what idiotic corner of the web they scoured) that recommended they put their SSD IN THE OVEN. To be fair, they apparently did get it to work again, but it ran very slowly. Gee, can't imagine WHY. Needless to say, replacement was denied.
Evil Little Thing 4 years ago
To be fair, there are some computer parts that gentle baking may fix - it softens and repairs micro-fractures in solder. SSD is not one of these things.
Load More Replies... elia 84631 4 years ago
Most of theme seems that caused by stupid people and didn't have idea how to fix it
Liz-ard 2 years ago (edited)
Well, what does this tell us? It tell us that the tech-people that develops both hard and software do not understand how far behind the rest of the common humans are in catching up, evolving and understanding how the tech-people mean things to work. This generation and social gap is the deepest cut that ever have been between them. It excludes the elder generations: pre-1980, and make life difficult for pre-millenniumers, poor people and most people living in developing countries. I was young when the first PCs came. And scared of by a type recorder teacher that know very little about computers, typing lessons in DOS and a hysterical screaming “DON’t press C-A-T!!!” every time the lesson were (thank God!) over. When Windows new graphic platform came I got mesmerised and hooked. Still a noob at age 56 and still fighting to “get it”.
Megan Stone 4 years ago
I never thought I'd find tech dramas so funny!!! Thanks everyone, Hilarious :)
Jace 4 years ago
Most of the “user error” images are great for story-telling, but the majority of problems with stuff in this industry is the industry itself. Every legitimate criticism of the technology gets blocked by special pleading (a logical fallacy, which, in an industry you’d naively expect to be all about logic, is all too common).
Barbara Baldwin 4 years ago
Most of these left me wondering what I'm looking at..call me clueless
Freya the Wanderer 4 years ago
Some of these are good arguments for keeping stupid people from breeding.
Catlady6000 4 years ago
Does no,one read, or at least glance thru the owners manuals for anything? A lot of these never would have happened with a little prophylactic reading
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