I'm running into this problem too. I will be spending several nights this month at various family member's houses. Some things can be fixed via Netmeeting (teach your family members how to give you desktop control via Netmeeting), others can't. If they would let me, I'd install Linux on every family member's computer. It would certainly mean an end to virus and spyware problems, which account for most of my family support calls. Not to mention, most Linux distro's support single-command updates for the entire system (not just Microsoft's software ala Microsoft Update, but updates to every peice of software installed on the system). But trying to convince them that running Half-Life 2 isn't worth all the trouble that goes along with Windows seems to end my Linux conversations outright. Your tips are all worthy, and nearly match up with everything I usually do (ZoneAlarm, AVG, etc.). I also tend to install Ad-Aware and teach them how to use it on a regular basis.

Posted by Dan Martin on January 04, 2005 at 11:55 PM GMT #

Sound advice from Drew, as usual. He really is one of the most pragmatic (and non-dogmatic) techies I know... and a pleasure to work with, by the way!

I would endorse the comments about family tech support workload. We run one XP desktop, two JDS Linux machines and a Linux Qube:
the XP desktop is the *only* machine I regularly have to spend an evening and/or a weekend maintaining and/or reconsituting.

That said, we also have a Windows 98 machine which seldom if ever needs maintenance. The only catch?
It's not attached to anything, so is essentially living in a little 80s time-bubble of its own. ;^)

Posted by Robin Wilton on April 22, 2005 at 11:12 AM BST #

having same problem, spending numerious of hours over a period of month and month, same problem keep occurring rapidly. Shutting down my system, freeing and locking up often than I want to.

Posted by Bettie Poole on May 09, 2005 at 01:31 PM BST #