[BrianR]

I have suffered the tech support blues many times too. I have a friend who should be BANNED from owning a computer. I've pulled out my hair more than once due to his inept bungling of basic system parameters. My solution? I got him Windows XP and locked him out of nearly all system functions.

The downside is that every time he needs to install a legitimate package or adjust a system setting, I have to drive 90 miles up there and do a simple ten-second tweak and drive 90 miles back the next day (because he also talks my darn ear off). And get no money for this either. I would at least like gas and tolls paid for the in-home tech support that would easily cost you $75/hr from a geek service.

If only I could figure out how to admin his system remotely, I would be a lot happier. Linux is a possibility when he quits playing with the P2P stuff and sticks to legitimate uses of his computer such as sound editing, solitaire and online tax prep. Of course, that means I have to upgrade my marginal Linux admin skills. Oh well, it should be worth it as my new computer system at home will be a Linux-based LAN with four or five computers on it. One of those is a file-server whose only job is system backup and emergency data storage.