hiring freelance tech support: techguylive.com?

[urlwolf]

I'm considering hiring freelance tech support.
I work for an University, but the tech support is sparse.

I found techguylive.com. $15 per month is not too bad, however I'd like to ask around here if anyone know them and if they are a good resource.

The problems that I have right now:
- Mouse drivers forgets settings after reboot.
- IE doesn't work under a VPN (all other browsers do -hint, hint-)
- Lappy doesn't come back after hybernation

As you see, nothing major, but if $15 a month ca save me a few hours of asking in forums and troubleshooting, I'd gladly pay them...

[chr15]

Hi urlwolf,

I do not want to do anyone out of money, but here my thoughts to your problems.

1..Check you have rights to update the file or registry section that your mouse driver writes too.

2..Check IE's proxy is using the vpn proxy.

hope it helps.

chr15

[m_s]

Also off-topic: What make/model is the laptop?

[urlwolf]

dell 600m.

[m_s]

I asked because my HP ZD7010 has a well-documented failure on restarting from hibernation - if I leave the USB ASDL modem plugged-in; unplug it before hibernating, and it works perfectly.  Wondered if you might have the same (or similar) machine, but it seems not.

[Carol Haynes]

When you shutdown normally how long does it take at the "Save User Settings" screen? If it takes a long time it may be that your user hive is not being saved at shutdown - which would account for the loss of user settings?

If so try creating a new user id and login there - if that solves the problem you know it was a user profile corruption problem (not uncommon)

[jgpaiva]

I'm not sure about this, but i think it's something with windows and laptops.
I know 8 different laptops, and none of them is consistent with windows power-saving options, if it isn't the hybernation, it's the suspend feature, either it doesn't work at all, or only works when the computer stays a small amount of time in that state.
Basically, it isn't stable.

[urlwolf]

Carol,

Seems like user hive is fine (I'm using the application you recommended).
Somehow, the hibernation problem is solved.

The VPN is actually very important for me because endNote uses IE to connect and retrieve references from web of science (WoS). Doing it by hand is a PITA.

[Carol Haynes]

Over the years I have had problems with suspend on desktop computers too ... I have even had the situation that I install Windows twice (clean installs into two partitions) and it works for one and not the other (BSODS!)