Working from anywhere/everywhere is great until technology fails. You do your best to find solid internet and make allowances for power conversion, but what happens when your equipment fails?
Excuse any perceived overdramatization of a first world problem, but my second monitor started blinking off and on due, seemingly, to Windows Update. I NEED my second monitor.
Why I need a second monitor
I’m an application developer. I need to be able to compare before code/data with after code/data. I need to look at emails or spreadsheets and determine what needs altered to present accurate information within our corporation to inform action and strategy. It’s extremely difficult to do that on a single screen.
Allowances
I knew a hardware failure was a possibility. Accordingly, I carry a backup power adaptor. I installed a VMWare VDI (Virtual Desktop infrastructure) on my wife’s laptop which allows me to connect to and use a “virtual computer” on my company’s network, as if I was sitting at a desk at our headquarters. In the event of a catastrophic failure of my laptop, I could still connect on Evalynn’s laptop and perform my duties regularly or in an emergency. I tested it to ensure it worked. These are important steps.
I’ve also purchased a MiFi hotspot device for which I can purchase data allotments on-demand if the internet cuts out or is too slow to meet demand. I won’t link to it here because I’m not convinced that I chose the best one. GlocalMe provides 500MB for $2, but I used that literally in about 2 minutes in Vietnam and they were unable to help me figure out how to throttle that amount. I haven’t figured out how to buy larger allotments, so $2 for 2 minutes is about how long it takes to make a transaction, thereby negating the effort.
You may not have this problem.
Back to the failure (a note on properly reporting the problem)
This is the third time my monitor has started flashing off and on following a Windows Update. Each time, I installed an old driver which seemingly fixed the problem.
But this time, it didn’t work. So, I submitted an IT Helpdesk Ticket. As a former IT professional, first step, turn it off and on again. If that doesn’t work, provide as many details as possible to your helpdesk to help them resolve the problem. Tell what the failure is, when it first happened, how often it happens, specific error messages/indications and previous experiences with similar issues. If relevant, include personal details including your User ID and location. This will help resolve the matter without repeated contact back to you.
Diagnosis
I spent a lot of time allowing a helpdesk representative to remote control my computer. He ended up, as they usually do when they can’t find a solution quickly, blaming the hardware, necessitating the purchase of costly equipment from stores in an unfamiliar city using what for me are unconventional length measurements and trying to locate 3 different types of cables, 2 of which are unusual.
Quick note: eBay and Amazon don’t work everywhere. If I wanted to order these cables on those sites, they estimated $80(USD) shipping from Germany and the possibility of a month to clear customs. Ask around to find a local equivalent and hope the site can translate to your language. The Electronics store recommended https://www.njuskalo.hr/, but it’s like Craigslist and many vendors don’t offer delivery.
My computer was also at end of its service life, so they offered to send me a new computer, but after a brief back-and-forth about if it should come (to Croatia) from the US or Europe, it seems to have been entirely forgotten. Which is fine because…
It appears to have been a hardware problem causing the trouble. I thought it was a cable and jiggling it was helping. But tonight, Eva realized that it seems my beloved Bestek Power Strip can’t power up my laptop, second monitor and other devices (particularly my wife’s laptop) simultaneously. The solution is to buy a second universal power adaptor specifically for my laptop.
This has been my experience for your consideration. Stay safe, travel light.
Summary
-Be prepared & know your options. Don’t wait for a failure to figure out how to handle a failure.
-Be thorough. Providing more details up front will reduce the time to identify and find resolution for your problem.
-Be patient. Identifying a solution and finding replacements for failed hardware will take more time. Think of it as a scavenger hunt because getting huffy with a service employee won’t make things any easier.