This may be the worst thing I've ever created

My reservations and criticism re: #Signal are not just valid, but the reality is even worse than I thought:

• The fact that @signalapp requires not only their shitty #Android #App, and a #PhoneNumber but literally won't allow people to use their shitty #Desktop-App unless they have an Android device with a camera pointed at it makes it utterly unuseable for certain users who don't have a fucking #camera in their Android…

Seriously, do they expect folks to deal with that shit?

• It's already worse in terms of #UX than #telgram and #discord and that too makes #XMPP+#OMEMO clients like @monocles / #monoclesChat & @gajim / #gajim easier and faster to onboard #TechIlliterates onto.

• Whichever asshole decided that a replacement for #SMS should mandate #PII like a #PhoneNumber & not be natively cross-platform should be banned from doing any #tech in their life. Trying to circumvent this shit and helping folks with it makes me so fucking angry that I'm now explicitly refusing to support it!

FIX THAT SHIT, @Mer__edith, and if it means you need to kick some devs in their crouch then consider this a necessary "investment"…

OK, techies, what's the best way to migrate a MacOS Time Machine backup to a new drive? I outgrew my old drive (8TB) and want to move the backup history to my new drive (24TB).
#TechSupport #MacOS #Backup

I really need some help. I managed to #softlock my #Lenovo #Ideapad #Laptop, please help me!!

Details:
Ideapad 15 15ALC05

Tried enabling debug/advanced BIOS: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Lenovo_IdeaPad_5_Pro_14ACN6#Hidden_BIOS_menus

It didn't work, just a black screen. Now turning it back on normally, it won't post. Esc, power and NumLock solid on + fans spin up slowly.

I have tried: holding power, leaving it to sit with CMOS (?) + battery unplugged, NOVA button (gives double beep when held)

Please Boost
#askfedi #techsupport

Has anyone got experience with Intel Optane memory?

The hard drive on my HP laptop is a regular SSD with a smaller Intel Optane drive integrated into it. The Optane is where the OS (Windows 10) is installed and is used to quickly retrieve files from the SSD and so forth.

The Optane drive recently malfunctioned and became unreadable. The SSD portion (where all my files are stored) seems to be intact—at least, it's reading error free when I run a disk check. But with the optane malfunctioning, when I turn on the computer it tells me there is no operating system installed, so I have no way to access the "good" part of the harddrive.

From what I've read online, the only way to get the computer working again is to switch off Intel Optane and install a new operating system directly onto the SSD. But if I do this, the entire hard drive gets formatted, and I lose all of my files.

I'm not good with this stuff. Is there any way to recover my files? Unfortunately my backup system failed too and I've lost 6 months of art and academic work

Why software product support is (sometimes) a terrible job

Software maintainers can't help people who can't or won't read and answer straightforward questions, and some people who need help with software are incapable of reading and answering straightforward questions.

https://blog.kamens.us/2025/07/14/why-software-product-support-is-sometimes-a-terrible-job/
#FOSS #FreeSoftware #TechSupport

#Computer, #internet, #TechSupport #humor

What is the easiest way for me to self host a cloud drive that my phone and laptop can both connect to? But that is also secure?

I do not work in the tech industry and may lack the skills to do this but I thought I’d ask.

#techsupport
#cloudcomputing
#selfhosting
#cloud

Why do #printers stop working when you need them?

I rarely use mine because I’m so sick but I really need to copy and print these documents.

Worked fine last time I used it several months ago now it’s randomly not feeding paper? WTF.
Not been connected online so no remote access from manufacturer.

I have nobody to fix it. No energy to do myself I’m so exhausted

Oh, great and powerful Fedimind! Surely there is a cross-platform software out there which would help me keep system logs of any USB device connection events, as well as any file copies going from the computer to said USB device?

I've dug into NXlog, Graylog, and SentinelOne so far, and everything seems very convoluted and requires me to learn a new configuration language to handcraft .conf files. I can't be the only employee who's ever needed to keep track of this stuff, right?

need help

So I spent the afternoon tinkering and spending someone else's money.

I'm the designated tech support for a friend who has been complaining that her 5 year old laptop was playing up and all the modifications I had devised to make her life easier had simply disappeared. She declared that she desperately needed a new laptop and a new tablet (she uses the tablet 90% of the time anyway).

The 5 year old laptop has been updated, the various issues fixed, and it is now set up (again) exactly how she likes it.

And a very shiny new tablet and case have been ordered. Which cost more than my phone (understandable) but it was even more expensive than my recent desktop build.

Seriously, if I was #LinusSebastian of #LinusTechTips I'd literally choose to #donate the cost of a #TeamViewer #subscription to #FLOSS #RemoteDesktop projects like #Dayon instead and sue TeamViewer into upholding their contract or a full refund with interest as if it was a loan because clearly they chose violate that contract on their own terms and initiative!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT1t1JlZugM&t=140

And yes, Dayon! is awesome and I can fully recommend this as an alternative to TeamViewer, #AnyDesk, etc.

https://retgal.github.io/Dayon/

• For any system that needs Remote Access as unattended I'd recommend to setup a #VPN or at least a Reverse-#SSH connection anyway so one can launch something like Dayon! by just sending a single command and have #RemoteDesktop access on-demand.

So yeah, TeamViewer literally shot themselves in the foot here by deciding to shaft paying customers who were able and willing to pay the absurd prices you asked for for a one-time license.

• Also whilst TeamViewer does OFC maintain some infrastructure, most what they do is basically run a "rendrevous"-Server to allow two endpoints behind NATs to connect to each other and exchange details to make UPnP-style hole-punching work.

That's traffic in the single-digit megabytes per year and client, as there's not much between as clients pinging their server and basically boing some simple handshakes.

• And as Linus said it's not his problem if they gotta have to keep systems up and running in perpetuity. They offered that deal and now they have to suffer through it! By paying the obligations are on to TeamViewer to make it work and continue to make it work!

Also if I'm on a #LAN why would I want to use TeamViewer and not any #VNC (or god forbid #RDP) server? THE WHOLE POINT OF USING TeamViewer, AnyDesk, etc. IS TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT NATs, FIREWALLS AND IP-ADDRESSES AND JUST GET CONNECTED FFS!!!

• Personally I use #Remmina and Dayon, but that's because Remmina is comfortable even for SSH and can do that as well as RDP & VNC and Dayon is just the simple option I can walktrough people that need #TechSupport #remote|ly for a quick hands-on...

Definitely my recommendation because it also allows for any use-cases and doesn't nag one to "buy a license!"

• So please someone please let #Linus know about Dayon so he can do a "TeamViewer alternatives" video...

Recently did a privacy overhaul to free my digital self from the tyranny of shitty people.

I now find myself on Linux Mint, and my beloved Grado headphones won't function with my tunes. Any linux folks willing to lend a hand?

I've surfed the forums and so far no success with anything I've found.

I'm running an ASUS GL503VD; the sound card is an Intel CM238HD. I'm plugging the headphones in via 3.5mm and the computer is recognizing them; I've checked audio levels in the console mixer and nothing is muted, everything appears to be functioning normally. The headphones work fine on my other devices, and worked on this same computer running Windows before I switched. Now I'm only running linux mint and ran into this trouble.

Any help much appreciated!

Other than this, I've loved the switch!

Today's free #TechSupport session at the South Burlington library:
1. Switching MS Office from a 2016 student edition to Microsoft 365 to enable copilot
2. Filing a support case with GoDaddy to recover access to a domain
3. Cleaning paint off a laptop screen
4. Installing an eSIM on a replacement iPhone and other setup tasks
5. Troubleshooting an iPhone used with hearing aids
6. Removing bloatware from a new Android phone
#Libraries #Vermont

I really dislike all these distros moving their support to Discord and not installing an online, searchable forum. If it's not searchable via a search engine and free to read, the answer does not exist in my book.

Tapestry offers lots of great ways to filter what you browse in the timeline. You can even create muffle rules to filter blog posts by category for RSS feeds that support them.

Be sure to check out our How To guide on how to use this powerful feature in Tapestry and spend more time reading just the stuff you care about.

https://iconfactory.happyfox.com/kb/article/173-how-to-use-include-categories-in-rss-feed-preferences/

“If you have turned on two-step verification and cannot access any of the alternate methods to get a verification, we cannot help you, sorry.” (Source: support(.)microsoft(.)com)

Yesterday I tried to assist a client with Microsoft account recovery. This client had enabled 2FA/MFA on the account using the Microsoft Authenticator app. Then, the phone with the Authenticator app broke.

There was no alternate 2-factor authentication enabled. No alternate email, no option for SMS (text messaging) verification, no Yubikey. When the client initially set up 2FA with the Authenticator app, they were offered the option to save recovery codes, but didn’t write them down.

The client is highly educated. If you blame the client, I will block you, because you’re a jerk.

Microsoft, and other companies, need to do a much better job of ensuring workable account recovery options are not just available, but actually enabled.

This is a paid annual account. By default, Microsoft works hard at making sure at sign-up that you enable auto-renewal. Do you see the problem? The client can’t access the account, and will have to cancel the credit card to avoid continued payments.

THE LESSON
It’s up to you to make sure you have alternate account recovery mechanisms in place. The cloud service companies will not help you. They are not your friend. They don’t even make it easy to contact them to discuss account problems.

If you’re not comfortable setting up secondary account recovery options, I can help. Do it now, before your phone breaks.

#CallMeIfYouNeedMe #FIFONetworks