Ring! Ring!
Me: I.T. Department. This is Daniel.
Caller: Uh, yeah! Hi Do you fix laptops?
Me: I have repaired them in the past. Can you describe the issue you are experiencing?
Caller: Oh, yeah. I guess that would help, right? OK. I’ve got a laptop, it’s a few years old. I tried to upgrade it to Windows 10 and it won’t take it.
Me: OK. Can you be more descriptive of ‘it won’t take it’?
Caller: I don’t know. It just won’t take it.
Me: OK. I can take a look at it. Try to resolve the issue. But given this type of issue, I will have to charge for time and material. Typical install of Windows 10 plus updates is going to be at least 2 hours. Maybe more, depending upon the speed of your computer.
Caller: Oh. OK. Can you guarantee you can upgrade the machine?
Me: No. I can not make that guarantee, which is why I stated it will be a time and material ticket.
Caller: Well … I’m not interested, then. I mean why should I pay for you not being able to actually DO what you are being paid to do.
Me: OK. If you don’t mind my asking what was the previous operating system on the machine? What version of windows is it?
Caller: I don’t know. It was what ever was on it when I bought it.
Me: Can you recall when you bought it?
Caller: Bought it back when my daughter graduated High School. That must have been 02.
Me: Ok. NOW we know why Windows 10 will not install on your laptop. The machine is too old. If you purchased it new, in 2002, then it came with Windows XP on it. It is VERY unlikely that the hardware will support Windows 10. Very unlikely.
Caller: Then how do I get Windows 10 on this laptop?
Me: You don’t It’s not going to install. The laptop is too old to support the newer version of Windows.
Caller: OK. So what do I need to do? I want to give it to m Grandson for him to use in college. He graduated last week.
Me: You will need to get him a different laptop. That one is just too old to work with Windows 10.
Caller: I don’t believe you. I’m calling another shop to get it installed. You just want to sell me a new laptop
Me: Sir? I do not sell hardware, that way. I will help you find the right laptop that fits your budget, then you buy it direct form my source.
Caller: Oh. Uhm, uh. Where can I buy a good laptop cheap?
Me: For a college kid? Walmart has new one’s for a few hundred. My colleague, Eric, runs a refurbishing business. He may have something he has rebuilt that may be of interest to you.
Caller: I will get my grandson a new machine. He won’t like a refurbished one.
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