# I have a WORK DILEMMA...I'd like your ADVICE: ...and Computer Expertise...



## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

The other day one of our work computers became non usable...didn't crash but became infected. I ran Norton and it came up but wouldn't accept the keycode. (Which I found out later, that was part of the virus) ANYHOW: my boss couldn't even get into his main program to pull an estimate for a client. Couldn't get on to the internet...nothing. Needless to say, he was *"FUMING"*. He is not computer savvy at all. He was ready to smash it to bits, literally. So, instead (red-faced) he said, "I'm going to go cool off; I'll go get us coffee & tea." (I drink tea). It's the angriest I've ever seen him. We had a lot going on and clients on the way...we needed that computer for the estimates.

While he was gone: I'm a little more computer savvy; but didn't know the fix. I called Norton's Tech Support and Norton said, "We can fix it remotely; it will take about 4 hours (and it did!!); but it will cost $149.95." I figured, if I do it: problem solved, boss happy, I'm happy and less stressed, business up and running again, peace restored. I gave them my Visa # and four hours later...problem solved.

*NOW HERE IS the DILEMMA:* I didn't tell my boss that there was a fee to fix the issue. He probably thinks that it is a part of the Norton protection services software; because we paid for the software. So, I am out $149.95....unless I fess up. *However, that being said:*

He gives me a huge Holiday bonus every year and *more importantly*; with both my parents so very ill; he gives me whatever time I need for all their appointments and lets me totally flex my schedule, as long as I still get my hours in and get everything done. I am off for vacation next week and even though I am only a part time employee; (but do the work of a full timer) I'm confident that he will throw me a little cash for my summer vacation and tell me to go have a nice dinner with my husband.

*SO, DO I PUT UP AND SHUT UP? "OR" DO I FESS UP AND GET PAID?*
If I go for option get paid: How do I even bring it up? _To me $149.95 is a great help for a medical bill that I just received in the mail just yesterday. _ PLUS, DH has no idea I forked up the $$.
*ADVICE**??* *AND If anyone who is a tech whiz knows how to explain to me how to remove a virus like that MYSELF (if it should happen again); I'd be eternally grateful.* THANKS.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

I'd be like you, in that I'd probably not fess up. My husband would be really upset if I paid for it and didn't tell (and get reimbursed), but I wouldn't tell him. My job is one that has had a rigorous schedule (teaching and doing several after-school jobs in order to afford to stay in the little school where I work), and my administrators were wonderful when my sister was very ill with cancer and going through treatments. They let me off whenever I needed to go (which seemed to be a lot in the last few months of her life.) I would have considered paying to have the problem solved for the boss to be the least I could do to alleviate his stress.

THAT SAID, if the problem were to happen again, what would you/he do? Would he call Norton and expect to have the problem solved at no charge? You'd have to 'fess up then.

As for how to get rid of the virus yourself, it would depend upon what you had. I usually Google the virus if my antivirus program isn't able to get rid of it. (So far, I've only had that problem at my school. My home security software has been great.) There are a couple of online programs that you can run, but they're not free to businesses. I've found a-squared to be able to do wonders. (It's at www.emsisoft.com.) You can also run housecall.trendmicro.com.  Symantec has a very good solutions center as well, but since you're already using Norton, I'm sure you have discovered that.  Another great resource is www.komando.com.  I'm a member of "Kim's Club," and am not sure what resources are available to non-members, but her download section, as well as troubleshooting and forums are well-worth the membership fee.  (I think I pay $50 per year, which also allows me to download her great 3-hour radio show podcasts...3 hours minus the commercials.  I believe the per month charge is $4.95. If you love all things digital and techie, you'd LOVE her show.)


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Cindy:  Thanks.  It's just that I am the worst liar.  I hate not telling DH, but on the other hand; problem solved, peace restored at work.  I figure if my boss expects another freebie, I could say we used it up...there are no more freebies.  DH would say, that's his #%@$ problem; you aren't a technician, let him hire one...he thinks you are jack of all trades.

Yuck.

How do you google the virus?  You mean specifically...I don't even know what the virus was.


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

Don't feel bad, sjc. I can't/don't lie, either. Just can't pull it off, nor do I want to. I wouldn't lie to my hubby, but probably wouldn't volunteer the info, either. If you can find a way to tell your boss (and you think he'll be ok with it), it would be a huge relief to you. Although I said I'd probably not tell the boss, you really should. I'm sure that money would come in handy for you. Besides, $149 isn't pocket change, but is a significant amount of money.

As for Googling the virus, I'd Google any error messages with which I had no familiarity. If there were no specific error messages, I'd google terms describing the behavior (or lack thereof) of the computer. The other option would be to download and run a-squared, for a start. It's really been a lifesaver for me, and has found and fixed problems that our antivirus program missed.  I've also used the forums on the Kim Komando (real name!) website.

I've taken some classes in detecting malware and viruses, as well, so I have a few tools at my disposal, although I'm always a bit rusty when I need them since I seldom run into those problems.  You could also Google HiJack This. There are places where you can upload reports that you get when running various checks, and people can help you analyze them.

Bottom line: Try a-squared and check out Kim Komando. (www.komando.com).


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

As a former law firm staffer, this makes me a little ill.  If your boss had called Norton and paid for it, he would definitely have put in for reimbursement and charged it to the client.  I don't know what kind of company you work for though.  And then your boss wouldn't have had the slightest idea about who to call.

I'm wondering why the Norton anti-virus didn't keep this thing from coming up in the first place.

Sorry, I'm not helpful.  Just had to express this.


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## Guest (Jul 2, 2009)

There are some viruses that scan for any anti-virus programs and disable them. Some will even go so far as to block access to all anti-virus websites as well. 

That said Norton is actually a crappy program because it hogs system resources, makes all kinds of changes to the registry and tends to have compatibility issues with a lot of programs. (McAfee is also crap and for the same reasons-I write a weekly column about spam, viruses and other security issues so I can speak with some authority). I recommend AVG. 

I STRONGLY suggest you change any passwords that were stored on that computer, and if there was any sensitive data such as financial information, notify the bank. Most viruses are designed to search computers for personal info. In the future makes sure your boss and anyone else who uses the computers knows to NEVER click links in unsolicited emails, or pop ups, and banner ads promising free electronics or warning you your system is in need of any type of repair. Those things are how most malware (viruses, trojans, scareware, etc) get distributed. Hope this helps!


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

> There are some viruses that scan for any anti-virus programs and disable them. Some will even go so far as to block access to all anti-virus websites as well.


This is exactly what happened. Luckily, we don't store financial stuff. I believe it was malware.



> If your boss had called Norton and paid for it, he would definitely have put in for reimbursement and charged it to the client.


It's called I'm a chicken and I have no _alls.


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## kevin63 (Feb 10, 2009)

Sounds like your boss has been very generous.  If it was me, I'd like him know you paid for it but since he's been so great, it's your turn to return the favor.  I know 150 dollars isn't that cheap but actually it's a small price to pay since he's been so generous.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

You asked for an opinion:  you SHOULD have told him as soon as he got back that you'd called Norton, they'd logged in remotely to fix it, that there was a fee that you put on your personal credit card because that's all you had available.  No doubt he would have said right away to submit it for reimbursement, even if he did grumble that it should be included free with Norton's service.

Now it's some time later and you let him think that there was no charge.  The longer you wait the harder it's going to be to ask for the money. . . . and, although you say you want to know IF you should ask for reimbursement, I'm reading that you really do want to (maybe need to as the money is needed for something else) and just don't know how.  

I would never put my own money out for my employer with out assurance of reimbursement -- especially as we're not talking just a few dollars.  OTOH, he sounds, from your description, like a pretty reasonable guy, so I'm not really sure why you feel you have such a dilemma.  As soon as you can, just say, "in the excitement the other day I forgot to mention that the fix cost $xxx which I put on my CC as I had it handy at the time.  What should I do to get reimbursed?"  (This will work unless you already flat-out told him there was no charge; it just looks like you were involved in other issues and it slipped your mind.)  

If you already told him there was no charge, you have to grovel a little more.  Tell him you were just going to let it go as he's always been so good to you but now you find that, in fact, you could use the money for bills.  Apologize for misleading him and explain that you understand if he can't reimburse you after the fact.  You'll look silly, but, again, he seems like a reasonable guy, so he'll probably reimburse you.  BUT you have to be prepared for him to say something like, "well, no, that was last month and the books are closed; I'm sorry, you should have told me at the time."  And if he does say 'no' there's no further argument you can make.  Just take it as a lesson.

As to fixing such a thing yourself in the future:  the best way to remove a virus is to not let it get there in the first place. . .be diligent -- even overly so -- about keeping anti-virus/anti-spy software up to date, have both software and hardware firewalls in place, and back up regularly so that if something happens you can restore the system.  It seems to me that, if you had Norton installed, and this got in anyway, updates and such were not being done.  Sure, something particularly insidious can get by -- nothing is bullet-proof -- but, in my experience, it's not hard to keep out the routine stuff if you keep things up to date.  And you CAN'T keep out someone bent on destruction, but that's a much worse problem and probably something that should be taken to the police.

Mind you, I do NOT work in IT. . . .maybe I'm all wet. . . .as requested, this is just my opinion.


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

I think Ann covered that well. She is right, since it is a company, there are expenses, and they are not your responsibility under any conditions. If you want to thank your boss, get him a gift!


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

SJC--

I think you've had good advice on the telling your boss issue, and also good advice on the virus protection front.  I'll just reiterate that some viruses will disable virus protection, as has been said, and having secondary software that can scan your computer on demand is essential.  You want to download and install something now, as once you have a virus, it may prevent you from downloading new software.

I schedule virus scans to run automatically on my computers.  Currently I'm running them three times a week as I'm on the Internet constantly and visit a lot more weird websites than I used to and do more software downloading than I used to.  I used to run them only once a week but I'm paranoid now. Set up whatever virus protection you have to automatically download updates.

You need to be familiar with what's normal for your computer and if you see anything abnormal--slower running, software that used to work that won't open, little flashes as if a window opened but you can't find it, less memory available--run a scan immediately both with your normal software and a secondary product. I have used Norton, McAfee and other packages as my primary software but anytime I get weird behavior, I run a scan with a secondary product, currently MalWareBytes' AntiMalware, which is installed but not running constantly (you don't want to anti-virus products actively running, they can conflict).  I also periodically run TrendMicro's HouseCall, a web based product, there are others available also. 

At any given time, not every virus software will catch every virus, which is one of the benefits of running scans by more than one product.  Again, only have one actively running, but you can have others do scans on demand.

One of these may frequently tell you the name of the virus and you can then do more research.  I also use www.geekstogo.com to do a lot of research on current tools.  I'm also going to check out www.komando.com!  Thanks for the tip!

BTW, I think you should tell your boss, but on the other hand, I did something similar and didn't tell my boss for much the same reason, so do as I say, not as I did, LOL!

Betsy
(I was a systems administrator and help desk person for the Department of Defense for a number of years, but that was a long time ago, LOL!  Now I'm the help desk for friends and family.)


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

SJC, hope you found some help here. In a perfect world, I agree with what everyone's said. I know that many people don't understand how a person can/would shell out his/her own hard-earned money to pay for something that's business related. 

Having said that, I've been a teacher for 29 years, most of which have been spent in a very small rural school in an economically deprived town. Over the years, I've felt that my students would benefit from things that the school simply couldn't buy. Although my salary has never come close to the mythical (or seemingly so) "average" teacher's salary, I spent my own money to supplement my teaching supplies. Many people would say that's stupid, or would tell me to quit complaining about it. I suppose it's simply a matter of having a different perspective on the issue. I can completely understand how you did what you did. I nearly charged a remote repair to my cc a few years ago, but then decided to do some research and solve the problem myself. It took several hours (of my own time....I know, dumb thing to do), but I solved the problem and learned how to deal with it if the same scenario ever presented itself again.  Over the years, it has and I fixed the issue.

Of course, all of the recommendations about keeping your anti-virus and malware programs updated are on target. I assumed that was being done, although I know that people can do things to cause harm to computers simply by lack of information or neglect. We had a number of teachers who would rather take a bullet than actually run a manual virus/malware scan (or actually schedule daily scans). 

I hope you can find a way to tell your boss about your expenditure. It is a lot of money, and I'm sure your boss can chalk it up to business expenses. (OTOH, having such a generous boss is apparently very rare, so I like Ann's suggestion about how to tell the boss. Maybe he'll insist that he reimburse you. My bosses have been really generous in every way other than money, and their generosity is part of the reason that I've been at my underprivileged school for 25 years.)


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

Just tell him, as a boss I would never, never get upset at an employee who asked for reimbursement for a necessary business expense.  Should have told him right away, but again not that big of a deal.  I actually think I'd be more upset that my employees were afraid to tell me about an expense than the actual expense.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Ultimately you are the one who best knows your specific situation and your boss. That being said, if you think your boss is a basically good person, and if you tell him/her what happened pretty much as you did here, explaining why you were initially reticent to say anything and were afraid of doing anything that might possibly risk a job that you really appreciate having and want to keep (because you have such a great boss, of course  ), then it's hard for me to imagine anything worse happening than a mild rebuke about how you should have told him/her right away. In the long run, your honesty will probably be appreciated and rewarded, even if in the short term you are uncomfortable.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

*UPDATE:*

*Note that I forgot to include in my Dilemma:* Monday (my regular day off ) was the day of the computer incident: (I had a 3 hour appointment with my mom--I went to work to start the process with the remote session...left, took my mother to her neuropathy appointment--and then returned to work to finish up with the computer)

I went into work today and said "I didn't want to stress you out more the other day, about the computer; as I saw how agitated you were...There was a fee for Norton's services and I put it on my credit card. I wanted to absorb the expense myself; because I felt so badly that I was unable to fix the problem on my own." I then said, "I am only bringing it to your attention because you can write that expense off to the business and I can't; if you don't want to reimburse me, I totally understand...you are kind enough as it is."

He said, "You were willing to do that for me? I called *you* in on your day off and you worked *me* in around your mother's appointments and were willing to take a bullet on top of it?" I said, Well, to be honest, I felt like you wouldn't have had to pay had I known how to fix the problem.

*THE BEST PART:*
He shook his head and said, Go home tonight and tell your husband and kids, that I know why they love you." He wrote the check and put it in an envelope, I took it and said thank you and stuck it in my purse. I just got home and with the check is a $50.00 bill and a sticky note. The sticky note says; dedication. I just cried because I feel so relieved. I just felt bad because I know that he _probably_ believed that it is just a regular part of Norton's services.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE AND YOUR EXPERTISE. I am going to buy he and his wife a gift certificate with the $50 and tell him truthfully, that all I wanted to do was fix the computer.


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## KBoards Admin (Nov 27, 2007)

I love a happy ending. Good for you, sjc, and good for your boss in how he responded.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Harvey:  I am so relieved.  I really, really meant good...and I don't think I ever really lied, because I am if anything, overly honest... but I knew (after working with him for so long) that he more than likely thought it was a part of the Norton services and it was bugging me.  Whhheewww!!


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

sjc said:


> THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR ADVICE AND YOUR EXPERTISE. I am going to buy he and his wife a gift certificate with the $50 and tell him truthfully, that all I wanted to do was fix the computer.


Take the money and do something nice for you and your family and write your boss a thank you note and tell him how much you appreciated it and that you and your family had a good time with the money. It'll mean far more to him than getting him a gift certificate.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I agree with Forster. . .he obviously meant it for you. . . . .use it for YOU.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Ann:  Thanks, maybe I will do that; if I get him a certificate he may be insulted.  Thanks again for your great advice.  I guess my willingness to eat 149 showed him that I really do care.  I stay late so many times. Plus I go to Sam's club on my days off and buy all the office supplies there to save him $$ because Office Max is so much more expensive.  So, I guess one hand washes the other.  Thanks again.


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## CegAbq (Mar 17, 2009)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I agree with Forster. . .he obviously meant it for you. . . . .use it for YOU.


I second this!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Great to hear it all turned out for the best, and I'm glad that at least in this case the old "honesty is the best policy" turned out to be true. Sounds like your boss is a keeper, and that the feeling is mutual.


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## Bren S. (May 10, 2009)

Glad it all worked out for you sjc


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Great, SJC!

Betsy


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

SJC, I'm so glad that you told him and that it all worked out well.


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## Jessi (Jun 19, 2009)

This is the best happy ending to a very long week. Thank you for sharing, there are bosses out there who do more than just boss. You obviously have a great boss. Luckyyyyy.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

"blush"


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## Cindy416 (May 2, 2009)

SJC, I'm so glad that you told him what really happened. It's got to be a tremendous relief for you, and he now knows how dedicated you are. I agree with Forster. I think he'd be distressed if you took the money and bought him a g.c. He wanted you to have it, and sometimes accepting something graciously is hard to do. DO IT!


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

<sniffle> what a great boss... and what a great employee too.

So glad it worked out well.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

*Susan:*


> So glad it worked out well.


*Me too.* I really LOVE this job. It's part time 3 days a week and we're like a family. I've been there for nearly 6 years. My boss has known my dad and sister for about 16 years. In fact, he had called my sister and said do you want to be my secretary, I desperately need one? She laughed in his face and said, "NO, but I have the perfect, perfect person for you." (I had just left the school department.) I started as secretary and learned the ins and outs of the business and became office manager. (OCD helps; I run that office like a tight ship...and then some.) When I'm there I hustle like a whirlwind...I get done in 3 days what others do in 5...it's just my nature.

There are only 5 of us all together...my boss and I up front; and 3 coworkers in the back...small business, very personal. Not one speck of cattyness. My boss' wife is a sweetheart too; she and I have so much in common. Sometimes, she'll call at work and I'll say, "Hold on a sec, I'll put you through to the other half; and she'll say, I don't want him, I called to chat with you." We exchange recipes and such.

*It's a dream job* and he is so _understanding_ of my parents' situation. Last month, when my Dad had the 5 stents put in his heart he said, "if you need time off don't hesitate to ask." He *loves* my folks. Sometimes, when I take my Mom to chemo; on the way back she says, "Stop by work so I can say hi." My dad sends him veggies from the garden and my mother makes him wine biscuits. He tells me all the time that he misses his mom and my mom reminds him so much of her. (His mom was a hoot, I miss her.)

I do have to say though, that *it is a two way street*. You can't imagine how much work it took in the beginning to get the office running smoothly. It was mass chaos at first. His old secretary never balanced the books, was out more than in, late all the time. Before I started, he went through 4 different people...and had gone 6 months without a secretary. One couldn't find a file if they tried. Not a single thing was alphabetized. So, when I started there: it was like playing 52card pick up...It took weeks to even make a dent... ANYHOW:

The guys in the back tease me and say I could find a needle in a haystack with my eyes closed. We have this kid, Tim, who helps me when I need a file from the basement...I'll page him up front and say, Tim, downstairs third file cabinet from the left, second draw down...halfway in the middle, you'll see such and such file labeled blah blah... HE LAUGHS so hard when he comes upstairs, file in hand...he just looks at me and shakes his head saying, "How do you do that?"

*THE FUNNIEST story:* I'm organized to a *fault* (some find it annoying, DH) I implement more systems. I keep a log for *everything* and I am a label freak...at work: parts log, checking log, sales tax log, inventory log, vehicles in/out...etc. We joke that I need a log for my logs. Two years ago, at the office Christmas party...my boss pulls out a gift with a bow and hands it to me...he says to the guys, "Sorry...this one is for her"...blushing, I open it...and it was a log a real fireplace log!! WE ALL DIED LAUGHING.


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## Susan in VA (Apr 3, 2009)

LOL! What a great job that is. Your boss is lucky that you picked up the pieces there... and you're lucky he's not messing up your nicely organized system every chance he gets. It really does sound like a dream job. Sometimes a small office can be the best... also the worst, if one person poisons the atmosphere, but when everyone gets along it can turn into an almost-family in a way that large companies don't.

Sooo.... you have logs at work... you're fabulously organized at home (I'm thinking of those pictures!).... 'fess up, where do you keep the disorganized parts? The garage? The undersink cabinet? In a rented storage room? You must have _some_ mess and clutter in your life.


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

My daughter's room is a disaster, I've cleaned it countless times.  My mother and my DH have told me don't bother anymore just shut the door.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

This was a wonderful story. I'm glad you found an answer to your dilemma.


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## sigrosenblum (Dec 22, 2008)

sjc said:


> The other day one of our work computers became non usable...didn't crash but became infected. I ran Norton and it came up but wouldn't accept the keycode. (Which I found out later, that was part of the virus) ANYHOW: my boss couldn't even get into his main program to pull an estimate for a client. Couldn't get on to the internet...nothing. Needless to say, he was *"FUMING"*. He is not computer savvy at all. He was ready to smash it to bits, literally. So, instead (red-faced) he said, "I'm going to go cool off; I'll go get us coffee & tea." (I drink tea). It's the angriest I've ever seen him. We had a lot going on and clients on the way...we needed that computer for the estimates.
> 
> While he was gone: I'm a little more computer savvy; but didn't know the fix. I called Norton's Tech Support and Norton said, "We can fix it remotely; it will take about 4 hours (and it did!!); but it will cost $149.95." I figured, if I do it: problem solved, boss happy, I'm happy and less stressed, business up and running again, peace restored. I gave them my Visa # and four hours later...problem solved.
> 
> ...


Having been a boss at several companies, I am quite surprised at your reticence. Of course you should have told him before you paid. But now, having done so, you should tell him exactly what happened. If he's normal, he'll laugh, thank you and write you a check. If not, he needs therapy. And you'd need to get another job--one without all this unjustified angst.


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## DawnOfChaos (Nov 12, 2008)

Wow...sjc I'm glad it worked out for you.  He sounds like a great guy to work for.


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## geoffthomas (Feb 27, 2009)

SJC, I wish I had seen this thread earlier so that I could have agreed with the good advice that you were given.
You are a good person, have a good heart and I am sure that that shows.
I am thankful that your actions, and subsequent honesty were valued and rewarded.

We also think the world of you.

Just sayin.....


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

*Geoff:* AAaawwww. Thanks. I'm blushing. I think of you and your nearmiss ordeal every day. I am so glad you are with us...just sayin'...lol. 

*sigrosenblum:* Thanks...I couldn't have asked him before I paid because he was out getting us coffee and I finally had customer service on the line after waiting for their callback. Didn't want to lose them by hanging up so I made a snap decision. Once I got the remote session going; I had to leave to take my mom to her doctor's appointment. I figured the tech person could be working (he told me it was appx 4 hour fix) while I took my mom; then I could return. All worked out. Thanks.


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## sigrosenblum (Dec 22, 2008)

sjc said:


> *Geoff:* AAaawwww. Thanks. I'm blushing. I think of you and your nearmiss ordeal every day. I am so glad you are with us...just sayin'...lol.
> 
> *sigrosenblum:* Thanks...I couldn't have asked him before I paid because he was out getting us coffee and I finally had customer service on the line after waiting for their callback. Didn't want to lose them by hanging up so I made a snap decision. Once I got the remote session going; I had to leave to take my mom to her doctor's appointment. I figured the tech person could be working (he told me it was appx 4 hour fix) while I took my mom; then I could return. All worked out. Thanks.


I'm so glad it did. All the best of luck to you!


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