# annoy us, or simple mistake? you decide



## tails (Feb 9, 2005)

Ok had anyone noticed that you turn on your computer, without the keyboard plugged in (this is in most circumstances) and it comes up with an error message saying, keyboard not working or not plugged in. But has anyone realised what it says after that.
PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE

HOW DOES THAT WORK??????
if i have no keyboard plugged in how can i press F1 to continue
and it even tells me its not plugged in
so why do they do this to us?
is it just to try and annoy us, or is it a simple mistake?
i think its time to find out


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## tails (Feb 9, 2005)

Or could it also just be so that we HAVE to buy there products?


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## NateO (Feb 10, 2005)

tails said:
			
		

> Or could it also just be so that we HAVE to buy there products?


Where?   

Looks like you should review this website then: Link


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## tails (Feb 10, 2005)

Yeah I've seen ones like that. there one for the weapons of mass destruction on google. type in www.google.com and then type on weapons of mass destruction, then click 'I'm Feeling Lucky'. wether its still available i dont know. could have been banned bcoz bush is uptight. but take a look if you want, its rather funny.


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## Tazguy37 (Feb 12, 2005)

This error message has been there since at least MS-DOS V2.0 (and probably longer).  I think they didnt want to put in a message like "Keyboard not connected.  Plug it in, you stupid $&!*" for fear of being sued.      But, it also could be that someone copied the text of another error message, and just changed the part about the keyboard and left the rest.  Later, people found this amusing, so they left it in?  Who knows?


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## tails (Feb 13, 2005)

Yeah well you could just see someone that is new to using computers getting that message when the keyboard is not plugged in. They would be sitting there for hours on end trying to press the F1 key, then realising that it has to be plugged in for it to work, either that or they would call up some company that would charge them $50 to plug in the keyboard for them...
i think its kinda stupid in a way. an easy way for people to make a quick buck.


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## caringsharingbristolbilly (Feb 16, 2005)

I'm a big fan of the incredibly useful   *Reserved Error (-1601); there is no message for this error*

Cheers for that, Mr. Gates.


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## tails (Feb 16, 2005)

Yeah well its pretty funny the way errors work. Some Help Desk Technician got a call a little while ago from an elderly lady. She was complaining that she had an 'Illegal Operation' preformed on her computer. The discussion went on for about half an hour. Then all of a sudden the woman yells out, GOD GRIEF! (excuse the language for an religious people, i mean no harm by saying that) THEY'RE AFTER ME. Then she hung up.
an hour later the help desk guy got a call back from the lady, apparently she had heard police sirens, and was in desperate measures to hide so they wouldn't find her. She thought she had done something illegal...


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## -sam (Feb 21, 2005)

tails said:
			
		

> Ok had anyone noticed that you turn on your computer, without the keyboard plugged in (this is in most circumstances) and it comes up with an error message saying, keyboard not working or not plugged in. But has anyone realised what it says after that.
> PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE
> 
> HOW DOES THAT WORK??????


Plug your keyboard in and press F1.    

-sam


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## elgringo56 (Feb 21, 2005)

Good one, -sam.  You plug a PS-2 device (keyboard / Mouse) in with the power truned on and you may just be buying yourself a new mother board.  I have a computer repair store and see that about two times a month, expensive little mistake.


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## tails (Feb 21, 2005)

He he, its like that. It's just a shame that people actually think they can just plug them in and they work at any stage. A computer is just like most other electrical things. You can't turn on the light switch and then go and change the light globe now can you. and you can't have your stereo going and set up the next lot of speakers and then plug them in. Its just silly how people think that because its technology that they can do what they will without consiquences.


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## steve case (Feb 22, 2005)

While we're on the topic of why computers do the annoying things they do:

When you boot up a "PC" that has a non-executable disk in th "A" drive it stops and puts up that annoying messege.  Really corks you off when you got up to get a cup of coffee with the "sure" knowledge that it would be ready to go upon your return.  

Now, if you boot up an "Apple" product, that doesn't happen!  

The only thing I can figure is that the routines to check the "A" drive for an executeable  must date back to the ENIAC and can't be undone.   

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has ever crabbed about it.


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## Cbrine (Feb 22, 2005)

StACase,
  The X86 BIOS has gotten a little smarter, and you can assign a boot list now.
CD
A: Drive
C: Drive

Of Course anyone who has a virus checker will get a message when trying to close windows with a floppy in the drive anyway.
Not to say that PC's still don't do stupid things, but it seems to be mostly windows releated, of course.


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## -sam (Feb 22, 2005)

elgringo56 said:
			
		

> Good one, -sam.  You plug a PS-2 device (keyboard / Mouse) in with the power turned on and you may just be buying yourself a new mother board.  I have a computer repair store and see that about two times a month, expensive little mistake.


Only if your particular system is decrepid.  Hotswaping PS/2 components is possible if your BIOS supports it.  I should know, I've had to essentially do that enough times thanks to my silly KVM.  Mice are a different story.


> He he, its like that. It's just a shame that people actually think they can just plug them in and they work at any stage.


Uh, USB ring a bell? 

-sam


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## tails (Feb 22, 2005)

Yes it does actually. but most people who dont know much about computers, are most commonly using a PS2 keyboard and mouse. So 90% of people who just think they can plug and play, end up needing a new mother board or, again if they dont know much, think they need a new computer. So it's costing them more money that its worth. about the only other thing that can plug and play is a serial mouse. and maybe if your BIOS can support it then maybe you can plug and play. but it cant be good for your system if it is constant over a period of time.


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## elgringo56 (Feb 23, 2005)

A little different, but along the same line.  The bottom of each CNN story/fabrication/distortion of news has this statement.  Notice that it states that it cannot be redistruibeted.  Below this statement will be a button to e-mail it to a friend.  I have always been afraid ot e-mail one because it might be a ploy to get me to so they can sue me.......

Copyright 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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## tails (Feb 23, 2005)

Yes people are very strange there days, and what happened to the good old 'take responsibility for your actions' that has gone completely because of law. It points in the same direction as the email thing. you just dont know what to do any more. Its like the thief that broke into this guys house. sliced up his arms when he broke the glass to break into the house and steal things, and still managed to sue the owner of the house for loads of money. How does that work? Isn't that classified as tresspassing and stealing. Isn't that a criminal offence?

The world has gone mad these days, there's a law for everything. That email thing probably detects your IP and traces it back to wher you are so the cops can come around and jump you for re-distribution. its kinda stupid.


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## sweater_vests_rock (Feb 24, 2005)

regarding emails, this is clearly a case where "redistribute" has a technical legal meaning.


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## tails (Feb 24, 2005)

What like dont send this out once you've read it, or you can send it out to one or two people but thats it. It kinda dont make sense in a way, there is too much law in the world now. Everything has a law, and everything you do can get you either sued or put in jail. J walking, consists of a fine, why though? How is it illegal, yeah people can get hit doing it, but it's their decision to walk like that. I dont see why they need a law for every little thing these days, just like what i saw on the news the other night. A childs' parents took photos of there 3 year old son swimming on his first lession and the local council complained that it was child pornography. Too much law, means too little to do. all you can do is eat, sleep and work now days. i have many more laws i can go into but i'll pass as its not really the place to discuss this... lol


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## XLGibbs (Feb 25, 2005)

I am fairly certain the error message is written by the same people who publish fliers with information on learning how to read, and the same people who put the "do not eat" warning on preparation H.

The old lady bit is pretty good, but not as good as the email I received one day from someone advising me that their email was not working properly.  I had no idea how to respond to that one.


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## tails (Feb 27, 2005)

It really makes you think how silly people can be. They rely on technology and when it doesn't work properly they constantly complain until it is fixed. Maybe we need to remove computers from the world and see how people do. I dont think that society of today could survive in a primitave way again, we might adapt over time. but about 70% of people wouldn't survive.


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