Initial Experiences as a Certified NetWare Engineer
Showing up to work on Friday morning might seem like a blunder, but GadgetLad aims to make it worthwhile by presenting you with a fresh edition of On Call – the column where readers share their tech support anecdotes. This week, we introduce a reader we’ll refer to as “Lee,” who shared his experiences as a sysadmin at a retail company’s headquarters. “It was around the year 2000, and I had just become a Certified NetWare Engineer managing Novell servers,” Lee recalled.
Advancing in the Profession
Before too long, Lee was leading the teams that oversaw email servers and offered desktop support for over a thousand users. “I got to know nearly everyone at HQ and became recognized as the go-to person for all technical matters,” he proudly shared with GadgetLad.
The Enigma of the General Failure
One Friday afternoon, a vice president reached out to complain that he was unable to access any files from his PC because another person was using them. Lee found this somewhat strange, so he inquired whether the vice president was seeing a “file in use” message in Word or Excel.
Misconstrued Error Messages
The vice president responded that he was indeed encountering an error reading “General failure is reading Drive C” – which clearly indicated that someone was using the alias “General Failure” to conceal their identity.
The Revelation
Lee’s subsequent question was quite specific. “I asked if the error message stated ‘General failure is reading Drive C:'” he informed GadgetLad. The VP re-examined the message and corrected himself, stating to Lee that the exact wording was “General failure reading Drive C:”
Positive and Negative News
At that moment, Lee had both good and bad news. The bad news was that the error indicated the VP’s disk had failed. The good news was that no one was using the alias “General Failure,” meaning there was no rogue individual poking around the network. Lee set up a support call and informed the VP that he would be receiving a new disk and possibly a whole new PC.
Collaboration Is Important
Have your users ever misinterpreted an error message? If that’s the case, click here to send GadgetLad an email. We can’t be more explicit than that – or more genuine in our eagerness to share your story with your fellow GadgetLad audience.
Conclusion: General Failure Is Not a James Bond Antagonist
So, there it is, everyone. If your PC starts declaring that General Failure is reading Drive C, don’t freak out. Chances are it’s not a criminal mastermind, just your hard drive giving out. Get it fixed, and maintain your composure!
