Can a computer person explain this??

[achtung_circus]

I live with my brother and his family. He works for a major bank, programming, network security, auditing outsourced programming, all that computer stuff.

The computer I use at the house is his. When it locks up, as it tend to do, he pushes some buttons, calls it a virus pit and goes away. The printer doesn't work, e-mail is a mess, etc, etc ad nauseum.

I use my laptop and my office desktop for anything serious (other that DU, not tolerated at work and laptop isn't connected)

What is it about a supposed computer guy that won't fix his own unit??

[FlashHarry]

1. I'm confused as to the problem.

Though, you could always buy a Mac...

[2Design]

2. they don't have time...and don't care....or he is overwhelmed

and doesn't know what to do

[never cry wolf]

3. The cobbler's son has no shoes...

Old saying, relevant in my case as well.

[Ivan Sputnik]

4. Maybe

he resents you using his computer, consciously or subconsciously? Just a guess; obviously I don't know your brother.

[Webster Green]

5. I know a lot of mechanics that drive wrecks...

Go figure!

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. Hairstylist (used to be anyway) here with kids with the longest hair

on the block. I think he probably just doesn't like doing work at home.

[ChoralScholar]

7. When I was servicing computers,

my home machine was in worse shape than many of the things I was servicing.

It's an 'I do it all day, I don't want to do it at home too.' thing.

True in most any profession. Except maybe adult film actors.

[KeepItReal]

8. Tracking down and fixing a virus-infected PC ain't easy

I know people who can take a PC apart and put it back together, but cannot handle anti-virus/anti-spyware tasks.

Your brother may just not have the skillset or patience to deal with the problem...

If that machine can access the 'net, point it to: http://housecall.trendmicro.com /

You can run the free scanner there that may be able to detect some of what's wrong.

After that look into installing and keeping up-to-date good anti-virus/anti-spyware/firewall software on the machine.

[TryingToWarnYou]

9. Does he know how?

Just because someone is a software engineer or LAN administrator etc. doesnt mean they know anything about the inner workings of their machine. My boss for instance is a brilliant guy and the head of our Technical area, but ask him to clean up a virus problem on a computer and he is lost.

[Deja Q]

10. I'm the same way...

If it works satisfactorily well, I could care less.

If things go all wonky, then I'll grumble over it.

I also take preventitive measures to ensure it doesn't become a 'virus pit'.

I've been around PCs for 10+ years. I learned my lesson in 1995 with a DOS virus, though even then I still intercepted it before it konked out the entire server.

You can never have too much protection...

[achtung_circus]

11. I think,

on reflection, thgat the cobbler's children have no shoes is probably the way to explain it. Thanks all.