Building computers for family members is never a good idea...
I once built a computer as a surprise present for my then father in law. I assembled it, partitioned it, clean install of windows 2000, all the patches, all the anti virus, anti malware, the works. Took me two days to do it as I had to get all the patches etc over a dialup connection. But once it was done I was a proud person - it was absolutely bomb proofed, and outside of his doing something really, really stupid would remain pretty safe.

Fast forward 5 months... He wanted to put some more software on it and as I'd set it up so that he ran in a limited user mode (hey, he was doing work that involved peoples contacts etc the law stated it *had* to be locked down as best as could be done or I'd be in the crapper) he wanted the admin password, which I gave to him. No worries thought I...

Two days later I visit to find out that he'd got his other son in law "the professional computer operator" to slap on an unpatched version of XP that was set to auto login to an admin account. I held my tongue on the waste of effort I'd put in, but I was irritated, especially when I examined the result.

Him: Yeah he didn't want to have to sign in every time.
Me: You are aware that he does business on that machine, right?
Him: Yeah, and? So what?
Me: The DPA requires that all reasonable measures have to be taken to secure a machine otherwise the person doing the install can be held liable.
Him: ...
Me: I had that system locked down for a damn good reason, partly so that it couldn't be exploded by random things being installed and partly to cover my own arse.
Him: It doesn't matter, it'll be fine.
Me: It's a £5000 fine for each breach if it isn't. If he's got 20 names and addresses on that system and it gets breached and those details are used fraudulently...
Him: I'll just go and have a word with him...

Cheeky fucker even tried to imply to the father in law that it was somehow my fault as I heard later on.

Computer professional my left nut. Never ever again.

Apologies for length etc
(the_leander, Wed 30 Sep 2009, 2:43, 2 replies)

The reason this sort of thing happens.
is because you do it for nothing. Makes it look too easy, as if anyone can do it.

Mr Quar is always having to salvage people's computers from horrendous messes after 'the lad next door who works with computers' has installed pirate editions of Office or whatever on them.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Wed 30 Sep 2009, 6:01, closed)

Amen!
Brother-In-Law (used to - "redundancy") sit at a computer all day doing credit control. Somehow he thought this made him IT Support.

I can't count the number of times he's fucked the family laptop and I've had to spend hours uninstalling, reinstalling, anti-virusing.

I've given up now. Just let the fucker trash a grands worth of laptop that's out of warranty.
( Joliet, Wed 30 Sep 2009, 9:43, closed)