Gehan,

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gehan G." <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [HP3000-L] Restore Solved....
> And the verdict is.. I'm an idiot..
> I don't know how I missed this

Don't feel bad.  We *ALL* do that now and again.  In fact, bit of humo(u)r
on this one...

When I worked for Summit Info Sys, between installation projects I would
occasionally work in the corporate office in Oregon, and would help out with
back logged level 3 and 4 support calls.  The procedure wasn't bad...a lot
of information gathering and the problems usually resolved themselves, but
sometimes software or documentation change requests had to be opened to
address the issues raised in the calls.  To get to that point, we had to
document the exact problem being addressed (i.e. find the problem in the
code, or at least be able to identify the unique situation when the problem
showed itself), and that meant duplicating the error or situation on one of
the test systems.

At some point, we would have to get someone to open the code and look at
things and there were three major candidates for that task, one of whom had
a corner cubicle.  (Last I heard, still does, so the Summit lurkers can
figure out who I'm talking about).  I got to the point where I dreaded
asking for his help, not because he wasn't helpful, but because no matter
how many possible items I had checked, he would always ask something simple
like "did you respond to the program's prompt?" or "did you reset the DTC
port?" or something else that made me slap my forehead and say "DOH!".

He's good, and he wasn't smug about it (usually).  He was following a simple
problem solving list in his head; and recognized that the people coming to
him were having problems seeing the forest for the trees, but banging your
head on those trees after a while gets to be an annoyance.    :)

Translation....Been There Done That!  The good thing is that I learned to be
better at working the list of things I knew before going to him; and I'm
probably better at helping people who come to me for the same type of help
now.  I only had to feel like a house gnome banging my head on a chest of
drawers screaming "Bad QA, Bad QA, Bad QA" for so long before I started to
learn. (Harry Potter reference)

I'm pretty sure that you won't forget the list of things to check to get
past any RESTORE problems in the future, so there was a bright side here,
too.

Merry Holidays!
Rs~

Russ Smith
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