It’s back in the … never mind; you’ll figure out the time frame soon enough.

This third-tier support pilot fish is used to getting the really difficult cases, and he suspects that why a ticket has been routed to him. A user would like to have Windows 7 installed on his PC. He’s close to retirement, and he’s a nice enough guy. But he also has a son in IT who provides him with tips and tricks to make his job easier.

Today's tip from sonny: Get Windows 7 at work in order to be more productive.

Fish explains to the user that Windows 7 isn't yet supported by IT. There are plans to roll it out, but not this year.

“He protests and throws his hands up and goes back to work,” fish says. The ticket is closed.

“The next day, we get a new ticket with a request for Windows 7.”

This time the ticket includes a long list of the benefits of Windows 7 over the current Windows version. The request ends, “When can I get it installed?”

Fish makes another trip to the user’s desk and explains that the advantages are well-identified and the benefits are also well-known. But, he goes on, the investment is large because IT has to test the company’s systems to ensure they can run on the new operating system.

“He throws his hands up and goes back to work,” reports fish.

“The next day, we get a new ticket with a specific request for Windows 7 Pro with Windows XP virtual running for programs that are not compatible.”

This time, fish goes looking for the help desk supervisor — and they hatch a plan.

They bring the user’s PC into the shop for its upgrade. There, they install a different desktop theme and wallpaper to give the user’s Windows XP a fresh look.

Then they sit down with the user, train him on the “new” system, and even show him how to pin items to the toolbar — just like in Windows 7.

“Next day, we get a thank-you note from the user for installing Windows 7 on his computer, saying how much better it performs,” fish says.

“A copy of the note ends up getting to our boss’s boss, who blows up and decides to pay us a visit.

“We explain the situation and the available options. He agrees that we made the right decision, considering the other options.

“And we all breathe a huge sigh of relief.”

Sharky can be just as persistent in asking for your true tales of IT life. Send them to me at sharky@computerworld.com. You can also subscribe to the Daily Shark Newsletter.