I never knew what a test lab was used for until now...

I ran into a problem updating a SoftwareX on a computer. After updating the software I would have the program print a list out that would be sent away in the US mail. Easy or so you think, but this software company has been trying to fix its own software from the day they got away from a dummy terminal (which was only a little over a year ago). I setup the printer step by step from what the software company gave me, and as a plus they even put in pictures on what each screen should look like as you are setting up the printer so even a monkey can do it. I went ahead and did all this as a admin on the computer tested it works. I then log in as the user that will be doing this, setup the printer the same way and test it and it did not work, printer is printing garbage. I logoff and log back in as an admin and now it does not work for a admin account, but it did before I logged in as a user. Were I work no user can be an admin, so I needed to find a fix for this.

After a week going back and forth with the company I was able to get a on the phone with the three of the high end people, one was the rep that I've always dealt with, the other was his boss and she understood a little about computers, and the third was the head programmer. They put me on speaker phone and I started to tell them what I've done already, and so they start asking me the same questions I just gave them the answers to. After about two hours the lady came up with this idea that it was my admin account on the computer. She goes off and tells me that it's my admin account on the computer and that it's screwed up and I should redo the computer from XP CD. I told the lady that I have done that, I've used images that we have of the computer four times and I reinstalled from the CD three times. She continues to tell me that the images we have were screwed up and that's that problem with the printer. At this point I'm shaking my head and thinking to myself yes it has to be the admin account, why not, its not like it could not the their programming. I was starting to get upset with them and I asked on the printer you are using the updated printer driver right? I hear clicking in the back ground and then I hear the head programmer say NO, we used the one off the CD that the printer came with. I told them I downloaded the update driving off the website, and that could be the problem. I ask them to send me the CD they used to install the driver and so they did. I call them back up with all three of them in their test lap now and said what do you know it works. I heard them all patting each other on the back and then I ask a question that I wish I did not know the answer to, I asked what do you on the computers in your test lab?

Company: Oh we have Windows XP Pro and SoftwareX installed.
Me: And?
Company: And what? And nothing that is it.
Me: That's it?
Company: Yep, if the software works in our test lab then it will work in the field.
Me: (at this point my jaw was on the ground, how can you have a test lab for you software and not test it with other applications) You have Office and internet, flash, shockwave and all the real world plugs installed to right?
Company: Nope, just Windows XP Pro and SoftwareX
Me: Well Windows is updated right?
Company: Nope, we don't want to put SP2 on the computers.
Me: (OH MY GOD!) Ok, well can you guys do something for me?
Company: Sure
Me: Can you install the updated printer drivers and tell me if you get the same problem that I was having with this software on your test computers.
Company: OH NO! We can not do that. That may screw up our test lab.
Me: Screw up? Is this not why you have a test lab to test?
Company: NO! We will not install it, what if it screws up our test lab.
Me: (I can not believe it, a test lap that has only two pieces of software on it, they are afraid of testing software in their test lab because it may screw it up, and it will take them a week to load Windows and SoftwareX back onto the computer) Well, ok thanks for your help.

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