The project that I am currently involve with has gone a little bit further into using a Project Management tool called IPMS. This tool have a web-based interface which the engineers could use to action documents and drawings reviews.
Just like any other corporate environment, MS products a so much in use, from operating systems (WXP SP3) to office productivity suites (MSO 2003) including the browser (IE). It is just lately, that the browser was upgraded into the multi-tab version. Before that, I installed other open-source multi-tab browsers such as Firefox and Chrome as I have having my task bar cluttered with buttons. Moreso, I don’t want to group similar buttons. This was long before I was assigned to this current project.
The first time, I received a reminder from the system that I need to action some documents, the process worked properly. It was only lately that I noticed that my web-based interface tool is not working. It is prompting to click a button that never bother to show up.
With all probable solutions I can think of remains futile, I asked the help of Document Control which in turn have referred me to the developer. Document Control tolld me that I was the only one having that problem.
Well, well, well! You know what, the first action of the developer (BTW, it is in-house but in different georaphic location) was to request if he can have RDP on my machine. I said, “that’s fine, no problem at all”. Thus the process of debugging went through.
The developer have seen on my IE that I installed a Google task bar, he said that the task bar may be causing the problem. Asked if he can uninstall it, I said yes! During the uninstallation process, he saw that I have two other browsers, and he said that these may be the cause of the problem. I did not bother replying as he may uninstall all my programs and still may not be able to fix the problem.
Even after uninstallation of the task bar, the problem still persists. He told be if I can RDP his computer and log into my web-based access to try if my access works in his machine as all settings on my account are similar to other users. Fortunately, my access work on his machine. And he said, it worked! Yes I said.
With the RDP, I already knew what was the problem in my machine but did not tell him. I just told him that I will try it again to log into my computer then try the process.
While I was doing my thing, I received and email from him, copied to all people concern including the whole of IT, telling that Firefox and Chrome is causing the problem on the IPMS web based interface.
I replied to all, arguing that his allegation is not correct, that Firefox and Chrome are causing the IPMS problem. The problem is “the web-based tool require new windows to be opened in new windows rather than in a new tab”.
After a while, I received a call from him asking me how I did it? Well, hello! *&^%$#! You are the developer, you are the IT guy, you should know what you are doing.
The problem with this people is that they are bound in their comfort zone. I am sure, they don’t even test their software in different versions of IE. How can they not realize the problem about opening a new window from a new tab?
Well anyway, all is well, ends well!
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