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Weird requests push buttons of IT pros

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  • Technology staffing company releases list of odd service queries
  • IT work requires patience, empathy, sense of humor, executive says
  • Among requests: "My daughter is locked in the bathroom. Can you pick the lock?"
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(CNN) -- Forgive your tech support staffers if they sometimes take a snarky tone. You should see the unending stream of oddball requests they field.

Technical support questions can sometimes try information technology professionals' patience.

Technical support questions can sometimes try information technology professionals' patience.

Robert Half Technology, a California-based staffing company that provides information technology professionals, asked 1,400 chief information officers nationwide about the strangest queries their help desks had ever received.

You've probably heard about the person who confused a CD-ROM drive for a cup holder, but some of the other survey answers, released Wednesday, were baffling.

Katherine Spencer Lee, the executive director of Robert Half Technology, said in a statement it's helpful to review the odd questions.

"These unusual requests highlight the need for technical support personnel to also demonstrate patience, empathy and a sense of humor," she said.

Here's a look at some of the oddest questions that IT executives reported receiving:

  • "My computer is telling me to press any key to continue. Where is the 'any' key?"
  • "Can you reset the Internet for me?"
  • "Can you rearrange the keyboard alphabetically?"
  • "My laptop was run over by a truck. What should I do?"
  • Some people wanted answers to make their lives a little less stressful. They asked:

  • "How can I block e-mail from my manager?"
  • "Can I open the bank safe using my computer?"
  • "Can you install cable TV on my PC?"
  • "I'd like to stop receiving e-mail on Fridays."
  • And some demanded entirely too much:

  • "I'd like wireless computer access in my motor home."
  • "How long does it take to bake a potato in a microwave?"
  • "My daughter is locked in the bathroom. Can you pick the lock?"
  • "Where can I get software to track UFOs?"
  • All About Computer TechnologyUFOs and Alien Abductions

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