once when I was working support, I needed a client to read back to me the contents of an error box - it could only be one of two boxes. She said the content was something else ("the files are corrupt"), which wouldn't happen in that part of the workflow (and wouldn't make sense at that point anyway). I got her to read back the error dialogue word-by-word. She still just made it up ("the. files. are. corrupt."). It wasn't until I got her to read out the error message letter by letter that I found out what it actually said and was able to help her...
But at the same time these are unnerving. It's not about "not knowing how to use computers" it's about NOT READING WHAT'S IN PLAIN SIGHT