Strange Hardware Problems

A friend of mine has been having major problems with her computer...

Quote:

To recap, for those of you who haven't been following the IT soap opera since December 13, this is list of the highlights of the unflding disaster, but I've left a lot out.

* Dell 5150 top spec delivered - problems with sound when I set it up, but I resolve to ring Dell support ikn the morning
* "easy" data transfer fails - I end up doing it by hand, and calling my own engineer to check things
* Dell support take an hour on the phone (on my bill) to tell me I have the wrong sound card installed and engineer will call
* zip happens, and in the meantime a whole slew of disasters unfolds, from loss of ethernet to wireless keyboard going haywire and various crashes
* eventually, Dell offer me new machine
* new machine arrives early January, and works more or less okay - tolerable, anyway - until eight days ago, when it fails to boot, claiming a missing dll file
* my own engineer inspects it, tries a few fixes as per the book, and says it's a bigger problem than that
* I log this direct with Dell in Eire, and while I wait for them, I try every dodge I learned from the IT guys at PCC and finally get access to both hard drives (I kept the old one for data) and I run full 8-hour diagnostics - nothing wrong, says the system, but I still have no modem, no ethernet and no PCI controllers
* Dell sends engineer to swap motherboard but I decline new hard drive until I know what's really happening - which turned out to be very wise
* another engineer is booked; meanwhile I do a clean reinstall of XP on the second hard drive as a a test to see if the reinstall will solve anything, and - predictably - it achieves nothing
*third engineer arrives today...

(Yesterday, an engineer arrived (the second in seven days) and was unable to do anything because Dell had sent him out with the wrong operating system. ((XP Pro.)) He was, however, useful to chat to; we decided the problem was that there were drivers missing - and despite having two new Dells since December 13, neither had driver CDs with them - and he arranged a repeat call for today.

I ought to point out here that the system steadfastly refused to allow any drivers to be reinstalled anyway. And none of the relevant ones seemed to be available for download on the Dell site, before you make the obvious comment. But I digress.)

Today, Engineer #3 arrived. A very nice young man. He had the right OS CD, and the drivers CD. First he humoured me by having one last try at reinstalling the drivers on the existing system. No joy: it wouldn't let him install anything. So we took the plunge and unwrapped the brand new hard drive to do a fresh installation of XP - factory fresh - plus drivers.

Result: brand new OS and drive, and even worse problems than before. The poor man spent at least an hour on the phone to Dell (he works for another company that Dell contracts to sort out their problems) and he ended up as frustrated and angry as I'd been at the start. In a sick way, it's comforting that the pros can't get any further with Dell support than I did.

The driver CD they'd given him simply didn't install drivers. They talked him through it several times as if he was an idiot customer and couldn't seem to get it into their heads that it wasn't working. He gave up. There was nothing more he could do

Anyone have any ideas? I was thinking it was that she had some "dirty power" but she insists that that isnt the case.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

This problem is far too complex to even have the slightest chance of being solved here, given the information you provided.

I think people buying a Dell usually have little computer knowledge, making the whole issue even more complicated. This is a mess that can (and should) only be solved by Dell. The reasons to stay clear of a Dell are manifold, but I'm not going to bitch about them here.

To be honest, I'd just return the thing and build a new computer on my own. Then again, I have done so countless times and your friend might not be able to assemble a system on his own. There are people that can help you with that, though.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Rock

I think people buying a Dell usually have little computer knowledge, making the whole issue even more complicated. This is a mess that can (and should) only be solved by Dell.

I've heard a ton of horror stories about Dell - but three of the four computers Ive owned were Dell and they never had problems (Knock On Wood)

Originally Posted by Rock

To be honest, I'd just return the thing and build a new computer on my own. Then again, I have done so countless times and your friend might not be able to assemble a system on his own. There are people that can help you with that, though.

I suggested this outright. I believe thats the next avenue

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Well, if Dell is giving her problems and she still needs a pre-built computer then shouldn't she just switch brands? Is this computer at home or at work? I got the impression that this took place in an office or something.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?