Cable Forum - View Single Post

Strzelecki · 15-10-2004, 15:24

Right this sounds like it could be a hardware fault of some sort or a recovery disk problem! Sometimes the recovery disks that come with a machine have drivers that are later found to cause problems, the recovery disk is of course updated to include the new drivers with any machines leaving the factory from then onwards. You could try getting PC Service to send you out a new recovery kit and see if the version number on the disks match. If it's a later version then give it a try. I'm afraid that a mojarity of the people sitting at the call centre for that phone number are as you describe 'restore the machine, that'll fix it', ok so we recommend restoring the machine 1st to rule out software problems, but after that it should be booked for repair if the problems still occur. Unfortunately you just have to keep phoning, explaining that multiple FULL restores haven't done the trick, ask for your customer id after each call (so that number of calls, what's been said can be tracked) and the persons name. If you think it could be a hardware fault you could try running a few tests yourself. I use the UltimateBootCd from www.ultimatebootcd.com for all my tests. You can run MemTest from the bootable cd you can make, plus the full harddisk test (can't tell you what hardisk it will be, depends on the model, go into the BIOS, F2 of Del, and it should say the make there). If it's a maxtor, seagate, samsung or western digital drive you can test it straight away under harddisk tests in the cd's menu, otherwise run seatools (the seagate harddisk test program) and use the generic test in that. Hopefully it'll pull up some errors which you can record and tell the person on the phone (they may not know what the hell you mean, no too bright, but it helps). In store we can call our own tech support, which is full of sensible people

who confirm the fault, but we still have to phone PC Service Call to book an engineer, it's a right hassle, had some good arguements with the people on the other end of the phone though (it's amazing what they think they can diagnose over the phone without the PC in front of them!) Good luck and let me know how it goes, I'll try to help!

15-10-2004, 15:24	#7
Strzelecki Inactive Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Essex Age: 43 Services: 80/20Mbps FTTC on Freeola Posts: 871	Re: Laptop and PC World Right this sounds like it could be a hardware fault of some sort or a recovery disk problem! Sometimes the recovery disks that come with a machine have drivers that are later found to cause problems, the recovery disk is of course updated to include the new drivers with any machines leaving the factory from then onwards. You could try getting PC Service to send you out a new recovery kit and see if the version number on the disks match. If it's a later version then give it a try. I'm afraid that a mojarity of the people sitting at the call centre for that phone number are as you describe 'restore the machine, that'll fix it', ok so we recommend restoring the machine 1st to rule out software problems, but after that it should be booked for repair if the problems still occur. Unfortunately you just have to keep phoning, explaining that multiple FULL restores haven't done the trick, ask for your customer id after each call (so that number of calls, what's been said can be tracked) and the persons name. If you think it could be a hardware fault you could try running a few tests yourself. I use the UltimateBootCd from www.ultimatebootcd.com for all my tests. You can run MemTest from the bootable cd you can make, plus the full harddisk test (can't tell you what hardisk it will be, depends on the model, go into the BIOS, F2 of Del, and it should say the make there). If it's a maxtor, seagate, samsung or western digital drive you can test it straight away under harddisk tests in the cd's menu, otherwise run seatools (the seagate harddisk test program) and use the generic test in that. Hopefully it'll pull up some errors which you can record and tell the person on the phone (they may not know what the hell you mean, no too bright, but it helps). In store we can call our own tech support, which is full of sensible people who confirm the fault, but we still have to phone PC Service Call to book an engineer, it's a right hassle, had some good arguements with the people on the other end of the phone though (it's amazing what they think they can diagnose over the phone without the PC in front of them!) Good luck and let me know how it goes, I'll try to help!