Re: Do not buy a Compaq

From: Kerry Brown (kerry_at_kdbNOSPAMsystems.c*o*m)
Date: 01/08/05 

Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2005 09:31:56 -0800

I have found the newer HP/Compaq machines to be much better than a few years
ago. You just have to do a bit of work to set them up. Immediately use the
provided utility to make a set of restore CD/DVD's. Boot from your favourite
utility floppy/CD and delete all partitions then repartition as you like and
install a full retail version of XP. You may have to figure out what
hardware drivers you need and download them. With rebates and special offers
you can often get a very nice system for a low price, even with the added
cost of the retail XP. If you ever need warranty service just use the
restore disks and send it in. If you're really price conscious and have the
time and know how you can use the existing OEM XP and uninstall/remove the
spyware etc. Last time I tried this it took me several hours and it was only
about 90% successful.

Kerry Brown

"Kevin" <webman6@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23eOvuqU9EHA.3120@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> Just a quick post about a hilarious experience I recently had with Compaq.
> My office bought me a new desktop a couple of weeks before Christmas.
> That's the good news. The bad news is that it is a Compaq. A Presario
> 6000
> series, to be precise. It had Windows XP Home Edition SP2 installed and
> the
> usual overload of crap that companies like Compaq and Gateway seem to
> delight in offering the public.
>
> The unit arrived, I hooked it up, turned on the power and it sat there.
> Disk spinning, fans blowing and absolutely nothing happening. I called
> tech
> support at Compaq. I actually got through in about two or three minutes.
> I
> was now speaking with a tech in Bangalore, India. I could hear what
> seemed
> to be people cooking dinner in the background. I read off the serial
> number
> and was informed that my system would be out of warranty in two days!
> Yes,
> two days. Out of a one year warranty my "brand new" system had two days
> left. This thing had been sitting on a shelf somewhere for over a year
> since it had been built.
>
> This could only get better, so I pointed out that we had purchased the
> unit
> within the last two weeks. Yes, I was told, my warranty was definitely
> going to expire in two days. If I would only fax Compaq the receipt for
> the
> unit, my warranty problems would be solved. Now onto the matter at hand.
> I
> could barely contain myself during a fit of the giggles over the phone.
>
> I explained that the machine was getting power but nothing was happening.
> Yes, the monitor was plugged into the back of the computer. Yes, the
> monitor was working. Yes, the little lights were on. No, nothing was
> happening. No video, no keyboard or mouse response. Yes, the keyboard
> and
> mouse were plugged into the computer. Would I mind opening the unit up
> and
> looking inside? Sure, I can do that.
>
> The technician had me twist, grab, wiggle, move, remove and reinsert
> everything not nailed down to the motherboard inside the guts of that PC.
> When I removed and reseated the RAM sticks, magic happened! Video and a
> mouse response. Loose RAM, the tech observed. Problem fixed, thank you
> for
> calling Compaq.
>
> The next day, I got into the office and started the machine up. Nothing.
> I
> hit the reset button and it booted up to the desktop and froze instantly.
> No mouse or keyboard response and Ctrl-Alt-Del did nothing. On the fourth
> or fifth reboot, it came up and stayed up the rest of the day. For a week
> it would freeze on initial boot up, freeze at some point during the boot
> process, freeze at shutdown, freeze at random and just plain freeze. I
> called Compaq technical support again.
>
> Hey, what do you know, I got Bangalore, again! Oh Boy! After confirming
> that my warranty was now a full year I was ready to get my problem taken
> care of. I explained about the previous call, the tech had no
> information,
> other than the fact that my warranty was a full year. I ran him through
> the
> first call, hitting only the high spots, and he said he knew what was
> wrong.
> I would need to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows. Which I can
> do
> by using the set of CD's I burned of the operating system image as Compaq
> does not include a Windows disk. The hidden partition contains all that
> information and in conjunction with the disks I had burned, I could now
> fix
> my computer. Was I ready to proceed?
>
> Hell no! I stopped the guy right there and we went over the essentials of
> my problem. During this, the computer froze. When I reminded him of the
> fact that it had arrived with an obvious hardware problem he said that I
> would have to send it in to get it fixed as the Presario 6000 model we had
> purchased did not have the option of having a local technician come to my
> office to fix it. He arranged to send me a pre-paid shipping box and I
> sent
> the PC in for service. Ten days later, I got it back.
>
> I plugged everything in, turned it on and was greeted by the Windows
> Welcome
> Screen and logon. I never set up my systems to use this and I didn't set
> this one up to use it. Surprise! I can't logon because I don't have
> proper
> "privileges"! On a reboot, I was able to catch the window that showed the
> ASP.NET Administrator user had denied me the use of my computer. I had
> not
> installed the .NET updates prior to shipping the machine off for service.
> The techs that replaced the RAM sticks (bad RAM) had installed every
> update
> known to man on the computer. For some reason, Windows decided that I no
> longer had the right to use my own machine, so denied me a logon.
>
> I called Compaq technical support. By golly, I got Bangalore! My lucky
> day! This time, I got a technician that had evidently just mastered
> English. But his name was . . . wait for it . . . Hadji. Yes, Hadji. As
> in Jonny Quest! He was very nearly impossible to understand. I read off
> my
> case number and he had no information other than the fact that my warranty
> was one year. I carefully explained the problem with the logon and what I
> had found as the cause. He knew exactly what my problem was from my
> description and was I ready to format the hard drive and reinstall the
> operating system and applications? This was the only way to fix my
> predicament. Again, hell no!
>
> I reminded him of the fact that I knew that those .NET Framework updates
> had
> screwed up my system and I wanted it fixed and I knew it could be done
> without formatting the hard drive. He said the updates were a Windows
> issue
> and I would have to contact them for support of their operating system. I
> explained to him that Microsoft will not support OEM installations of
> their
> operating system. He asked me if I was sure my computer had an OEM
> version
> of Windows on it. I couldn't believe it! I asked him if he knew that
> when
> a company like Compaq installs their version of the Windows operating
> system
> that Microsoft will not support it. He didn't know that. He would have
> to
> ask someone, could I hold? Sure, why not, I'm talking to some guy halfway
> around the world who doesn't know that he has the same name as a 1960's
> cartoon icon and also doesn't know his company must provide the support
> for
> the operating systems on their computers. Why wouldn't I hold?
>
> Hadji comes back and by gosh, he can fix my logon problem without a
> format.
> Two words. System Restore. Of course, I will have to pick a restore
> point
> before the idiots that serviced my computer got their hands on it. That
> means downloading and reinstalling about twenty critical updates, with the
> exception of anything to do with .NET or .ASP or .NET Framework.
>
> Of course, it works and I can use my computer now. Since my workplace is
> on
> a dialup connection I spend a full day downloading and installing the
> updates.
>
> Whatever you buy, for your personal computing needs, do not purchase a
> Compaq product!
>
>