rocknbil
RCTalk Addict
This is a rant of gargantuan proportions. If you don't want to hear pissing and moaning, hit the BACK BUTTON NOW.
Okay, color me idiot. I knew this was going to happen, just not this bad. I'm only posting this in case anyone falls prey to the same thing - the lure of cheap price so you don't have to spend hours setting up a computer for a family member.
I've always avoided HP's, Compaq's, and Acers. They are CRAP. But for my stepdaughter's birthday she really wanted a computer. I could spend hours and hours getting one of the old ones here configured for her, or just drop $400 on a comp. I figured what the hell, le'ts get a cheap one and call it quits.
BIG MISTAKE, more than I'd have ever dreamed.
Hard drive failed in 5 days. I have **never** seen an HD go down so fast, and I've been working with macs, PC's, and unix's for almost 12 years.
After 3 disconnects and 3 hours on the phone with their offshore Indian supoort line, although I could barely understand a g$^$^ d#$%# thing they were saying, finally we get to "Sir, I think your hard disk has gone bad." I literally said "NO S***, that's what I tried to tell you three hours ago!"
So they fedex a new drive and 13 "restore" disks. You see it coming, don't you?
Drive in, 3 hours into the install, on disk 11 is says "that is not the requested disk. Please insert disk 11."
So back on the support line I go, they tell me to insert disk 1 and restart the computer.
"Start over? Are you INSANE? I'm telling you, disk 11 is corrupted!"
So anyway I go through this process THREE TIMES over the course of 3 days. Same deal.
Why didn't I just take it back to where I bought it? Same old screw-job, once it goes out the door it's HP's ball.
Finally they decide to send me a new set of disks. We both know what's going to happen when they get here . . . it's going to get to #11 and die.
So I'm saying F*** THIS S*** and spring for a copy of XP. Install it and runs fine . . .
But doesn't recognize the onboard sound.
No problem, right? Download the drivers from their site!
But they don't have downloads for this comp. It just points to a page telling you how to restore the drivers from their restore disks.
Which don't work.
A**HOLES!
Never ever fall for the lure of low price. Any by all means, do not buy an HP!
Excerpt from last email to their support:
========================================
Thank you for writing back.
By reviewing your message, I see that you are frustrated with our
support. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you in
this regard.
*******, to tell you, we at e-mail support do not have access to all the
chat or online transcripts which you had earlier to resolve the issue.
However, the recovery CDs will be reaching you by 09/25/2006. The
Recovery Process did not succeed in your PC may due to the corrupt
Recovery Partition of hard drive in your PC. However, you can recover
the system by using the recovery CDs to the manufacturer default
settings.
Hence, I request your patience and cooperation to resolve this issue.
If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will
be happy to assist you further.
Sincerely,
Sandra
My reply:
========================================
Sandra, or whoever,
You want to actually HELP? Send me the sound drivers for this hunk of junk. To get around your corrupted disks, I bought a fresh copy of XP and the computer is installed and running. The only problem is, XP does not recognize the HP onboard sound device.
DO NOT ask me to run a system restore, the disks are corrupted and I will be back at square one.
DO NOT ask me to go to your website, no drivers for the a1217n are available. This is probably due to the fact that you are set up to rely on the restore disks so why bother? Because the disks can become corrupted and are WORTHLESS, that's why.
Simply send me an install of the sound drivers. That's all I need.
Can you do that?
If you cannot, I'll go buy a $20 sound card and disable your onboard audio. This computer is going to run **in spite** of Hewlett-Packard.
Okay, color me idiot. I knew this was going to happen, just not this bad. I'm only posting this in case anyone falls prey to the same thing - the lure of cheap price so you don't have to spend hours setting up a computer for a family member.
I've always avoided HP's, Compaq's, and Acers. They are CRAP. But for my stepdaughter's birthday she really wanted a computer. I could spend hours and hours getting one of the old ones here configured for her, or just drop $400 on a comp. I figured what the hell, le'ts get a cheap one and call it quits.
BIG MISTAKE, more than I'd have ever dreamed.
Hard drive failed in 5 days. I have **never** seen an HD go down so fast, and I've been working with macs, PC's, and unix's for almost 12 years.
After 3 disconnects and 3 hours on the phone with their offshore Indian supoort line, although I could barely understand a g$^$^ d#$%# thing they were saying, finally we get to "Sir, I think your hard disk has gone bad." I literally said "NO S***, that's what I tried to tell you three hours ago!"
So they fedex a new drive and 13 "restore" disks. You see it coming, don't you?
Drive in, 3 hours into the install, on disk 11 is says "that is not the requested disk. Please insert disk 11."
So back on the support line I go, they tell me to insert disk 1 and restart the computer.
"Start over? Are you INSANE? I'm telling you, disk 11 is corrupted!"
So anyway I go through this process THREE TIMES over the course of 3 days. Same deal.
Why didn't I just take it back to where I bought it? Same old screw-job, once it goes out the door it's HP's ball.
Finally they decide to send me a new set of disks. We both know what's going to happen when they get here . . . it's going to get to #11 and die.
So I'm saying F*** THIS S*** and spring for a copy of XP. Install it and runs fine . . .
But doesn't recognize the onboard sound.
No problem, right? Download the drivers from their site!
But they don't have downloads for this comp. It just points to a page telling you how to restore the drivers from their restore disks.
Which don't work.
A**HOLES!
Never ever fall for the lure of low price. Any by all means, do not buy an HP!
Excerpt from last email to their support:
========================================
Thank you for writing back.
By reviewing your message, I see that you are frustrated with our
support. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to you in
this regard.
*******, to tell you, we at e-mail support do not have access to all the
chat or online transcripts which you had earlier to resolve the issue.
However, the recovery CDs will be reaching you by 09/25/2006. The
Recovery Process did not succeed in your PC may due to the corrupt
Recovery Partition of hard drive in your PC. However, you can recover
the system by using the recovery CDs to the manufacturer default
settings.
Hence, I request your patience and cooperation to resolve this issue.
If you need further assistance, please reply to this message and we will
be happy to assist you further.
Sincerely,
Sandra
My reply:
========================================
Sandra, or whoever,
You want to actually HELP? Send me the sound drivers for this hunk of junk. To get around your corrupted disks, I bought a fresh copy of XP and the computer is installed and running. The only problem is, XP does not recognize the HP onboard sound device.
DO NOT ask me to run a system restore, the disks are corrupted and I will be back at square one.
DO NOT ask me to go to your website, no drivers for the a1217n are available. This is probably due to the fact that you are set up to rely on the restore disks so why bother? Because the disks can become corrupted and are WORTHLESS, that's why.
Simply send me an install of the sound drivers. That's all I need.
Can you do that?
If you cannot, I'll go buy a $20 sound card and disable your onboard audio. This computer is going to run **in spite** of Hewlett-Packard.