Dell computers indeed!

[akeyoftime]

It's the ongoing saga!

I finally got my computer back (they shipped it to Kadie Katie, so it was a bit of a devil to pick up, since that is obviously not the name on my ID). The replaced my F8 key, which had fallen off some months ago. They fixed the system board and cleaned and tested the computer. The screen works again! This is good! They also put a sticker on my AC adaptor!

Apparently, during testing, they failed to notice that Windows still won't load. We are back where we were before I called them for help (plus one F8 key). I feel compelled to note that it was probably calling them for help that broke the screen to begin with. They don't appear to have looked at my wireless card either, which I told them doesn't work properly.

I'm on hold to talk to tech support.

Again.


Edit: And the even longer saga of overheating? The computer has been on for five, ten minutes tops and it is already hot to the touch. It's barely pulling in cold air and it's positively spewing out the hot. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. Cleaning the fan did not fix the problem and I don't give a damn if your tests say it did.

Comments

[theclevermonkey.livejournal.com]

Idiots.

Your computer isn't sitting on top of a carpet or placemat or anything like that, is it?

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

I used to use it a lot in bed, but my comforter wouldn't have been shedding little hairs like a rug or placemat. It's spent the last year on a computer desk.

[theclevermonkey.livejournal.com]

I wasn't so much thinking about stuff getting into it, as the vents not being exposed.

In my experience, laptops are often just hot. *shrug*

[rufas.livejournal.com]

have you got a desktop or laptop?

And windows not loading where does it stop?

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

Laptop.

It asks me to load windows in a variety of modes (Like safe mode, last known good configuration, boot normally). They all lead me to a lovely blue screen that announced UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_ERROR

/puts it technician hat on

[rufas.livejournal.com]

Okay laptop do generally run hot on the bottom which is why they recomend that men do not use them on their laps regulary (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4078895.stm)

As for the UNMOUNTABLE_BOOT_ERROR this forum post may help you

http://www.mcse.ms/message1877418.html

I agree with the forum user who answers that is could be either the hard disc at fault or the system has become corrupted.

Did problem come all of a sudden? or did you have any problems that might make you suspect the hard disk before it happened?

Re: /puts it technician hat on

[akeyoftime.livejournal.com]

I know they run hot, but this was ridiculous. There was no way I was going to have time to reinstall windows before it overheated. (It's very good at that, though the fan has been cleaned out, which will help.)

The Dell technicians (and boy did I spend a lot of time on the phone with them) figure it's best to wipe the drive and reinstall windows. I am okay with that, since there is nothing absolutely irretrivable I-can't-live-without-it (though I am a little sad to see some of my conversation logs and MS Paint artwork go).

The computer crashed overnight. I set it to hibernate and when I woke up in the morning to turn it on, the current saga began. It was rotten timing too, since I had to re-start a paper that was due the next day! Allnighter indeed. *huffs*

Thank you for trying to help, but I don't even have the computer with me. I've sent it back to Dell to see if they can't solve some of the outstanding issues. When it gets back, I'll see if the overheating is any better and if I can reinstall Windows. If I can't? Ohhhhh there is going to be a SMACKDOWN.

Re: /puts it technician hat on

[rufas.livejournal.com]

Funnily enough that was going to be my next step with just re-install windows, when I did my industrial placement as an it technician for a school our general fix all solution was to re-install windows.

remember to use something heavy and blunt when going against corperate zombies ;)