oh, Dell...

[goose-entity.livejournal.com]

I was going to rant about this. But I am too tired. Dell have stuck their fangs into my veins and sucked me almost, but not quite, dry.

Laptop. Latitude 110L. New machine. Corporate image. Install all drivers supplied.

Presents 2 problems - keyboard doesn't work in OS, keeps flipping to battery when on mains.

Motherboard replaced due to faulty power connector.

Keyboard still kinda not working. Kinda, because kb works in BIOS, just not in OS.

What's the problem? IRQ conflict between the KB and wireless card.

So, off to the Dell website I go to download the latest drivers for the chipset and the wireless card.

No joy.

BIOS update! Yay! Dell's favourite troubleshooting tool! Download hard drive installer. Agree, next, next nex.... WTF do you mean, insert the floppy disk?!!?

Double check. Yes, this is, indeed, the floppy-LESS install that is asking me for the floppy!

Phone Dell. Go through their script. Yes, tried to update BIOS. No, doesn't work. No, it doesn't. Look, do it yourself! See! Asking for floppy disk! HAH! Yes, please FedEx me BIOS upgrade CD.

BIOS upgrade CD arrives today. To upgrade the BIOS to the same level as it is at just now.


.....


*sigh*


I am too tired to put up with this. Can I go home now?

Comments

[inahandbasket]

If you have corporate gold support, tell them to replace the damned machine.
Your SLA with them doesn't allow for that kind of crap. Call your account rep, etc.
Course if you don't have a gold support contract, you kinda have to leap through their hoops. heh.

[jecook]

Agreed.

a bunch of the techs at my current place are "certified", so all we have to do with Dell is order parts.

Frankly, I think Dell certification is a stupid requirement, and a way of wasting money. But that's just me.

[redqueenmeg.livejournal.com]

Hee, speaking of BIOS and Dell, this one time when I was taking calls at Dell, this guy called up and he wanted to do something, I forget what, but anyway we had to set the computer up to boot from the CD drive first. So I get him into "setup" and I tell him to find the entry that said first boot device.

"Wait, is it this one that says Primo here?"

Yeah, his computer had been shipped with English Windows... and a Spanish BIOS.

[gilmoure.livejournal.com]

Am still pissed about a lab full of Gateways, about 8 years ago. Every one of them had conflicts with the NIC. Gah! Don't they turn these things on before tossing them out the door?

[goose-entity.livejournal.com]

no, they do not. For that would take time and thus deduct from their profits.

Why are they so focussed on squeezing every cent of profit? Because greedy shareholders launched class action lawsuits because companies have not made ENOUGH profit.

Pfagh.

[gilmoure.livejournal.com]

Yeah, as look at my $2000 investment in a genetic engineering lab with a proven track record, regular up and down movement and what happens? I lose 75% of my investment. Time to hit the slots and win that cool Harley they're always advertizing.