Technology

Well, this last week was filled with one computer issue after another.  It was almost enough to make me foreswear technology altogether.  Almost.

It began with some continuing problems with my HP tx2000 (Click this link for a review of the computer from logictv).  Back in June it started acting up with the screen going all fritzy.  This was an intermittent problem.  Sometimes it would happen 3-4 times a day, and at other times, it would be fine for over a week.  I finally called HP support and discovered that, of course, my warranty had expired about 3 months previous.  I bought a new extended warranty so the guy could walk me through the problem, and after an interminable time (at least 4 hours) on the phone, the guy thought we had it fixed.  Needless to say, 20 minutes after I hung up, the problem occurred again.

I called support back, but then was told I could not send my computer in for repair because the new warranty I had bought would not be in effect for 30 days.  No one informed me of this when I purchased it.  I was a little angry.

So for the last month or so, I have lived with the issue, and it was okay since the computer was still working.  I discovered that when the screen started going fritzy, if I closed the computer lid and then re-opened it, the screen would return to normal.  Finally, last week I began to make plans to send it in for repairs.

This meant that I needed to get my older Dell Inspiron 9300 back up to snuff.  I had to transfer files from the HP, clean up the hard drive, get the registry in shape, and then upgrade from 1 GB to 2 GB or RAM.  I started doing this.  I ordered the RAM, began transferring some files via flash drive, and downloaded a free program from Auslogics to clean my registry.  Unfortunately when I ran the free program, it deleted several files that windows needs in order to boot up.  I discovered this upon a computer restart.  I was a little angry.

I tried several things to get the computer running again, but failed to do so.  I then tried to find the Windows XP disk that came with the 9300, but to no avail.  I finally found the one that came with my Dell desktop, and so I used it.  After a very long time (you know how windows can be), the computer was back up and running.  The only problem was that it had none of the drivers that the 9300 needed.  The display was wrong, there was no way to connect to the internet, etc . . .

So another call to support.  This time it was to Dell, where I was informed that my warranty had expired several years previous, and that they really couldn’t help me without my buying an extended warranty.  I was a little angry, but then the guy in support told me where and how I could find the files I needed . . .  he just couldn’t help me with the installation of them.  Thank God for that guy.  He is one of my heroes now.

So I went online with my fritzy HP, downloaded the files from Dell, put them on a flash drive and transferred them to the Dell.  Everything seemed to be working great once these files were installed, but then I noticed that I still couldn’t connect to the internet.  Futher, the file iFrmewrk, used by the intel wireless card was using 100% of my computer’s CPU.  I tried redownloading and reinstalling several times.  I went online to seek further help.  Nothing worked.  I was a little angry.

Finally I went online to the intel website and downloaded the newest file for my card.  Viola!  I was now connected.  The next day my new RAM arrived, and after several attempts to install it failed, the computer finally loaded and I had a blazing fast 9300 to take the place of my HP tx2000 while it was away getting worked on.  Things were starting to look up.

Then, to finalize my preparations to send the HP away, I signed up for a few free online storage programs (mozy, dropbox, and Divshare), transferred some of my files to them, signed up for Opera synch on both computers to synch my bookmarks, notes and stuff on Opera between the computers, and then signed up for Microsoft Live Sync to synchronize the data files I used on both computers.  Things were going swimmingly . . . until the HP screen went all fritzy again.  I quickly closed the lid as I had done before, but this time when I reopened it, I got, not the blue screen of death common to windows users, but a black screen of death.  I had never seen this before, and it is much more frightening than the blue screen, since the black screen has absolutely nothing on it.  Nada.  After repeated, and I mean repeated, attempts to reboot the computer, I finally gave up.  The lights on the computer box would come on, I could hear the fans whirling, but nothing ever appeared on the screen.  I was a little angry.

It was then I called HP support back.  The guy there insisted on trying several things (which I knew wouldn’t work), which took another hour or two of my rapidly dwindling lifespan, before he finally agreed that the computer would need to be sent to a repair center.  I am still waiting for HP to send the box for shipping, btw.  After our talk, I went online to see if others had experienced similar problems, and, lo and behold, hundreds of dissastisfied HP tx 1000 and 2000 custumers had.  (Google HP tx 1000 or 2000 and black screen and you will see what I mean).

Of course, HP refuses to acknowledge that these computers have a problem, which seems to be that they run too hot and damage either the video card connection or the video card itself.  People are so angry that an online petition has been started.  A few people, frustrated by HP’s refusal to deal with this (which most often happens a month or so after the warranty expires), have even posted online videos on how you can fix the problem yourself (this entails carboard, aluminum foil, a 150 watt bulb, and a penny and taking the computer completely apart . . . I kid you not).  The video is posted below for your amusement.  I, however, am not amused . . . just angry.

Anyway, to make a long story short (I know, that’s imposible now), much of my week last week was wasted by the two notebook computers I own.  I will never get those many, many hours back.  As I said earlier, it was almost enough to make me forswear technology altogether, or to at least consider getting a MAC.

Some other links: