Posting to another thread here reminded me of something that happened to me several years ago. A funny story you might like.
I had purchased a computer once, a Packard Bell that turned out to have the wrong restore software.
The next computer I purchased turned out to have the same problem. This one was (if I remember correctly!) a Cyrix MII, from Computer City, paid around $650.00 cash. (this is important for later on in my story) Remembering my past experience, I decided on about the second day to format the HDD and do a restore from the disc. It didn't work
Sooo....I take it back to the store. When I told them I bought the computer yesterday, and formatted the disc; before I could go any further the guy went ballistic. "You FORMATTED the disc???" He looked around at the other tech, threw his hands up and said "He FORMATTED the disc!!" "WHY did you do that?"
(Remember,this is a computer with the full restore, including the OS on a disc, not on the HDD.) By this time I was getting mad, because everybody in there was having kittens. I explained that I was verifying that the restore disc would work, which it didn't. I told him to try the disc in the computer before he said anything else. It wouldn't work, or course. Kept returning a message "Wrong software", or whatever. They went upstairs to their storage area and checked in the boxes of the other computers like mine...all had the same software! They went online, and ordered me another disc. But then, believe it or not, they asked why I did the restore now, instead of waiting till I HAD to!!! LOL So I asked how it was going to be easier to get the right disc 3, or 5 years down the road than it is now, or if I would even be able to get it then? They had no answer for that.
On to my next experience with that computer. I bought memory for it, and me and a friend spend an hour trying to insert that into the sockets. We finally decided if we pushed any harder, we would break the MB. So, back to the store. Told them what was happening, and the tech sarcastically said...oh, ok...we will put it in for you, but anybody should be able to do it. My friend and I wandered around the store for about 45 minutes, and every time we would look back in the service area, we could see the two guys laboring over my computer laying on it's side on the table! LOL They did finally get the memory installed. Of course, I HAD to say....Anybody can do that, huh?
Part 3. Shortly thereafter, I found that I needed something (I am hazy on this...can't remember for sure what, or why) maybe called a VESA card?? Anyway, whatever it was had a plug that had to fit into, I believe, the Video card. But, the only way it would go was reversed....in other words the number 1 pin had to go into the number 11 (or whatever) position on the socket. So, back to the store. :)
By now the techs know me by name. I showed them the situation. I said you can't plug this card into the socket. One of the techs looked at it, turned it the wrong way, and inserted it. LOL The other tech looked at him funny, and said "Man, you can't do that! That puts #1 pin in the wrong hole'"
So, to make a short story long, I called the Manager over, told her the problem, which the techs verified, and asked her for a Video card that would work. She said no problem....that will be $40.00. I told her No way I am paying for it. So, after arguing for awhile, she offered to sell it to me half price. That was the final straw....I told her to just refund my money on the computer. I was sick of the whole thing.
This was like 9:20 AM. Since I paid cash, I would not accept anything else in return. So, it took them to late afternoon to get up the $650.00. It turns out that I did the right thing too....a week later, Computer City closed here in NLR. My friends say I ran them out of business! LOL
These two experiences taught me to always try the restore disc and/or program while your computer is still in early warranty.
I had purchased a computer once, a Packard Bell that turned out to have the wrong restore software.
The next computer I purchased turned out to have the same problem. This one was (if I remember correctly!) a Cyrix MII, from Computer City, paid around $650.00 cash. (this is important for later on in my story) Remembering my past experience, I decided on about the second day to format the HDD and do a restore from the disc. It didn't work
Sooo....I take it back to the store. When I told them I bought the computer yesterday, and formatted the disc; before I could go any further the guy went ballistic. "You FORMATTED the disc???" He looked around at the other tech, threw his hands up and said "He FORMATTED the disc!!" "WHY did you do that?"
(Remember,this is a computer with the full restore, including the OS on a disc, not on the HDD.) By this time I was getting mad, because everybody in there was having kittens. I explained that I was verifying that the restore disc would work, which it didn't. I told him to try the disc in the computer before he said anything else. It wouldn't work, or course. Kept returning a message "Wrong software", or whatever. They went upstairs to their storage area and checked in the boxes of the other computers like mine...all had the same software! They went online, and ordered me another disc. But then, believe it or not, they asked why I did the restore now, instead of waiting till I HAD to!!! LOL So I asked how it was going to be easier to get the right disc 3, or 5 years down the road than it is now, or if I would even be able to get it then? They had no answer for that.
On to my next experience with that computer. I bought memory for it, and me and a friend spend an hour trying to insert that into the sockets. We finally decided if we pushed any harder, we would break the MB. So, back to the store. Told them what was happening, and the tech sarcastically said...oh, ok...we will put it in for you, but anybody should be able to do it. My friend and I wandered around the store for about 45 minutes, and every time we would look back in the service area, we could see the two guys laboring over my computer laying on it's side on the table! LOL They did finally get the memory installed. Of course, I HAD to say....Anybody can do that, huh?
Part 3. Shortly thereafter, I found that I needed something (I am hazy on this...can't remember for sure what, or why) maybe called a VESA card?? Anyway, whatever it was had a plug that had to fit into, I believe, the Video card. But, the only way it would go was reversed....in other words the number 1 pin had to go into the number 11 (or whatever) position on the socket. So, back to the store. :)
By now the techs know me by name. I showed them the situation. I said you can't plug this card into the socket. One of the techs looked at it, turned it the wrong way, and inserted it. LOL The other tech looked at him funny, and said "Man, you can't do that! That puts #1 pin in the wrong hole'"
So, to make a short story long, I called the Manager over, told her the problem, which the techs verified, and asked her for a Video card that would work. She said no problem....that will be $40.00. I told her No way I am paying for it. So, after arguing for awhile, she offered to sell it to me half price. That was the final straw....I told her to just refund my money on the computer. I was sick of the whole thing.
This was like 9:20 AM. Since I paid cash, I would not accept anything else in return. So, it took them to late afternoon to get up the $650.00. It turns out that I did the right thing too....a week later, Computer City closed here in NLR. My friends say I ran them out of business! LOL
These two experiences taught me to always try the restore disc and/or program while your computer is still in early warranty.