Speaking of Calling India...My Computer Crashed

[WaltD4Me]

In chat last night we were talking about Kathy having to call India, then right after I left chat, my computer completely froze and it isn't coming back. I was on the phone with Dell tech support today for almost 2 hours. Nothing we did worked, so they are shipping me out a new hard drive. I am computer less at home for the moment, posting now from work. It was the looooooooongest day ever without my computer and I couldn't listen to the next segment of the podcast. Probably won't get the new hardrive until Monday or Tuesday, am going to borrow my mom's netbook in the mean time.

After the guy at Dell decided my hard drive was completely crashed he tried to sell me something for $139 that he said he would put on the new hard drive that would prevent me getting the same virus again. He said if I didn't get it as soon as I put the new drive in the exact same thing could happen again? I did not buy whatever he was talking about, just curious if anyone has ever heard of what he was talking about? It didn't sound like anti-virus software.

 

[jcb]

In chat last night we were talking about Kathy having to call India, then right after I left chat, my computer completely froze and it isn't coming back. I was on the phone with Dell tech support today for almost 2 hours. Nothing we did worked, so they are shipping me out a new hard drive. I am computer less at home for the moment, posting now from work. It was the looooooooongest day ever without my computer and I couldn't listen to the next segment of the podcast. Probably won't get the new hardrive until Monday or Tuesday, am going to borrow my mom's netbook in the mean time.

After the guy at Dell decided my hard drive was completely crashed he tried to sell me something for $139 that he said he would put on the new hard drive that would prevent me getting the same virus again. He said if I didn't get it as soon as I put the new drive in the exact same thing could happen again? I did not buy whatever he was talking about, just curious if anyone has ever heard of what he was talking about? It didn't sound like anti-virus software.

I have no idea what he was pushing but if it was really a virus, odds are they would not have sent you a new hard drive. My DF (has a Dell) and he did have a virus (despite Norton, but that is another story). Dell support recently spent hours remotely cleaning up his drive and reinstalling his software.

While Dell support is one reason I almost always buy a Dell, they have gotten bad about trying to sell crapware that isn't needed. I'm still upset with them for pushing my DF to buy software he didn't really need and which didn't do what he wanted, at that.

 

[jcb]

P.S.

I'm sorry your hard drive crashed.

It is all Kathy's fault.

 

[KathyTX]

Hey!!!

 

[KimStaR]

Nothing can be Kathy's fault today because it's her birthday today! Happy Birthday Kathy!!!!!

 

[ADP]

Hope the new hard drive works wonders Lisa.

Happy 29th Birthday Kathy!

 

[jcb]

I think I just made myself a target for bumping.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I have no idea what he was pushing but if it was really a virus, odds are they would not have sent you a new hard drive. My DF (has a Dell) and he did have a virus (despite Norton, but that is another story). Dell support recently spent hours remotely cleaning up his drive and reinstalling his software.

While Dell support is one reason I almost always buy a Dell, they have gotten bad about trying to sell crapware that isn't needed. I'm still upset with them for pushing my DF to buy software he didn't really need and which didn't do what he wanted, at that.

Thanks Jack, this is good info and pretty much what I was thinking. He pushed the $139 whateveritis pretty hard.

And no worries Kathy! I'm not blaming you! I was actually thinking it was probably John's fault!

And of course HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! Hope it was a great day!

 

[sayhello]

Happy Birthday, Kathy!!!



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[bluecruiser]

In chat last night we were talking about Kathy having to call India, then right after I left chat, my computer completely froze and it isn't coming back. I was on the phone with Dell tech support today for almost 2 hours. Nothing we did worked, so they are shipping me out a new hard drive. I am computer less at home for the moment, posting now from work. It was the looooooooongest day ever without my computer and I couldn't listen to the next segment of the podcast. Probably won't get the new hardrive until Monday or Tuesday, am going to borrow my mom's netbook in the mean time.

After the guy at Dell decided my hard drive was completely crashed he tried to sell me something for $139 that he said he would put on the new hard drive that would prevent me getting the same virus again. He said if I didn't get it as soon as I put the new drive in the exact same thing could happen again? I did not buy whatever he was talking about, just curious if anyone has ever heard of what he was talking about? It didn't sound like anti-virus software.

I've been through hard drive crash issues twice with my Dell laptop. Replaced the hard drive the first time last May, and then that new hard drive failed a month ago.

Both times the Dell tech person had so strong of a foreign accent that I had to ask them numerous times to repeat what they were saying. It also seemed to me that they had a lack of real technical knowledge and were simply following flow charts or some other automated If/Then troubleshooting program. The second person told me I needed a new hard drive, motherboard, and Touchpad. Thank goodness the local Dell contractor who came to actually install the parts knew his stuff - only the hard drive needed to be replaced.

Oh, and ever since my conversation with the first Dell tech person about what version of Windows I had, I keep getting this emails every month or so with deals on Windows 7, with a message along the lines of "I heard you were interested in Windows 7, here's a great deal." I can't swear to it, but I'm pretty sure these emails didn't start showing up until after my conversation with her.

My previous laptop was a Dell as well, and also died of hard drive failure. I don't think my next one will be a Dell.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Kathy!

 

[FireDancer]

A crashed hard drive isn't the same as an infected one and it sounds like yours is crashed. If anything is going to bring your hard drive back it is SpinRite. It costs $89 but has saved a lot of hard drives for me.

There is no need to every pay for anti-virus software outside of an enterprise. AVG, Avast, and MS Security Essentials are all free and work as well as anything you will pay for without all the bloat-ware.

 

[Cherinva]

Sorry your computer crashed.....

I'm a day late, but Happy Birthday Kathy !!!!

 

[WaltD4Me]

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I have to hand it to Dell. It was just yesterday at about 1pm that the phone tech guy said they would send a tech out to put in a new hard drive and today at 11am my phone rang....it was the tech! He already got my hard drive and was on his way to put it in a little over 24 hours after hanging up with the phone tech. I was pretty shocked when he called that he was on his way. I have some work to do to get things back on my computer and my settings and everything, but I'm pretty darn happy with Dell's service right now. And it was all under my warranty and didn't cost me a penny!

 

[sayhello]

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

I have to hand it to Dell. It was just yesterday at about 1pm that the phone tech guy said they would send a tech out to put in a new hard drive and today at 11am my phone rang....it was the tech! He already got my hard drive and was on his way to put it in a little over 24 hours after hanging up with the phone tech. I was pretty shocked when he called that he was on his way. I have some work to do to get things back on my computer and my settings and everything, but I'm pretty darn happy with Dell's service right now. And it was all under my warranty and didn't cost me a penny!

Wow! That is pretty incredible. Go Dell!

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