Hewlett Packard Computers
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My computer was a stock Pavilion 6357, without any hardware
upgrades. Until 3/19/2000, it had worked fine being in use
daily.
- On 3/30/2000, I downloaded the BIOS update for my HP Pavilion
6357 from the HP Website, and installed it from a floppy disk
as instructed. Everything worked fine.
- On the following reboot, I ran a program (the windows 2000
check compatibility program), and the computer froze in the
middle. I rebooted, and the computer stopped in the middle of
the log-on screen. So, I thought the windows checking program
screwed up my computer system.
- I then tried to rebuild Windows-98 from the HP recovery CD
without reformatting. Still, random crashes, sometimes blue
screen, sometimes just repetitive music during startup. I then
formatted the disk and reinstalled from the recovery CD.
- The computer continues to crash at random times. So, I thought
perhaps the BIOS was flashed incorrectly. I reflashed the BIOS
again. Still, random crashes.
-
So, I thought I must have a wrong BIOS. Let's call HP and ask
for an older version. Well, the manual says to look up the HP
telephone support number on a file on disk. Obviously, this is
impossible for me to do.
- I had to go to a friend's house to get access to a computer.
Eventually, on the HP Web site, I found the telephone number.
(Incidentally, some of the HP Web site's email and selection
support has Java errors [string quoting related] to make the
Internet explorer crash, so this took a few attempts.) So, at
10pm, I called the HP support Web site, and spoke to "Kristin."
After explaining the above, she told me that my computer was
out of hardware and software support, and that I had to pay
$25. Having already spent 4 hours on the computer and having
another 8 hours ahead reinstalling old programs, I was less than
pleased. After all, what else other than the BIOS could it be at this point?
After the HP recovery format, the error was below the windows
software layer, and it is highly unlikely that I would have
experienced coincidental hardware failure simultaneous with the
flash BIOS installation.
- She then told me the BIOS update was not at fault, and I
would have to pay $25: "If the BIOS had been at fault, the
computer would not have even booted." I have 15 years of
computer experience, and this is obviously just a false
statement. I have dealt with faulty BIOS programs before, and
they can cause all sorts of problems.
-
Naturally, I could also see her recommendation coming: replace
this computer with another one---if it is not the base software,
it had to be the hardware, and being out of warranty means
paying (and probably more than the computer is worth).
- The most important item: I could not get the old BIOS
back.
- I asked to speak to her supervisor. She told me she was the
supervisor. I then asked who I could complain to. She said she
could give me the U.S. postal address. I asked her to talk to
her supervisor (of a supervisor), and she told me that there was
only the same U.S. postal address to talk to. I asked her what
the email address was, and she told me that there was no email
address for this complaint department. LET ME REPEAT:
HP's complaint department does not work with
Internet-connected computers! Huh?
- So, here I am---having wasted 6 hours on a computer due to
what is with 99% probability a faulty BIOS, and wasting another
hour writing and mailing this letter. Even at a modest hourly
rate, I wish I had just thrown out this machine at the first
sight of trouble---which is what I will do next. My time is more
valuable than dealing with HP and I can only recommend noone
ever consider purchasing an HP computer, no matter what the
price is.
Resolution
I threw away my HP computer, and bought an alternative.