opinion of who's to blame..

  • Thread starter Thread starter Wendie
  • Start date Start date
W

Wendie

Have a Dell which is just a few months old. Came with XP
home installed and a recovery disk with a full reinstall
system plus service pack 1. I started getting the blue
screen of death, registry errors, corrupt files, stop
errors, the lot. Dell said the software was outside its
3 month warranty and we would have to pay to have them
talk us thru reinstalling it. Hmmmmm.

Anyway, tried a second option system repair, the one
after F8. It went along fine til the end when I got an
error saying it wasn't a valid logo for microsoft and the
setup wouldn't continue. Didn't even get to enter the ID
key stage. So tried a complete clean reinstall, reformat
and start from scratch. It will load so far and then I
get all sorts of unable to copy file errors, and the
message it is not a valid setup image.

So, does this mean Dell loaded a duff copy on this
machine and this cloned software is corrupt? Is this a
pirated version? I have a key and I did activate and
register with Microsoft. I know microsoft don't deal
with OEM, which I would suspect this is, but I am curious
if this is in fact a valid copy at all! How do I find
out? Dell is no help! Am I in my rights to demand a
decent copy?

Opinions anyone? Who's to blame? I am really angry
about this. I would appreciate any suggestions about
what to so.

thanks!
 
Wendie said:
Have a Dell which is just a few months old. Came with XP
home installed and a recovery disk with a full reinstall
system plus service pack 1. I started getting the blue
screen of death, registry errors, corrupt files, stop
errors, the lot. Dell said the software was outside its
3 month warranty and we would have to pay to have them
talk us thru reinstalling it. Hmmmmm.
Click to expand...


Sounds more like hardware/driver issues to me. What warranty did you pay
for? Dell offers four options on all their systems. 1-4 years limited
warranty plus 1-4 years At-Home service. I am searching Dell's site to see
what the warranty actually covers, but I can't find anything - aha got it,
it's here http://tinyurl.com/y14p.

Anyway, tried a second option system repair, the one
after F8. It went along fine til the end when I got an
error saying it wasn't a valid logo for microsoft and the
setup wouldn't continue. Didn't even get to enter the ID
key stage. So tried a complete clean reinstall, reformat
and start from scratch. It will load so far and then I
get all sorts of unable to copy file errors, and the
message it is not a valid setup image.
Click to expand...

OK, let's start at the beginning shall we? When you received the system, I
assume it worked fine? Everything you bought (software/hardware) worked
perfectly? If it all worked perfectly then, I'm not convinced it's a
software issue.
So, does this mean Dell loaded a duff copy on this
machine and this cloned software is corrupt?
Click to expand...

Every restore CD sold with a Dell system is a clone - Dell create a master
disc and then clone all other CDs from it.

Is this a pirated version?

No - I hardly think the world's largest system manufacturer would use
pirated software, do you?

I have a key and I did activate and register with Microsoft.

That's strange - Dell installations don't require activation and MS
registration is pointless as your warranty is with Dell.

I know microsoft don't deal with OEM,

Correct.

which I would suspect this is,

of course it is - it was supplied with a Dell system was it not?

but I am curious if this is in fact a valid copy at all!

As I stated earlier it most certainly is. It's not the same as a retail
copy, granted but it's most certainly valid.


How do I find
out? Dell is no help! Am I in my rights to demand a
decent copy?
Click to expand...

You have one
Opinions anyone? Who's to blame? I am really angry
about this. I would appreciate any suggestions about
what to so.
Click to expand...

As I stated earlier it's most likely a driver/hardware issue. Could you give
us some details as to what's on those blue screens - that would help me tell
you for sure.
 
Greetings --

It's clearly Dell's responsibility to help you, particularly
since, from your description, it's their defective hardware -- most
likely RAM, although it could be the motherboard -- that's causing the
problem.

In all likelihood, there's nothing wrong with your installation
CD, unless you've managed to scratch it or get it dirty.

Bruce Chambers

--
Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
First of all, I am in UK, and Dell is a different kettle
of fish here, voted number one in poor customer support
and backup in a poll. Have been on line to Dell support
for hours, they are the ones who said it was a software
issue. This was before I tried the reinstall. The blue
screen errors were different everytime, and a reboot
caused a registry recovery message and the usual system
has recovered from a serious error/send thing. And then
it would crash again. most of the errors were usually
some file/registry page fault corrupt type thing. Dell
suggested the repair option which failed as I said. It
said the microsoft logo was not valid and the setup
wouldn't continue. I have never seen that before. When
I got the machine and set it up I did have to enter the
ID key!!! A clean install with the disk creates all
kinds of errors, it says it cannot copy files, usually
starts with the ms the files are corrupt, not a setup
image, and I can skip or retry. Retry gets the same
error, can't copy and skip says the system may not work
after. Then the next file won't copy, and the next and
next. It gives me the error the CD may be corrupt and
contact our system administrator.
I have just tried to reinstall it again and again I get
the problems with cannot find or copy files from disk. It
blue screens out with bad pooling error, restart setup
and it said the setup had failed and I finally got an
error log event. It says "an error occured while
compiling the following MOF file C:\windows\system323
\wbem\cinwin32.mof" and another with the same error but
cimwin32.mfl and onemore error that "the signature for
WIndow XP Home edition setup is invalid. The error code
is 800b0100" I see you get this error with upgrades but
this is a clean install. Also that the product catalog
failed to install.

I welcome any feedback, this WHOLE system is a DOG!
 
Wendie said:
First of all, I am in UK, and Dell is a different kettle
of fish here, voted number one in poor customer support
and backup in a poll. Have been on line to Dell support
for hours, they are the ones who said it was a software
issue. This was before I tried the reinstall. The blue
screen errors were different everytime, and a reboot
caused a registry recovery message and the usual system
has recovered from a serious error/send thing. And then
it would crash again. most of the errors were usually
some file/registry page fault corrupt type thing. Dell
suggested the repair option which failed as I said. It
said the microsoft logo was not valid and the setup
wouldn't continue. I have never seen that before. When
I got the machine and set it up I did have to enter the
ID key!!! A clean install with the disk creates all
kinds of errors, it says it cannot copy files, usually
starts with the ms the files are corrupt, not a setup
image, and I can skip or retry. Retry gets the same
error, can't copy and skip says the system may not work
after. Then the next file won't copy, and the next and
next. It gives me the error the CD may be corrupt and
contact our system administrator.
I have just tried to reinstall it again and again I get
the problems with cannot find or copy files from disk. It
blue screens out with bad pooling error, restart setup
and it said the setup had failed and I finally got an
error log event. It says "an error occured while
compiling the following MOF file C:\windows\system323
\wbem\cinwin32.mof" and another with the same error but
cimwin32.mfl and onemore error that "the signature for
WIndow XP Home edition setup is invalid. The error code
is 800b0100" I see you get this error with upgrades but
this is a clean install. Also that the product catalog
failed to install.

I welcome any feedback, this WHOLE system is a DOG!
Click to expand...


Wendy, Wendy, Wendy....What happened to the *paragraphs*?! ;o)

Had you checked my information, you would have seen that I, too am in the
UK, and am currently using a Dimension 8300. I realise that Dell CS is crap,
but they did replace my father's dead 10GB hard drive with an 80GB, so I
can't complain too much, even though they didn't have to as, technically, it
was no longer covered by the site warranty as he'd left the company and
brought the system home.

Number one thing to realise about Dell CS - they don't know what the bleep
they're talking about - both Bruce (who knows a damned sight more than I do)
and I agree that it's *NOT* software - ignore what Dell tell you they're
*WRONG*!

This is certainly a hardware issue (I'd stake every penny I have in my bank
account on it).

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA? 99 times out of 100 this is caused by one or
more defective memory modules. Dell are trying to fob you off (just curious
if you knew Dell's TS was so bad why did you purchase a system from them?)
Don't let them tell you it is software-related because, at the stage you're
at *IT CANNOT BE SOFTWARE* - get it? Got it? Good. As the system is under
hardware warranty, call an engineer out and have him replace the modules in
front of you. Don't be fobbed off.

Take a look here http://www.aumha.org/win5/kbestop.htm. This outlines the
stop errors and the causes and solutions. Jim Eshelman is very highly
regarded and respected in Windows circles and he knows his stuff.

I can tell you one thing, it's *NOT* the CD. This is hardware related - if
you would like, I can assist you back channel (as this is really off-topic
for this group). Drop me an email any time at magrat (dot) garlick (at)
hotmail (dot) com. Mail me there and I'll give you my ISP address.

We'll sort this out somehow! ;o)

Don't let it get to you it's only a bundle of circuits!
 
-----Original Message-----



Wendy, Wendy, Wendy....What happened to the *paragraphs*?! ;o)

Had you checked my information, you would have seen that I, too am in the
UK, and am currently using a Dimension 8300. I realise that Dell CS is crap,
but they did replace my father's dead 10GB hard drive with an 80GB, so I
can't complain too much, even though they didn't have to as, technically, it
was no longer covered by the site warranty as he'd left the company and
brought the system home.

Number one thing to realise about Dell CS - they don't know what the bleep
they're talking about - both Bruce (who knows a damned sight more than I do)
and I agree that it's *NOT* software - ignore what Dell tell you they're
*WRONG*!

This is certainly a hardware issue (I'd stake every penny I have in my bank
account on it).

PAGE_FAULT_IN_NON_PAGED_AREA? 99 times out of 100 this is caused by one or
more defective memory modules. Dell are trying to fob you off (just curious
if you knew Dell's TS was so bad why did you purchase a system from them?)
Don't let them tell you it is software-related because, at the stage you're
at *IT CANNOT BE SOFTWARE* - get it? Got it? Good. As the system is under
hardware warranty, call an engineer out and have him replace the modules in
front of you. Don't be fobbed off.

Take a look here http://www.aumha.org/win5/kbestop.htm. This outlines the
stop errors and the causes and solutions. Jim Eshelman is very highly
regarded and respected in Windows circles and he knows his stuff.

I can tell you one thing, it's *NOT* the CD. This is hardware related - if
you would like, I can assist you back channel (as this is really off-topic
for this group). Drop me an email any time at magrat (dot) garlick (at)
hotmail (dot) com. Mail me there and I'll give you my ISP address.

We'll sort this out somehow! ;o)

Don't let it get to you it's only a bundle of circuits!


.
Click to expand...
 
There may be a hidden diagnostics partition on your hard disk. Check
your user manual or the web site for the proper keys to press at boot to
activate the diagnostic drive. I think it is Ctl-Alt-F10 for newer
Dells.

If the diagnostics indicate hard drive failure, then check your hardware
warranty information. Be sure to write down the diagnostic errors
because Dell will want to know if you ran those diagnostics. If you did
and it indicated failure, they will replace it if under warranty.

If you don't find the hidden diagnostics partition, then try to boot the
Dell CD and see if it gives you an option to run diagnostics. It might
be on the Drivers CD and not on the Recovery CD.
 
Back
Top