Paying for Vista help

[Slaws]

I find it very upsetting that, after spending lots of money on a new computer
with preinstalled Vista, you have to pay money to get help when the software
stops working. My Toshiba Satellite P205D is less than a month old and it is
now useless. I cannot connect to the internet and Vista cannot diagnose the
problem. Surely Microsoft can afford to help the people who rely on its
products without charging them more money.

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http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/co...904&dg=microsoft.public.windows.vista.general

 

[Alias]

I find it very upsetting that, after spending lots of money on a new computer
with preinstalled Vista, you have to pay money to get help when the software
stops working. My Toshiba Satellite P205D is less than a month old and it is
now useless. I cannot connect to the internet and Vista cannot diagnose the
problem. Surely Microsoft can afford to help the people who rely on its
products without charging them more money.

Your support has to come from Toshiba, not MS. If the laptop is only a
month old, it's under warranty so call Toshiba.

Alias

 

[vista user 43]

Why did you get a laptop with the crappy vista on it???

You should have asked for windows XP

 

[Richard Urban]

When you buy a computer with an operating system installed (and this goes
back 10-15 years now) the computer manufacturer is responsible for warranty
maintenance and repair (including problems with the operating system). This
is because they demand, and receive, healthy discounts on bulk purchases of
the operating system from the company that makes the operating system.

Instead of buying a retail version of Vista Home Premium (that sells for
about $300) you get an operating system that the manufacturer likely paid
$50 for. Because of this healthy discount the computer manufacturer is
expected to supply all warranty help. How else would you explain a $450
computer that comes preinstalled with Vista Home Premium?

The Toshiba laptop's that I have worked on functioned a lot better when once
I uninstalled all of the McAfee crap that Toshiba shoves down your throat.
There are free alternatives that do the same job, and don't bring the
computer to it's knees.

Call Toshiba!

--

Regards,

Richard Urban
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User

 

[Andre Da Costa[ActiveWin]]

You need to contact Toshiba about support, they are the ones responsible for
support. You should be able to setup a support contract with them for which
you will pay a certain fee, the majority of OEMs do this. I know that most
OEMs should at least give you 90 days worth of support.

 

[SG]

If because you cannot connect to the internet and IF this is indeed a Vista
problem, then yes your OEM seller is responsible to help you at no charge
per MS agreement with them. If this is something that's not a Vista problem,
but some sort of Virus/Spyware or something you have changed to mess thing
up, it is your reasonability, unless in your agreement with Toshiba states
otherwise. Did you read over your warranty agreement with Toshiba before you
came here complaining about MS?

--
All the best,
SG
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[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Contact Toshiba immediately.
If they can not resolve your issues, return the laptop for refund or
exchange.

Windows Vista came preinstalled by Toshiba and that means you have
OEM.
OEM is supported by the manufacturer and not Microsoft.
One of the many reasons you paid less for your OEM than retail.

You could also post specifics of your problems to these newsgroups in
a new thread and it is possible someone here would have a resolution.
However since the computer is new, I suggest you get Toshiba to honor
their warranty.

 

[ray]

I find it very upsetting that, after spending lots of money on a new computer
with preinstalled Vista, you have to pay money to get help when the software
stops working. My Toshiba Satellite P205D is less than a month old and it is
now useless. I cannot connect to the internet and Vista cannot diagnose the
problem. Surely Microsoft can afford to help the people who rely on its
products without charging them more money.

The OS may be useless - the computer is not. Until you can sort out the
problems, you could easily boot a Linux Live CD or even install Linux - it
won't damage the vista setup in the slightest and will maky your computer
'usable' again.

 

[Adam]

You thank thats bad, I can get the Mic- to work on my vista. and wend I call
no-one can help. Alfred.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

It also may void any software support the OP has with Toshiba.
Right now Toshiba may be able to resolve the OPs issues.
Installing another operating system will most probably change that
since Linux is not the original configuration and thus unsupported.

 

[Charlie]

Restore the original OS using whatever proceedure Toshiba has provided. I am
sure there are instructions included with the machine at the time of
purchase.

 

[LAB Enterprises]

Just FYI, I had bought a Toshiba Satellite P205D and had so many problems
with it, I got office depot to exchange it for a similar HP Pavilion dv9000
series even though it was past their return date. Toshiba support is
USELESS. Took it to their authorized service center (they wouldn't trade it
out) who claimed it was the hard drive and ram (which they replaced), and it
did the EXACT same thing as soon as I got it back. In fact, did it more
frequently (like 20 times in 1 hour!!). They obviously didn't test it at
all, just reinstalled vista on the new hard drive and said it was fixed.

Haven't had any problems at all with Vista (both had home premium btw) on
the HP. On the Toshiba, I got CONSTANT blank black screens, freezes, and
blue screens of death. So my bad experience with Vista wasn't Vista, it was
Toshiba.

Lori

 

[ray]

It also may void any software support the OP has with Toshiba.
Right now Toshiba may be able to resolve the OPs issues.
Installing another operating system will most probably change that
since Linux is not the original configuration and thus unsupported.

He would not need Linux support from Toshiba. I don't understand your
point.

 

[Telstar]

The OS may be useless - the computer is not. Until you can sort out the
problems, you could easily boot a Linux Live CD or even install Linux - it
won't damage the vista setup in the slightest and will maky your computer
'usable' again.

No it won't. The Live CD will fail miserably 80% of the time.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

The point is software and hardware support from Toshiba may not be
available until the computer is put back to original configuration.

Few if any of the major OEMs will troubleshoot problems with a
different from the original operating system.
And there is rarely a reason they should even try.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I find it very upsetting that, after spending lots of money on a new computer
with preinstalled Vista, you have to pay money to get help when the software
stops working.

No you don't. Contact the computer's manufacturer, who is solely
responsible for supporting OEM installations.

My Toshiba Satellite P205D is less than a month old and it is
now useless. I cannot connect to the internet and Vista cannot diagnose the
problem.

Contact Toshiba for warranty support.

Surely Microsoft can afford to help the people who rely on its
products without charging them more money.

Why should Microsoft provide free support for a Toshiba product? If
you'd wanted Microsoft support, you should have purchased the much more
expensive retail version of the OS.


--

Bruce Chambers

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They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[ray]

No it won't. The Live CD will fail miserably 80% of the time.

Not if the operator has a room temperature IQ.

 

[The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly]

Slaws wrote:

Why should Microsoft provide free support for a Toshiba product?
If you'd wanted Microsoft support, you should have purchased the much
more expensive retail version of the OS.

Because Windows is a Microsoft product.

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[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Except that ignores one of the main reasons OEM is cheaper than
retail.
The answer is simple, if someone wants Microsoft support, they need to
pay extra for retail.

OEM for practical purposes is not a Microsoft product.
From the customer point of view, think of OEM as designed,
manufactured and distributed by the OEM and not Microsoft.
Another of the many reasons people pay far less for their OEM than
others pay for retail.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar



"The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina

 

[DarkSentinel]

Except that ignores one of the main reasons OEM is cheaper than retail.
The answer is simple, if someone wants Microsoft support, they need to pay
extra for retail.

OEM for practical purposes is not a Microsoft product.
From the customer point of view, think of OEM as designed, manufactured
and distributed by the OEM and not Microsoft.
Another of the many reasons people pay far less for their OEM than others
pay for retail.

I respectfully agree with others here Jupiter. Whether or not the PC says
Acer, Goobertronics or is a home built clone, the OS STILL says Microsoft.
Now I have been in the business more years than I care to count, and know
what you are talking about. That does not necessarily mean I agree with it.
MS certainly counts each copy when it says it has XX many copies shipped do
they not? If, as you say, it is OEM and not Microsoft, they they should not
be able to count them then correct. If on the other hand you want to
acknowledge that is your product and tout the numbers shipped, it is
incumbent on you, as the manufacturer to support it. As always though, this
is just my humble opinion.