Geeks... go figure

[crazytruker]

This is a vent off for me because I am pretty pi$$ed. My Gateway desktop comp. died the other day. Having an IT tech girlfriend helps and in talking with Gateway it appears that the mother board is bad. I bought it in July '06 at Best Buy and purchased the 3year warranty. Like them or not it's a good thing I did. But the girlfriend had a dealing with Best Buy a few years back, pre Geek squad where her comp was sent out under warranty to be fixed and it turns out it was sent to a prison where inmates repaired computers as part of rehab. training.

My comp. will need to be sent out per Geek squad but all I can get out of them is that it goes to a "depot" in CA. I do not want my comp. being sent to a prison. I don't have personal info on it but it's still the point. The dilema is send it off to who knows where having who knows who working on it and pay nothing or get another one.

Gateway uses a mother board specific to their comp. tower so getting another one somewhere is out. I thought about getting a standard ATX board and putting it into an ATX tower, using my cpu and all the hardware and swapping it all over but the system recovery on the Gateway is partitioned off the hard drive and points to the chip set on the board. To do a sys. recovery in case of a crash, and possibly in this case as well installing a new board may not work. Because the drivers for the chip set may not be compatible on the new board with it may not boot at all. and if it did boot and I have a crash it probably wouldn't work in a recovery situation.

So I either chance sending the thing off or get a tower, board, possibly new cpu (have to test cpu to make sure it's the board and not cpu) and a license for Windows. Dang comp. companies are getting away from recovery disks and putting the info. on a partitioned part of the HD and pointing it to the chipset on the board. As a result a bad board results in a mess of crap and it's got me hot.

Thought I'd blow off about it...

[wood eye]

If they are sure it is the sys board, Find out if you can send the computer less the hard drive. That way they can't get at or see your stuff.
PS. Gateway is a very proprietary company. You will not find much of anything after market for that box. Next time look at Dell or some other manufacturer or build your own.
Ed

[crazytruker]

My g/f has informed me of the proprietary aspect. I am torn between sending it off and having it fixed for free or using parts from it to build one. With the ram pulled it still won't boot leaving it most likely the mother board that's bad. And a new board for this case is only had from Gateway. I could go new case and board but that's spending money I shouldn't have to but what's the other route? Free fix by criminals? May not turn out to be so free in the end...

If it wasn't for the partitioned HD with the recovery programs on it I could cheaply build a new one using the components I have less the board and case. I'm also looking at a Windows license as well since Windows and all the programs are partioned to the HD pointed to by the chip set on the board.

Next time I'm getting a Dell dude...

[SheepDog]

Use the their own three strikes rule against them! If you have to warranty a computer through them 3 times, they give you a new one under some lemon rule. I know a guy that gets a new computer every 2 years through this rule. He is also an IT guru. It is funny because the guy could build his own for cheap but he insists on screwing Best Buy for some past grudge. He will fry the computer every 6-8 months and then take it in for warranty work.

[SheepDog]

Next time I'm getting a Dell dude...

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT GET A DELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[crazytruker]

that's funny. this is the first trouble i've had with it. i would send it out but i am leery about that. i thought having the geek squad in house eliminated sending it out. now i learn that's not the case. i can't get an answer to where it goes other than we called the geeks and they said it goes to a "depot" in CA and they said they never heard of inmates working on them. What's a depot? A warehouse that ships via truck to the inner depths of a prison? Not my computer they won't. I think I'll order a Dell and screwdriver on this one for fun. I already stomped on it with my foot. LOL

[crazytruker]

Next time I'm getting a Dell dude...

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT GET A DELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You don't like Dell? My g/f has a laptop from them. That thing is awesome. She is also an IT tech so she can fix them, manipulate them, etc..

[TowerRigger]

My dell was ok as in eh, but it was pretty low end. I have a gateway now and am very pleased. My Fiance just got an HP. That thing sucked so bad we took it back 3 times in the first month. They did give her a new one, but what sucks is that the new on is the same model. You can't trade up or to a different make. The new computer has the same darn problems.

[ice man]

If you go with sending it back I would do what wood eye suggested, if it's the MB, or CPU pull the HDD and let the ext warranty you paid for take care of it. As for a Dell they are good for a manufactured PC, at least it is not a proprietary computer, a lot nicer being open architecture. The support is good I buy those things all the time for my work. If I went with a Dell I would go with another model then a Dimension though. Just my thoughts..

[vw-porsche]

What are they quoting you for the turn around time to get it fixed?

I know that my company moves a lot of e-machine/gateway computers and used to see a lot of black shrink wrapped returns from the best buy distribution center. Gateway distributes from it is either Tustin or Irvine (you would think I would know living here) and Best Buy comes out of Dinuba which is up near Bakersfield.

Hope this might help you some

rob

[Pocono Redneck]

D.I.Y

It's simple.

Once you build one your own self you will never buy one retail again (except for laptops of course).

[poboy309]

My g/f has informed me of the proprietary aspect. I am torn between sending it off and having it fixed for free or using parts from it to build one. With the ram pulled it still won't boot leaving it most likely the mother board that's bad. And a new board for this case is only had from Gateway. I could go new case and board but that's spending money I shouldn't have to but what's the other route? Free fix by criminals? May not turn out to be so free in the end...

If it wasn't for the partitioned HD with the recovery programs on it I could cheaply build a new one using the components I have less the board and case. I'm also looking at a Windows license as well since Windows and all the programs are partioned to the HD pointed to by the chip set on the board.

Next time I'm getting a Dell dude...

A computer will never boot with the ram pulled out. Just figured I'd let you know.

[crazytruker]

i probably messed that up poboy. They said with the ram pulled the fact that it didn't do a certain thing when powering it on most likely meant the board is bad. i'm not tech.

i haven't gotten a turn around time on it yet. the m/b is proprietary so getting a drop in for it is out. i found one that is the board exactly but it's 200 bucks. i have the warranty i bought which will fix it i just don't like the idea of sending it out. i'm thinking i may take my losses and build one. i can use everything in it but the board and i'll have to get windows on disc. there goes my RA radio if i do that tho.

ughhhh!!!

[wood eye]

Ask your lady if she knows if the ram will work in anything but a gateway. You may not be able to use that on any other.
Gateway doesn't have the greatest rep with most comp. techs as it is so hard to find things that will work in them. You had to buy from Gateway to get things you needed.
The last gateway I worked on was a couple years ago but I know none of the gateway components would work in anything else. we ended up buying almost everything new for the computer the guy ended up building himself. Also how old is your gateway? much has changed in the last year as far as speed, memory etc.
Best of luck on it.

Ed

[crazytruker]

Ask your lady if she knows if the ram will work in anything but a gateway. You may not be able to use that on any other.
Gateway doesn't have the greatest rep with most comp. techs as it is so hard to find things that will work in them. You had to buy from Gateway to get things you needed.
The last gateway I worked on was a couple years ago but I know none of the gateway components would work in anything else. we ended up buying almost everything new for the computer the guy ended up building himself. Also how old is your gateway? much has changed in the last year as far as speed, memory etc.
Best of luck on it.

Ed

<< it's a year and 2 months old. I'm going to send it in and get it fixed free. I was thinking if they were going to send it to a prison or some hack facility because the extended warranty is dictated by AIG, an insurance company, then I may spend a few bucks for a new case, board, and build my own. I may as well use the warranty I payed from and if they hack it, I'll make them give me a new one. Or i can make a boat anchor out of it or use it for target practice.

[montecarlossfan]

If you need help troubleshooting that sob let me know also by the way....gateway is the same as an emachines...i usually build my own but opted for an emachines because they were cheap and had good hardware the motherboards are msi with their own bios built in...so as far as propietary they really arent:)

[wood eye]

Sorry, I guess I wasn't real clear on my last post. What I was trying to say was, If you did plan on building your own it is unlikely that you would be able to use much from the Gateway.
I would try the warranty work first. who knows it may all work out better than you think.
Ed

[roadrunner1]

Just a thought but your lady can take just the hard drive out of the computer and send the computer in for service. They don't need the hard drive to replace the motherboard or the CPU. Optionally, your lady could back up your hard drive using something like Acronis True Image on to an external hard drive or her laptop as an image file and then restore it when the computer comes back to you. I work on computers and networks for a living.

[garyo]

I purchased my laptop from them with the warranty. I had to have it serviced twice in the last year. It was returned within 10 days working perfect. Best Buy is a huge company do you think they would take a chance sending a computer to a prison? I don't think so. I'm sure the insurance wouldn't send it there either.