Now for that rant...
Aug. 4th, 2005 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
morrigirlI am furious with Dell Tech Support. FURIOUS!!! My computer has been in the midst of a severe malfunction for the last TWO WEEKS and they have yet to provide me with ANY form of helpful assistance.
Our story begins on the evening of July 26th. I Arrived home from work, turned on the AC, stripped, shoved a Digiorno pizza in the toaster, and turned on my computer. Upon loading the desktop Windows Installer suddenly popped up displaying the message "Please wait while Windows configures PhotoGallery." Having never seen this before I waited to see what would happen. It took a moment to load and then displayed the message "The feature you are trying to use is on CD-ROM or other insertable disk that is not availible. Please insert the PhotoGallery Disk and click OK." This is where I got confused. I don't own any software called "PhotoGallery" and as a result do not have any PhotoGallery Disk or CD-ROM. I clicked cancel hoping to end the erroneous install. I got the message "Error 1706 No valid source could be found for product PhotoGallery. The Windows Installer cannot continue." Great! So I click Okay at the bottom of the installer window and what happens? The entire process begins all over again starting with "Please wait while Windows configures PhotoGallery."
The process has been on a never ending loop for the last two weeks. I boot up my computer, Windows Installer tries to install this software I don't own, and it continues to do so until I shutdown the system for the night. As far as computer malfunctions, it could be worse. I can still get on the internet, still sign on to AIM. However I can't install any new programs or software, and I can only play music or play Sims 2 for maybe 15 minutes at a stretch before the programs freeze or shut down.
So, having no idea what the problem is or how to fix it, I call the Dell Tech Support hotline where I wait 20 minutes to speak to a technician before my cellphone loses the call. I call back and stay on hold for 30 minutes before my cellphone cuts out. This continues until I grow sick of waiting and turn to the Dell website for answers. On their support websire Dell has a chat feature that allows you to troubleshoot with a tech specialist in real time. GREAT! So I try to log on and I can't. I try again, no cigar. I try for almost an hour and still can't get through. So now I must resort to plan C: just send Dell Support a plain old email. I write a very clear and detailed email message asking for advice on how to resolve my problem. Then I turn off my compy and go to bed.
The next day I receive a response from a Tech Support Specialist named Trupti. Trupti tells me I should try uninstalling and re-installing Windows Installer and sends me the following step by step instructions on how to do so:
Uninstall and reinstall windows installer:
1. Click the Start button.
2. Click Control Panel.
The Control Panel window appears.
3. If you are not using Classic View, click Switch to Classic View.
4. Double-click Administrative Tools.
The Administrative Tools window appears.
5. Right-click Windows Installer, and left-click Stop.
6. Close the Administrative Tools window.
7. Click the Start button.
8. Click Run.
9. Type the following text in the Open: field:
cmd
10. Click the OK button to open the Command Prompt window.
11. Type the following text at the C:\> prompt:
cd /d %systemroot%\System32
12. Press the key.
13. Type the following text at the C:\Windows\System32> prompt:
ren Msi.dll msi.old
14. Press the key.
15. Type the following text at the C:\Windows\System32> prompt:
ren Msiexec.exe msiexec.old
16. Press the key.
17. Type the following text at the C:\Windows\System32> prompt:
ren Msihnd.dll msihnd.old
18. Press the key.
19. Close the Command Prompt window.
Reinstall windows installer:
1. Insert the Office XP CD.
2. Click the Start button.
3. Click My Computer.
The My Computer window opens.
4. Double-click the Office XP CD icon.
5. The Office XP window appears.
6. Double-click the INSTMSIW.EXE icon.
The Windows Installer Setup window appears.
7. Click the OK button.
Reboot your system.
I read them, they appear to be pretty straight forward, I decide to give em a try. Everything goes fine until I get to step 5: "Right-click Windows Installer, and left-click Stop." Well...I right-click Windows Installer and nothing happens, and there is no "Stop" button to be seen anywhere on the screen. I'm confused and I'm afraid of skipping what might be a necessary step so I email Trupti, explain my problem and ask for clarification on step 5.
On July 30th I get a response from a Tech Specialist named Surendra. Surendra has deemed it best to completely ignore my question about step 5 and instead provide me with a new set of possible solutions. Um, okay. He suggests I try using the Microsoft System Configuration Utility to fix the problem. He links me to this article and includes the following instructions on how to run MSCONFIG:
? Uncheck all the startup items except the Anti-virus option in the
startup tab.
? Locate the Anti-virus program if you have Norton antivirus, the items
in the startup tab will be as ?ccap?. And if you have MacAfee the items
will be mc. Please check these options in the startup tab.
? In the Service Tab, click on ?Hide all Microsoft tab? and uncheck all
the other options
Sounds easy enough. He also suggests I install the Windows Installer Clean up Utility when I'm done running MSCONFIG. No prob.
So I follow the MSCONFIG instruction to a tee. And it works! Upon re-boot I've no Windows Installer pop-up! Unfortunately I can no longer open anything on my computer. I can't access the internet, can't open any Office XP applications, can't do anythig other than stare at my useless desktop. Thanks Surendra. So I go back into MSCONFIG and undo everything I've just done. I re-boot, everything is back to normal, but Windows Installer is still going haywire. Now I turn to the Windows Installer Clean up Utility. I try to install it but, guess what? Since Windows Installer is already in "use" it can't install the program. Fiddle dee dee. I send ANOTHER email to Dell Support detailing my latest problems with their solutions, and wait.
On August 1st I receive a response from a Tech Support Specialist named Yesudas. Yesudas has sent me links to two articles he thinks may be of help. Unfortunately neither of the articles has anything to do with the problem I'm experiencing. Three strikes Dell, you're out. In my FOURTH email I reiterate the specifics of my problem and give an overview of all the unhelpful advice I've gotten so far. I close with "I would appreciate a thoughtful and helpful reply this time."
Yesterday I get a response from a Tech Support Specialist named Lalit. Lalit tells me to run Nortin Anti-Virus, that should clear up the problem.
WTF!
Do they really think I'm that fucking dense?! I email a FIFTH time informing the next person who stumbles upon my problem that I've been running Norton, Spybot, AND Ad-Aware upon start up every day for the last two weeks and it has not solved anything.
I am currently awaiting the latest piece of dribble from the idiots at Dell. I expect our correspondence could go on for months. But I know a couple of the people reading this are pretty handy when it comes to computers. So? What do you guys think? Have you got any suggestions? AM I dense? Am I missing something? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
Our story begins on the evening of July 26th. I Arrived home from work, turned on the AC, stripped, shoved a Digiorno pizza in the toaster, and turned on my computer. Upon loading the desktop Windows Installer suddenly popped up displaying the message "Please wait while Windows configures PhotoGallery." Having never seen this before I waited to see what would happen. It took a moment to load and then displayed the message "The feature you are trying to use is on CD-ROM or other insertable disk that is not availible. Please insert the PhotoGallery Disk and click OK." This is where I got confused. I don't own any software called "PhotoGallery" and as a result do not have any PhotoGallery Disk or CD-ROM. I clicked cancel hoping to end the erroneous install. I got the message "Error 1706 No valid source could be found for product PhotoGallery. The Windows Installer cannot continue." Great! So I click Okay at the bottom of the installer window and what happens? The entire process begins all over again starting with "Please wait while Windows configures PhotoGallery."
The process has been on a never ending loop for the last two weeks. I boot up my computer, Windows Installer tries to install this software I don't own, and it continues to do so until I shutdown the system for the night. As far as computer malfunctions, it could be worse. I can still get on the internet, still sign on to AIM. However I can't install any new programs or software, and I can only play music or play Sims 2 for maybe 15 minutes at a stretch before the programs freeze or shut down.
So, having no idea what the problem is or how to fix it, I call the Dell Tech Support hotline where I wait 20 minutes to speak to a technician before my cellphone loses the call. I call back and stay on hold for 30 minutes before my cellphone cuts out. This continues until I grow sick of waiting and turn to the Dell website for answers. On their support websire Dell has a chat feature that allows you to troubleshoot with a tech specialist in real time. GREAT! So I try to log on and I can't. I try again, no cigar. I try for almost an hour and still can't get through. So now I must resort to plan C: just send Dell Support a plain old email. I write a very clear and detailed email message asking for advice on how to resolve my problem. Then I turn off my compy and go to bed.
The next day I receive a response from a Tech Support Specialist named Trupti. Trupti tells me I should try uninstalling and re-installing Windows Installer and sends me the following step by step instructions on how to do so:
Uninstall and reinstall windows installer:
1. Click the Start button.
2. Click Control Panel.
The Control Panel window appears.
3. If you are not using Classic View, click Switch to Classic View.
4. Double-click Administrative Tools.
The Administrative Tools window appears.
5. Right-click Windows Installer, and left-click Stop.
6. Close the Administrative Tools window.
7. Click the Start button.
8. Click Run.
9. Type the following text in the Open: field:
cmd
10. Click the OK button to open the Command Prompt window.
11. Type the following text at the C:\> prompt:
cd /d %systemroot%\System32
12. Press the
13. Type the following text at the C:\Windows\System32> prompt:
ren Msi.dll msi.old
14. Press the
15. Type the following text at the C:\Windows\System32> prompt:
ren Msiexec.exe msiexec.old
16. Press the
17. Type the following text at the C:\Windows\System32> prompt:
ren Msihnd.dll msihnd.old
18. Press the
19. Close the Command Prompt window.
Reinstall windows installer:
1. Insert the Office XP CD.
2. Click the Start button.
3. Click My Computer.
The My Computer window opens.
4. Double-click the Office XP CD icon.
5. The Office XP window appears.
6. Double-click the INSTMSIW.EXE icon.
The Windows Installer Setup window appears.
7. Click the OK button.
Reboot your system.
I read them, they appear to be pretty straight forward, I decide to give em a try. Everything goes fine until I get to step 5: "Right-click Windows Installer, and left-click Stop." Well...I right-click Windows Installer and nothing happens, and there is no "Stop" button to be seen anywhere on the screen. I'm confused and I'm afraid of skipping what might be a necessary step so I email Trupti, explain my problem and ask for clarification on step 5.
On July 30th I get a response from a Tech Specialist named Surendra. Surendra has deemed it best to completely ignore my question about step 5 and instead provide me with a new set of possible solutions. Um, okay. He suggests I try using the Microsoft System Configuration Utility to fix the problem. He links me to this article and includes the following instructions on how to run MSCONFIG:
? Uncheck all the startup items except the Anti-virus option in the
startup tab.
? Locate the Anti-virus program if you have Norton antivirus, the items
in the startup tab will be as ?ccap?. And if you have MacAfee the items
will be mc. Please check these options in the startup tab.
? In the Service Tab, click on ?Hide all Microsoft tab? and uncheck all
the other options
Sounds easy enough. He also suggests I install the Windows Installer Clean up Utility when I'm done running MSCONFIG. No prob.
So I follow the MSCONFIG instruction to a tee. And it works! Upon re-boot I've no Windows Installer pop-up! Unfortunately I can no longer open anything on my computer. I can't access the internet, can't open any Office XP applications, can't do anythig other than stare at my useless desktop. Thanks Surendra. So I go back into MSCONFIG and undo everything I've just done. I re-boot, everything is back to normal, but Windows Installer is still going haywire. Now I turn to the Windows Installer Clean up Utility. I try to install it but, guess what? Since Windows Installer is already in "use" it can't install the program. Fiddle dee dee. I send ANOTHER email to Dell Support detailing my latest problems with their solutions, and wait.
On August 1st I receive a response from a Tech Support Specialist named Yesudas. Yesudas has sent me links to two articles he thinks may be of help. Unfortunately neither of the articles has anything to do with the problem I'm experiencing. Three strikes Dell, you're out. In my FOURTH email I reiterate the specifics of my problem and give an overview of all the unhelpful advice I've gotten so far. I close with "I would appreciate a thoughtful and helpful reply this time."
Yesterday I get a response from a Tech Support Specialist named Lalit. Lalit tells me to run Nortin Anti-Virus, that should clear up the problem.
WTF!
Do they really think I'm that fucking dense?! I email a FIFTH time informing the next person who stumbles upon my problem that I've been running Norton, Spybot, AND Ad-Aware upon start up every day for the last two weeks and it has not solved anything.
I am currently awaiting the latest piece of dribble from the idiots at Dell. I expect our correspondence could go on for months. But I know a couple of the people reading this are pretty handy when it comes to computers. So? What do you guys think? Have you got any suggestions? AM I dense? Am I missing something? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.
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no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 08:43 pm (UTC)Dell Tech Support through email SUCKS, especially when they can't write in english very well. when you're able to actually get them on the phone, they are a little more helpful. since it's more of a software problem, though, i would suggest calling the Help Desk - it's fee based though, but they're actually in the US & tend to know what they're talking about. Their direct number is 1-866-497-2661 and they'll let you know whether or not they can help you before they tell you they charge money. I subscribed for a full year of help desk support just because they're so much more helpful, and they help with non-Dell issues too.
good luck