Computer Headaches.....
 

I have now remembered why I don't build or fix computers for people anymore...

The Story:

Had a AOpen AK600N that I was very happy with. Good built in fan controller software kept the system reasonable quiet with air cooling.

Board up and died. :cry:

Make order to newegg.com for:

Ordered it Friday night. Was shipped Monday and received Wednesday. :)

Hooked mobo up and it was DOA (enter several unfriendly words here).

RMA board and wait for replacement? Hell No!

Goes to CompUSA and buys a Abit NF8 for way to much. $119.34.

Hold on a sec... I pay $166.11 for a mobo, processor, DVD/CD Burner and floppy drive and have to pay $119.34 locally for just a ****ing mobo? :shrug: :cry:

Anyway I get home hook up the Abit and it boots up......errrr......almost..... Winblows will not load.... Of course it won't, can have that....

So do a repair install hoping all will work as it did before.

Worked! WooHooo....errr....almost

Windows finishes loading and requests a new activation (enter previous unfriendly words)....

Click on do it over internet option and receives no connection...... (more unfriendly words).

Restart, go into bios and enable LAN....

Get into Winblows and Lan drivers start to load....

Corrupted driver cannot load message (unfriendly words).

Uninstal Lan and re-install NForce 3 drivers and restart....

Windows loads and all is well....errrr.....almost...

Go to get new activation key over internet.... No good...No idea WTF...

Called telephone number to get automated bullshit that tries to listen to you ramble off a HUGE installation ID number. Fails.... What they are thinking trying to use voice recognition software for a 42 number string is beyond me...

Get redirected to live support. Some dude in India. Things looking up as the guy speaks decent english!

Gets activation code and all is finally good.

Typing this message...

Arrgggg.... I went with Socket 754 because it was dirt cheap. Instead of buying another socket A board I figured $166 was good. Well that turned into $285 real quick being I am an impatient bastard that can't stand things not working the way the should...



Now to play the RMA game with newegg.com and get a replacment I probably will not need.

RMA process is pretty smooth so far. Instant RMA number.

What I forgot to mention was I normally buy refurbished mobo's from newegg. Probably 15 in the last 3 years. Not one of them has been defective. I bought 2 new retail mobo's from them and so far 1 of 2 have been defective. :rolleyes:

Personally, I'd have stayed away from NewEgg. I can't describe why, I just have a bad feeling about it.

It is the only place I will buy from on the net for PC parts. Have spent well over $3,000 over the years on a few dozen orders and have had zero problems so far. Orders get here a day early and this is the very first RMA I ever had to do. The prices are superior to local stores as noted above. $119 local for Abit NF8 that costs $77.50 shipped to my door from newegg?

Glad to hear it. I've shopped from NewEgg before, without problems, but not for anything as important as a mobo.

things you effed up on:
you were impatient and bought an overpriced board
you can just use the numbers on the phone to type in the number y'know... i PREFER automated to dude in india.

And personally, I've never had a winXP install work on drastically different hardware, but maybe thats just me. last time i needed a full reformat.

I think the odds of getting a DOA is just as good from a local shop. The problem is waiting for the RMA process with online orders. I can't wait 2-3 weeks to get my main comp running. However paying $41.50 more localy for the same product is bull shit. Last time for me. The original board I ordered was only $50 for Christ sake. Next time I will just order 2 and write off $8.50 if one is DOA instead of $41.50. At least now I will have a back up mobo for next time (providing the replacement works).

No choice in the matter. Unfortunately that was the cheapest place to buy that board in town. Other places wanted up to $200 for it. System had to be running by this weekend so I had no choice. Also the only Socket 754 board I could find in town for whatever reason.

I couldn't. There was no option to do so. Pushing buttons did nothing.
That is exactly my point. It is completely ****ed up that this happens. This is the year 2005. We can put a ****ing robot on Mars and control it from Earth(!), we can have satellites billions of miles away and update it's software flawlessly from Earth (!), but we can't change a mobo and have Winblows XP still work on our own PC in our house? That is ****ing pathetic!

Yes, this is stuff we have to deal with. What I am getting at is we shouldn't HAVE to. Up until XP I had no problems like this. I had 10 different mobo's on ONE install of WinMe and that system still runs flawless. XP is supposed to be newer and better in all areas and they claim PnP is supposed to be superior. Hardly the case. Only reason I bought XP is a piece of software I have requires it. Otherwise I would still be using Win9X.

you can install a new mobo on winxp without requiring a reformat, but i forget the process. you can google it, but i suppose it's irrelevant now. still, a fresh install is ideal. also, i trust you read the manual and set the bios up correctly?

maybe you just suck at building computers! LOL :p ;)

same. ah well.

I have ordered more hardware from Newegg than I can possibly count.. MY one and only experience with newegg RMA was excelent.. I sent my bad vid card back, and they sent me a new one all said and done was only 6 days. I am soo sick of local prices these days. I understand the markup, but it is just anoying when you need something that day. I think I would have called newegg and had them overnight a new board rather than buy locally. As for the XP issues, I guess I've been lucky.. every time I've changed boards it has worked out.. I even went from an AMD NF2 board to an Intel 915P, and just had to wait for all the hardware to be recognized again and add drivers for the unsupported stuff. It was pretty painless, and I swap hardware alot, I thing MS has my XP licenses flagged now for soo many re activations. But it always works, at least when the hardware has the proper drivers.

Thanks for reminding why I build computers only as a hobby JAYDEE. I used to do that for a living.... Worse part wasn't DOA but Winblows XP~XtraProblems

What I learn is always buy refurbished stuff that is in like new condition from vendors like NEWEGG because they test this stuff from RMA returns and resell them. Most of the stuff Newegg refurbishes is tested and basically open box because some didn't like the color or bought a wrong part etc....

Retail items don't get tested and some places you pay $5 to check for DOA.
Keep that in mind....

I used to build system and sell them online or people from references. At my dad's garage I have one K6 boards and two k7 boards laying around for spares for any family members who needs a replacement. Pointless building a new comp these days.

Yeah, problem is your previous mobo has to have worked. Mine up and died so there was nothing I could really do. Set the bios up? There is nothing to setup really. Only reason the LAN was not set to enable was I set the bios to fail safe in hopes XP would load, which it didn't. Then forgot to change the bios settings back.

Main point still is you just shouldn't have to **** with things to make them work in this day and age. There is no reason Microsoft can't have a setup option for after you replace your mobo or any part in case XP will not load. Instead of having to do a freaking re-install they just need to have an option to change what is needed to be able to load the new part drivers. Hell for the price we pay it should automatically do it on boot up like Aronj66's experience.

ricecrispi: I hear you for sure. In fact I use to build all the relatives comps. Now I suggest they just buy a Dell so when they **** it up they won't call me. :D

5 cents.
 

i still use w2kpro for several reasons.
process is simple really,
uninstall all software related to the motherboard,
setting everything in legacy mode.
change hardware, reboot.
Install relevant software, keeping the w2k cd handy.

changed mobo's 3 times (all nvidia based thou), still same install.

PS: Windows ME is/was the worst windows OS i've seen. Brrr.

Sent board back to newegg today.

w2k is more installer friendly because it was designed towards not pissing off IT and network techs. Can't bullshit a good tech but you can with a normal user.
I still have it around and use it for older system upgrades.

Have you ever see Bill Gates give demonstrations of the OS and it crashes with blue screen of death? I bet if Bill Gates ever installed his win XP he would turncoat to Linux. Problem with Linux is you have to build system around Linux with drivers and hardware problems and lack of software I like to use. Just install it and LINUX will blow you away.

I say go for DELL. There comps are so cheap, pretty quiet, and good enough for average user. I only build my own system because I'm a gamer and Dell xps $3000 comp is too much

Will have to verify the refund but sounds good to me. :)