My first Dell was an XPS T750r, identical to yours, purchased in Jun of 2000, and I never had any problems with it at all. In fact I was so impressed with Dell, that I sold it in Nov of last year to a friend and bought this 8200, again, a great computer. And, my friend is still a friend. Sorry to hear of your problems. Before the Dell I had a Compac Presario, which performed about as well as your Dell and had twice as many problems, I finally gave up and donated it to a charity for parts. Oh well.

Von_D_ , This is a problem solving forum. You need to address your complaints to Customer Service. How did your case become warped? Did you leave it in the sun and cook your CPU? I have a similar Dell and it is a great machine.

LawrenceH


Message Edited on 04/30/02 01:11AM by paindoc

I have found that when I have gotten no service on a very defective product, a phone call to the CEO gets results. Why not give Michael Dell a call? Tell him you're going to have a block party and show everyone his sloppy work.

LawrenceH


Message Edited on 04/30/02 01:30AM by paindoc

Yes, I need to make a few more calls to them as well. But I also have to live, and eat. Last week was a waste on all accounts. Installing the system 5 times and doing resourse system tests. The full test showed 6 fails, the select system test failed to test. I was given a Royal run around about why that was, and that "This is completetly normal" "Shut the system off now." The full version test ran 6 hours 27 minutes. The select version of the test I was told by a Dell tech would take 10 to 15 minutes, but that seemed a bit off after what testing was done stopped some 7 hours, and 36 minutes later. The system then asked for a music type cd, and locked up. I called Dell, and was told to shut that down, by way of Ctrl,Alt, Delete.

I did not like that much..... I wanted the test results....

You mentioned this was a place for solving system problems..... My system is a problem. The tower alone seems to be the problem, and has been from day 1.

I believe the dvd is the failure at this time, so with the HD, MB, Graphic Card, mouse, front cover, and a fan, there is not much left......

The burner, processor, modum, and sound card are the only original items left in the tower....... I think.... I did not buy Dell to become a hard ware or soft ware tech, but I for sure am getting an education.

If I have a "Block Party" I wonder if mike will show up? ;-) I would rather doubt it...

Dell probably can afford letting me run around and put their stuff down, as I can not reach millions of folks, and telling 10 people won't effect Dell much. The BBB is not a real good way to get results either, but as a consumer, that is about all I have.

I paid cash up front in full, and have been upset ever since with the way this worked and advantages taken at the time of the sale to me. Non Dell items I bought from Dell were missing parts in the box, and that took all my attention to return. Each call being handled by a new person to the problem.

At the time of the sales pitch I was offered a deal on a camera, but I had not research this camera, or asked. So I said a camera that I can take to the beach, or the mountains....

Well I guess I could have taken what came as a web cam to those places, but I would have needed a very long cord..... Dell never took that back ever.... One day I was on the phone with Kodak, and mentioned this camera unopened in the box.

I was shocked, that Kodak said No Problem..."What do you want to do with it?" I said trade for anything I can use.... They were just great, and I traded that web cam, for 8 AA rechargable batteries, a charger included, and a card reader. I called again to say thank you, and got a real person right off, and was lead to a down load for the card reader right then and there.... That Kodak tech stood by to install it.

All that for some thing I did not even buy from Kodak directly, simply was amazing to me.... Kodak even briefly showed me how to use that card reader, and sent info pamphlets to me for the camera that I had bought for my son years before. My son as kids do dump booklets and things they don't need cuz they are so smart!

I bought my son a new and updated camera, so he let me have the old DC 120...

Now if Dell worked like Kodak, my bet is I would be a happy camper, and not doing this at Dell. Since I am not happy, and Dell has this info site, but the topic moves down the list, I fully intend to repeat this Lemon Request at least untill my warrenty is up.

About all they can do is delete my messages if they choose..... I am not a quiter, and never have been. I was a foriegn car tech formerly, and folks would travel several hundred miles one way to get to my shop routinely..... gee I wonder why.... Great Service and no charge if a repair was not effective..... thats why.... I was shocked at how far folks would go and how far my reputation travelled. Eve large industrial moving equipment from Boston would come to me with Unimogs, for service 50 miles north...... I mean really? No one closer could deal with these repairs and services? I maintain outstanding service if preformed by Dell, and happy customers wouldbe far better....

It is like this Dell fooled me once, and got the money up front, but let me blow in the breeze to dry out..... I won't buy another Dell, and I just might have influence of other companies, that use Dell, and buy 150 systems every few years, and these compainies just might not.......

Maybe this is unreasonable to do here, but I have attempted reason on the phone, and it is time to make a public issue......... I hope you can understand some of my points, whether or not you agree.... We all have choices, and we all have to live with our choices...... I will make my bed and sleep in it, and Dell is making theirs.

Von

Given the component replacement history, and the continued failures, I would have to suspect a problem with interior cabling. Open case and very carefully inspect all cable runs and verify no damaged cables exist. I find it hard to believe that all the replacement components can be defective as well. The whole thing sounds like a damaged cable is shorting things or not making proper connections. If you feel real adventurous, remove each plug from it's connector and inspect all the pins. Once in a while a pin is not fully seated in plug at build and when connected to socket the loose pin pushes back into the plug and fails to make adequate connection. This could be the case here. Been down this road on a couple occaisions while in Navy, and more often than not problems like this were traced to failed cable run or pushed pin. One one occaision, found case of computer to be out of square, causing motherboard to warp and not seat all cards correctly. Might also want to remove all circuit cards and reseat cards in motherboard.
These things will certainly try one's patience and test your metal. Do not let an inatimate object get the better of you. Take some time to look into the problem yourself, and you may find something amiss that you can relay to tech support for correction.
Keep us posted on outcome. Best of luck to you.

Hmmm, Thank you.... Today I discovered that the dvd which had been causing me fits, would not read a cd file for installing correctly. The was a "CRS" error. I liked that at least I knew what it was. (can't remember $h1t) There was a help menu that I was able to open, and it said things like it this is a internet download to get another download, or if it was a cd info disk to try to use another device... Well I hve a dvd, and a cd rom burner..... I switch drives with that cd and all became well..... and the install was done....

I called Dell, and now they are sending a dvd, and a tech..... I have had the drawer stop (lock up with my cd inside), and the green lights quit, and finally today a help menu suggested the drive might be bad.....

I still think I have a lemon...... And I think you may be right on the mark with a warped case.....

IF you read most of this, you will see the "A" drive for floppies went bad...not in it self, but the case did not line upcorrectly after a time, and a new face was sent, and that fixed that..... I don't understand why a mother board needs to line up perfect, but since that was replaced as well..... I maybe should try to replace every other single item in the case and the case for that matter, and maybe by then this system will work well......

All I ever wanted was to be a Happy Dell Customer.... I have a life and don't wish, or need to fight with Dell, or this system. I would prefer fighting the Yunquies at French and Indian War re-enactments, and making sterling "Trade Siver", and getting a web page.....

I am getting one of the hardest lessons in my 50 years of life, working with this system.... For the first time I think maybe the system, and I are getting to be on thr right path.... Since Day 1 this system has given me the devil's own time and Dell tech's too for that matter getting this system to see drivers loaded into the "Top Drive" which happens to be the dvd...... This dvd drive has be what as a car tech, I would call intermittant since day 1, and I hope now this system will function as I wanted, and Dell intended....... Thank again for your reply, as that replysuggests warping more now than ever....... Von

Do not discount possibility of electrical problem. When Dell tech working on system, request that he/she inspect all cable runs and wiring. As stated in prev post, seems like too many component failures to be easily believable. Intermittant short or poor/corroded connection in socket would contribute to types of failures stated and could have resulted from severe overheating condition...warped case?
Good luck in quest.