booting problems

For months it has taken two or three tries to boot my Dell computer
with Vista every time I turn the unit on -- often with extended
periods when it is trying to repair itself. The IT people where I
work have not fixed the problem, so I have just learned to live with
it. However, now the system automatically opens up a Dell support
home page. Of course they want a service number I don't have access
to, because I am not in the IT department at work. I would just like
the annoying Dell page to go away, but I cannot find a way to contact
Dell to ask them to help me make it go away. Please reply to

wrote:
For months it has taken two or three tries to boot my Dell computer
with Vista every time I turn the unit on -- often with extended
periods when it is trying to repair itself. The IT people where I
work have not fixed the problem, so I have just learned to live with
it. However, now the system automatically opens up a Dell support
home page. Of course they want a service number I don't have access
to, because I am not in the IT department at work. I would just like
the annoying Dell page to go away, but I cannot find a way to contact
Dell to ask them to help me make it go away. Please reply to


Three observations:

1. If the computer tries to repair itself (running CHKDSK maybe?), the
odds are real good there is something very wrong with the hardware.

2. Your IT people probably have some sort of contract with Dell for
warranty. You can find out yourself by going to the Dell web site
(easiest is to google for Dell warranty) and entering in the Dell
service tag from the sticker on the back of the computer.

3. Your IT people need to get their asses in gear and get your system
fixed, probably by contacting Dell to get the repair done. How many
hours of your pwn productivity have you lost at how many dollars per
hour of wages due to this mess?

.... Ben Myers

Hi!

It's probably fair to say that your Dell computer (what model?) has a
hardware failure that is taking place. At some point it is going to fail
entirely and leave you without a system.

If the machine is company owned, the IT department should (and probably
must) take care of the issue. If the IT department won't fix it, perhaps you
should escalate the issue or take it to someone else at your place of work.
You might even try seeking permission to take it to someone trustworthy to
have it worked on, or to work on it yourself.

That said--

Disclaimer Time: Doing anything to a computer you don't own could land you
in serious trouble, and might even put you out of a job if you have a
particularly humorless employer or "company martinet" running the show. DO
NOT do anything here if you have even the slightest thought that this might
happen. Furthermore, I will not, cannot and do not accept any responsibility
if you take any advice offered here and find that you are out of a job
because of that.

I think the first thing you should do is go over the computer and find out
why it is trying to "repair" itself. (What exactly does this repair process
consist of?) Check the fans, make sure they all run. Make sure the case
isn't plugged with dust. Are all the cables tight? Does the computer fail to
turn on at all? Are there any error codes on the screen or beeps coming from
the computer when you turn it on? What about the four lights that are found
at the back of most Dell computers where the ports are--they should all be
green in color when the computer has finished starting up. Does the hard
drive make any unusual clicking or clunking sounds? When the computer is up,
does it seem to take a long time to do anything, and if so, is the hard
drive indicator light on for excessive periods of time? Is the computer
plugged in to a properly wired electrical outlet that is not overloaded?

Do you have enough RAM? Vista needs at least 1GB to run acceptably, more is
better (up to 3GB for 32-bit versions).

If the hardware checks out, it's time to look at the software. Have you
installed any new software, changed any settings or removed a program? Do
you have, use and maintain up to date anti-virus software on this computer?

Dell will probably not help you change a setting on a computer you don't
own, or that you can't convince them (not that I suggested this) that you
own when you really don't.

William

On Thu, 11 Dec 2008 21:31:57 GMT, "William R. Walsh"
m wrote:

Hi!

It's probably fair to say that your Dell computer (what model?) has a
hardware failure that is taking place. At some point it is going to fail
entirely and leave you without a system.

If the machine is company owned, the IT department should (and probably
must) take care of the issue. If the IT department won't fix it, perhaps you
should escalate the issue or take it to someone else at your place of work.
You might even try seeking permission to take it to someone trustworthy to
have it worked on, or to work on it yourself.

That said--

Disclaimer Time: Doing anything to a computer you don't own could land you
in serious trouble, and might even put you out of a job if you have a
particularly humorless employer or "company martinet" running the show. DO
NOT do anything here if you have even the slightest thought that this might
happen. Furthermore, I will not, cannot and do not accept any responsibility
if you take any advice offered here and find that you are out of a job
because of that.

I think the first thing you should do is go over the computer and find out
why it is trying to "repair" itself. (What exactly does this repair process
consist of?) Check the fans, make sure they all run. Make sure the case
isn't plugged with dust. Are all the cables tight? Does the computer fail to
turn on at all? Are there any error codes on the screen or beeps coming from
the computer when you turn it on? What about the four lights that are found
at the back of most Dell computers where the ports are--they should all be
green in color when the computer has finished starting up. Does the hard
drive make any unusual clicking or clunking sounds? When the computer is up,
does it seem to take a long time to do anything, and if so, is the hard
drive indicator light on for excessive periods of time? Is the computer
plugged in to a properly wired electrical outlet that is not overloaded?

Do you have enough RAM? Vista needs at least 1GB to run acceptably, more is
better (up to 3GB for 32-bit versions).

If the hardware checks out, it's time to look at the software. Have you
installed any new software, changed any settings or removed a program? Do
you have, use and maintain up to date anti-virus software on this computer?

Dell will probably not help you change a setting on a computer you don't
own, or that you can't convince them (not that I suggested this) that you
own when you really don't.

William

Also, if your IT department is not backing up you local driv(s), you
need to do so, either to a cd/dvd, or a network drive if they have
them. Depending on the nature of the data and company policy, even a
USB drive or key. Think about the cost of your time and the company
if you lost critical corprate data.

Mike