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Dell-AwareMar 31 '00 Write an essay on this topic.Dell Notebook Product Recall Alert! Update! This review is intended only as a product recall alert. Please do not rate this review! I considered writing each member who posted a review about Dell® products individually, but the chore appeared too cumbersome. In addition, I realize not all Dell® Notebook owners are members of Epinions (yet), making this public alert necessary. CNNfn reported last week that certain Dell® notebook computers purchased between January and December of 1999 contain defective memory chips. The commentator reported that Dell® promised to contact the owners of the specific models that utilized the chips. Dell® will replace the chips at their expense. Instead of waiting for a customer service representative to call or a mass mailing, I headed to the Dell® Support Site located at (http://support.Dell.com/) to do my own research. Before heading there, be sure you have your System Service Tag number or your Express Service Code handy. If you access the site using your Dell® computer, the site’s programming will locate those identification numbers for you, so do not despair if you cannot locate your paperwork. Should the support site not locate the necessary numbers on your system, try the following: 1. Click on Start/Programs/Dell Systems Users Guide 2. Look for a shortcut to Dell Express Service Code 3. Click on that shortcut and note the numbers or print the page. 4. On the support page type in the System Service Tag. The direct link to the site dealing with the portable computers’ faulty memory is: http://support.Dell.com/us/en/memory_test/ Here, Dell® briefly explains the problem with the internal memory chips. The directions instruct: 1. That you download a small utility to your hard drive. 2. Install the diagnostic utility on a clean, formatted floppy disk. 3. With the disk in place, reboot your system. 4. Follow any directions that come up on your monitor. 5. Note the test results If the diagnostics show any problem with internal memory, internal sockets or fails to locate SDRAM you know exist (it may erroneously show filled slots as empty), immediately telephone the special number that accompanies the fault message. The message will tell you if your system’s internal memory or sockets failed in plain terms. There is a hot-line set up just for this problem but manned only during weekday business hours as of this date. Dell’s technical support will direct you to the special hot line if you call them instead. For those who are uncomfortable downloading or running diagnostic utilities, the hot line for this problem (and only this problem) is: 1-877-791-3355 I understand they will walk you through the test procedure and set up an appointment to resolve the issue. If running the diagnostic tool yourself, take the time to write down the exact wording of the displayed results. When speaking with the Dell® technician, they will ask for this information. Need I mention my Dell® Inspiron 7000 failed the test? I panicked thinking that I would be without my notebook for several days while Dell® resolved the matter. The information on the support site states certain models (mine was one of these models) could not be repaired by the end user. The owners must ship their notebooks back to Dell® for repair. This is not my experience. The support person I spoke with took my name and phone number promising I would hear from their road support person. An appointment to repair and replace the faulty chip would be made at my convenience. The support person telephoned yesterday. He is due to arrive at 2:00 PM and I will update this review after the reparations are complete. I am submitting this incomplete editorial early as those who own these notebooks might want to get a jump on matters by running the diagnostics and telephoning the hot line before the weekend. Thank you for your patience. pogomom Updated Friday, March 31, 2000 – 4:00 PM EST The UNISYS® client service representative called to ask if he could arrive a half hour early. I considered this a good sign. Dell® overnight mailed (to the UNISYS® representative) the necessary components and a diagnostic disk containing the same utility I downloaded to test my system. Even though the SDRAM tested out fine after the internal memory replacement, the representative chose to install both the replacement internal memory socket and SDRAM just to be safe. The representative took the time to test the notebook components and operating system before signing off on the job. The entire process took less than an hour including completion of paperwork. The UNISYS® representative answered my questions regarding what would happen, over time, if I failed to make the repairs. I already experienced some of the symptoms he noted. Warning signs include the following but are possibly attributed to other systemic problems as well: 1. Freezes when opening programs 2. Freezes when using programs 3. Spontaneous shut down 4. Lagging when shutting down 5. Inability to shut down 6. Slow performance 7. Caching problems 8. Not remembering window and system settings 9. Noticeable slowing down when loading programs 10. Slow, lagging or sticking during boot up I noticed an immediate difference in boot up speed, shut down and, happily, in opening larger programs such as those in the Microsoft Office 2000™ suite. Multi-tasking appears to no longer result in sluggish performance. According to the representative, all Dell® portable notebook lines produced during 1999 are subject to this problem. The same hardware, manufactured by Micron® is widely used in many portable computer lines by other manufacturers. (Micron® is not the computer manufacturer and online retailer of customized computers – this is a different company.) He mentioned Toshiba® and stated that, as of today, 40,000 portable computers were known to contain the faulty hardware. If you own a notebook or laptop computer by another manufacturer produced in 1999, it would pay to contact their technical support to discuss this issue. If you discover you own one of the effected computers, one of four companies that sub-contract computer repair and maintenance will call to set up an appointment once Dell® determines you in fact do have a problem. Be sure to ask for a badge and contact information before letting any service person through the door. It is better to be safe than sorry. I hope this helped and, once again, thank you for your patience. pogomom Dell Memory Hotline: 1-877-791-3355 Dell Memory Test Site: http://support.Dell.com/us/en/memory_test/  |
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