Messed up an HP computer

[drfsupercenter]

Vista just sucks up more CPU than any other operating system in history - like how come all PCs start at 3GB of RAM now?

With XP, they started at 256MB... you know how awesome XP will run on 3GB of RAM?

[Budreaux]

Having both OSes running on 24/7 computers, I'll just agree to disagree, because to me, it's all about knowing your system and how to tweak it to get the performance.
I've streamlined my Vista machine (HTPC) and it is running extremely stable and fast.

[MilesAhead]

The computer companies are saving a few pennies by not including any restore disks. All of the computers now do not come with the disks any more. This where geek squad makes a ton of money. They make it sound so hard to the customer and confusing that in the end the customer ends up paying to have it done. Where in reality it is so simple.

Avoiding the initial inclusion of the disc only saves a few cents per unit. But, when they screw up and discs are incorrectly labeled, and included with the PC, then every support call generates a FedEx to the customer of a new disc that actually restores that PC. They are stuck if the wrong disc got put in the box. Once the customer finds out, there's no way for them to beg off.

After a few snafus they learned them there FedEx overnight charges add up! Better from their perspective to just mass install everything on the HD and let the customers burn their own. If the HD install is wrong then chances are the machine won't come up. But if the disc is labeled wrong, people only find out when they go to do the restore. And boy are they in a bad mood then!!! heh heh hehh

[doctorhardware]

To make the recovery disks is not hard at all. The computer will prompt you to make the recovery disk. It will keep prompting until you make the disks. But there is one catch if the computer locks up during the disk creation you are hosed. It will not let you to continue with the creation. You then have to call the computer manufacture to order the disks and of course at a $15 dollar or more charge. At geek squad, if the computer locked up during the recovery disk creation. The computer would be boxed up and returned to the manufacturer, and another computer would be taken from stock. The one that was screwed up would be returned to stock and then an exchange would be done.

[drfsupercenter]

The problem is that it eats up like 5GB of your hard drive!

With my 2003 Dell, I have 100% of that hard drive space for myself. Nothing is stolen by a recovery partition.

[doctorhardware]

Well as long as you make the disks and then you can delete the recovery partition. But IMHO I would advise against doing that. That was if the disk that were made with poor quality disks will not last and the data will be degraded. Then there is a possibility that the disks will not work.

[Budreaux]

The problem is that it eats up like 5GB of your hard drive!

With my 2003 Dell, I have 100% of that hard drive space for myself. Nothing is stolen by a recovery partition.

Seriously, 5gb... not a big deal with the prices of today's larger drives.
Being a service tech isn't really a great job. You have to deal with people that have no clue how to operate a computer, yet they decided to reformat something and screwed up the computer. Then they want to blame the manufacturer for poor quality.

I once had a guy come to me at work, asking about how to do this or that. After about 2 weeks of constant questions, I asked him if he still had the receipt for the computer.
He said he did, but wanted to know why.
I told him to take it back and tell them that he was too stupid to own a computer and needed a refund.
The questions stopped.

[Budreaux]

The problem is that it eats up like 5GB of your hard drive!

With my 2003 Dell, I have 100% of that hard drive space for myself. Nothing is stolen by a recovery partition.

It isn't because it's a Dell, it;s the way it was installed.
You can do the exact same thing with the HP, if you opted to do so.

[jamoskeag3]

Seriously, 5gb... not a big deal with the prices of today's larger drives.
Being a service tech isn't really a great job. You have to deal with people that have no clue how to operate a computer, yet they decided to reformat something and screwed up the computer. Then they want to blame the manufacturer for poor quality.

I once had a guy come to me at work, asking about how to do this or that. After about 2 weeks of constant questions, I asked him if he still had the receipt for the computer.
He said he did, but wanted to know why.
I told him to take it back and tell them that he was too stupid to own a computer and needed a refund.
The questions stopped.

That sounds like a real old joke, IMHO.

[MilesAhead]

That sounds like a real old joke, IMHO.

Now that Henny Youngman is dead they pass directly into the public domain.

[atifsh]

Vista just sucks up more CPU than any other operating system in history - like how come all PCs start at 3GB of RAM now?

With XP, they started at 256MB... you know how awesome XP will run on 3GB of RAM?

oh comeon enough of this memory / cpu thing... xp was crap with 256 ram and win98 was super with 256 mb ram. what will you say now. win98 was super on P3, xp was not. win98 had all sort of drivers, xp sucked for drivers when RTMed, many programs doesnt ran on xp that were working on win98. so on... it goes on n on... YES XP is very good OS but that becomes after SP2

ur comparing a 8 year or so old OS with fairly new vista, since SP1 and almost a year do ppl still having those issue i highly doubt it.

[Budreaux]

That sounds like a real old joke, IMHO.

Well, yeah.....it is, but it still made the same point it did back then, which was the ultimate goal.

[copyless]

I agree with atifsh, it is a never ending thing with OS, when they come out they have bad driver support, people post bad comments about the OS and then people continue the negativity about it, always scared to give it a chance because of what they read, not what they have experienced. My experience with Vista has been fine and I have had no problems with it, other than when I first started using it, getting a couple of very old printers and scanners to operate, but with a little research and diligence I was able to get them to run fine. That's been over a year and a half, since then everything I hook to it or try runs fine.

I remember being very reluctant when windows came out, no way would I ever leave my DOS, to use some GUI overlay, then I did, only to find out it wasn't that bad. Then Windows 95 and since then never again have I let the bad press sway my decision to change my OS, I try them and find out that they all have actually been improvements over the last, except I did skip 2K.

[drfsupercenter]

It isn't because it's a Dell, it;s the way it was installed.
You can do the exact same thing with the HP, if you opted to do so.

That's not the point. Back in 2003 when I bought this computer, they didn't DO recovery partitions. When I got it brand new from the factory, it had all the disk space to use for data. And it had REAL CDs, not just a bunch of CD-Rs with Sharpie on them.

(Now since then I've gotten rid of the 60GB drive and put in a 500GB one... among other things. But I never need to worry about recovery partitions - I went from XP Home to XP Pro just fine, and all my drivers worked because DELL GAVE ME A CD WITH THE DRIVERS)

Even with new HPs today (and other manufacturers), they're an all-or-nothing recovery. You can't just put in the HP recovery CD you burned and install drivers because you want to install an upgraded XP with no recovery partition. The only choice it gives you is to do it THEIR way - complete with 50,000 adware programs like "Get a free trial of Spyware Doctor!" and crap like that.

So yes, you COULD just remove the recovery partition. But you'd be SOL if you ever wanted any drivers... Or any pre-installed software...

[atifsh]

that OS disk is still an option ,. but u have to pay for it now.

i know in early vista days hp does gives vista dvd for free, not anymore.

drivers are mostly stored on root partition these days and one has to save them for later use, or have to download all when requires.