"Gib Bogle" wrote in message
...
On 6/7/2011 11:29 PM, Adrian Brentnall wrote:
On 07/06/2011 11:47, Ret. wrote:


ISTM that computers are now becoming so ridiculously cheap that it is
barely worth bothering with trying to get one repaired...


Ain't that the truth....

I'd been suffering from system 'lock-ups' here on this XOP / Dell box.
Had some good suggestions on here (thanks folks!) -
and enlisted the help of the local Dell subcontract 'fixit-fella'.

Have changed....
the ram (twice!)
the hard disk (cloned)
run various checks and tests
all the usual updates
anti-spyware / malware software

After reading this far, I thought of suggesting that you check for
software upgrades. I then saw that this is what you did next.
I was having blue-screen problems with my recently-purchased ASUS m/b
Windows 7 machine. After some screwing around swapping memory sticks
between slots, like you I went online and found the latest software for
the m/b, video card and a couple of other things. I'm pretty sure it was
the ASUS m/b ROM upgrade that fixed it.

I helped someone fix a driver problem on a brand new PC world machine.
His accounts package would crash until I updated the driver that was
preinstalled.

Fine you think..

two days later he says its broken again.

It turns out that he decided the machine was faulty when he bought it and
had taken it back and complained until they exchanged it for a new one..
complete with the duff driver!!