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Is Dell tech support this shockingly bad?
Is Dell's technical support really this bad? I've had an experience over the past few days that is so shockingly bad that I'm not really sure what to do. I'd normally blow off incompetent support but this support made me wonder if the tech support individual even bothered to read my message, or just recommended the standard "reinstall Windows and pray".
Background: I've received three blue sceens of death over the past few weeks. Each time the message is exactly the same:
Stop: 0x000000D1(0x0000678C 0x00000002 0x00000001 0xF668C4A9)
bcmwl5.sys Address F668C4A9 base at F667B000 Datestamp 3e1df00e
Now a quick search on the Internet reveals this to be a known problem with the Broadcom wireless adapter that comes with the Latitude (also HP, Compaq, and many other machines). Even Dell's own support community reveals the problem. Don't know why it cropped up now, I hadn't installed any new hardware or software.
I updated to the newest driver on Dell's website and still got the BSOD. Since I am still under my warranty period, I figure why waste my time finding an answer on my own, and report the problem to technical support.
But then I I realize that I didn't insert HTML codes to format the message nicely the first time, so I resubmit a second identical (but nicely formatted) support request. The message that I sent also included the Microsoft error report log that identifies the error as Dell's OEM Broadcom driver.
Message 1: The technical support specialist says the stop error indicates that some Windows XP system files are missing or corrupted and that I need to reinstall windows (frustratingly common tech support "cure").
Message 2 (remember: PRECISELY the same message just formatted nicely): The same technical support specialist says the stop code indicates a a problem with KBDCLASS.SYS and that I need to uninstall my Logitech keyboard driver. What?? Yes, the Microsoft KB article he refers me to includes the same stop code, but that is a generic code for any number of driver errors. The key is what driver is identified.
I reply to these (admittedly in a a snit) telling the guy that a) I am not going to reinstall the whole operating system over one network driver, and b) that what the heck was he thinking in the second message which is totally unrelated to my problem.
The replies from tech support:
First a new support specialist tells me about how driver rollback works. OK.
Second, the same guy that I started with comes back and says he thinks I have a video driver problem and I need to roll that back.
UGH! THis is *terrible*. Turns out there is a new Broadcom driver on Broadcom's website (not on Dell's, which is a year out of date). So do I complain? Just chalk it up to terrible outsourced support? Have others had similarly bad experiences?
Background: I've received three blue sceens of death over the past few weeks. Each time the message is exactly the same:
Stop: 0x000000D1(0x0000678C 0x00000002 0x00000001 0xF668C4A9)
bcmwl5.sys Address F668C4A9 base at F667B000 Datestamp 3e1df00e
Now a quick search on the Internet reveals this to be a known problem with the Broadcom wireless adapter that comes with the Latitude (also HP, Compaq, and many other machines). Even Dell's own support community reveals the problem. Don't know why it cropped up now, I hadn't installed any new hardware or software.
I updated to the newest driver on Dell's website and still got the BSOD. Since I am still under my warranty period, I figure why waste my time finding an answer on my own, and report the problem to technical support.
But then I I realize that I didn't insert HTML codes to format the message nicely the first time, so I resubmit a second identical (but nicely formatted) support request. The message that I sent also included the Microsoft error report log that identifies the error as Dell's OEM Broadcom driver.
Message 1: The technical support specialist says the stop error indicates that some Windows XP system files are missing or corrupted and that I need to reinstall windows (frustratingly common tech support "cure").
Message 2 (remember: PRECISELY the same message just formatted nicely): The same technical support specialist says the stop code indicates a a problem with KBDCLASS.SYS and that I need to uninstall my Logitech keyboard driver. What?? Yes, the Microsoft KB article he refers me to includes the same stop code, but that is a generic code for any number of driver errors. The key is what driver is identified.
I reply to these (admittedly in a a snit) telling the guy that a) I am not going to reinstall the whole operating system over one network driver, and b) that what the heck was he thinking in the second message which is totally unrelated to my problem.
The replies from tech support:
First a new support specialist tells me about how driver rollback works. OK.
Second, the same guy that I started with comes back and says he thinks I have a video driver problem and I need to roll that back.
UGH! THis is *terrible*. Turns out there is a new Broadcom driver on Broadcom's website (not on Dell's, which is a year out of date). So do I complain? Just chalk it up to terrible outsourced support? Have others had similarly bad experiences?
