Dell XPS laptop - appears to be crap

eth0_

My housemate bought a Dell XPS laptop, the top of the range one afaik.
She got it two days ago and it constantly crashes. It crashes when she plugs in a USB hard drive, when she tries to send a message on MSN messenger, syncing her ipod etc.

Has anyone else had this experience? Could it just be Vista that is the problem or are these laptops known to be rubbish?

Was thinking of putting XP on it for her to see if it is any better.

AlmightyCushion

It sounds like a problem with Vista more than the laptop. Re-install vista and see how you get on.

BanzaiBk

Run PC Decrapifier to get rid of the bloatware/trialware if she already hasn't, failing that just reformat like AC said. Probably the best way.

Ishmael

Well, i have a high end Dell XPS laptop from around January of this year. Its got XP SP2 installed and i have had maybe one crash since i got it.

One of my freinds has a Dell XPS desktop with Vista on it and it has numerous crashes and various other problems that are all software related.

I'd recomend uninstall vista and get a copy of XP.

eth0_

She is concerned that if, after installing XP and it's still crap, she won't be able to return it.
I would use the restore disc to put vista back on if she was sending it back, but there's no way Dell can tell XP was on it, right?

Shiminay

They probably could if they were bothered looking for it If you fired Vista back onto it, it'd be grand. Anyway, there isn't a damn thing they can say or do if you did install XP (as long as it was a legal and licenced copy).

AlmightyCushion

If you put xp on it then they won't support it. They'd still have to fix hard ware faults but if you have a software problem you'll have to take it to microsoft because dell didn't supply you with that os.

europerson

I've had an XPS M1330 with Vista for about ten or eleven weeks now. It hasn't crashed yet, despite some quite heavy use.

eth0_

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

If you put xp on it then they won't support it. They'd still have to fix hard ware faults but if you have a software problem you'll have to take it to microsoft because dell didn't supply you with that os.

They said she would have to ring a 60 euro a call phone line for support when she told them it kept hanging.

Think it will be going back regardless now, Dell's tech support is so appalling - Indian "technical" support, being put on hold for 20 minutes to find out how to get rid of McAffee, then being told to ring a number in England for support :eek:

legs11

if you give up more specifics re: o/s and h/w we can try helping

i got a xps and the feker never crashes, sounds like a driver or s/w conflict.

get something to remove all bloatware, get a registry cleaner and clean out $hyte out of the registry (at your own risk?!:eek:).

update drivers for the system

is this a m1710 or a m1330?

best of luck

BostonB

eth0_ wrote: »

My housemate bought a Dell XPS laptop, the top of the range one afaik.
She got it two days ago and it constantly crashes. It crashes when she plugs in a USB hard drive, when she tries to send a message on MSN messenger, syncing her ipod etc.

Has anyone else had this experience? Could it just be Vista that is the problem or are these laptops known to be rubbish?

Was thinking of putting XP on it for her to see if it is any better.

You either spend some time working out the problem, or return under distance buying laws as having changed your mind.

http://www.consumerconnect.ie/eng/Learning_Zone/Guides_To_Consumer_Law/Buying_Online/

TheDriver

after 2 days, make it dells problem.

eth0_

legs11 wrote: »

if you give up more specifics re: o/s and h/w we can try helping

What more do you want? If you read the thread you'd see she has it three days and the problems started immediately. It's vista. It hangs when she tries to do almost anything - syncing her ipod, browsing folders on an external usb drive, changing her profile pic on msn messenger. Need I go on?

The reviews of the XPS are great so I guess it's just this particular one she got that was a lemon.

Anyway, she bought a macbook today and sent the XPS back. No one should have to spend time fixing Dell's f*ckups.