Info Sale on Goods Act - PCWorld faulty desktop

[pin62]

I purchased a HP Pavilion All in One computer pc in Feb. 2010.

 

Since May last year I have been unable to use it properly as it keeps blue-screening.

 

I have taken it in for repair to 2 different companies one in May 2013

and the other in Nov. 2013 who have both replaced the hard-drive at a total cost of £180 .

 

It still keeps blue screening and

 

I was told by both companies to go back to PC World and state that my machine is not fit for purpose.

 

I was also informed by the last company that he would be willing to give me an engineers report letter

and that the machine should be in working order for 5 yrs. at least.

 

Can anyone advise me please,

 

pin62.

[dx100uk]

yes correct

 

get that report and off you go.

 

sadly they should have been the first place you should have gone.

 

dx

[pin62]

Thank you for getting back to me, I thought that after the 12 months guarantee that would be it. pin62

[renegadeimp]

Sounds like faulty ram, or maybe faulty drivers, if they simply mirrored the HDD and not performed a fresh install of the OS.

[dx100uk]

it is NOTHING to do with any guarantee or warranty

they are IN ADDITION

 

to your rights under SOGA

and do not replace or negate SOGA

 

under SOGa a product should remain free from faults for a 'reasonable time'

 

I would expect that to be +4yrs if not more.

 

put/ignore all mention of warranty/guarantee out of your mind

and any negotiations with the retailer

 

dx

[pin62]

Hello renegadeimp,

 

They have done a fresh install of the operating system

we had to install other stuff that we use,

also the security software had to be installed again.

 

I have spent hours searching for a solution also but found nothing.

 

Some have said it looks like a motherboard fault

a second hand one on ebay was £125,

 

I won't spend another penny on this computer.

 

In the last 8 months the computer has been in 2 repair shops and it still isn't working properly.

 

Thanks for your reply.

 

pin62

[pin62]

Thanks again for your advice dx, Will keep you updated on this. pin62

[dx100uk]

if you still have the receipts for the repairs

 

copy those too

 

its further evidence there is something wrong

with the lappy.

 

with those two and you eng report.

it should be pretty obv to them its faulty.

 

sad you didn't go back to them in the first place

rather than taking it elsewhere.

 

if you have other evidence, even of your own

write out a time line of when/what happened

 

this will further prove its a fault that has been there

for xxx time before you alerted them.

[dx100uk]

title amended and thread moved to the PCworld forum.

 

one of the knowledgable ones like labrat will see this now

 

and help further.

 

there are several members here with more knowledge than us.

 

dx

[porkyp1g]

Was the blue screening fixed each time you had the hard drive replaced?

If so then it doesn't sound like a motherboard or memory fault

otherwise the blue screen would remain regardless of the hard drive being swapped.

 

Sounds like it could be faulty hard drives fitted and/or windows/software faults which can also cause bsods.

 

If that is the case, and they see your hard drive has already been replaced by a third party

then I assume they are going to tell you that your claim is with the last third part to strip it.

[pin62]

Hello dx, Please could you change the title of the thread its not a laptop its a Desktop PC, Thanks again. pin 62.

[labrat]

Quick Guide for basic testing

 

Get Hdd Sentinal, free and runs in windows will test the hdd

(http://www.harddisksentinel.com/hdsentinel_setup.zip) anything less than around 95% health and i would think its a possible issue

 

if you open the start menu and type memory you should see windows memory diagnostics, run it and it will reboot the computer and check the memory

 

bluescreen viewer might be able to help as well - http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/bluescreenview.html

 

might sound silly but has anything been plugged into the computer that hasnt had its drivers installed as this can cause bluescreens and people often forget to re-install them after a new hdd is put in

[pin62]

Hello porkyp1g,

 

The first time the hard drive was changed was in May and it stopped the bluescreening until

it went again in November so

 

took it back and they replaced the harddrive but

it only lasted 3days before it started to bluescreen again.

 

I took it back and they had it all over Christmas but still couldn't find the problem

but did mention that he thought it could be the motherboard.

 

I told them I wasn't going to buy a new motherboard only to find out that wasn't the problem

and returned home with it,

 

I was then told about this other company who was very good and to give them a chance to repair it.

 

They put in a new harddrive but that only lasted a couple of days and then it started to bluescreen again.

 

I had already paid out with both companies £180 so gave it up

and was going to chuck the computer in the skip.

 

It was only when I came on here that I wondered if I could have a chance of getting somewhere

with the not fit for purpose law and

 

dx got back to me telling me of the sale of goods act which I'm very grateful for so will try that route.

 

I have been intouch with PC World and they said they would get back to me.

 

pin62.

[pin62]

Hello labrat,

 

First I would like to thank you for taking time to try and help me.

 

I would also say that I'm not clued up with computers so please excuse me if I don't understand things straight away

 

.I looked at the computer and found that I had plugged in my printer

but when I looked at devices noted that it wasn't showing

so put the install disc in and straight away it bluescreened,

 

I waited till i could turn on the computer and it didn't say operating system not found

and then started to install the printer

it got so far then bluscreened again,

 

could it be that this is a cause?

 

The computer was switched on this morning and was fine for about 2 hours before it bluescreened

 

I waited then switched it on this time was on about 4 hours before it bluescreened.

 

Last night it bluescreened 4 times within 1 hour

 

Its driving me crazy.

 

good job I have a laptop to fall back to.

 

Thanks again pin 62

[dx100uk]

give us the blue screen number (0x???????????}

 

dx

[pin62]

There are 2 numbers. Ox 7A. Kernal-Data-inpage-Error. and OxF4 Critical-Object-Termination. I have search the internet for solutions with these numbers but found no positive solution. Thanks pin 62.

[dx100uk]

well cant really fault the repair guys

as they do point to HDD errors

 

however after the first swap

 

i'd be plumbing for the on board sata interface errors

 

so thus yes a motherboard change

 

dx

[renegadeimp]

First STOp code relates to a paging file issue iirc. The second ONE is a windows kernel error or a possible CPU error.

[renegadeimp]

Are you able to run a simple chkdsk?

[dx100uk]

why would chkdsk help after 2 changed HDD's?

 

the two errors point toward the harddrive errors

[page file swapping]

 

so must be the interface in the MB

[renegadeimp]

It depends IF the HDD's were actually changed, and not just mirrored onto another HDD, wiped and then cloned back. Ive seen it done in a lot of places.

[labrat]

and alot of places use "refurbished" hard drives

 

ive seen a couple of those fail within hours of being fitted

[pin62]

Hello labrat, I checked with Seagate with the last Harddrive and it was purchased from them in November, I don't know if this is a daft question but if I could remove the back of this computer and direct a fan onto it would it help to see if its overheating or not. Thanks pin62

[labrat]

i doubt it

 

try that hdd sentinal as i suggested it gives the health level and current temp of the hdd

 

if it was a overheating cpu it wouldnt bluescreen just power off

[pin62]

Hello labrat, Did the download of HDD Sentinal it download all desktop icon disappeared then it bluescreened again.