Shropshire Slasher

And seriously though... after 4 hours of their resources, don't you think it would have been better to ship me the replacement in the first place? dunno what their script monkeys make, but even at 10 ruples an hour, plus online resources, to then end up shipping me a card anyway and you've got to wonder. My guess is this log comes up at staff meeting on Friday.

You took a serious risk there of totally confusing her and tacking an additional 10 minutes of "huh?" back and forth. Count yourself lucky. Evidently, after 3 hours, I've got nothing better to do.

Now I'm just being 3:37:10 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok.Can you give me 3 minutes to create your replacement?Thank you 3:39:01 PM Customer Charles Moreau sure 3:41:45 PM Customer Charles Moreau question... will this be a service call or just a replacement part shipment? 3:42:36 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Can you install it by yourself or would you like me to send an onsite technician to install it for you? 3:42:42 PM Customer Charles Moreau I can do it 3:42:51 PM Customer Charles Moreau 3:43:14 PM Customer Charles Moreau i'm 1337 enough 3:43:26 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Great.then Ill just send you the part. 3:44:21 PM Customer Charles Moreau cool

Hush you.

so here's a new one... as of right now, it sounds like they want me to replace the video card myself! I don't believe it. I suspect they will schedule a service call. we'll see.

Finally, progress, perhaps? 3:24:20 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Based on what we did 3:25:10 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Since we performed all the possible solutions regarding your concern. 3:25:45 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 let me go ahead and replace your video card. 3:26:54 PM Customer Charles Moreau k

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! 3:12:35 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Actually Charles that's my last option. 3:13:35 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 If the still nothing happened downloading the driver.You might contact the a third party regarding your issue. 3:14:34 PM Customer Charles Moreau ? 3:14:42 PM Customer Charles Moreau like the manufacturer of the laptop? 3:15:02 PM Customer Charles Moreau who provided the bios 3:16:00 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Anyway have you updated your bios? 3:17:15 PM Customer Charles Moreau not recently, I'll have to check teh version. But there was nothing changed from before Sunday to after sunday. no driver installs, no bios flash, no software install. 3:18:46 PM Customer Charles Moreau just a screen corruption in game, then corruption in the bios screen and windows boot screen. VGA mode seems to work in safe mode and normal mode, but the full nVidia drivers blanks my screen.

And the laughs keep coming 3:07:04 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok let me see what else we can do. 3:08:24 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok lets try it again. 3:08:56 PM Customer Charles Moreau k. Do I go back to safe mode, uninstall drivers, then boot normal mode, reinstall the nvidia driver? 3:09:15 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 yes. 3:10:44 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 anyway Charles believe you downloaded the drivers successfully. 3:11:15 PM Customer Charles Moreau question for you as I do that. How might a bad video driver in Windows cause vga corruption during the POST screen, Windows startup screen, and diagnostic mode screen? 3:11:25 PM Customer Charles Moreau yes, driver downloaded successfully

3:03:34 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 yes kindly install.Im sorry for the inconvinience. 3:03:50 PM Customer Charles Moreau working 3:04:14 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok 3:05:24 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 just tell me when your done. 3:05:50 PM Customer Charles Moreau Just now, as the driver was installing, my screen went black. 3:06:08 PM Customer Charles Moreau Now it is just sitting here. A black nothingness. Alone, cold.

2:46:38 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 can you go to support.dell.com 2:48:05 PM Customer Charles Moreau yes 2:48:33 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 We will just download the driver.Through support.dell.com 2:48:50 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 2:49:03 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 tell me when your there 2:49:12 PM Customer Charles Moreau there. will I enter the service tag? 2:50:24 PM Customer Charles Moreau que? 2:50:38 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 yes, 2:51:13 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 are you there? 2:51:27 PM Customer Charles Moreau yes 2:52:03 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Then click on video 2:52:14 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 2:52:48 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 download NVIDIA 7900 GTX,XM1 2:53:54 PM Customer Charles Moreau The option I have is 7900 GTX 174.31 XP, A05 2:54:36 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 click Nvidia 7900 GTX 2:54:52 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 2:55:09 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 tell me what will happen. 2:55:21 PM Customer Charles Moreau It wants me to download R180918.exe 2:55:44 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 let me verify it. 2:58:39 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Im sorry my mistake please choose 7900 GTX 174.31 XP, A05 3:00:14 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 then download R180918.exe 3:01:04 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 tell me when it work.Thank you. 3:01:13 PM Customer Charles Moreau I have the file downloaded. 3:02:09 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok.So can we consider this issue resolved? 3:02:35 PM Customer Charles Moreau um... what? 3:02:46 PM Customer Charles Moreau I downloaded the driver. Did you want me to install it?

ROFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 2:10:19 PM Customer Charles Moreau i'll let you know if/when I make it 2:10:43 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok. 2:10:53 PM Customer Charles Moreau in Normal mode, with standard VGA driver. 2:11:10 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 yes 2:11:26 PM Customer Charles Moreau Found New Hardware Wizard came up 2:11:40 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 What does it say? 2:12:16 PM Customer Charles Moreau Welcome to Found New Hardware Wizard 2:12:28 PM Customer Charles Moreau Can Windows connect ot windows update to search for software

1:57:03 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 I figure it out. 1:57:09 PM Customer Charles Moreau ? 1:57:28 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Would you mind if we cancel the memory test. 1:57:33 PM Customer Charles Moreau not at all 1:57:58 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Your system is in safe mode now,correct? 1:58:10 PM Customer Charles Moreau no. diagnostic mode 1:58:33 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok go on safe mode. 1:58:59 PM Customer Charles Moreau how do I end diagnostic? 1:59:04 PM Customer Charles Moreau just power off /on? 2:00:23 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 press escape or power off. 2:01:12 PM Customer Charles Moreau k booting into safe mode 2:02:38 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok 2:02:44 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 tell me when its done. 2:02:51 PM Customer Charles Moreau done 2:04:04 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok while in safe mode.Kindly remove the video card driver. 2:04:41 PM Customer Charles Moreau use "add/remove programs"? 2:04:49 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Just tell me when your done. 2:05:53 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ues 2:05:59 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 go in device manager 2:07:28 PM Customer Charles Moreau drivers removed, rebooting. still in safe mode? 2:08:30 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Great,Now Charles,lets try to boot in normal mode and see what will happen.Can you that for me?Thanks.

I'd get rid of the information you gave on the forum if I were you. I mean, I wouldn't have it there. Done. Good point. 1:51:18 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Actually Charles im suspecting athat it might be the LCD or the controller thats causing the problem. 1:51:27 PM Customer Charles Moreau ? 1:51:59 PM Customer Charles Moreau I would place money on the controller, as the lockup happned in game, and the corruption isn't visible in windows safe mode 1:52:44 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 But then you told me that you can't boot to window.That complicate it 1:54:13 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok 1:54:29 PM Customer Charles Moreau I CANNOT BOOT TO NORMAL MODE!!!!!!! 1:54:39 PM Customer Charles Moreau ONLY SAFE MODE!!!!!! I'm pushing it here. But, c'mon! FTW

Maybe both! I'll ask her out here while the memory diag is running.

1:18:23 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok lets try to run diagnostics.woul 1:18:53 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 heres what we are going to do. 1:19:28 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Hi,are you still there? 1:19:50 PM Customer Charles Moreau yes 1:20:33 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Kindly turn of the system.Thank you. 1:20:48 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Push and hold the power button for 10 seconds to confirm the system is completely powered off. 1:21:18 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 tell me if your done. 1:21:27 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 1:21:30 PM Customer Charles Moreau done 1:21:48 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Press and hold the <Fn> key, and then press the power button to power the system on. 1:22:03 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Release both buttons. The Pre-Boot System Assessment screen appears and the PSA diagnostics begin. 1:22:08 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 1:22:18 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Do not press any keys while the tests are running unless prompted to do so. 1:22:30 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 1:22:38 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Document any error codes displayed by PSA diagnostics. After the error tones, or completion of the PSA diagnostics, the Dell 32-bit Diagnostic screen appears. 1:22:58 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Press the <Enter> key to select the Express Test from the menu. 1:23:23 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Document any error codes that are received 1:24:43 PM Customer Charles Moreau tests are running. The screen corruption is visible during these tests, but don't het seem to affect them. 1:26:55 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 so cant see if theres an error code/ 1:27:47 PM Customer Charles Moreau The corruption doesn't render the screen unreadable. Imagine viewing the screen with small green or white pixels superimposed on top of it 1:27:58 PM Customer Charles Moreau in a regular pattern 1:29:39 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 is there any peripheral connected top your system? 1:29:45 PM Customer Charles Moreau no 1:30:09 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 By the way what kind of video cards are you using? 1:31:00 PM Customer Charles Moreau the system still has the nVidia 7900 GTX that it shipped with. 1:31:23 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok.thank you for that information. 1:34:28 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 All right Charles since diagnostic wont work.Lets try system restore would that be fine with you? 1:35:19 PM Customer Charles Moreau ? diagnostic is currently running. 1:35:37 PM Customer Charles Moreau would you like to let it finish? 1:36:03 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok.thought there is no error sorry,my mistake. 1:36:13 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 let it finish.

oh, and another thing... stay by the keyboard. I've noticed that they will leave you hanging for 5+ min. But if you don't respond in 30 sec, they start pestering you, with a finger on the dump button

My guess at this point is that I've got a crappy nvidia chip (7900 GTX). After all, the problem is happening in the bios boot screen. This indicates that it is coming off the card at the hardware level. We'll see what we get down the line.

1:10:48 PM Customer Charles Moreau k safe mode has (re) loaded 1:11:38 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Ok tell me what will happen next 1:12:10 PM Customer Charles Moreau well, I get a desktop, with safe mode written in all three corners. 1:12:23 PM Customer Charles Moreau The bios boot screen still exhibits distortion 1:12:58 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 you video distortion still occurs/ 1:13:13 PM Customer Charles Moreau during bios and windows boot screens, yes 1:13:24 PM Customer Charles Moreau In Safe mode, distortion seems to be gone 1:13:32 PM Customer Charles Moreau Still cannot boot into windows normal mode 1:14:48 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok let me clarify you cant boot in normal mode and your video screen is distorted.Correct?In safe mode its the same both problem still occurs? 1:15:28 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Is there any error message? 1:15:32 PM Customer Charles Moreau If I boot in normal mode, the BIOS screen and windows boot screens are distorted, but I never get into windows. Just a black screen where login should be. 1:15:55 PM Customer Charles Moreau If I boot into safe mode, I get the BIOS and windows boot screen corruption, but I can log into windows 1:16:03 PM Customer Charles Moreau No error messages are ever displayed 1:16:33 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok let me check on something.One moment please.Thank you.

You can probably see where I start to scratch my head at some of the responses and requests I'm getting. As it get's more comical (odd requests, poor grammar), I start reciprocate. For lulz.

My dell XPS M1710 died during CS:S last night Upon reboot, the load screens have green has marks across them. What follows is a my chat log. I'm only half way done. more or less. 12:39:43 PM System System You are now being connected to an agent. Thank you for using Dell Chat 12:39:43 PM System System Connected with LIBX_Mary_191567 12:39:58 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Thank you for contacting/using DELL XPS premium Chat support! My name is Mary, How may I help you today? 12:40:24 PM Customer Charles Moreau My XPS M1710 hung last night while playing a game. 12:40:39 PM Customer Charles Moreau then upon reboot it had distorted video and won't boot into windows 12:40:53 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 I’ll be happy to assist you with that. Can I start with your name, Service Tag, system type, email address, and current contact phone number. 12:41:34 PM Customer Charles Moreau BITE ME HA><ORZ!!!1!1!!!!!!!ZOMG!!!!!11! 12:42:04 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Thank you for those in formations. 12:42:38 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 One moment please,I will pull up your record.Thank you. 12:43:28 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 May I call you with your first name? 12:43:38 PM Customer Charles Moreau yes 12:44:28 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Pleased to meet you Charles,just to inform you the warranty of your system is still active. 12:44:36 PM Customer Charles Moreau thank you 12:44:38 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Are we chatting on the system with the issue? 12:44:46 PM Customer Charles Moreau no 12:45:16 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Did you try anything already yourself? 12:46:29 PM Customer Charles Moreau well, I cleaned the heat exchangers where they are visible through the chasis grills (by the fans on the left and right side). 12:46:49 PM Customer Charles Moreau I suspected heat, because that was cited as a reason the last service call was necessary 12:46:57 PM Customer Charles Moreau but upon reboot 12:47:20 PM Customer Charles Moreau the screen showed green hash marks superimposed upon the boot screen 12:47:33 PM Customer Charles Moreau then the system never seems to make it to windows. 12:47:39 PM Customer Charles Moreau just a black screen 12:48:28 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok,Charles can you give me at least 3 minutes to further study your case.Thank you. 12:48:39 PM Customer Charles Moreau sure 12:51:29 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Charles to verify your portable don't boot in normal mode.Correct? 12:51:37 PM Customer Charles Moreau correct 12:51:58 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Have you tried to boot in safe mode? 12:52:02 PM Customer Charles Moreau no 12:52:30 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok lets try it and see what will happen. 12:52:35 PM Customer Charles Moreau ok 12:52:59 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 To access safe mode, restart your computer and at the Dell screen slowly start tapping F8 to access the Windows advanced startup options. Next, highlight safe mode and press Enter, then select the appropriate operating system and press Enter again. 12:54:28 PM Customer Charles Moreau Safe mode is loading. I appear to be at the desktop 12:55:19 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Is there an option? 12:55:56 PM Customer Charles Moreau ? 12:56:03 PM Customer Charles Moreau windows loaded safe mode 12:56:33 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 click yes 12:56:47 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 12:56:53 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 After the Desktop appears with the words Safe Mode in all four corners, click Start, click Settings, click Control Panel, and click Add/Remove Programs. 12:57:34 PM Customer Charles Moreau k 12:57:48 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Remove the program 12:57:53 PM Customer Charles Moreau which? 12:58:09 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Are we chatting on the system with the issue? 12:58:17 PM Customer Charles Moreau no 12:58:32 PM Customer Charles Moreau it is sitting next to me 12:58:39 PM Customer Charles Moreau which program am I to remove 12:58:41 PM Customer Charles Moreau ? 12:59:19 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 What software have you installed recently? 1:00:00 PM Customer Charles Moreau Nothing recently 1:00:24 PM Customer Charles Moreau and I was able to play the same game for all weekend before the sudden crash 1:00:29 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok. 1:01:24 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Anyway what game are you playing when this problem occurred? 1:01:34 PM Customer Charles Moreau Counter Strike: Source 1:01:48 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 What kind of anti-virus your currently using? 1:02:17 PM Customer Charles Moreau Ire currently using Symantec 1:03:09 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Does McAfee still in your system? 1:03:14 PM Customer Charles Moreau no 1:03:35 PM Customer Charles Moreau My employer uses Symantec, and provides updates 1:03:54 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 ok let me work on it. 1:04:59 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 lets continue to boot in safe mode.Can you restart the computer for me.Thanks. 1:05:22 PM Customer Charles Moreau I'm already in safe mode. Do I need to restart? we haven't done anything yet 1:06:29 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Yes we need to restart the system to verify if it starts up properly in safemode. 1:06:58 PM Customer Charles Moreau k. gimme a sec. 1:07:39 PM Agent LIBX_Mary_191567 Take your time.

too lazy to look it up... but a while back there was a story about a grrrl (college age?) that pounded some big meat product like that. She certainly didn't look up to it, but she managed it.

What is this "premature ejaculation" you speak of?

Heh... But you don't even know what I would tell him! When Kwai Chang Caine carried the pot of hot coals out the door, was he left bitter by the ordeal? Or did it teach him a lesson that could only be learned in the doing? I only wanted to point stuttering-grasshopper towards teh Noble Eightfold Path.

Your logic is specious. Unless you are able to provide data that driving 100mph in a 75 is no more likely to cause an accident than driving 80 in a 55 you subjective argument is baseless. There are studies that look at a number of contributing factors to accident rates: absolute speed, speed relative to speed limit, speed dispersion of all vehicles, road design, etc. I suspect that a detailed analysis would reveal a more complicated picture than the one you have presented. I wasn't trying to publish a report for the NHTSA man... Just trying to make a comment that "too fast" is relative to one's point of view. Relative to one's point of view without specific variables (traffic, speed limit, road conditions, etc). Driving 75mph when 55mph was the speed limit, many people frowned upon this and called the "violators" crazy. Now that 75mph is the norm... what now? Those that drove 75mph in the 1980s were crazy but they're ok now? My post wasn't about accident statistics but that "too fast" is subjective. Yea... It's was like an automatic plea bargain for out of state drivers. And my point is that "too fast" is objective. One may gather data that shows what speeds are "safe" relative to some parameter and which are "unsafe". So I have two issues here. 1) your initial statement "You can safely drive 100+mph." is presented as a binary conclusion. As though you safely driving 100mph is either safe or unsafe. 2) you argument to support it is specious. It has the appearance of a factual argument supporting your statement, but does not. Thus, my criticism of your saying it is safe (perhaps implying acceptable) to drive 100mph.