I've been stressing over the problems my daughter was having with her 1 year old Compaq Presario. We bought this for her birthday last year and she gets a lot of use out of it. The problem started when Windows XP would not boot up. I tried doing a Compaq recovery from the boot up recovery method. It appeared to work but alas, it did not. I tried a Windows recovery program and it told me that a windows system file was corrupt. No luck there. The next choice was a "Destructive" recovery which I was sure was a Format and reload of Windows. I was angry with my daughter that she'd lost the Windows recovery disc. So, on a different night, I contacted HP Support. I guessed that I still was within my one year free telephone support. I spent the next 30-40 minutes arguing with them as they said my support ended in April. I also learned that they don't supply a recover disc any longer and that they wanted me to buy one. I hung up and dug out my receipt. Would you believe that I bought the computer exactly one year from the day I was calling? I called them back up and then had to spend another 30-40 minutes convincing the first screener and the tech support guy that I was within the 1 year. I agreed to fax the evidence and he finally agreed to help. By this time, I was so frustrated and tired that I agreed to do the destructive recovery. I wasn't concerned with much of my daughters content except some poems and stories she wrote and now lost. Looking back, I should have demanded a recovery disc. After getting Windows back up and running, would you believe I could not get the wireless adapter USB card to work. She could use the computer but no Internet. Her bedroom is way to far for a wire.
I was impressed that HP took the time to follow up with me but they were useless again. I explained that the computer will not boot up with the Wireless USB connected and the mouse and keyboard lock up when I plug it in. He told me that this was not something they would support and I told him that's exactly why I didn't bother calling him back. I'm two for two with support people telling me to format my hard drive when there were other solutions. Arrgh!!!
The funny thing is that at the same time he was being useless, I was having some success with some chat support on their website. Over the course of a week, I started 3 chat sessions. We installed a chipset driver and a BIOS update. All of which made sense but did not work. Yesterday, I set the computer up next to the router so I could test the internet connection with the wire. Before I did that, I noticed that the printer was connected by USB. I must have missed this all along and I remember the BIOS update mention that the update was to correct a USB conflict with a printer. Would you believe that the wireless adapter worked straight away when I hooked it up downstairs? I was elated and figured it must have been the printer conflict. I don't know why because it's the same printer she's had for a year. I'm not sure what finally resolved the issue. The printer even worked after I got it all set up back in her room.
Divine intervention?