returning laptops?

So what do you do if you want to return your laptop, or if it has to be repaired? How do you make sure you have all the passwords and other important data totally cleared? Do you bother? Do you leave the rest of the software and documents on there already?

I don't know yet if I will need to. But I have had several CDs that haven't been read properly - the laptop is only 2 months old, and I've had the problem right from the beginning, so I might need to. I don't know whether they'd take the drive out to replace it, or want the whole thing shipped back, or what. This is an M5N, bought in December.

I bought it online, though there is also a physical shop that I could get to with some difficulty (it's from MicroAnvika in London); I expect they would want things sent back by courier, as that's how they came.

I really don't want to be without the computer for very long, so I'd rather have a replacement if it came to that.

The other problem is of course the fan, but I don't know whether my fan noise is really excessive or not - it's on 100% of the time, as has been discussed here, and I guess that's normal for the M5, but I don't know if mine is making more noise than is expected or if it's getting stuck or something as well. It certainly sounds noisy to me, but I have no experience with laptops, and maybe this is normal for the M5. I doubt I could convince the people at the shop that it's a warranty issue. I'm otherwise happy with the laptop, so I don't really want to change it for a different model, just hoping for a quieter version of the one I have.

I need to know whether I should bother returning anything, what I should try to get if I do - drive/fan replacement, repair, whole new laptop, what to do with the data on the computer if I do have to send it in, etc.? Whether I contact the shop first, or try to contact asus directly? (I'm in the UK).

 

If you send it back, I'd use the disks that came with it and do a system restore. If you're sending it in for service, pull the hard drive.

Editor in Chief http://www.bargainPDA.com and http://www.SPOTstop.com

 

The disks that came with it - that will basically re-install Windows, right? Or is there something in particular called 'system restore'? Will this totally erase the confidential information like passwords and stuff? Do people normally bother with this just to take it in for repair? Or do you just password protect the computer and leave it at that?

One of the problems I'm also having is random hibernating when I'm in the middle of doing something. I don't know if it's likely to be a software or a hardware fault, or if it's the sort of thing that can be easily determined -whether I should reinstall everything first to see if that solves it? I don't really want to do all this re-install stuff if I don't have to! If I'm taking it back and getting a whole new one, that's one thing, but just sending it in for repair, it sounds like a bit of a hassle...

 

Robyn, if you reinstall the OS it will wipe your drive. Like I said, if it's a service call for a hardware problem, pull the drive.

Brian

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