Yet another problematic dv5030us

So I've noticed I'm not the only one who had some bad issues with this model.

I had USB port problems like another member here. The speed was never quite up to snuff and they were always a little unstable. But I could live with it.

But tonight, the **** really hit the fan.

I was sitting here using the computer usual. Then guess what? Windows locked up. Thats not unusual. Windows is Windows afterall. Thankfully the devices I had connected are all hot swappable. My 2 day old iPod shuffle and my HP ExpressCard Analog TV Tuner. Yes, I overpaid for a TV tuner. Anyway, so I disconnect the iPod (which was charging anyway and already "ejected") and the TV Tuner (which is always ready to be ejected). Then I hold the button down to force the PC off.

I turn it back on and guess what? Windows won't boot. Doesn't surprise me one bit!

I reinstall Windows, after much hassle. Which included having to use 3rd party software to delete partitions on the HDD. The restore DVD wouldn't boot fully after that. Finally I was able to get it to boot by removing the battery (while off of course and unplugged).

Windows gets installed. I go to connect my TV tuner. Guess what? Windows leaves me a nice little error message saying "This Device is Malfunctioning". Lovely. I install the drivers anyway. Still doesn't work. I try all sorts of remedies and, of course, none of them work. I plug in my iPod shuffle. Low and behold, no response at all from it. Try it on another PC... it's dead. Completely.

I plug in other USB 2.0 devices. For every single one, Windows gives a "this device is malfunctioning error" before finally installing it (even if the device was already installed, it insists on installing it again). After it finally installs it, I continue to get a "this device would perform better if connected to a USB 2.0 port" and I click the balloon and 6 more USB ports are listed than the computer actually has.

So far HP has been completely unresponsive with the HP ExpressCard Tuner. Trying to sell me extended warranties I don't want. But I have to call again tomorrow because the number I was given is "closed" for the night.

And now I have to go to Fry's this weekend and get a "loaner" while they replace my obviously malfunctioning motherboard.

And make a trip back to Wal-Mart to return my poor iPod shuffle.

Like other posters here, I truly regret buying this system instead of the Mac I had my eye on. This is truly the last Windows PC I will ever purchase.

 

Sorry to hear about your frustration, but I have to say that's hardly a reason to stop buying windows laptops- there are plenty of other reasons to dislike windows over OSX or Linux but a bad experience with a maker shouldn't sour your opinion on all windows machines. That's kind of like saying you're done with sedans because you had a seriously wonky ford.

Apple has had just as much trouble, if not more with their machines- my hardcore apple believer friend has gone through -eight- motherboard replacements starting with his G3 snow iBook, a g4 iBook, and recently a second board on his MacBook Pro. Way back when, I had two motherboard swaps each in my Performa 630 and PowerMac 6100/66.

 

Technology breaks.... it's unfortunate but true

 

Well, it's a lot more than just the poor quality of HP's systems that turn me off towards Windows machines. Over the years I've grown very tired of Windows problems.

Windows Vista seems to make things even worse than XP did. Windows Vista, to me, is more like Windows ME 2.0.

But I know plenty of people with Macs and they've never had issues. Even one with an old green clamshell iBook that still functions perfectly Yet everyone I know with a Windows-based laptop has had some kind of issue at one point or another.

THis is just the final straw for me. I had regretted buying it to begin with. But this is just too much.

Hopefully Fry's will remedy the problem. It shouldn't be too hard, considering every device I plug into a USB port now shows up as "Malfunctioning", even the ExpressCard tuner shows up as a "Malfunctioning" USB device.

 

On another note, my desktop was able to revive my iPod shuffle Still going to exchange it for a new one anyway though.

 

Keep in mind as well that Apple gets to design the hardware and the OS. It's hard to have problems in a closed system like that, where Microsoft deserves more credit than it does for making so much disparate stuff (a billion hardware options from a million different manufacturers) work as well as it does, even if there are a lot of bugs to be worked out that never quite get worked out. I do agree with you on Vista right now, it's a big step backward and in the wrong direction. Windows ME 2.0 is a great way to put it.