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cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

I got an Advent 7111 the fan runs on start up and every thing else is dead. I had a new mother board installed about 3 weeks ago, every thing was working fine and then this happened, any ideas ?

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

Hi,

Which fan turns when you attempt to power up the computer? Does the fan stay spinning until you power it off or does it just spin for a moment then stop? If so then I would suggest you borrow a power supply from a friend or take it from another PC temporarily to test whether the PSU has popped its clogs.

Did you replace the mobo yourself and if so can you double check the ATX power connector is plugged in firmly, I would completely unplug it and then push it in firmly until it clicks into place.

Double check your processor is seated correctly in the socket, is the CPU fan mounted correctly? does it look square to the CPU, is it at an angle? do the fan clips appear to be fastened correctly? Give it a little wiggle, does it feel loose? (if it is then the fan/heatsink may not be fitted correctly and your processor may be getting very hot very quick hence it not booting up)

Did you move or knock the PC prior to it failing to start? Could you have mislodged some other cable in it? Were you using the computer and it switched itself off and from that point you were unable to use it again?

Any other information you have on how/when it happened, any lights on your mobo? any clicking noises? any static noises? (like when you pass your finger over the front of a big tv and it crackles)

Cheers
Nick

cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

Thank you for your reply, The lap top was sent back to pc world and they sent it back saying they had replaced the mobo. Originally the lap top just went completly dead with no movement lights etc. Now when i turn it on the fan runs really fast i get a light come up saying at it is about to start, then the light for the proccesser goes out and the fan maintains the same speed untill i hit the off button and hold for 5 seconds, the screen remains black and thats it. Like before the lap top has not been moved or dropped and i was down loading some thing at the time. I had left it over night and when i returned to it it had the wireless and prosse light running, on trying to make it come out of stand by (by moving the mouse) nothing happened. I pressed the esc key, still nothing. I then pressed the pwr button and tried to reboot it but it started the actions that it still performs now,Fan running black screen etc,etc, I have never had the advent running correcly and have tried to study as much as poss but still a novice at the whole thing, I hope this is enough info and would be grateful for any help "thanks"

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

Hi

Sorry, my advice was based upon it being a desktop PC and not a laptop (I should have looked up the model number you provided..)

Looking at the evidence, you have had the mobo replaced, I would say take it back and let them fix it - it could be a dead mobo or the wire connecting it to your screen may be damaged/disconnected.

Sorry
Nick

cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

I should have stated that it was a lap top, my fault. PC world sold the lap top to my girlfriend last year stating it was the bees knees sold her norton 2007 which is pants, I got a Nokia N95 and loaded the Nokia disc and that knocked out my ether net drivers. its been a night mare from day one and i have spent more time trying to sort it out than i have using it. There are no driver disc with it and i had to purchase a dvd rewriting programme and blue tooth device although it stated it had blue tooth, Still never mind gonna take it back as phoning them cost £1.50 per and an average of ten mins on the blower. Will get back to you and let you know the out come and again thanks for your time on this,Kev

Lisdar · Joined: 03 Oct 2006 Posts: 22 Location: Wales

got the same trouble pretty good at fixing PC but have a medion PC tower set and all internal fans are running and full 240 Volt supply but no noises and blank screen any ideas

cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

Sorry for the delay in getting back, still not sorted it out yet, tried i different pwr sup swtill no difference. Gonna get to PC world wed and see if i can get a new one. Taken advice and as it has never performed correctly and various different prog dont run as stated, gonna throw a few well chosen multi coloured choice words and see if i can get my own way. Will post back and let you know,Merry xmas every one and catch you all soon. Embarassed

cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

[quote="cockney"] PC Performance have just returned my Advent 7111 and the number keys 1,2,3,4,7,8,90 do not work, all the external connections on the left hand side do not line up with their housings and i can not enter my numbered pass word at the start up screen to log onto the thing. The PC performance hot line have stated that they may write off and if i want the stored stuff out of it i need to go and pay £29.95 at PC world before Tuesday to retrieve it.( if they had placed the number keys back correctly i could back up the bloody thing myself) They stated that if they write it off i would not recieve the full purchase price but would only recieve its current value, which they say they have no idea what the amount would be. Am i going mad or are they ripping the_ _ _ _ outta me. They said i should have back it up every month, i have never had the thing back 2-3 days before it just gives up breathing again. I think i have a lemon and i could do with any advice or guidance to help me to fight my corner. My missus was guided into buying this model by PC world , what a sales pitch even stated that the thing could switch on
All advise, moans, and pointers would be a blessing,Decockney

AlanE · Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:59 am Post subject:

How old?? If reasonably new I would simply write stating the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 stating the laptop was not of merchantable quality and you want your money back.

If old but problems occur after the attention it received at the hands of PC World then you would need to claim the repair was not carried ot with the necessary expertise.

As an aside yoy need to accept that the majority of people entering the PC World shop have more knowledge of PC's than the large proportion of their staff, and that includes their technical section!!

Regarding backups I would honestly suggest that provided the machine is working of sorts that anyone backs ou their own data BEFORE taking it anywhere for repair. If this is not possible, because of a fault, it's a hard lesson in the taking of regular backups.

I would NEVER trust anyone to take a backup of my machine where I was dependant upon the information.

NickAskew · Moderator Joined: 03 Nov 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Thirsk

The cheapest Advent they sell at the moment is a 9415 at £369.99 which is higher spec than your original Advent 7111, depreciated over the 18 months you've had it will be ~80% so I wouldn't expect them to pay you more than £74.00.

I would address any correspondence via letter to the manager of the store (you can still hand deliver it if you want to have a dig in person, though remain calm at all times so it cannot be used against you). State the value that you purchased the laptop for, and the insurance policy you took on it, and how many times it had to be returned for repair which was not damage caused by the incorrect use of the product but that it has just been troublesome since original purchase.

Also state the issues you experienced with it, and the state of the laptop when it was returned to you (i.e. in an unworking state, you have to state the obvious so that any management from PC World can see the whole problem in a single letter without having to chase up a bunch of people for peppered facts) and if as you say the laptop hasn't worked correctly at all and especially not after the first repair - then I would state that as far as you are concerned the laptop hasn't worked correctly since month x (how long was it before the first fix) and there you have only had x months of use out of it so any compensation should be calculated from that age.. I'd be tempted to insist on a replacement laptop stating that any compensation they give you will not allow you to purchase another laptop.

Key point is you need to make sure you communicate all pertitent points in letters, its harder for the shop manager to hide the fact he received a letter of complaint than it is for him to forget an angry phone call. To be doubly sure someone at PC World acknowledges the letter I would print out two copies of every letter and post 1 to the local pc world you are dealing with and 1 to the PC World head office FAO: Customer Relations and make sure the letter clearly shows CC: Customer Relations so that your local pc world manager can see you have sent out more than 1 copy of the same letter.

Take the laptop with you to the local pc world when you have this conversation with him, at the end of the conversation say 'as an act of goodwill that you'll investigate my complaint, can you please get your tech shop to copy off all my personal files from this dead laptop onto a DVD please?..' lay it on thick you have nothing to lose at this point! (if you have an external hard disk then take that with you as it will be easier for them to copy the files onto that than a DVD)

Good Luck

Nick

cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

I have had no chance to have the hard drive backed up. I have not been dealing with a store, but the hot line. They have city link pick it up and drop it back. It is booked to go with city link tomorrow, should i let it go or should i cancel and take it to a shop ???????

thescruff · Moderator Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 4616 Location: Bath

There's a catch 2 question Rolling Eyes

Personally, when I have had problems with PCW I have gone into the shop and demanded to see the Manager, ask for his name when you shake his hand Laughing

I had an satnav that the pins broke off on the docking station, the man behind the counter said it was down the the insurance to sort, because it wasn't covered, anyways he phone the insurance guys and handed the phone to me, they said it was covered and to put the guy back on Laughing

as a result he gave me a new one Laughing

What I'm saying is I would take it to the shop, but don't be nasty or loose your cool.

cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

I was thinking along the same lines. My G/F got it in swansea and when the first repair was needed the hot line said that i could not take it to a store as it had go directly to them. I would hate to send it away and they write it off because of the number of repairs it has had,

The last time it went i wrote a list of all the faults that i had encountered, they sent nothing back to say it was checked. As the number keys are not working i would say nothing was checked. Thanks for all your replies and will post back soon hopefully with this resolved. Cockney

thescruff · Moderator Joined: 03 May 2003 Posts: 4616 Location: Bath

A cockney in Bristol buying an computer in Swansea Laughing

I will remove your other post for you.

Good Luck

cockney · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 31 Location: Bristol

All sorted now thanks. Major hassle with PC world but sorted now. Just waiting for the thing to crash again and then i can seek a solicitor and let them deal with it. Thanks again for all your replies and help Cockney