Tech products not working with software

AdamHindle14

Hi All,

I'm not really too sure what options I have in front of me, so would appreciate any advice, I'll lay out the scenario below.
I own a gaming mouse and headset, to use with my PC. In order to use the customisation features of both products (such as lighting, surround sound etc) you need to use the company's provided software. However, the software has not been working on my PC. I have been in touch with them since January, performing all the various "fixes" to no avail. I had to wait 8 weeks for them to reply with a fix, which was them shifting the blame and saying I should try to reinstall the software and if that didn't work then to reinstall windows. It has got to the point where they are saying it is my PC, but I've had my PC reinstalled with just windows, anti-virus and the software and it is still broke!

I was looking at trying to get a refund of some description, my mouse is only 11 months old and my headset 18 months old, both are within their warranty (at the moment). The products themselves work, however, I'd argue they weren't sold as described, as the more advanced features (and the reason I bought them) I can't use which renders them virtually useless.

Is there anything I can do to get some sort of compensation or is it a case of I'm out of luck?

cono1717

I think the time period alone here might cause some concerns. If it's stated that the software is required for the product to work as it is described and the software doesn't work then you may have a claim, however as its now over 6 months you may have to prove this to them with an independant report.

AdamHindle14

@cono1717 Thanks for the reply. So in my original email to them in January I'd already provided screenshots and proof of the fault. The products in their simple form (mouse and a headset) work, but without the software, I'm unable to change anything, such as lighting on the mouse, mouse dpi, macros etc, which makes my gaming mouse well...just a mouse. Also means my headset is just that as well, no surround sound or lighting customisation.

On the company's page for the mouse, it mentions the need for the software, same with my headset. I've provided proof of payment to them already as well.

DoaM

Have these never worked? Or have they only "recently" stopped working after a Windows update?

AdamHindle14

Hi Doam. The products themselves have always worked, just the software won't open. I built a new PC at the beginning of January and the software did work, and then stopped working (as far as I can remember no updates had happened between it working and not working). I've already performed troubleshooting steps such as:

Reinstalling the software
Reinstalling Windows
Uninstalling windows updates

None of which got the software to work.

DoaM

Is the software stated (by the manufacturer) to be compatible with Windows 10?

(PS - when I said "these" I meant the features which required the software. If the software/features did work and then stopped working, something has changed).

AdamHindle14

Hi Doam. Yes for both products it states it is compatible with Windows 10, 8, 7. Software also states this.
The features did work, but to use said features / activate them the software needs to work (essentially the software doesn't open, it loads and loads and then does nothing).

Fosterdog

What is your system spec and what is the softwares required spec?

Have you tried running the software in compatibility mode?

You say you built a new machine in January but did it work on your old system?

Have you tried running them on a different PC?

Also it would be worth temporarily disabling your security to see if it runs then, security software can be known to block things like this.

DoaM

Fosterdog wrote: »

Also it would be worth temporarily disabling your security to see if it runs then, security software can be known to block things like this.

Certainly try this. Perhaps disconnect the LAN/WLAN connection whilst doing so.

AdamHindle14

@Fosterdog
It is a simple software, just states it needs 100MB of hard drive space and Windows 7/8/10 which I have. (I have windows 10 on a machine with 2TB HDD, 16 GB RAM, i7 8700k).

I haven't tried this, however did try on vanilla windows to no avail.

It worked on my old system and my new system , then stopped working.

The software is used by many, as I'm sure you can appreciate. So it runs on my friends PC, but then there are plenty of other people who have issues with it.

I have tried disabling antivrus, and also a rule to allow all communication through my firewall to no avail.

Fosterdog

It certainly sounds like your pc is the problem rather than the software if it ran fine on your old one and this one to start with and runs fine on your friends. If the fault was with the software itself it would never have worked and if something like an update caused it to stop a simple roll back/reinstall would fix it.