Current Dell Offers (merged) [CLOSED]

biglugs

I created my own system recovery disk, but it's not the same as having the original installation and drivers CDs. You cannot recover individual programs, or reinstall drivers for just one piece of equipment if you have any problems.
But I'm still pleased with my bit of kit, especially since I put a decent graphics card in. Tonight I'm going to take the modem out (Broadband means this is a waste of a slot) and put my TV card in there instead.

delluver

biglugs wrote:

I created my own system recovery disk, but it's not the same as having the original installation and drivers CDs. You cannot recover individual programs, or reinstall drivers for just one piece of equipment if you have any problems.
But I'm still pleased with my bit of kit, especially since I put a decent graphics card in. Tonight I'm going to take the modem out (Broadband means this is a waste of a slot) and put my TV card in there instead.

Where did you get your tv card? And does anyone use WIN XP Media?

biglugs

I got a cheap non-digital card from Currys a few weeks ago for £15 - they were selling them off cos everyone is going digital.
I don't own Win XP Media but it's apparently quite difficult to install on your own machine because suitable drivers are hard to come by.

smashed

Brian, how would you get freeview through the PC ? Would you have to plug a freeview box into the PC through a digital TV card? Or does the card do that itself meaning you just buy a card and connect to an aerial?

Cheers .. again

.... had a quick look, and it appears that some are freeview, but some are not? No mention of the aerial etc though

biglugs

You can get cards that are digital enabled - i.e. plug in an aerial and you get Freeview on your PC. Just like putting a set-top box in your PC, but I think these are a lot more expensive than the bog standard analogue ones which only pick up normal signals.
You could always buy an analogue card and plug a cable in from your Sky or Freeview box and watch/record these channels that way.

smashed

cheers, will do some further research

notcosi

Just to say that my Dell 5100 got replaced today and the hard drive is really quiet - reassuring that it was not all in my mind. They still have not picked up the other one yet!

delluver

The Dell Inspiron 2200/6000 laptops have gone up again Hope you got in there early

steve9999

Just had a phone call from dell saying they will deliver the xp cds on tuesday
So for other people trying don't give up!

sc52

biglugs wrote:

I created my own system recovery disk, but it's not the same as having the original installation and drivers CDs. You cannot recover individual programs, or reinstall drivers for just one piece of equipment if you have any problems.

My Dell has had a few teething problems - for some reason it can't play any games - I assume that it is due to a faulty video card. Phoned Dell yesterday, they suggested (as others have mentioned) that I create a recovery disc and reinstall before they would consider replacing the card. Dell said that the pc would be returned to the state that it was when delivered i.e including some programs that I don't want (Norton etc) but was informed that there was no alternative other than to reinstall and then add/remove whatever I didn't want.

I said that I wasn't happy with always having to do total reinstalls every time something went wrong. The chap agreed that with a full set of recovery discs I would have much better control of reinstalling individual programs/drivers - as mention above by biglugs.

I requested that he send me a full set of recovery discs - he declined stating that "dell no longer send out ........." so I asked who I should write to to complain...

Seven recovery discs arrived this morning