lenovo customer service argh

[Russ Smith]

Not so much technical but still annoying. Trying to reinstall Win 7 on a Lenovo where the Windows got so corrupt we couldn't use the recover partition to recover it.

Paid 45$ and shipping for a set of recover CD's from Lenovo using the machine number and serial # off the laptop. First 2 CD's install and then the 3rd one won't, it keeps clicking in the drive. It's not cracked, no obvious scratch, but it's bad, it won't play. Tried several times and then called Lenovo to get a replacement.

I have all the part #'s etc because I have the packlist for the CD's they just sent me, but he won't listen to any of that, he wants the model #, from the sticker on the bottom of the laptop. So I carefully flip it over and get that. Then he puts me on hold and comes back and says it's not under warranty, I know that, it's why I PAID $45 for the restore CD's.

Then he asks for the Code for the version of Windows, puts me on hold, and calls Microsoft! They confirm it's what it says it is, he says ok I just wanted to verify it's the right CD's. Of course it is, just the 3rd one is bad.

So after 30 minutes with him(and an hour trying to install) he tells me the new set will be here in 2-3 business days(first set came overnight) and "if this doesn't install correctly then we can't help you, there must be something wrong with your machine."

Huh? The first 2 installed but you think the machine is bad? I suppose maybe the CD drive broke after ejecting the 2nd CD, seems pretty unlikely, seems FAR more unlikely that the 3rd CD is bad and a new one will work. What's frustrating is he then says sir it's not under warranty but as a courtesy we'll send you this second set. I paid $45 for the first set, sending me a "good" set is not a courtesy, it's what I paid for and the warranty status is irrelevant on that.

So frustrated. So I wasted 90 minutes and it's now sitting there waiting for me to insert the CD that won't work.

So glad we don't buy Lenovo's anymore. Dell has MUCH better customer service.

 

[DeAnna]

I'm guessing their CS dept is outsourced?

 

[Brian in Mesa]

If it doesn't work - I could send you a known working dvd to install Windows 7. Just let me know.

 

[BillsCarnage]

Or, once you get a working set of CDs, make a bootable set of thumb drives.

But you might be better off just installing win7 and then any lenovo apps you need.

You can download win7 SP1 here:
http://www.mydigitallife.info/download-windows-7-sp1-iso-original-untouch-integrated-image/

Win7 iso/dvd > usb tool
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msstore/html/pbPage.Help_Win7_usbdvd_dwnTool

I haven't used CD/dvd's in almost 2yrs.

 

[Russ Smith]

It did finally work it took several tries I now have a combined set of 3 working CD's though and the system worked.

All the Win 7 disks we have are from Dell's and if you install that on the Lenovo it actually thinks it's a Dell. It gets confusing if you ever need the repair disk.

It's another thing about companies getting cheap not sending repair CD's wtih the computer but instead installing them as a separate partition on it. When the Windows gets hopelessly corrupt, you can't access that partition to run the repair.

So we now make repair CD's for every model we get and keep them just in case.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

You can find a lot of repair CD's by using torrents - exact make, model, OS, etc. Download the ISO's and burn discs that way. The machine would have the needed code on it so you wouldn't be downloading any cracked copies. No sense paying the company for discs, IMHO.