Adventures with Dell Premier Technical Support



     In July of 2002, I went to Ecuador to do anthropological fieldwork, bringing along my Dell 7500 Inspiron lap top. When I arrived in Quito, I discovered that the lap top did not boot up. This was a disaster, because my work for the next month depended on my ability to access the genealogical databases on the hard disk, among other important things. After running disk diagnostics, I was relieved to find that the hard disk was mechanically sound, it just had a few bad sectors. I was confident (correctly it turned out) that if I could just find a way to run chkdsk on the hard disk, my problem would be solved. I explained all this in my first contact with Dell premier support. Given that this sort of problem cannot be unusual, I expected that Dell would have dealt with this kind of problem hundreds of times before and would have a well-worked out solution for it. Unfortunately, I had great difficulty getting a straight answer: the technicians at Dell did not seem to be reading the results of the disk diagnostics I sent them, they did not respond to the questions I posed to them, and they repeatedly asked to ship me a new hard disk which I had said I did not want. It would have been catastrophic if I had allowed them to send me the new hard disk, for a blank hard disk with no operating system, applications software, or my data would have done me as much good as a boat anchor and Dell's repair policy (unstated in any of their emails to me) would have been to demand my old hard disk in exchange for the new one.

     Given that I was getting nowhere with Dell, I posed the same problem to my own technical support group at the University of Connecticut. Within a half an hour or so they had figured out the basics of a solution and got me going again within 24 hours. The solution was a little trickier than what I had originally imagined would be possible -- I had to first mount the drive from DOS as an NTFS disk to recover some necessary files and then run Windows 2000 recovery console -- but it was reasonably painless and straightforward.

     I am a social-scientist and was now presented with the possibility of conducting a natural experiment. My own technical support group had quickly solved a problem that Dell's premier support had not yet engaged (let alone solved), so I decided to continue to pose my problem to them in order to find out how long it would take them to give me an answer that was on the path to a solution. What follows is the exchange between me and Dell technical support in trying to get the machine fixed. My messages are in green and Dell's are in blue. The body of the emails are exactly as I sent and received them except for the correction of minor typographic errors and the elimination of email header information. I have also obscured my service tag.

     In sum, it took me nearly three weeks and an exchange of more than 40 emails to get any answer that was even remotely on the path to a solution to my problem. The problem was not limited to one inept technician; I reinitiated the process three times from scratch and from three distinct technicians received the same non-responsiveness. (My exchange of emails with Mr. Singh begins here, my exchange with Mr. Giri begins here, and my final exchange with Mr. Chatterjee begins here.) When I finally did get an answer, it was given by a manager of technical support, Mr. Keith Rihn.

     My exchange of emails with Mr. Rihn was perhaps the most disturbing of the three week exchange. (You can find this exchange at the bottom of the page, beginning here. I congratulated him for giving me an answer that was on the solution path and asked him, as a manager of technical support, to review the handling of my case. After review, Mr. Rihn affirmed that my case had been handled exactly in accordance with Dell standards. I was surprised by this response and asked for confirmation from Mr. Rihn whether the experience I had had was what corporate clients could expect from Dell premier support. His answer confirmed that my treatment was consistent with Dell policy. You can judge for yourself whether the service I received is what you would expect from "premier corporate support."

     The technical support person who solved the problem for me (a bright undergraduate working for our support group) had an astute analysis of what had happened:

     I have worked for technical support before. The problem is a bad mix of being too cheap to hire enough people, being too cheap to train people, as well as being too cheap to pay them much. You get an onslaught of questions, many of which are just because people did not spend the time to check if their computer was plugged in. For this reason when working at technical support you are given FAQ answer response buttons that basically respond to the user with a predefined message, which was asked numerous times before. This reduces the quality of the emails they send you but increases the quantity they can handle. So, they rarely even read past the first few sentences.

     This episode was sad for me, because I have purchased or influenced the purchase of dozens of Dell computers and in the past have found that their technical support was superior to that of their competitors. Unfortunately, this experience puts that in doubt. I cordially invite Dell to respond and will post their reply on this page. Others can enter your comments here.



Date: Sun, 21 Jul 02 14:04

Customer Information
***************************************************
Service Tag: SVCTG
System Type: Inspiron 7500
Ship Date: 6/19/2000

Name: James Boster
E-mail: boster@sp.uconn.edu
***************************************************

Support Request Information
***************************************************
Incident Type: Hard-Drive/Floppy/Zip-Drive
Operating System: Windows 2000
Operating System Version: Professional

Has the system with the problem ever worked correctly?
Yes
Have you recently added or removed any software?
No
Have you recently added or removed any hardware?
No
Problem Description:
When I try to boot, even in safe mode, it loads a number of
files and then crashes to a blue screen stating that the hard
disk is unavailable. The hard disk passes the device self test
and a seek test, but fails the read test. The blue screen advises
one to run chkdsk but that does not seem to be possible if I
cannot bring the system up.
***********************************************

Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 17:55:51 -0500

Thank you for contacting Dell US eSupport. An artificial intelligence tool designed to interpret your message and respond quickly will conduct this first reply to your message. The first paragraph of the response should tell you whether the document accurately addresses your question.

If this response does not address your question, you can reach the next available e-mail technician by replying to this e-mail. Before you reply, please go to the very bottom of this e-mail. You will find useful information there on how to use alternate Dell support resources and what to include in your reply.

((SRMACSR drives:HD_ERR10222001 SRMACSR))
((SRCATSR D_HD.Problems SRCATSR))

***************************
--- Begin Dell Response ---
***************************

This document is a labeled collection of specific solutions for various issues concerning hard drive problems. You may not need to read this entire document. The sections are numbered so that you can easily find the solution that applies to your particular problem. It is recommended that you use a Search function to locate the section closest to the information you need. Most e-mail programs can search the text of an e-mail by holding down the CTRL Key and hitting the "F" Key on the keyboard.

=================================
Table of Contents

1g. Noise problems with hard drives.
2g. Seven Hard drive errors and faults that can prevent you from booting the hard drive:

1t. A Virus.
2t. The Boot Sector.
3t. The settings in CMOS.
4t. The IDE ribbon and power cable(s).
5t. The hard drive.
6t. The software on the hard drive (or soft sector errors).
7t. The controller on the motherboard.
_____________________________________

1g. Noise problems with hard drives.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Occasionally, you may notice a whine or rattle sound coming from the inside of the computer case. This type of noise will be caused most often by either the hard drive or the fan(s) in the system case or power supply. The easiest way to test which one is the culprit is to power on the system with the cover off. Then, attempt to determine which area is the source of the noise.

If your noise happens all the time and you suspect that it is the hard drive and not a fan then you should:
1) power down the system
2) UNPLUG THE SYSTEM
3) remove the power cable from the hard drive
4) see if the noise goes away when you turn on the system again

If the sound returns, your hard drive is the problem. If the sound does not return, the problem will most likely be either the fan in the power supply or the fan blowing on your processor (if your model has 2 fans).

The hard drive power cable is on the back of the hard drive. It has a white plug with 4 wires. The wires are usually red/black/black/orange. The two middle wires will always be the same color.

2g. Seven Hard drive errors and faults that can prevent you from booting the hard drive:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1t. A Virus.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

There are boot sector viruses that can prevent you from using your hard drive. Look into getting a current version of a virus scanner. If you do not have an anti-virus utility you can get one at http://www.symantec.com

2t. The Boot Sector.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If the boot sector becomes corrupted, it will prevent the hard drive from booting. You can try to re-write the boot sector with either disk #1 from MS-DOS or your Windows 95/98 start up disk. Note: Use the disk that applies to your system's operating system. If you have Windows 95 installed don't use a DOS disk and vice versa.

There are two things you can try:

a. First, you can try to re-write the master boot record (MBR).

Restart your computer with the correct boot disk inserted in your floppy drive. When the system boots to the A:\ prompt, type:

FDISK /MBR [HIT ENTER]

Then, take out the floppy disk and reboot the system.

b. Second, if you still can not get the drive to start, reinsert the boot disk and restart the computer. When the system boots to an A:\ prompt, type:

SYS C: [HIT ENTER]

Then, take out the floppy disk and reboot.

3t. The settings in CMOS.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The settings in CMOS can easily be checked by looking at the settings in you system's setup screen. Check to see that the drive types are set correctly.

To get into setup on Dimension systems, press the Delete key during startup.

OR

To get into setup on older Optiplex systems, press CTRL-ALT-ENTER during startup.

OR

To get into setup on newer Optiplex systems, press F2 during startup.

OR

To get into setup on Latitude 433C, 450M, LX, XP, XPi, XPi-CD, CP, and CPi systems, you can do this one of two ways:

a. From the internal keyboard, press FN-F1.
b. From an external keyboard, open a DOS prompt and hit CTRL-ALT-Enter.

If you have a newer Latitude or Inspiron system, you will need to reboot the system, and press F2 during startup. This is the only way to enter the BIOS on these systems.


After you access setup, you would normally see an entry for your primary IDE controller. On systems with multi-page system setup utilities, you may need to go to the Advanced | IDE Configuration submenu to view the primary IDE controller settings.

After you located the primary IDE controller, you will want to check the setting for drive 0 (or master) for that controller. This represents your hard drive and should be set to auto. On most cases, there will be some text on the same line which will display the CYLINDERS, SECTORS and SIZE (and possibly HEADS) of the hard drive. If you happen to know the parameters used by your hard drive, you may want to check those parameters against what is displayed in system setup to ensure the drive is detected correctly.

4t. The IDE ribbon and power cable(s).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If the settings look ok, then the next thing to check is the cable on the drive(s).

a. Turn the power off, disconnect the power cord from the back of the system and open the computer. Keep one hand grounded to the computer chassis as much as possible to limit the possibility of static. Look for a flat gray ribbon cable going between the hard drive and the motherboard. It's gray and about 2 inches wide. You will need to reseat the cable on both ends. To "reseat" means to actually disconnect the cable then reconnect it.

Verify that the cable is hooked up correctly. There will be a red, or black, stripe on one side of the ribbon cable. This will almost always point to the side of the drive that has the power connector on it. The power connector will be the only other set of wires on the drive. It will usually be a four-wire cable. The two middle wires will be black. On the motherboard end of the ribbon cable, the red, or black, stripe should be aligned with pin-one of the primary IDE controller connector.

You may also want to try a different data cable or power connector as sometimes a cable can go bad.

b. If your drive is not spinning up when you turn on the system then you can try an alternate power lead. If you do not have an available power lead, you can temporarily use a known good power cable from another device, like a CDROM drive. This way you can verify that the drive is getting power and it is not your power supply that is the cause of the problem.

5t. The hard drive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If the settings and the cable are ok, your next logical candidate is the drive itself.

The only practical way to troubleshoot a drive is to try another drive and see if the problem persists. If you have another drive to use, see if the problem happens on the new drive. You could also install this drive to another system and see if the problem follows the drive.

6t. The software on the hard drive (or soft sector errors).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If your system generates random crashes, lockups, or error messages that appear to be related to your hard drive, it is possible that the software may be the root cause of these errors.

Occasionally, memory resident programs that monitor your system can generate erroneous error messages. The most common of these can be virus checkers. After you have scanned your hard drive for a virus, you may want to turn off your scanner for a while and see if there is any change.

It is also possible to have what is called a weak sector or "soft error". This occurs when a part of the drive that contains data is not actually physically defective, but the magnetic formatting is weak and needs to be regenerated. This can sometimes show up as a bad sector on the drive if you run a program like scandisk. This is a recoverable situation. To fix this type of problem you need to backup your drive and repartition and format it using the FDISK & FORMAT commands from a boot disk that contains FORMAT.COM & FDISK.EXE. After this you can then restore your backup or just reinstall your software.

7t. The controller on the motherboard.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If everything else has been ruled out, then the only thing left is the controller.

As most of our systems use an integrated controller, this means the motherboard is defective. You can either replace the motherboard or, if you have a free expansion slot, you can install a hard drive controller card. Then, connect your hard drive(s) to it instead of the motherboard controller.

*************************
--- End Dell Response ---
*************************

Date: Sun, 21 Jul 02 18:09

This automated response does not answer the original email. I have
outlined the error messages both from the blue screen and from Dell
diagnostics in the original. My most important need is a tool to run
chkdsk from a bootable diskette that will recognize NTFS disks.
I believe this is a case in which ordinary mortals are far superior to
artificial intelligence.


Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Sun, 21 Jul 2002 22:54:58 (GMT)

Customer Information
***************************************************
Service Tag: SVCTG
System Type: Inspiron 7500
Ship Date: 6/19/2000

Name: James Boster
E-mail: boster@sp.uconn.edu
***************************************************

Support Request Information
***************************************************
Incident Type: Hard-Drive/Floppy/Zip-Drive
Operating System: Windows 2000
Operating System Version: Professional

Has the system with the problem ever worked correctly?
Yes
Have you recently added or removed any software?
No
Have you recently added or removed any hardware?
No
Problem Description:
This is a continuation of an earlier report with more information about
the nature of the problem. The system crashes to a blue screen even in
safe mode with the error=20

Stop 0x0000007b (0x81fc7030, 0xc0000032, 0x00000000, 0x00000000)
INACCESSIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE

When I run Dell 32 bit diagnostics, it passes the self test and the
seek test, but fails the read test at block 29976342 and the error
message Uncorrectable data error or media is write-protected. Status
code Dos DDG-D Disk 020 068

I have been having trouble with my email (the substitute machine does
not have an appropriate telnet client) so if you could route all
answers to jsboster@hotmail.com as well as boster@sp.uconn.edu I will
be grateful. Two earlier messages from DELL were lost. (I think they
were automated responses but I could not tell for certain.) Please send
them again as well as hints to solve the problem. In characteristic
fashion, Microsoft tells one to run chkdsk which is impossible as long
as the system does not boot. I cannot find chkdsk on a bootable floppy
in your download directory. It is likely there is a corrupted driver
and perhaps associated defect in the hard drive, but I do not have
access to the tools to fix it. (I am in Ecuador.)
***********************************************

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 14:37:47 CDT

Dear Mr. James,

Thank you for contacting Dell eSupport and Services.

We appreciate the opportunity to assist you. I apologize for
your trouble and I assure you it is our hope that you have a
positive experience with our company.

Mr. James, I request you to please run the hard disk drive diags
and check for any error message that you are getting:

Please visit the following link that has the details on how to
enter system set-up (BIOS) and activate the boot device:

http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/plav/setup.htm#1097884


Please visit page 2 of the set-up for Boot Configuration and
change the first boot device to hard disk/drive.

To identify the exact malfunction, please visit the following
link and run the diagnostic test for the hard drive:

http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1022211

Some email programs will wrap this address to a second line so
you will have to copy each of the lines directly into the address
bar of your browser with no spaces between the two sections.

And

Mr. James, please provide verification of the following information
to send you another HDD:

Name of person to contact:
Service (shipping) address (No PO Boxes):
Daytime phone of contact:
Alternate contact number:
City, State and Zip Code:

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

I will arrange for the appropriate warranty service.

***If this is an urgent issue,please contact our phone based
technical support at 800-822-8965

Thank you for choosing Dell and have nice day.

Respectfully,

Pat Singh
Badge ~DTC20334~
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 15:08:55 CDT

Dear Mr. James,

Thank you for contacting Dell eSupport and Services.

We appreciate the opportunity to assist you. I apologize for
your trouble and I assure you it is our hope that you have a
positive experience with our company.

Mr. James, I request you to please run the hard disk drive diags
and check for any error message that you are getting:

Please visit the following link that has the details on how to
enter system set-up (BIOS) and activate the boot device:

http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/plav/setup.htm#1097884


Please visit page 2 of the set-up for Boot Configuration and
change the first boot device to hard disk/drive.

To identify the exact malfunction, please visit the following
link and run the diagnostic test for the hard drive:

http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1022211

Some email programs will wrap this address to a second line so
you will have to copy each of the lines directly into the address
bar of your browser with no spaces between the two sections.

***If this is an urgent issue,please contact our phone based
technical support at 800-822-8965

Thank you for choosing Dell and have nice day.

Respectfully,

Pat Singh
Badge ~DTC20334~
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 02 17:21

Dear Mr. Singh,

When I run the BIOS diagnostics, it reports:
Primary IDE
Drive0: IBM-DJSA-23(PM)
PASS
00

TEST COMPLETE

The earlier message had the results of the latest version of the Dell hard
disk diagnostics. When allowed to run with a very high number of possible
failures, blocks 29976342, 33194820, and 35112965 have uncorrctable data
error or media is write protected errors in the read, verify, and
confidence tests. Block 29976342 also fails the write test.

Sincerely,
James Boster
Professor

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 02 17:32

My original message included the service tag SVCTG. It is premature to
send me another hard drive until this one is checked.


Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 17:57:04 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Singh,

I have run the hard disk diagnostics and included the results in the
first message I sent. Your message does not refer to them, so I must
assume you did not read the text of my original message. If this is an
incorrect inference and you actually require a second Dell diagnostic not
available on the support page, please confirm. That message also include
all error messages from the blue screen. There are no differences in the
message I get whether the hard disk is the first boot device or a later
one, as long as the floppy is not in the drive.

My efforts to connect to
http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1022211
are denied even though my system permits cookies.

It is frustrating to get a reply from a human that shows no more
comprehension of my original message than the automated one. Please
confirm that you have read the original message and that you are calling
for a second set of diagnostics. I cannot confirm that myself because
your system will not let me.

(My last name is Boster, not James, and I should be addressed as Prof.
Boster.)

Sincerely,

James Boster
Professor

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 18:02:11 CDT

Please include the following line in all replies.
Tracking number: AT20020721_0000005870


Dear Prof. Boster,

Please provide verification of the following information to send
you another hard disk drive:

Name of person to contact:
Service (shipping) address (No PO Boxes):
Daytime phone of contact:
Alternate contact number:
City, State and Zip Code:

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

I will arrange for the appropriate warranty service.

Thank you for choosing Dell and have nice day.

Respectfully,

Pat Singh
Badge ~DTC20334~
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 18:04:20 CDT

Dear Prof. Boster,

Please provide verification of the following information to send
you another hard disk drive:

Name of person to contact:
Service (shipping) address (No PO Boxes):
Daytime phone of contact:
Alternate contact number:
City, State and Zip Code:

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

I will arrange for the appropriate warranty service.

Thank you for choosing Dell and have nice day.

Respectfully,

Pat Singh
Badge ~DTC20334~
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

From: Boster
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 02 18:10

Dear Mr. Singh,

None of your communications with me have acknowledged the content of
any of my messages to you. As I have said before, I prefer to complete
checking out this drive until it is certain that it cannot be repaired
using chkdsk. This is what I requested in my original message to Dell and
that requests goes unacknowledged and unheeded. In particular, I have
told you that I think it is premature for Dell to give me a new harddrive
and yet your only response is to send me the forms that would be
irrelevant. I am presently in Quito Ecuador so much of the information
requested on your forms is not applicable. Please show some evidence that
you are reading and responding to the content of my messages or transfer
me to another technician who can.

Sincerely,
James Boster
Professor

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 18:41:29 CDT

Dear Prof. Boster,

Please provide verification of the following information to send
you the replacement hard disk drive in Quito Ecuador:

Name of person to contact:
Service (shipping) address (No PO Boxes):
Daytime phone of contact:
Alternate contact number:
City, State and Zip Code:

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

I will arrange for the appropriate warranty service.

Thank you for choosing Dell and have nice day.

Respectfully,

Pat Singh
Badge ~DTC20334~
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 19:05:25 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Singh,

I was finally able to find the alternative disk diagnostics you
wanted. I was able to search by document number when the site
denied access to the full URL.

The results of the test are that it passes all tests but analyzing
error logs and gives the completion code HD, IB,
QT, 84, ..., 700020

It concludes
Drive Tested Non-Functional

I hope Dell will fix the problem of rejecting systems that accept
cookies, on the basis that they do not.

I still affirm that what I need is a version of chkdsk on a book disk
that can correct the defect map to include those blocks that have the
errors. I do not believe it is worth sending me a new drive until that
step is taken and we now have three redundant reports that the drive fails
some tests and passes others.

Sincerely,
James Boster
Professor

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 02 21:31

Dear Mr. Singh,

Please respond to my earlier communications. I do not wish to have a
replacement drive until we are able to scan and repair the blocks of the
existing drive. If you know this to be impossible given the error
messages you have received, please explain. You are continuing in the
pattern of failing to respond to the content of my messages. This is
unacceptable technical service. I am retaining a record of these
communications and am prepared to share them with others at Dell or
elsewhere to demonstrate the complete non-responsiveness of your replies.
I repeat I BELIEVE IT IS A WASTE OF DELL'S RESOURCES AND MY OWN TO SEND ME A NEW HARD DRIVE UNTIL YOU GIVE ME THE TOOLS TO SHOW THAT THE CURRENT DRIVE IS NOT REPAIRABLE.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Mon, 22 Jul 02 21:56

Customer Information
***************************************************
Service Tag: SVCTG
System Type: Inspiron 7500
Ship Date: 6/19/2000

Name: James Boster
E-mail: boster@sp.uconn.edu
***************************************************

Support Request Information
***************************************************
Incident Type: Hard-Drive/Floppy/Zip-Drive
Operating System: Windows 2000
Operating System Version: Professional

Has the system with the problem ever worked correctly?
Yes
Have you recently added or removed any software?
No
Have you recently added or removed any hardware?
No
Problem Description:
Dear Dell,

The technician who has been assigned my case continues to be unresponsive to the data I have furnished from the diagnostic tests I have conducted on my hard drive and to fail to respond to my specific requests. The tracking number for this case is AT20020721_0000003949

I would like to request that my case be assigned to another technician as Mr. Singh is apparently incapable of providing appropriate service.

***********************************************

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 11:44:20 CDT

Dear Prof. Boster,

I am reading your e-mails thoroughly and that is why I have requested
you to run the hard disk drive diags to exactly locate the error
on the HDD so that we can be in position to check out whether
the HDD needs to replaced or not. Without knowing the results
we can not setup a Dispatch and that is why we have requested
you to please run the diags on the HDD.

For your convenience once again I am sending the links to run
the HDD diags and please let us know the result so that we can
resolve the issue as soon as possible:

Please visit the following link that has the details on how to
enter system set-up (BIOS) and activate the boot device:

http://docs.us.dell.com/docs/systems/plav/setup.htm#1097884


Please visit page 2 of the set-up for Boot Configuration and
change the first boot device to hard disk/drive.

To identify the exact malfunction, please visit the following
link and run the diagnostic test for the hard drive:

http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1022211

Some email programs will wrap this address to a second line so
you will have to copy each of the lines directly into the address
bar of your browser with no spaces between the two sections.

Prof. Boster, please provide verification of the following information
to send you another HDD in Quito Ecuador:

Name of person to contact:
Service (shipping) address (No PO Boxes):
Daytime phone of contact:
Alternate contact number:
City, State and Zip Code:

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

I will arrange for the appropriate warranty service.


Thank you for choosing Dell and have nice day.

Respectfully,

Pat Singh
Badge ~DTC20334~
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 15:22:04 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Singh,


Contrary to your statement, it does not appear that you have been
reading my emails, otherwise you would not be requesting data from tests
that I have sent you long ago. I include here the bodies of my
communications to you, which you have not acknowledged. You can see that
I have already provided the results of the diagnostics that you are
presently requesting:

Dear Mr. Singh,

I have run the hard disk diagnostics and included the results in the
first message I sent. Your message does not refer to them, so I must
assume you did not read the text of my original message. If this is an
incorrect inference and you actually require a second Dell diagnostic not
available on the support page, please confirm. That message also includes
all error messages from the blue screen. There is no differences in the
message I get whether the hard disk is the first boot device or a later
one, as long as the floppy is not in the drive.

My efforts to connect to
http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1022211
are denied even though my system permits cookies.

It is frustrating to get a reply from a human that shows no more
comprehension of my original message than the automated one. Please
confirm that you have read the original message and that you are calling
for a second set of diagnostics. I cannot confirm that myself because
your system will not let me.

Dear Mr. Singh,

When I run the BIOS diagnostics, it reports:
Primary IDE
Drive0: IBM-DJSA-23(PM)
PASS
00

TEST COMPLETE

The earlier message had the results of the latest version of the Dell hard
disk diagnostics. When allowed to run with a very high number of possible
failures, blocks 29976342, 33194820, and 35112965 have uncorrctable data
error or media is write protected errors in the read, verify, and
confidence tests. Block 29976342 also fails the write test.

Dear Mr. Singh,

My original message included the service tag SVCTG. It is premature to
send me another hard drive until this one is checked.

Dear Mr. Singh,

I was finally able to find the alternative disk diagnostics you
wanted. I was able to search by document number when the site
denied access to the full URL.

The results of the test are that it passes all tests but analyzing
error logs and gives the completion code HD, IB,
QT, 84, ..., 700020

It concludes
Drive Tested Non-Functional

Dear Mr. Singh,

None of your communications with me have acknowledged the content of
any of my messages to you. As I have said before, I prefer to complete
checking out this drive until it is certain that it cannot be repaired
using chkdsk. This is what I requested in my original message to Dell and
that requests goes unacknowledged and unheeded. In particular, I have
told you that I think it is premature for Dell to give me a new harddrive
and yet you only response is to send me the forms that would be
irrelevant. I am presently in Quito Ecuador so much of the information
requested on your forms is not applicable. Please show some evidence that
you are reading and responding to the content of my messages or transfer
me to another technician who can.

Dear Mr. Singh,

Please respond to my earlier communications. I do not wish to have a
replacement drive until we are able to scan and repair the blocks of the
existing drive. If you know this to be impossible given the error
messages you have received, please explain. You are continuing in the
pattern of failing to respond to the content of my messages. This is
unacceptable technical service. I am retaining a record of these
communications and am prepared to share them with others at Dell or
elsewhere to demonstrate the complete non-responsiveness of your replies.

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 15:24:48 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Singh,

In light of the fact that you have persisted in ignoring my previous
communications, I reiterate my request to have my case transferred to
another technician.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 14:31:27 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Thank you for contacting Dell eSupport and Services (ESS). We
appreciate the opportunity to assist you. I apologize for your
trouble and I assure you it is our hope that you have a positive
experience with our company.

Please provide verification of the following information:

Name of person to contact:
Address (No PO Boxes):
street address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Area code & Phone number:
Alternate contact number:

Service Tag number (HDD):

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 02 15:01

Dear Mr. Giri,

Have you been apprised of the previous history of this matter or shall
I explain from the beginning? My first concern is to attempt to repair my
existing hard drive not to request a replacement drive.

(The service tag is SVCTG).

Sincerely,
James Boster
Professor

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 16:33:59 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Thank you for your time and cooperation for carrying out the
requested troubleshooting. I apologize for the persistent trouble
that you are facing.

Please provide verification of the following information so that
I can make the service setup:

Name of person to contact:
Address (No PO Boxes):
street address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Area code & Phone number:
Alternate contact number:

Service Tag number (HDD):

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com


Date: Tue, 23 Jul 02 16:43

Dear Mr. Giri,
My request is not for a replacement drive but for assistance in
repairing the one I have. A blank disk with no software installed and
none of my files on it does me no good whatsoever. Can you help me with
that? I have dutifully documented the problems with the machine and now
would like help in repairing the harddisk I have.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 18:29:11 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Thank you for your time and cooperation for carrying out the
requested troubleshooting. I apologize for the persistent trouble
that you are facing.

Please contact our Technical Support department at 1-800-822-
8965 they will assist you in installation of the operating system
and other softwares. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week for your convenience.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 02 03:31

Dear Mr. Giri,

I am in Ecuador and cannot call 800 numbers in the US. If you could
please help me with the problem you just identified, which is the one I
have been requesting help with all along, please do so. I have provided
Dell with ample documentation of the nature of the problem, now I need
some support for repairing my hard disk.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 12:19:35 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Thank you for your time and cooperation for carrying out the
requested troubleshooting. I apologize for the persistent trouble
that you are facing.

Please note that, you need to contact Customer Service at 800-
624-9897 or email them at csd@dell.com and ask for the technical
support numbers in Ecuador.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Wed, 24 Jul 2002 18:40:23 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Giri,

I first brought this problem to the attention of Dell technical support
on Sunday. In my initial message I stated clearly what I thought the
problem was and what the solution was. I stated that I needed a means to
run chkdsk on my harddisk and I was requesting Dells help in doing that.
It is now Wednesday, I have done many hours of work doing the diagnostics
requested by Dell and responding to earlier messages and have yet to have
an answer to my original request. I have made clear that it is difficult
for me to call 800 numbers but your solution is to do just that. This
cannot be the first time that a harddrive has failed under 2000 and yet
you have not sent me any materials that would guide me through performing
the necessary diskrepair. Are you unable to provide this information?
Why is it so difficult to get an answer to my original question?

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Fri, 26 Jul 02 15:06

Dear Mr. Giri,

Your earlier messages have thanked me for my patience in running
hours of diagnostic tests at Dell's request. That is kind. However, the
most sincere way of expressing your gratitude would have been to
answer my original question. I must assume, after posing it repeatedly
every day for six days without an answer, that it will never be answered
as a request of information. So, let me pose it as a challenge. Does
*anyone* at Dell technical support know how to run chkdsk on a
corrupted NTFS volume on a Win 2000 system that does not boot? My
intention is to post the entire history of my exchange with Dell
technical service on this matter on a web page. I and my readers will
interpret a failure to answer as tacit acknowledgement of collective
ignorance of how to solve the problem.

Yours Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Fri, 26 Jul 2002 18:22:09 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Thank you for your time and cooperation for carrying out the
requested troubleshooting. I apologize for the persistent trouble
that you are facing.

Please contact at for the technical support in Ecuador (512)
728-4397.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Sat, 27 Jul 02 14:04

Dear Mr. Giri,

Am I to understand that you will not answer my last message?
In what country is the technical support number you gave me? It does not
appear to be an Ecuadorian number.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 11:09:10 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Giri,

The number you gave me is one in Texas and is not toll-free
from rural Ecuador. Unless I am provided with a toll-free number
that I can call from Puyo, Ecuador, email is the only practical
means to exchange information. If you are unwilling or unable
to answer my question of how to run chkdsk on a corrupted
NTFS volume on a Win 2000 system that does not boot, please
transfer this case to a technician or a supervisor who can.
If Dell prefers to handle this problem with a telephone call,
I can be reached at 011 593 3 885-418 if the time for the call
is arranged in advance via email.

Yours Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Mon, 29 Jul 2002 14:23:45 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Please note that there is no number at Ecuador, you can contact
at El Salvador 155-01-800-753-0777.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Wed, 31 Jul 02 17:16

Dear Mr. Giri,

Please transfer my case to a supervisor. El Salvador is not appreciably
closer to Ecuador than the US and you have not assured me that the number
you gave me is toll free. Let me remind you that I first brought this
problem to Dells attention eleven days ago and I have yet to receive an
answer to a straight forward question: how does one run chkdsk on a NTFS
volume if Windows 2000 will not boot. I have repeatedly posed this
question to you and you have persistently refused to answer, giving me
instead telephone numbers that are not available in my location.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 11:00:38 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Thank you for your time and cooperation for carrying out the
requested troubleshooting. I apologize for the persistent trouble
that you are facing. I am extremely sorry for the previous miscommunication.

Please provide verification of the following information:

Name of person to contact:
Address (No PO Boxes):
street address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Area code & Phone number:
Alternate contact number:

Service Tag number (HDD):

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Fri, 02 Aug 02 09:11

Dear Mr. Giri,

I am providing the following information for the
purpose of identification only, because, as I have
repeatedly expressed before, I do not wish to have
my hard drive replaced, but only to have it repaired.
The computer is a Dell Inspiron 7500, service tag
SVCTG. Although the computer is owned by the
University of Connecticut, I believe that I am the
responsible party on the records for this computer, as
I have made other requests for service on it in the
past. Of course, you also have available precisely the
same information that you are now requesting.

Professor James Boster
Department of Anthropology
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269
1(860)486-2795 (off)

As I have repeatedly stated, I am not presently at
this address, rather I am in Ecuador doing
anthropological field research.

I repeat my request to have this case passed to a
supervisor, as I have now passed thirteen days
without an answer to my original question: How does
one run chkdsk on the NTFS volume of a system that
will not boot Windows 2000?

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Fri, 02 Aug 2002 16:53:18 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster,

Thank you for your time and cooperation for carrying out the
requested troubleshooting. I apologize for the persistent trouble
that you are facing.

Please provide me your Ecuador address so that I will arrange
the hard disk to be send as directed by my supervisor.

Please provide verification of the following information:

Name of person to contact:
Address (No PO Boxes):
street address:
City:
State:
Zip:
Area code & Phone number:
Alternate contact number:

Service Tag number (HDD):

Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,

** Stephen Giri **
** ~DTC21745 **
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Fri, 2 Aug 2002 21:55:54 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Giri,

May I again repeat the three requests I have made consistently. I do
not wish to have my hard disk replaced, I wish to have it repaired. I
also request an answer to the question I have posed repeatedly since I
first posed it 13 days ago -- how does one run chkdsk on an NTFS volume
in a system that does not boot Windows 2000. I also repeat my request to
communicate directly with a supervisor. Unless Dell delivers hard disks
to Waorani communities in the middle of the Ecuadorian rain forest, your
offer is empty.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Sat, 03 Aug 02 11:58

Customer Information
***************************************************
Service Tag: SVCTG
System Type: Inspiron 7500
Ship Date: 6/19/2000

Name: James Boster
E-mail: boster@sp.uconn.edu
***************************************************

Support Request Information
***************************************************
Incident Type: Hard-Drive/Floppy/Zip-Drive
Operating System: Windows 2000
Operating System Version:

Has the system with the problem ever worked correctly?
Yes
Have you recently added or removed any software?
No
Have you recently added or removed any hardware?
No
Problem Description:
About two weeks ago, I reported to Dell premier support
that my Dell Inspiron 7500 (service tag SVCTG) would not
boot Windows 2000, giving the error message
UNACCESIBLE_BOOT_DEVICE. I also reported the
results of running Dell 32 bit diagnostics, and requested
information on how to run chkdsk on a NTFS volume of a
Windows 2000 system that will not boot. In the dozens of
emails that I have exchanged with Mr. Singh and Mr. Giri
of Dell technical support on this matter, I have been
repeatedly given numbers for technical support that are
not available to me in Ecuador and repeatedly offered a
replacement for a drive that I have consistently asserted
only needed to be repaired. However, I have not yet
received an answer to my original request for information,
even though I have reiterated it nearly daily for two
weeks. I would like to request that a supervisor or
manager of technical support review the handling of this
case and evaluate whether the support I have received
rises to the standards that Dell corporate clients should
expect of Dell premier technical support. I would also
like to request that a senior technician be assigned to my
case who is capable and willing to answer my original
question.

Date: Sat, 03 Aug 2002 17:47:01 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster ,

Thank you for contacting Dell eSupport and Services (ESS). We
appreciate the opportunity to assist you. I apologize for your
trouble and I assure you it is our hope that you have a positive
experience with our company.

I understand your concern. Please run 90-90 test for hard disk
drive for verifying the problem with the hard disk drive . Also
let me know the results for the test for further troubleshooting
the issue and get it resolved. Please visit the following link
for more information regarding running 90-90 test for hard disk
drive :

http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/document.asp?DN=1022211


In case we need to replace the some hardware parts we need to
have the following information : I can arrange a replacement
of this part(s). Please send me the information below so that
I can arrange to have the part sent.

Name of person to contact -
Account/company name -
Address ( No PO Boxes ) -
City, State, and Zip -
Area Code & Phone Number-
Alternate Contact Number-
System service tag number -
The service tag number is a 5 or 7-digit letter/number combination
on a small bar code label located on the back or underside of
the system.

You can also contact our Mobile Computing Hotline at 800-822-
8965. You will be connected to a Portables Technical Specialist
who will help you resolve the issue or arrange to have the part
replaced.

We assure you our best support all the time.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,
Pete Chatterjee
~DTC24997
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Sat, 3 Aug 2002 20:46:10 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Chatterjee,

If you review the extensive emails in this case you will see that
I have already run those diagnostics. Please transfer this case to the
attention of a supervisor.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Sun, 04 Aug 2002 11:11:34 CDT

Dear Mr. Boster ,

Thank you for contacting Dell eSupport and Services (ESS). We
appreciate the opportunity to assist you. I apologize for your
trouble and I assure you it is our hope that you have a positive
experience with our company.

I understand your concern. Sir in case we need to replace the
hard disk drive of the system .Please provide verification of
the following information:

Name of person to contact:
Base/Post name:
Unit:
Street name:
Building #:
Room:
City:
Country:
Zip {If available}:
DSN Phone:
COM Phone:
Service tag (5 or 7-digit alphanumeric ID located on a sticker
with a bar code on either the back, bottom or right-side of your
system - something like 5X04J) or Order Number:

I will arrange the appropriate warranty service.

We assure you our best support all the time.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,
Pete Chatterjee
~DTC24997
Dell Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2002 14:21:30 -0400 (EDT)

Dear Mr. Chatterjee,

This is also information that I have provided earlier in this case.
I am trusting that you have available the records of email exchanged
with Mr. Singh and Mr. Giri. I repeat my request to communicate
directly with a supervisor, as I have gone two weeks without a concrete
answer to a simple inquiry. If you do not have access to the earlier
messages, I will provide a summary if necessary.

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Tue, 06 Aug 2002 11:21:44 CDT

Mr. Boster,

The following article on Microsoft's web site explains how to
run chkdsk on a system using the Windows2000 recovery console:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q229716

Respectfully,
Keith Rihn
Dell E-Support and Services
Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Fri, 09 Aug 02 10:10

Dear Mr. Rihn,

Thank you for your response. This is the first direct
response to my question since I first posted it 19 days ago.
For me the mystery now is why it took so long to get an
answer. As stated in a recent posting to the Dell premier
support web site, I have exchanged dozens of emails with
Mr. Singh and Mr. Giri of Dell technical support, and
their responses repeatedly gave me numbers for technical
support that are not available to me in Ecuador and or
repeatedly offered a replacement for a drive that I have
consistently asserted only needed to be repaired. Never in
this two week period did they answer my original
question as you just have. If you are a supervisor or
manager of technical support, I would like you to review
the handling of this case and evaluate whether the support
I have received rises to the standards that Dell corporate
clients should expect of Dell premier technical support. If
you are not, I would like you to transfer this request to an
appropriate manager. I regard Dell's response to my
inquiry (your response excepted) as a serious breach of its
commitment to provide quality technical support for its
products, and wish to have Dell's own explanation of this
case.


Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Fri, 09 Aug 2002 14:34:34 CDT

Mr. Boster,

I am the manager for online technical support. I have reviewed
the email and spoken with both technicians about how it was handled.

Our support for the operating system is limited to assistance
with installation of the operating system and drivers. Advanced
operating system troubleshooting (such as use of the Windows 2000
recovery console) is not part of our basic technical support.

I hope you were able to use the article on Microsoft's web site
to resolve your issue.

Respectfully,
Keith Rihn
Dell E-Support and Services
http://premiersupport.dell.com

Date: Sat, 10 Aug 02 08:50

Dear Mr. Rihn,

I gather from your response that Dell regards
updating the defect map on a hard drive with chkdsk
to be an operating system function and therefore not
the responsibility of Dell technical support. Hence,
Dell regards Mr. Singh's and Mr. Giri's responses to
my requests for information as entirely consistent
with the standards of support that corporate clients
using Dell premier technical support should expect.
Are these inferences correct?

Sincerely,
James Boster

Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 14:26:34 CDT

Mr. Boster,

I apologize that your previous emails were not properly handled.

Our support attempts to assist you with troubleshooting the hardware,
and assist with reinstalling the factory installed operating
system and drivers.

Since the initial report stated that the hard drive failed a
diagnostic program, the solution according to our support policy
would be to replace the hard drive according to the service contract
purchased with the system.

Respectfully,
Keith Rihn
Dell E-Support and Services
Online Technical Support
http://premiersupport.dell.com




My experience with Dell technical support does not seem to be unique. The links below connect to a few of the people with similar experiences to mine.
Coda.
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