The Letterville BullBoard: Scanner Problems

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Posted by Raymond Chapman (Member # 361) on :

For those of you who have been helping me through my scanner problems, I thought I would bring you up to date.

After buying a new Dell system my HP scanner would not place an image after scanning it. Many of you suggested possible solutions and all were tried - but with no success. Dell Technical Support offered 17 pages of possibilities, but no remedy. Tech support from HP, Adobe, Microsoft and Dell all had a turn in trying to find a solution. Dell even sent out a guy with a new hard drive, but still the problem was there. A local computer shop tried their magic for a week, but came up blank.

Today, Dell has agreed to send me a new system, so I guess the real problem will never be known.

From the past three months of dealing with every tech support person on the planet I have come to several conclusions. First, it is always someone else's fault. No one will take responsibility for anything.

Second - it is almost impossible to talk to a real person. Every call entails a long list of menus (some of which take you in a full circle)or suggestions that you use the internet. Even when finally getting a live person you have to explain your problem over and over and then be put on hold and transfered, only to have to go through the whole explanation again, along with every ID number you can imagine.

One of the most frustrating things is to explain the problem and have the Tech say, "Is the scanner plugged in?", after you have just explained that it will scan the image but not place it. Then they begin to read from the list of things to do that they previously suggested that you download off the web.

This morning I spent two hours on the phone trying to get someone to give me a return authorization number. I was transferred back and forth from technical support to customer service. I was first told that they could not accept the computer back because I had had the system for over 30 days - for three months I have been trying to get them to tell me what was wrong with the thing and then they inform me that the 30 day return policy period has passed.

Thanks for listening to the spewings. I am going to go letter something by hand just to reassure myself that it is possible to achieve something without the aid of an electrical cord.

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Chapman Sign Studio
Temple, Texas
rchapman@vvm.com

[This message has been edited by Raymond Chapman (edited January 03, 2001).]

Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :

Just think how bad it would be if it was someone else other than Dell. I know what you are talking about, hardware people blame the software and vice versa(always).
I have had my share of voice mail limbo, to the point of giving up on any service,from Sprint to E-stores and more. I really believe that the myth of the new economy is just that, a myth. Just to return a faulty computer item, has taken almost a month from time of getting RMA #, pickup by UPS, and refund. The refund is due anyday.
If this was a store all of it could have been handled in a couple of days.
I'm glad your problem is finally over.

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Wright Signs
Wyandotte, Michigan
Since 1978
http://www.wrightsigns.bigstep.com

Posted by Ryan Ursta (Member # 1738) on :

Scream scream scream..... thats what i do when somthing goes bad and i need tech support ..... i know where youre coming from i called compaq with modem problems last month i went through the "stupid" questions and solutions.... i knew it was the modem itself but they wouldnt have it ... they just kept giving me the runaround. Finally i said "Look bud..... if you dont send me a new modem im packin this thing up and "I demand a full refund +25% for the downtime i have without a pc. He sent a tech out the next day with a new modem. Just scream it works every time !!! Im happy .... they are happy !!

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Ryan Ursta
Ursta Graphics
27 West Shenango St.
Sharpsville Pa. 16150
Call: 724•962•2206
"letters of Recommendation"

Known as "Ugraph" on mirc

Posted by Jerry Mathel (Member # 526) on :

I just had almost the same problem but it was quite satisfactorily resolved. I just purchased a new puter from Staples. I set everything up just the way I thought it should be, but the scanner wouldn't work. Puter said it couldn't find the scanner, and something was wrong with the "twain" ???

One phone call and a trip back to Staples with my tower and scanner and their tech had it back up and running in about 5 minutes. It was something in the software programming which needed to be changed.

I have always been a little leery of buying from "discount chains", but believe me, I have nothing but good things to say about Staples and their computer service.

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Jerry Mathel
Jerry Mathel Signs
Grants Pass, Oregon
signs@grantspass.com

Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :

To defend the computer guys (cause I am one myself) whenever you order a machine, have the manufacturer or builder setup the drivers and software for your own peripherals for you BEFORE they ship it out.

The builders have unlimited resources and they can test the machine with virtually ANY other device you may have, all before the machine gets shipped.. provided your peripherals arent too outdated.

When you start dealing with communications ports on computers, it's a crap shoot, even for the techs with the machine sitting right in front of them. Ya just never know what's gonna happen because despite the fact everything comes off an assembly line, every part is different.

Then there's people like me who have every conceivable port on the machine taken already and have to resort to swapping devices in order to use them all. =)

I'm not about to update everything to USB or FireWire. It's bad enough I have to lay out $1200 for a new FireWire scanner because the laptop I want to get doesnt have the SCSI interface that my current scanner needs to operate. =)

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Mike Pipes
Digital Illusion Custom Graphics
Lake Havasu City, AZ
http://www.stickerpimp.com

Posted by Dennis Veenema (Member # 833) on :

I'm glad your're getting a new machine from Dell, Raymond, I just don't understand what took so long.

They should have known that the problem was motherboard related not on the hard drive.

It's amazing the little things that can be wrong on a motherboard. And like Mike said com ports are a crap shoot. Windows, BIOS, and everything else can show them as working but...you just never know.

Glad you got it worked out but Dell should know better. And your local computer guy should know...I stress the "should know" part, but they don't train them like they used to. When I got my PC tech degree 11 years ago you had to know everything...including how to fix a motherboard.

Good luck with the new one.

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Dennis Veenema
The Sign Shop
Dresden, Ont.
&
GigaBytes Plus
"Where the plus is the service!"

Posted by Greg Gulliford (Member # 170) on :

...but are you 100% sure that the scaner was plugged in and turned on???

Sorry, I just had to throw that in 'cause God only knows how many "techies" have asked me this! Do they think we are just plain old stupid???
Glad you got your problem solved.

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Greg Gulliford
aka MetroDude
Metro Signs and Banners
1403 N. Greene St. #1
Spokane, WA 99202
509-536-9452

mail@metrosignsandbanners.com

Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :

Don't Laugh Greg, I built a system for my brother in law, he called me up one day after a few weeks saying the sound didn't work I tried everything over the phone. I even asked him if he had them plugged in. So I drive over to his house only to find the speakers plugged into the mic port on the sound card.

Up to that point he was treating me like I sold him a piece of ****.

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Bob Rochon
Creative Signworks
Millbury, MA
bob@creativesignworks.com

"Some people's kids"

Posted by Kevin L. Kleinhans (Member # 1263) on :

My first puter was a Dell, straight from gerber. 386-33SL, What a machine. Then I outgrew it. My second I had the local puter shop build for me. Waited forever, to this day its not right, and they got paid very little. My 3rd & 4th puters came from Wal-mart. A friend helped me swap everything and they both have worked flawless. Then I upgrade to Omega, and I wish Gerber would get off their butt and send me the "upgrade"
that is the cure for the new program. I cant wait, its a much improved program butt mid december is passed by and now I am being told, end of January. Whats Up With That?

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Kevin L. Kleinhans
Alma Signs
(Signs Be Me)
Alma, Michigan
517 463-6851

Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :

THAT'S why I love a Mac. Plug & play baby, plug & play. Windows may have copied the way mac's look, but they sure didn't copy the way they run.

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Dave Sherby
"Sandman"
SherWood Sign & Graphic Design
Crystal Falls, MI 49920
906-875-6201
ICQ: 21604027
sherwood@up.net

Posted by Mikes Mischeif (Member # 1744) on :

I too had trouble getting my updates disks from gerber until I e-mailed them that I would hang around thier display booth at the USSC show to tell potential customers that updates never show on time...Came the next day ...fed-ex!

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Mike Duncan
Lettercraft Signs
Alexandria VA

" I set aside a few minutes everyday for myself, Then I am able to take off for a week at the end of the year"

Posted by Kelli (Member # 248) on :

I feel your frustration. It's worse when you realize you'll never know what the problem was. I have a friend who had had some remodeling done of her office and had her computer eqpt packed away while it was being done. When she set it back up, she could not get the scanner to work. She spent a lot of time on line with support to no avail. She finally went out and bought a new one and put the old one in the garage to toss out with the trash. I came by one day and helped her with another computer problem and she told me about the scanner thing. I looked at it and lo and behold, she had never unlocked the scanning mechanism. Too bad the tech hadn't asked her THAT question! lol

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Kelli Cajigas aka Janda
Dolphin deSigns & Banners
“A satisfied customer will tell two friends, a dissatisfied customer will tell ten.”

Posted by Jim Upchurch (Member # 209) on :

I don't know what you mean my placing an image. It could be that the tech support had trouble with the terminology. The few times I've fooled with HP stuff I had problems. Seems like their hardware is good but the software is weird. I would love for PCs to be as hardware friendly as Macs but I don't like being limited to one company for much of the computer hardware.

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"hooked on fonix"
Olympia WA

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