COMPLAINT

  • Thread starter Thread starter George
  • Start date Start date
G

George

On Monday 26.03.2004 I checked the Windows XP site and
found no critical updates. However, Windows XP checker
recommended two driver upgrades. One for the ATI driver
and two the sound card driver. I chose both. Since that
moment my problems started! I get random freezing of the
computer. Nothing works anymore and I have to reboot
every time. The error report attributes this to the ATI
driver. I tried to contact Microsoft by email to no
avail. Their support site has become so cumbersome, so
user unfriendly, so remote and distant from the consumer
that one does not even want to continue asking for
support anymore. Nobody can even complain to them
directly, let alone get descent help. Their on-line tech
support refers me to the ATI site to get support from
them. When I tried to get online support and entered the
product ID required they referred me back to the hardware
manufacturer because the software is OEM. After all it
was on the Microsoft site that the driver upgrade was
recommended and installed. I want to complain not because
I like it but because it is after their recommendation
(on-line checker) that I upgraded the ATI driver which
now gives me endless problems. It is unacceptable! And it
is even more aggravating that one cannot even have direct
access by email to them and tell them how arrogant they
have become.

This message is sent on this site in the hope that
somebody at Microsoft will notice it and who is not so
arrogant to service the public who after all made
Microsoft what it is today. This whole incident is
outrageous!

Georges Kriemadis
Fax: +1-973-4538195, Email: (e-mail address removed)
 
Well George
i think i can help you. If you go to ati's website and downloaad the newest drivers for your video card, and the drivers for what ever sound card you have, and re-install them. i believe this will eliminate you problem. if it continues, you should goto ADD/REMOVE PROGRAMS and try to locate the driver you got from Microsoft

Hopefully, this will solve your problem, and hopefully you learned something out of this. (which would be, 'doen't trust micosofts version of your drivers; get them from teh manufactuers instead

BlueGeek out,
 
| On Monday 26.03.2004 , Windows XP checker
| recommended two driver upgrades. One for the ATI driver
| and two the sound card driver. I chose both. Since that
| moment my problems started! |
| Georges Kriemadis
| Fax: +1-973-4538195, Email: (e-mail address removed)
|

For future reference, don't use the drivers from the Windows update site.
Get them from the manufacturer of the device. (like I need to tell you that
now <g>)

Secondly, just because a driver update is available doesn't mean you should
use it. There is usually documentation available in conjunction with the
update that describes what is *new* in the new version. If it addresses some
problem you are having or provides some new functionality that you
desire/require get it. (the update) If not and your present version is
trouble free leave well enough alone. (Microsoft's Update site drivers may
not have that information available but you don't want to get your drivers
there anyway.)

Lastly Windows XP provides for going back to the previous version of a
driver with just a couple of clicks. Opening Windows Help and searching
"Driver Roll Back" reveals the following.

Feature: Device Driver Roll Back
When to use it: When the only change you want to undo is the updating of a
device driver (other than a printer driver). You must be logged on as an
administrator.
What it does: Reinstalls the driver you were using previously and restores
any driver settings that were changed when you added the new driver. Affects
no other files or settings.
To roll back to the previous version of a driver

1.. Open Device Manager.
2.. Right-click the device for which you want to reinstall the previous
version of the driver, then click Properties.
3.. Click the Drivers tab.
4.. Click Roll Back Driver.
Notes

a.. To open Device Manager, click Start, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click System. On the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.
b.. You must be logged on as an administrator or a member of the
Administrators group in order to complete this procedure. If your computer
is connected to a network, network policy settings may also prevent you from
completing this procedure.
c.. If you are not an administrator or a member of the Administrators
group, you can use Run as to perform certain administrator functions. For
more information on how to use Run as, see Related Topics.

--
D

I'm not an MVP a VIP nor do I have ESP.
I was just trying to help.
Please use your own best judgment before implementing any suggestions or
advice herein.
No warranty is expressed or implied.
Your mileage may vary.
See store for details. :)

Remove shoes to E-mail.
 
George said:
On Monday 26.03.2004 I checked the Windows XP site and
found no critical updates. However, Windows XP checker
recommended two driver upgrades. One for the ATI driver
and two the sound card driver. I chose both. Since that
moment my problems started! I get random freezing of the
computer. Nothing works anymore and I have to reboot
every time. The error report attributes this to the ATI
driver. I tried to contact Microsoft by email to no
avail. Their support site has become so cumbersome, so
user unfriendly, so remote and distant from the consumer
that one does not even want to continue asking for
support anymore. Nobody can even complain to them
directly, let alone get descent help. Their on-line tech
support refers me to the ATI site to get support from
them. When I tried to get online support and entered the
product ID required they referred me back to the hardware
manufacturer because the software is OEM. After all it
was on the Microsoft site that the driver upgrade was
recommended and installed. I want to complain not because
I like it but because it is after their recommendation
(on-line checker) that I upgraded the ATI driver which
now gives me endless problems. It is unacceptable! And it
is even more aggravating that one cannot even have direct
access by email to them and tell them how arrogant they
have become.

This message is sent on this site in the hope that
somebody at Microsoft will notice it and who is not so
arrogant to service the public who after all made
Microsoft what it is today. This whole incident is
outrageous!
Click to expand...


Downloading non-Microsoft device drivers from Microsoft is never a good
idea.
It is much like giving your unmunged email address or phone number in a
publicly available, worldwide distributed forum - it is asking for trouble.

Having said that, I believe your solution is decently obvious. Visit the
following web site and choose the correct driver from the manufacturer of
your card and download/install it.

http://www.atitech.com/support/driver.html

Once you have done this, remember that in the future, you should get only
genuine drivers straight from the correct source. You likely would not
order a replacement part for your Jaguar XLS or Porsche from Honda, nor
should you trust that the hardware device driver Microsoft is trying to push
to you (that you actually have to go elsewhere and SELECT in an automatic
update scenario) is better than the one the original equipment manufacturer
would allow you to get for free. In other words, unless you have a
Microsoft piece of hardware, ignore the drivers section all together on the
Microsoft sites.

Hope that this helps you and prevents you from having similar trouble in the
future.
Always remember.. "Guinea-fowls are a lot more difficult to hunt down than
pigeons." and "The victim once more, the white Zimbabwean farmer."
 
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