Disgusted with PC Builder

linktoinsanity · 3 Aug 2009 at 10:15

I don't know who the guy is personally, but my grandpa (who has been staying with us this weekend) bought a PC off this guy 3 years ago, which didn't come with any CDs for installing OS/drivers and now the version of XP on there has come up with the black background and genuine advantage thing.

Now I'm no angel when it comes to these things, but I have never and would never sell a PC on to someone with a pirated version of Windows especially with the person assuming it was all fine and legal. Especially not an 85 or so year-old who has no chance of understanding anything about this.

I told my grandpa to put the address of the guy in the validation thing (where you have to pay £95) and hope he gets some form of fine.

My grandfather is on a pension and doesn't have £95 to spend on a legal OS (so I'm trying to get him sorted with a new copy of Windows 7 when it is released).

At the very least though £65 or so for XP Home is what I'll have to do, not to mention travelling all the way to Lancashire to sort out the blasted thing!

Sorry for the rant but had to vent!

linktoinsanity · 3 Aug 2009 at 10:35

Paul11 said:
also, why didnt you go with your grandpa 3 years ago to buy his pc ?

Reason is in my post. He lives in Lancashire and I live in Kent. I would have built him one myself, but distance to travel to support it would be unrealistic.

linktoinsanity · 3 Aug 2009 at 10:53

Rainmaker said:
So let me get this right. Your 85 year old grandfather has been ripped off, blatantly I might add, and is now screwed? I'm in Lancashire mate - sod driving up from Kent specially. Email in trust.

The computer is still working, so will leave it running as is for the time being (just has that annoying message at the bottom). I will wait a couple of months for 7 to be released then I'll rethink it.

Thanks for the offer too, may well speak to my grandfather about it and will contact you if necessary

linktoinsanity · 3 Aug 2009 at 15:27

marc2003 said:
but who knows what spec this machine is? we've already established the guy who sold it is a cowboy. it might be some hunk of junk even though it is only 3 years old. it might not even be capable of running windows 7.

This tbh. I've shown my grandfather how to use dxdiag, should mean he can read off the specs back to me over the phone at some point, which should help with this problem...

Dunno quite what to expect really. Blasted Cowboys!

linktoinsanity · 3 Aug 2009 at 23:26

Thank you raptor monkey, I shall take a look.