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» Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE   » Community   » Film-Yak   » Annoying Dell Pop Ups (Page 1)

 
This topic comprises 2 pages: 1  2   
Author Topic: Annoying Dell Pop Ups
Bobby Henderson
"Ask me about Trajan."

Posts: 10973
From: Lawton, OK, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

- posted 08-07-2006 11:24 PM      Profile for Bobby Henderson   Email Bobby Henderson   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Does anyone else besides me really hate the "Dell Support Maintenance Channel" and its annoying pop ups, which always seem to rise up from the taskbar like a zombie from the dead at the time when you least want them to do so?

-

Most people who have bought Dell desktop or notebook computers in recent years have seen pop ups like that.

But that's not the most irritating thing I find on a monitor.

The absolute MOST IRRITATING thing I find on a monitor is the "Head On" TV commercial. The people who came up with it should be viciously assaulted by a skinhead gang with baseball bats. Each time they swing they shout:
"HEAD ON! APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!"
"HEAD ON! APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!"
"HEAD ON! APPLIED DIRECTLY TO THE FOREHEAD!"
[Razz]

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Adam Martin
I'm not even gonna point out the irony.

Posts: 3686
From: Dallas, TX
Registered: Nov 2000

- posted 08-07-2006 11:29 PM      Profile for Adam Martin   Author's Homepage   Email Adam Martin       Edit/Delete Post 
Never seen either one. I have two Dells purchased in the last year.

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Anslem Rayburn
Master Film Handler

Posts: 476
From: Yuma, AZ, USA
Registered: May 2002

- posted 08-07-2006 11:55 PM      Profile for Anslem Rayburn   Email Anslem Rayburn   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
You can always remove the Dell Support software :

Dell Support Removal

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

- posted 08-08-2006 12:01 AM      Profile for Joe Redifer   Author's Homepage   Email Joe Redifer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I don't understand why anyoe would purchase a Dell. If you're gonna use a PC, you might as well build it yourself from scratch.

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Mike Blakesley
Film God

Posts: 12767
From: Forsyth, Montana
Registered: Jun 99

- posted 08-08-2006 01:05 AM      Profile for Mike Blakesley   Author's Homepage   Email Mike Blakesley   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Some of us are too busy to do that.

I hate the "head on" commercial too - I've seen it on TV. The dumbest thing is, THEY DON'T TELL YOU WHAT THE STUPID PRODUCT DOES. Is it a headache remedy? Zit remover? Temporary forehead tattoo? WHAT?!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

- posted 08-08-2006 01:15 AM      Profile for Brad Miller   Author's Homepage   Email Brad Miller       Edit/Delete Post 
I have never seen this either, and I've had two Dell laptops over the last two years, a friend also bought a Dell laptop and has not seen these, plus one of the companies I tech for uses Dell exclusively and their IT guy has never heard of this either.

Is it possible you are installing something extra that is not standard?

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Allison Parsons
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 630
From: East Peoria, IL
Registered: Oct 2004

- posted 08-08-2006 01:33 AM      Profile for Allison Parsons   Author's Homepage   Email Allison Parsons   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I've get firmwear pop ups for my burner, and something else. It's always when I have my sound up kinda high, and then it pops up and scares the piss out of me.

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Leo Enticknap
Film God

Posts: 7474
From: Loma Linda, CA
Registered: Jul 2000

- posted 08-08-2006 04:21 AM      Profile for Leo Enticknap   Author's Homepage   Email Leo Enticknap   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Joe Redifer
I don't understand why anyoe would purchase a Dell. If you're gonna use a PC, you might as well build it yourself from scratch.
For desktop PCs, I agree completely. That option doesn't exist for laptops, of which I've owned or used through work 4 in the last five years: two Dells, an HP/Compaq and an Acer. All come preloaded with an OS image which is full of that sort of shite, and I found that the only way to totally rid yourself of it is to completely repartition and reformat the hard drive, then install your own Windows image on it from scratch.

My routine has now evolved as follows:

  • Ensure you have all the device drivers and applications software needed before starting. Drivers can usually be downloaded from the manufacturer's website, though you might have to register with them (give a fictitious email address to avoid spam).
  • Ensure you have a proper Windows installation CD, not just one which restores the manufacturer's system image. If you're using a Windows CD which didn't come with the computer, make sure the install key on the laptop will work with it first.
  • Flash in the latest BIOS update, plus any firmware updates which are available (e.g. for the optical drive).
  • Boot using a Drive Image or Norton Ghost CD, and repartition the hard drive into C: (system) and D: (documents/data). This will massively reduce fragging in use, and also mean that should a virus or spyware ever necessitate a cleanout of C:, you can nuke it without losing any documents. I usually partition 15gb for C - all Windows XP will ever need unless you're going to install tons of applications - and the rest for D:.
  • Install Windows.
  • Activate Windows, then immediately install Zone Alarm (before establishing any Internet connection) and then run Windows Update. If you need to install a driver to establish an Internet connection (e.g. for a dialup modem, LAN or wireless card), do this before Zone Alarm, so that the latter recognises your communication device on installation.
  • Windows Update will probably do some of the device drivers, but not all. Once this process is done, do the rest of them, but skip the shitty 'Dell easy advisor', 'Acer SnazzyAds' and all that rubbish.
  • Install applications, configure and tweak. There are various system settings which I find make a laptop easier and quicker to use (e.g. splitting the page file between C: and D:, map 'My Documents' to a folder in D:), and if you're going to be using the thing for years it's worth taking a few hours to get them right.
  • Defrag the system drive.
  • Reboot using a Drive Image (or equivalent) CD, then make a system image backup of C: on D:. Once you're back in Windows, back this up onto CDs or DVDs, and you have a fresh system image that you can put back onto C: should you ever have a big problem. Once the system image backup is done, switch off Windows System Restore - it only slows down the computer and hoovers hard disc space.
It takes me about a day per laptop to do this, but I've found that this is a very worthwhile investment of time to get a bullshit-free system image plus the insurance policy of being able to reinstall Windows exactly as you want it quickly and easily if it should ever get corrupted.

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Thomas King
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 119
From: Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Registered: Oct 2004

- posted 08-08-2006 08:47 AM      Profile for Thomas King   Author's Homepage   Email Thomas King   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
You can turn it off really easily by rightclicking the system tray icon, going to options, and telling it not to start with windows.

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David Stambaugh
Film God

Posts: 4021
From: Eugene, Oregon
Registered: Jan 2002

- posted 08-08-2006 09:45 AM      Profile for David Stambaugh   Author's Homepage   Email David Stambaugh   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Joe Redifer
I don't understand why anyoe would purchase a Dell. If you're gonna use a PC, you might as well build it yourself from scratch.
Heh. I support 55 users. If I had to deal with building PCs from scratch and supporting them, I'd probably end up slitting my wrists. Dell rocks for corporate customers. The only people who should tackle building their own PC is geeks like us, for personal use.

Dell still provides a Windows XP CD for new PCs (for $10 extra). It's a pure, clean install of XP without all the extra crap. It requires no installation key or activation. When we buy new Dells, I power them up to make sure they're not DOA (which has never happened), then nuke them. None of that factory-installed crap is an issue. I have Ghost images for each basic model of Dell so I can usually have a basic install done, with Office and a lot of other stuff we use, in about 15 mins.

The stuff Bobby is talking about is mostly uninstallable.

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Bruce McGee
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1776
From: Asheville, NC USA... Nowhere in Particular.
Registered: Aug 1999

- posted 08-08-2006 11:35 AM      Profile for Bruce McGee   Email Bruce McGee   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
HEAD ON is a migrain relief product, and YES, I get one when that damn commercial plays... They should be killed.

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Dustin Mitchell
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1865
From: Mondovi, WI, USA
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 08-08-2006 12:32 PM      Profile for Dustin Mitchell   Email Dustin Mitchell   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Knowing someone who gets horrible migraines though the stuff actually does help.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

- posted 08-08-2006 04:06 PM      Profile for Joe Redifer   Author's Homepage   Email Joe Redifer   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Leo Enticknap
For desktop PCs, I agree completely. That option doesn't exist for laptops
I cannot stand laptops. They are so... inferior! I can understand why theater technicians use them for their silly little R4D9 THX programs or whatever. And I can understand why some common-fuck people use them as well... they travel. But for me a laptop would be completely useless. They also shouldn't be so inferior to their desktop counterparts. They have wimpy/slow hard drives, slower CPUs and crappier versions of everything just to save battery power. And you pay bunches more for all of this inferiority.

And yes, that includes Mac laptops. They suck as well.

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Steve Scott
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1300
From: Minneapolis, MN
Registered: Sep 2000

- posted 08-08-2006 04:42 PM      Profile for Steve Scott   Email Steve Scott   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
HeadOn is another example of laziness in advertising. Unless you've seen the longer ad, the average person must be left to wonder WHY THE HELL IS SHE RUBBING IT ON HER HEAD?! What is the symptom?

Like so many other ads I see floating around the internet on billboards, it seems like the people writing these ads would rather just get away from doing their jobs, but still get paid.

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Phil Hill
I love my cootie bug

Posts: 7595
From: Hollywood, CA USA
Registered: Mar 2000

- posted 08-08-2006 05:52 PM      Profile for Phil Hill   Email Phil Hill       Edit/Delete Post 
quote: Dustin Mitchell
Knowing someone who gets horrible migraines though the stuff actually does help.
BFD! Why do the 99% rest of us that don't get those have to put up with their asshole ADS?

They should follow up with "BUTT ON" to relieve the pain in the ass to negate their STUPIT SPAM!

I agree with Bruce and Steve, they should be tortured and then KILLED!

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