HP support of RestorePlus! CD

From Gripe Wiki

I had a recent support experience with HP that was both somewhat positive, and disappointingly negative.

In another article (Symantec NAV Support), I describe difficulties installing NAV 2006. Turned out to be a corrupt OS install on my HP Pavillian laptop.

So, the laptop goes onto my "workbench" for a reload.

I dug out the RestorePlus CD and booted to a message indicating that this CD doesn't support the system I had booted to. Hmmm.

After some head scratching (and multiple re-attempts), I decided that the new motherboard chipset must be just enough different to confuse the OEM restore CD. As this was only the HP restore CD, not the OS CD (which was a separate CD), I wondered if I could download a more up to date restore CD image. Couldn't find that, but did happen across a "live chat" tech support link.

So, I figured I'd ask a "real" person.

The Chat session was handy, and the person pleasant. We had several exchanges, that concluded with my being advised to go to the store and buy a retail copy of XP.

What?!

My OS CD wasn't causing me grief. It was HP's restore CD. Could I download the restore CD, or have one shipped to me? After all, if I'm having this issue, it's because of a new motherboard replaced under warranty. Shouldn't I expect to be able to still reload my system on the new motherboard?

Sorry, no, I'll have to buy a new XP retail CD.

But, what about the proprietary HP software, drivers, "special fixes", etc. on the restore CD.

No, you'll have to get a new XP CD.

I tried to re-emphasize that my OS CD was just fine (and separate). But, this went no where.

So, my positive spin is that the off-hours (Saturday afternoon) access to tech support via chat was kind of handy, and (had it led to a solution) would have been very nice.

My dissappointment is that there was no budging on the idea that I could not possibly be provided with a working restore CD (HP proprietary CD not OS CD) to support a new motherboard that had been installed as a warranty repair item.

I didn't press this issue any further because about this point in my exchange with the tech support person, I was beginning to realize (to my shagrin) that I'd pulled out the restore CD for my daughter's HP desktop machine. So, of course this restore CD was not going to work on my laptop.

I closed the chat session with the admission of my error, and then went in search of where I'd stored the correct CDs.

I'm happy to report that as I write this, I've successfully reinstalled the OS, and am slowly making my way through my checklist of software installs/machine set up.

So, in the end the chat session wasn't even needed. However, had it been needed, it was nice to have access. But, I'm very dissapointed at the recommended solution for the situation that I had reported.

There has got to be a better response to that situation.