Dell complaints

ziggy2001_ca · Discovering Dellhate Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

I have an Inspiron 1720 that makes a "ticking" / "clicking" sound that is coming from the LEFT side, next to the touchpad. I believe this is where the hard drive is located. I contacted Dell (!) and it was shipped off to them. It was returned to me with the DVD Drive replaced (which is now wobbling) and the ticking sound is still there.

Anyone have any ideas if that noise is the hard drive and if so, I will contact Dell again. Any suggestions/ideas welcome. Many thanks.

dennisl59 · MDh--Master of Dellhateology Joined: 17 Dec 2008 Posts: 94

You have opened the Modern Pandora's Box. Be prepared for Hell on Earth courtesy of Dell Customer Technical Support. You can pray, curse, throw the dishes, burn the house down, offer sacrifices and every other ritual known to man. But you will not find relief, pity or mercy from Dell. You have my sympathy and prayers. Good Luck.

ziggy2001_ca · Discovering Dellhate Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

Many thanks dennisl59 for your reply. I have to think of some other sacrifices!!! lol. I have been unfortunate enough to have dealt with the so-called technical team at Dell who are as much use as a chocolate fireguard.

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 8:54 pm Post subject:

Given the incompetence/indifference of Dell's depot repair contractors, you're lucky you got it back 'working' and only slightly worse than it was. By some accounts, you're lucky you got it back at all.

See if the click coincides with any other activity. Like the drive light. HDDs do make noises, and they don't necessarily mean something is wrong, but sometimes they do.
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Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'

ziggy2001_ca · Discovering Dellhate Joined: 09 Jun 2009 Posts: 3

Thanks Rocke_T_Sinetist. I've been looking to see if the ticking corresponds to the LED light but it doesn't. I am going to get in touch with (can I swear on the forum....) DELL again and ask them whats going on. Heres hopin'!

Rocke_T_Sinetist · Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 11:00 am Post subject:

I'm betting they tell you "that's normal" or "they all do that". Y'see, the folks telling you these things have never even so much as seen the product, much less know what's inside it or what makes it work--or click.

Without hearing it myself, I couldn't guess what it is. I haven't seen the product either. My last Dell laughtop platform was in early 2001.

If you just tell them "it clicks", their script won't give them the answer. They only 'know' what the script tells them. But if you narrowed it down to "the speaker clicks" they would have something to go on. They would probably tell you to reinstall Windows several times, then if you kept calling back and escalating eventually they would send you a motherboard.

How often is this click? It's very hard to diagnose noises in text, because one person's click is another person's buzz.
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Rocke T Sinetist
as in, 'it doesn't take a...'