(c/o the IP list) < snip >
From: Art Wolinsky Within minutes of my post hitting IP, I had about a half-dozen replies. One suggested that I go to MSCONFIG and stop it from loading and another basically said, good luck, the only way you're going to get rid of it is by formatting the hard drive. I decided do some more digging and figured I'd have to bite the bullet and pay the fee to get it off. Here's what transpired. Here is the exact alert I received today that started it all... New and Improved Dell Support 3 Coming Soon! Dell Support 2.x will be automatically upgraded via the Internet to the new Dell Support 3 by June 1st. No user interaction is required. Dell Support 3 conducts real-time scans of your computing environment (PC, peripherals and network devices) for potential technical support and security issues, sends an alert when an issue arises, offering advice and in many cases the option to choose to run an automated fix. To learn more about what it monitors, click here." NOTE: If you do not want to receive the upgrade, you need to uninstall Dell Support through Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel. Pay particular attention to the part about Add or Remove Programs. Guess what folks. You CAN'T remove it that way. I paid $49.95 plus tax to have the tech tell me that the software is on a ghost partition of the drive and the only way to get rid of it is to reformat the drive. I would like someone from Dell to explain to me why I am told to remove it through the Add or Remove Programs panel, when it can't be done. I it because people would be a tad bit upset if the said, "If you do not want to receive the upgrade, you need reformat your hard drive." Personally, I feel this puts Dell right in the same category with the spyware folks we all know and love. The tech was quick to point out at there are plenty of other utilities that report information back to companies. To that I replied, yes, and every one of them gives me the option of not installing it or purchasing it. Even the worst spyware can be removed without reformatting a hard drive. Dell's software is going on my computer whether I like it or not and the only way I can prevent it is to do a full data back up, reformat my hard drive, and spend the next 3-4 day reinstalling all of my software. I really don't think that's worth paying $50+ to find out. At that point, I asked him to put me in contact with someone who could refund the $49.95 plus tax that I had just paid. I was connected and without a great deal of difficulty or undue time, I did get the refund. As things stand, Dell will be losing me as a customer. ... The original note.... > My Dell laptop came configured with Dell Support loading on the tray. (It's > about 6 months old.) From time to time a bubble pops up with an alert. > Normally I just click them closed without reading them. For some reason, I > looked at today's alert. It informed me that on June 3, they will > AUTOMATICALLY install Dell Support 3.0 on my computer and that the new > software will monitor my system and send updates back to Dell to insure that > my software is running properly. It further explained that if I did not want > Dell Support 3.0 installed on my computer, I would have to remove Dell Support > via the Add/Remove Programs menu. > > I have enough loaded on my tray already, and I just upgraded memory to improve > performance. No way do I want this software on my computer. No problem... I'll > go uninstall it. The only problem is that it will not uninstall. > > OK, let's call Dell tech support. After a 20 minute wait and another 15-20 > minutes of unsuccessful attempts. I am transferred to the software division. > After explaining my problem the "non-technical advisor" she begins advising me > of the three different payment options I have for resolving my problem. > > Wait a minute... Let me see if I have this right. You installed Dell Support > on my computer and then tell me that if I don't want the upgrade, I'm going to > have to pay you help me get off what you put on? > > After some discussion, it is absolutely clear that is the case with "no > exceptions". Any software support I need, no matter what the nature of that > support, I am going to have to pay for. > > I would have absolutely no problem paying for support on any software that I > have installed or modified, but to me this amounts to either extortion or a > support system that needs to be fixed. If the system is so inflexible that > people that I spoke with have their hand tied and can't rectify this obvious > inequity, something is wrong. > > Now besides this issue, I have a problem if the only way people are being > notified about this upgrade is thorough the alert bubble. If I understand > things correctly, Dell Support 3.0 is significantly different from what is > currently installed. It would see to me that changes significantly increase > the intrusion into my computer . Shouldn't I be notified in some other way > than an alert bubble. If an e-mail was sent out on this, I have either not > received it or my spam filter ate it. > > Am I being unreasonable to expect Dell to assist me in removing the software? You are a subscribed member of the infowarrior list. Visit www.infowarrior.org for list information or to unsubscribe. This message may be redistributed freely in its entirety. Any and all copyrights appearing in list messages are maintained by their respective owners.
