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images Both of my Windows 7 RC PC’s were having network problems this morning. Both PC’s were on however network connectivity to the internet kept dropping and reconnecting. At first I thought it was just my new PC however when my wife told me that she had a problem I was skeptical. What was odd was my work laptop running Windows XP was on and did not have a problem, however both Windows 7 RC PC’s could not connect to the internet.

I rebooted both boxes and swapped out the ethernet cable on my PC but that did not work. I rebooted my Linksys router but that did not work so I rebooted my cable modem and then rebooted both PC’s again and that resolved the problem.  I really do not know what happened but I will investigate later tonight.

For the last month I have been the Family Computer Repairman, working thru 3 different issues and setting up 3 new computers. This is a common occurrence for those folks who work in the computer field, however when it comes in spurts like this it becomes time consuming.

My brother and I worked with my father to get him a new computer. We contributed on a new monitor and my father bought the computer. I went to Microcenter and picked up a Powerspec Computer with Windows XP, a dual core processor, 2gigs of Ram and a 500gig hard drive for $399.00. This is the perfect low end system which was a major upgrade for my Dad.

My sister-in-law Barbra got a new laptop, (a hand down from a friend) however it was a nice old HP laptop running Windows XP. I cleaned it up, defragged the drive, installed MacAfee and my favorite Spam preventer Trojan Remover, and convinced her to get a Cable modem. Now that everything is setup and working “I am a Genius” according to Barbra, however it really was the cable modem that I convinced her to get that made the difference.

After two or three trips to Microcenter in Cambridge I started looking at Quad Core systems and found a nice gateway for 629.00. It is a dual quad core with 4gig of ram, a 650gig hard drive, a decent video card and Vista Home Premium.

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I really started looking and I found similar configurations in $800.00 to $1,200.00 range depending on the configuration and the vendor, however I decided on the Gateway LX4710-01 from Microcenter and I am really pleased with speed and how quite this PC is.

I had been testing Windows 7 Beta at work and decided to put Windows 7 on my new PC, so I wiped the drive and installed Windows 7. What really jumped out at me was the fact that I did not have to go out and find drivers, everything just worked. I had and old 500gig external drive that I used to move my data from my old Pentium 3 PC and after installing the basics, I was in business.

Both Kevin and Cathie have IBM T60 laptops running XP. I rebuilt Kevin’s laptop about 6 months ago after it was infested with Spam bots and Viruses. Cathie’s laptop started acting funny but was in ok shape. Running MacAfee and Trojan Remover took care of most of Cathie’s problems with the exception of Yahoo widgets and an occasional network hang-up. After the Windows 7 success I had with my new PC I decided to wipe Cathie’s T60 and install Windows 7. Again, it was a nice clean install and everything worked.

So, after all this work I would certainly recommend staying away from Vista and would recommend waiting for Windows 7.

Just a quick update on my drawn out problem with Dell over my Dell E228WFP 22″ monitor. After 3 long series of phone calls, Dell called me back today and told me that they are shipping me a replacement for my 22″ monitor. The Manager that I spoke with created an order number and a tracking number for my issue and they will ship me a replacement monitor in 3 to 4 days.

Again, the problem was the fact the I did not have an order number because I purchased a Dell Monitor from a reseller and the reseller did not generate a Dell order number or any other type of Dell tracking number. How many other people have purchased Dell equipment through resellers, and my guess is a percentage of those folks have run into the same problem.

Dell Customer Service kept pushing this problem back on me and it was not until I escalated this issue and Dell agreed to create an order number for me, which started the process and enabled me to get a warranty replacement for my monitor.

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On August 14th, 2008 I purchased a Dell E228wfp 22″ LCD monitor from MicroCenter in Cambridge Ma. The monitor and wireless keyboard make a nice home desktop setup when I plug my work laptop (Dell 820) into the monitor and wireless keyboard. Every evening when I come home from work I plug my MIT laptop IMG_0242and keep and eye on work related issues while staying connected with friends on my home computer.

About 6 weeks ago the Dell monitor started acting flaky. The monitor would go black and it was not going into hibernation. I would be in the middle of typing and the picture would go black. I replaced the vga cable but that did not work, I brought my docking station home from work and tried that vga port and the digital port from the docking station but had the same problem. These two photos were take about 15 minutes apart and you can see the Dell monitor is black and hitting the space bar or any key does not help. The only way to resolve is to power off the monitor and then turn the power back on. When this starts to happen it occurs frequently and the only way to stop it is to turn off the monitor for long periods of time. 

I found a reference to the problem on the Dell Forums called “E228wfp shuts down every ten minutes” and decided to call Dell. After talking to three different folks I was told to go back to Micro Center and get the order #, the service tag # or IMG_0245the express service code. I went back and Micro Center and they reprinted my receipt and told me what the express service tag was (MT729-a01). I was traveling and finally call Dell back on Thursday evening however after talking with 2 different folks I was told that all of their systems were down and they could not lookup my service tag, so I had to call back in 6 hours.

I called back on Friday morning and again had the same problem. Apparently MT729-A01 is not the order #, the service tag # or the express service code so I struggle to work with the gentleman from Dell. I point out an article in the Dell Forums that outlines this problem called Dell E228WFP Backlight failure however without and order number they will not even begin the process. After 30 minutes on the phone, with no order number they want to start troubleshooting the problem to validate that there is a problem. I tell him that I have already validated the problem and have pointed him to similar examples, then I get upset and tell him that I am going to outline our conversation in the forums and in my blog and I immediately get moved to duty manager.

I spoke with Ashish who is the duty manager and after explaining the problems with my monitor, we quickly get the to heart of the problem which is that I do not have a order number. I have a valid monitor with a valid Dell serial number but Dell requires a order number. I am not happy and let Ashish know, and finally after 10 minutes on the phone with Ashish he agrees to start the process on his side and he will create and order number for me. Ashish explains that it will take up to 5 to 7 days to process this however for now the process has started.

Ashish asked me to complete one more test by unplugging the vga cable connected to the monitor and leave the monitor IMG_0248IMG_0250on but not connected to the computer. I had to leave for work but unplugged the vga cable on the back of the monitor and took a picture. When I came home from work the monitor was black so clearly there is a problem and it is similar to the issues related in the forums.

All that I am looking for is to replace my defective E228WFP. I guess I should have purchased this monitor directly from Dell as opposed to buying it in a retail organization, and if I had I would have had a new monitor by now, But, what about all the folks buying Dell products from retail organizations, are they going thru the same hassle when there is a problem? Dell could have handled this better and started this process three weeks ago when I first called. Dell already lost a sale as a result of this as I had to purchase a new computer for my father and went with a Micro Center PowerPC and a ViewSonic monitor.

So, my problem has not been resolved, but we do appear to have started the process.

More to follow ….

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IMG_0202 Both Cathie and I went to the FlatEarthTheatre presentation of Twelve Angry Jurors, and I have to say that it was the best presentation that I have seen from the FlatEarthTheatre. Now, for full disclosure, my son Kevin in one of the founders of “The FlatEarthTheatre Company” and he was the director of Twelve Angry Jurors, however I has seen this group of FlatEarther’s grow from Church Halls to the Arsenal Center for the Arts and I have witnessed how the group has worked through the fear and uncertainty of lining up enough actors and paying their bills to having a large enough following to repeat the process over and over with some success.

If you are interested in attending great productions in a very intimate setting, then you should check out the FlatEarthTheatre. If you would like to learn more about the FlatEarthTheatre you can visit their Web Page Here, their Facebook page here or sign up for their mailing list HERE .

So to the entire cast of the FlatEarthTheater, great job and keep up the good work.

Non-Work Projects

Going back to work tomorrow after a week at home. The week really flew by but Cathie is back on her feet and doing very well. Cathie’s sister Barbra also went in for surgery last week so I spent most of the week in two different hospitals. I have a lot of work related projects pending, however I spent most of my free time this past week on projects for me.

Kevin’s Projects:

I upgraded our group laptop from Vista to Windows 7 and it really made a difference. The laptop is a Dell 430 which is not a netbook but it is a small Laptop with a small slow drive and 1.5 gig of ram. Vista really dragged it down so I wiped the drive and installed Windows 7 Beta. After installing Windows 7 everything worked. I did not have to go to Dell to get the drivers because everything just worked and worked well. Now that is a change for Microsoft.

My second project was to move my Techmgr.net and Syadmin.net blogs off of Typepad onto WordPress. I chose Dreamhost as a hosting provider and moved my Sys Admin blog with little trouble. Next I spent a couple of nights looking for the right theme that would work for my Techmgr.net blog and eventually found one that I liked and could customize. I move my Techmgr.net blog this morning and everything looks great.

I have not finished my third project which is to update my Open Web and the Enterprise SlideShare presentation with new thoughts and perspective. This is still in process but coming soon.

So, it’s back to work tomorrow …

Kevin, Jake, Sarah, Coriana and the entire FlatEarthTheatre group are preparing their next show which is an adaptation of the play Twelve Angry Men that is recast as Twelve Angry Jurors which is the Reginald Rose’s classic courtroom drama.

n67648539469_9438 Adapted for the stage by Sherman L. Seagel and the basis for the 1957 Henry Fonda film 12 Angry Men, the play follows the jury’s deliberations in a capital murder trial. A nineteen-year-old kid from the slums stands accused of fatally stabbing his father. The guilty verdict seems inevitable when an initial vote shows eleven to one in favor of conviction. However, the dissent of one juror forces the others to reconsider the evidence and question their preconceived notions about truth and justice.

Performances will be held at the Arsenal Center for the Arts on April 24th, 25th, 30th, May 1st and 2nd at 8 PM with a matinee presented Sunday, April 26th at 2 PM. Additionally, there will be a “Pay-What-You-Can” preview held Thursday, April 23rd at 8 PM. All shows are to be performed in the Arsenal Center for the Arts Black Box Theater located at 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA. Tickets are priced at $15 general admission, $10 for students and seniors. Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling 800-838-3006 or online through Brown Paper Tickets.

If you have not been to a FlatEarthTheatre performance you will find that they are great shows, professionally done, and very inexpensive when compared with other Theatre Companies. You can find information on previous shows here and more information on FlatEarthTheatre here.

ve you heard about the Ford Fiesta Movement?

Ford is looking to give 100 Ford Fiesta’s away for six months and in exchange the recipients will blog about the cars and share their experiences with their friends and Social Community. I think this is a cool marketing idea and a great way for a large company to start using social media tools to create a buzz about the new Ford Fiesta.

The use of video’s, blogs, podcasts and twitter posts will need to be aggregated and shared with the public by Ford. Just the fact that Ford is starting a campaign using these tools shows us that they are thinking about how social and collaborative tools will help their business. This is a great step towards using more collaborative Enterprise 2.0 tools within Ford and if this is a success, it will certainly lead the way for other large scale organizations to start incorporating Social Media tools into their businesses.

Anyway, I saw Michelle McCormack’sThe Best Ford Fiesta Movement Video” and I thought that I would share it with you and throw my Ford Fiesta Vote to Michelle.

Good Luck Michelle ….

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Up early for a Sunday, Kevin has already gone to work and I made Bacon and Eggs for Breakfast.

Kevin turns 25

Our son Kevin turned 25 this past week and we went out to Joe’s American Bar and Grill to celebrate. Cathie’s sister Barbara came with us and we had a nice relaxing evening with plenty to eat. Both the meal and the service were great, and Cathie and Barbara did a little shopping both before and after dinner. It was a nice evening.

Happy Birthday Kevin.

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