My nightmare with ASUS Support

[cheerytiger]

This nightmare started with something dying. In this case, that something was my laptop. It was a secondary laptop, so I didn't deal with it right away, but I did order a recovery disk when it died. When I finally got around to it, the recovery disk didn't work. I chatted with ASUS support and the tech asked me to disable options that is not in my BIOS menu. I told him 3 times that those options are not there, but he kept repeating himself (I guess I threw a loop at him that was not on his script). Anyhow, I did some troubleshooting on my own and flashed the BIOS to the latest version from the ASUS website (options still did not show up though) and used a Linux CD to check the drive. Diagnosis: bad hard drive

Replaced hard drive and used the recovery CD again. This time, it claims it completed the restore, but when I booted, just a flashing cursor at the upper left hand corner. Lots of people talking about flashing cursors at the upper left hand corner for Windows 7 (yeah I know I know - I said it was an old laptop!) but nothing worked to get around it.

I booted the system to Linux and looked at what was installed. Nothing that was installed looked like OS files (no SYSTEMS directory, no WINDOWS directory - normal Windows files). I called Support and suggested that perhaps the recovery disk is bad. Support had me call the Store number to get the disk replaced. When I called the Store number, the woman told me that the estore that used to provide the CD has been closed and the people now servicing recovery CDs is Bizcom. I talked to the Supervisor and asked why ASUS didn't send any CDs with my laptop. He said that it is because ASUS comes with a recovery partition that he says sits on the MOTHERBOARD! Oy! No, you can't have a recovery partition on a motherboard. My disk went out and so did the recovery partition. It seems there is a flaw in the logic that we have to pay for a recovery disk when it should have been sent to begin with the laptop we purchased! Now I am stuck with Bizcom telling me it's not their problem and one of the most non-technical support teams I've ever had the displeasure of dealing with.

First, can we get a class action law suit going against ASUS for making us pay for recovery disks? Second, anyone else ever come across the flashing cursor? I am pretty sure if just means it can't find the OS, but I am just guessing (I can't find the OS either!) Third, other suggestions for getting out of this stuck nightmare (besides throwing out ASUS and buying Dell or Toshiba)?

Many thanks! 🙂

[SlackROG]

Asus isn't the only one with bad support, this happens everywhere...

When you have an issue, it's always best to consider if it's something you can do on your end without Tech Support, meaning, if you are into this stuff, then learn, and in time you won't ever bother calling Tech SUpport, and the only time you call is to submit a trouble ticket for bugs you've encountered to have them fix them.

1. Bad hard drive replaced

2. You should have a Windows Key

3. Download ISO Image, you didn't mention which version, so here's a link for Windows 7 if you have the key;
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7

4. Burn the ISO to either USB or DVD

5. Go to the Asus website and download the drivers for your laptop.

6. Install Windows and the drivers and you're done

NOW I highly suggest you learn about Clonezilla;

http://www.clonezilla.org/

Clonezilla is VERY EASY to use, it has a 'Beginner' option, and it only takes like a few minutes to use, and this is what you want for making Backups of your system, so in the future something dies, you just reinstall your clonezilla backup image and you are up and flying again...

[MuntyJack]

i think if the software is bad then it's not a support fault

[cheerytiger]

Many thanks for the link to the ISO image. I don't actually have the WIN key and they cannot provide me with one 😞 There was no sticker on my laptop with the key 😞

[xeromist]

Which laptop is this? Many laptops have the key embedded in the BIOS so you don't need to enter it as Windows will recognize it automatically.

[cheerytiger]

It's the ASUS Zenbook. I don't see anything in the BIOS that looks like a key 😞

[xeromist]

cheerytiger wrote:
It's the ASUS Zenbook. I don't see anything in the BIOS that looks like a key 😞

No, you wouldn't see it. It's stored and retrieved automatically by Windows for activation. If your machine didn't come with a sticker then this is how it works.

[cheerytiger]

Well it didn't pick up the activation when I installed a non-genuine Windows OS on the computer. But I resolved it by finding someone at ASUS local to me that was able to re-image my computer for me. Now I can just make my own recovery disk. On the "official" support route, I had a "Level 4" support person tell me that I can find the product key if I go into the Control Panel :confused:

I am not sure which part of "I cannot boot up the OS" they could not understand (besides the fact that there is no Product Key residing in the control panel either)

From this experience, I am convinced that ASUS hires random non-technical people into their support team and I should never buy ASUS again going forward.

[haihane]

cheerytiger wrote:
Well it didn't pick up the activation when I installed a non-genuine Windows OS on the computer.

uhhh... okay.

[cheerytiger]

Yeah I don't know why it thinks it's non-genuine. I thought it was, but it might be related to not having a key. Who knows and it's a moot point right now anyways. Thank God for networking!