thanks again all, I think Ive found one from a genuine site (rather than a porn site pretending to be something else). Will let you know if it works.

Neil

2Abbey, thanks for the info but I think you are refering to resetting a BIOS password, not quite what I was after. :-)

It isn't all his fault, you did say "win95 crackers" in post 998 :-)

Ive downloaded Norton Internet security 2004 but am having a problem entering the validation code.When i choose this option the "next"button wont enable.At the moment it will only allow me a 15 day trial.
Any clues

Perhaps you're mistaking O and 0 or 1 and l ...

kayak, well spotted,

oops what a plonker

Neil

Well, I have got an "ethics problem"....

My 15 month old HP d145 Multifunction device, which has a Printer, Fax, Scanner, Photocopier and Multi-Memory Card Reader, has developed a problem.

The Compact Flash Card Reader in the machine has a faulty pin in the CFC reader socket. I easily fathomed out how to open the machine and easily managed to take the whole card reader assembly out and it was clearly visible how and why the tiny little pin in this particular socket, which is one of about 48 pins or so, had failed. The socket is only loosely fitted onto the motherboard of the card and it has 'play'. It's this 'play' that has caused the insertion of the CF card to fail in lining up with the pins on the card reader with the slots of the CF card itself.

The problem is that HP don't have a spare part. If they did it would just be a replacement card reader to pop in the slot - a bit like popping a new PCI card into a slot into a computer, sorta kinda.

And so, I have a machine that cannot be repaired!

I could order up a brand new d145. Take the card out of it and do a swap and then send the new machine back as faulty with the old card back in the new machine. At least I would then have two 'fully working' machines and could sell one on Ebay or whatever. I would think the retailer of the new machine would just send the now returned faulty machine back to HP to be swapped.

Now the "ethics' of this are troubling me a fair bit. Ordinarily, I wouldn't even consider doing something like this but I do feel HP have stitched me up! There should be some method whereby I can get my machine repaired. But there isn't!

My local HP repairer who I have spoken to, and who advises he cannot effect the repair because there isn't a part, is a big repairer specialising in a few manufacturers' products including HP and he is quite disgusted and empathetic. He can only empathise and advise that "I suggest you take it up with HP Customer Services as there isn't a spare part available and as it IS out of warranty." Naturally, he doesn't know what they might do. As he hasn't been able to fix it he cannot charge me anything for the repair either. So he is out of pocket with his time and his phone calls to me and them.

Would any of you concur with doing something like I've suggested and be able to rationalise it as 'necessary under the circumstances'? Even if you would, perhaps you wouldn't like to say so on this BB?

I will have to use my best judgement to interpret simple 'no comment' replies. ;-)

I thought I was being wise in not buying an 'extended warranty'. It makes one wonder now whether this was the best decision, doesn't it?

Surely, the machine should be repairable for a customer after a simple problem like this occurs and after only 15 months?

DP, warranties are in addition to statutory rights. In this case you should be able to maintain that the machine was badly built for a product intended to last a few years. For info see

http://www.dti.gov.uk/ccp/topics1/facts/salegoodsact.htm and

http://www.emwlaw.com/legal_services/technology_commerce_law/legal_publications/consumer_warranties_and_guarantees.htm

Also, I would have thought that a reputable company like HP would probably help you out anyway without needing to exert too much pressure.

i have just installed,zonealarm,(free)on windows me,but it keeps freezing my computer,had no problems with last one windows 98,anyone any ideas, many thanks l.l.

Kayak

I wasn't really very happy doing the weird stuff I had dreamed up above. So thanks for the two links and good advice (again). :-)

Your first link (Sale of Goods Act) gave me the 'angle' I required, which was of course to do with the 'play' in the slot.

HP have a Warranty department called 'Exceptions'. They listened to my story and have agreed to send me out a replacement machine. They are arranging this and I expect more details on Monday. The box will have 'return address' labels inside for me to send back my old machine. I fully expect the replacement will have some sort of warranty too and so I should be put back into a better position than I was in before.

I have to say, up until the card reader failure, I was extremely pleased with my D145. New ones now cost 300 whereas I paid about 400 on the internet in July last year.

My wife and I are having great fun using digital photographs and selling stuff on Ebay. This unfortunately ground to a stop with D145's CF Card Reader problem.

Thanks again

DocProc

Oh dear! What have I done? To access my email, Outlook Express,connected via BT OPenworld, ued to whip through my Hemscott, BT Openworld, BT Internet and Tiscali accounts to check for new mail. Now it stops after Hemscott and the two BT accounts, closes the internet connection and up pops the Dial Connection box for me to re-dial and access the Tiscali mail. What have I ticked or unticked somewhere along the line?

Edited: Sorted by diligent search. In OE/Options/Dial-up I found the "Ask before switching dial-up connections" unchecked. Putting a little tick in the box seems to have solved the problem.

Now I wonder how that came to be unchecked? Curious.

My TFT screen has gone pink - it did it a while ago and I resolved it simply by pressing the auto reset button. Doesn't want to play this time - anyone any ideas ??

Mess with the cables at the back leading into the Comp.Disconnect and re-insert etc.This usually sorts mine out.

mg agree with Iain this sort of thing is normally a loose cable, check it at both ends and if you have a DVI-D9 adapter check thats firmly attached to the cable.

mg

I aggree with the comments above re the most likely cause. However, I had this problem once and it was caused by a faulty video card so your next step should be to try it on another machine.

My emails arrive satisfactorily on Outlook Express and btopenworld except for the recently added Moneyam Mailer. This comes through on btopenworld as extended gobbledegook including lists of fonts and many things that I have never heard of before. What can I do about this you experts?

llanteg70

Is Outlook Express set to display HTML content?

Errrr I think so. If not how come I have no trouble with other similar senders?

Llanteg70, you should check as optimist suggests, do you know for sure that the other emails you recive ar html? They could just be rich text or text. If you are sure post an example of what you are getting, I am sure someome here can assist.

Llanteg70, you should check as optimist suggests, do you know for sure that the other emails you recive ar html? They could just be rich text or text. If you are sure post an example of what you are getting, I am sure someome here can assist.

Thanks to Optimist for advice and to Spaceman for twisting my arm.
All I can find in help appears to refer to outgoing messages but I have selected Rich text under New messages-format.
Is this likely to do the trick and can I do anything about messages already received?