Sent in laptop to be repaired, they reformatted it

[xSxqPowerx]

Not me, but a friend had a warranty on their laptop. It started having issues, so they sent it in under the warranty to have it repaired. When the laptop returned a few weeks later it was back to the factory default state. Files gone, programs removed, all the default junk like Norton had been put back on.

Is this what always happens? I've never personally had to send one in, so I don't really have any experience with it. It just seems absolutely ridiculous to send a computer to be "fixed" and then instead find out that they've created more problems than there were to begin with. Wouldn't it be reasonable to at least say in advance "hey, we think we need to reformat to fix the problem... is that okay?"

[Swiller2]

The couple times I have had computer problems like this I have always gotten a call/email before any action was taken. One time I sent to manufacturer and the other a local PC repair shop. I would hope it would be like taking a car to a mechanic, in the sense that if you don't want the changes made you have a chance to opt out. At LEAST they should have notified you to give you an offer to back up everything if it was possible, and hadn't been done already.

 

What manufacturer was it by the way?

[Sbrideau]

It really depends on the issue at hand. They didn't need to do it on my laptop and they didn't, but Asus still made me sign a paper stating that they can format my laptop if there is a need.

 

Note to keep at hand, always keep a backup of your files before sending a laptop for repairs.

[xSxqPowerx]

Eh. I guess this can be closed.

Documents were backed up. It was mostly a miscommunication error. They asked if documents had been backed up, to which the answer was yes. So then they said okay great, sign here on this permission to delete data form, nothing to worry about. But the way they said it, they never explicitly said they would reformat/set it back to factory state, they just told my friend that she needed to have things backed up.

 

So yeah, partly a miscommunication on their part, and partly my friend not understanding that there is no such thing as a partial data wipe.

 

I wasn't there when the form was signed or I would have explained what it meant.

 

 

Bleh. Means a few hours of reinstalling programs and getting rid of default junk. She'll need to drive to campus and physically burn some dvds from the lab. Things like web browser bookmarks are gone.

[Laikrob]

Xmarks = awesome.

[Sy_Accursed]

Xmarks = awesome.

 

Or just general browser settings. Firefox have their own inbuilt sync lately, not sure how good it is though and Chrome does it as well (along with saved passwords and history etc.)

[Ember]

.

[Sbrideau]

I thought Xmarks was discontinued in December 2010?

[Gandorf61]

On the bright side a reformat means you can start from a clean slate so your computer may run faster now.

 

I thought Xmarks was discontinued in December 2010?

 

They almost were but then the company that owns lastpass purchased them.

[Fleetsy]

Xmarks = awesome.

 

Or just general browser settings. Firefox have their own inbuilt sync lately, not sure how good it is though and Chrome does it as well (along with saved passwords and history etc.)

 

Never had a problem with Chrome's Sync settings. Syncs Extensions, Bookmarks, Saved Passwords, History and Browser Preferences. Pretty neat.

OT: My girlfriend sent her laptop off to get the screen repaired, and when it came back all of the music had disappeared. Bit of a weird removal, seeing as the issue was the screen had broken rather than anything software based.