Acer and Microsoft Complaints

You can contact me at Email User

This is too an acknowledgment to another complaint found on your site.... the fellow talked with me over the phone and explained his past situations with Acer Computer and Microsoft Corporation...

See... Henry J. Murphy, Email User

The only way anyone will put and end to these long time aggravations and fraudulent practices on un-suspecting buyers; will be mailing legal papers to both Microsoft and Acer (and every company) involved with their OEM license program.

They fraud the buyer by not providing a valid operating system disk. They register you with Microsoft without asking you. Your computer will often pop a dialog box, asking you to insert your XP operating system disk (pending a given software install) All you have is a set of mickey mouse e-recovery disks.

I will provide you this complaint and would like to post the same on your website....

We're returning our new notebook computer to Acer. We don't want their product or any future projects they might offer. We certainly don't want any part of their support department online or by telephone. All one gets is their round-robin automated calls. Plus lots of wasted hours on the phone.

Here's my reply....

Thanks for calling... Henry...

I was glad to hear you received lots of replies after making known your personal complaints on the internet.

I would like to post this reply with the same purpose in mind.

Good to hear you will no longer buy from Acer Computer. We feel the same way and are sending our new computer back.

We can't believe Acer put you through such aggravations, to get your computer fixed and returned.

We also read in your account... Acer Computer never apologized for the outright aggravations, which they caused you.

Now you also understand the software game with Acer stating Microsoft has to supply a certified system operating disk...and Microsoft stating Acer has to supply the disk.

Microsoft Corporation is the richest software company in the world. However to cheap to provide a customer with an operating disk (worth about 3 cents) Instead they take part in a fraud, to screw you for what you paid them for, which is a certified operating system disk.

Acer doesn't seem to mind how many customers they burn. Maybe their heading for a business closure-shutdown like Compaq Computers?

It doesn't take long to discover these Acer and Microsoft complaints have been going on for many years.

We're faced with a similar concern. Either Acer Computer provides us with a real certified Microsoft Operating Disk and motherboard driver disk (which we paid them for) or their computer gets shipped back.

We're better off buying a computer without an operating system and installing our own operating system. This way one has control of their own computer and they don't have to play this proprietary make a buck scheme.

I can see many people are fed up with Acer's idiot recovery system (supply your own disks) while our e-recovery formats and wipes out all your data and programs and returns your computer to factory default.

Microsoft who boasts with each and every new operating system about their improved and more secure "Easy Backups" and "Microsoft Recovery Console" and "Restore" (always written or spoken somewhere) "Microsoft Backup" and the old "Have you backed up your registry today?" Is simply undermined by Acer Computer's e-recovery, which wipes your entire drive clean.

Microsoft claims they don't agree with Acer (and explained) Acer should provide me or any customer a replacement disk. Acer overlaid Microsoft's software installation files with their own co-mingled files, which Microsoft states is an approved arrangement under their OEM license methods.

Be WARNED it does not provide a customer with their usual method of distributing and selling their operating systems. Being Certified Microsoft Disks, which have a product KEY and product ID label attached.

As long as Microsoft gets paid and has a registration number apparently their happy. Regardless you get screwed and don't really have an operating system disk for which you paid them for.

The situation is Microsoft gets paid for each operating system installed. While these manufacturers then control you and your computer; while you remain at their mercy to get your computer fixed, repaired, or recovered.

Maybe the best deal for Microsoft and Acer (and any companies) whom share in this fraud, would be a class action lawsuit?

Perhaps then they'll better understand the existing legal rights of a buyer and seller. Being we don't need any new laws to cover these concerns.

This is what I did:

>From the files which they have you burn onto CD disks. You can take some of these files and other files from their partition and the root drive and make your own single installation disk. I told Microsoft about this means to make your own installation disk. Then further explained "what Microsoft has really accomplished" (by screwing people out of an operating disk) is a means to produce illegal copies of their operating system. Mind you this is the very concern, which Microsoft had told us, they needed to stop and wanted to stop. Now they open the door to making your own disk.

Acer sends your personal data to Microsoft (stealth) that's why your never asked to enter a product key. This is all accomplished without asking for your approval or acknowledgement.

Regardless they tell you need 6 CD's or 2 DVD's to burn their recovery disks, the files needed to install the operating system can all be loaded onto one single CD disk.

I put together.... "a make and burn your own operating system disk"

Because...MICROSOFT's SOFTWARE HOTLINE...told me the copy on this notebook is legal and further pointed out, their certificate of approval is located on the bottom of the notebook.

I deleted Acers images, catalogs, backup files and partitions. At the same time formatted the hard drive with NTFS (which Acer should have used) instead of using the older FAT-32 format and file system. You simply don't have the security benefits provided by NTFS (New Technology File System) because Acer Computer decided you don't need them. Once again, undermining Microsoft's security and long time program work.

The operating system is currently re-installed and the only user listed at boot-up into windows... is named ..... "Mr. Recovery"

When the computer gets back to Acer and they click "Mr. Recovery"

Windows will open to the default screen "Welcome to Windows XP" with music playing in the background. Just as sudden; a message will "pop up" on the desktop stating.... "Your not allowed to alter; remove; or install any software programs on this computer" "Please consult your system Administer to obtain these rights"

I should add?

Please don't call me!.... for a replacement system operating disk...

I don't have a legal copy! ...However the Microsoft certificate can be found on the bottom of the notebook. Feel free to call Microsoft, perhaps they will provide an operating disk for you?

I never was able to obtain one...(regardless).... I paid for one!

Plus hours on the telephone with Acer and Microsoft reps who talk the "round-robin" of who is responsible... who is not responsible..

If you want contact Microsoft with a legal complaint they have no contact number (not even in the public phone directory) you either mail your legal documents to their front door or use their fax number.

I encourage you and other attorneys to file legal actions against Microsoft and these companies who take part in this outright fraud and stealth registration practices. Coupled with their EULA's, which force a user to "Agree" to their terms...otherwise... their computer won't boot or the software will not load.

Because such legal actions would be "most interesting cases" and would benefit thousands of people; who use computers at home and at work.

Bob