Would you buy this software or hardware?

[Admiral]

No, just uninstall old drivers, hunt down remaining registry entries and files in safe mode or by running driver removal tools, shut down PC, remove old card put new one in, install drivers. If it doesn't work and nothing seems to make it work, I would reinstall OS to eliminate the lingering drivers hypothesis and shut up tech support and other people.

edit: If the new card was at least 30% faster or had something I really needed/wanted and there were enough reliable reports that reinstalling OS would make it work without problems, then I would buy it.

[Brian Ellis]

OK, now what would someone who is almost computer illiterate do?

[The PIT]

Originally posted by Brian Ellis
OK, now what would someone who is almost computer illiterate do?

Oh they'd look at the box for an hour and then ring for their best buddy to fit it who knows what to do. Alternatively they'll try and fit it themselfs and try and force the card into the wrong slot with the computer running.

[Admiral]

Originally posted by Brian Ellis
OK, now what would someone who is almost computer illiterate do?

If he's completly illiterate, asks a buddy who knows how to do it to help and also teach him for future reference or brings his rig to the shop he bought the new piece from and maybe he's lucky and won't get charged or get charged too much for it.
If he's a good selflearner, he reads the manual (I know, not all manuals are that good) and gets on the Internet to learn more about installing it, something he probably should've done before buying the new hardware (download the manual and ask questions on a user group).

[Brian Ellis]

In my experience 85% of shops selling computers or parts thereof would be quite incapable of sorting that kind of problem out. Dammit, the manufacturers cannot, so how can you expect an 18 year old spotty guy with large horn-rimmed glasses, his mouth perpetually open and a blank expression, who dropped out from school as fast as he could, his vocabulary is limited to "Er???" and is being paid a poverty-line salary to do so. Er???

[Technoid]

Er???

[Ajax]

Er???

I can't say that I've ever been forced to reinstall the OS due to a single component upgrade, except getting a faster HDD of course . But whenever I change something major, I always like to do a clean install. Things just run better. Hunting for residue in the registry works miracles sometimes, but there are times that you just can't find whatever it is that has thrown a wrench into the works.

[Admiral]

@Brian
- if one is computer illiterate than he should ask for outside help (God knows who) or pray someone knows or finds out it really can't be fixed (or totally fixed), because there is a major hardware incompatibility (like VIA+Creative, i865/i875 and low latency ram...)

-if one knows a bit of what he's doing and the thing still won't work and turns out to be a major hardware incompatibility, than get refunded, negociate an exchange/upgrade for other products in the shop or sell the bloody thing.
Or suffer, apply latency patches, run lower timings, wait for bios updates... shoot yourself
If it's an OS limitation, change OS.

Whatever your degree of computer understanding, sooner or later you will find out (by yourself or through others) what the problem is, if it can or cannot be solved. As a newbie it will just take longer.
I guess luck is also a big factor here.

[VJ]

Originally posted by Brian Ellis
OK, now what would someone who is almost computer illiterate do?

Call a guy in tech support, who in turn posts here:

http://www.murc.ws/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=44174

Jörg