Absolutely no help from Acer in regards to faulty RAM on my laptop still under warranty.

Hagendaz

I bought a Helios Predator 300 before I moved abroad, in may of 2018. I started experiencing some pretty hardcore bluescreens shortly after leaving. It's been as bad as having 3-5 bluescreens a day. Not every day, as it varies based on time used. I looked on Acers website and it states any predators made in 2018 have a 2 year warranty on parts, while predators made in 2019 have a 1 year warranty. I'm back in the states for until the 9th of January so I've been trying to get this issue resolved with them. (I'm stating this because the first agent I chatted with said it was on a 1 year warranty while still explaining I could possibly get it fixed but suggested I reset the PC first and see if the issue is solved)

I've tried using the windows 10 built in bsod fix, however it states that the version of windows I have doesn't support it (which is convenient). I've ran chkdks, system file checker and other stuff in an attempt to resolve the issues. While some of it's helped I'm still get pretty consistent blue screens. I contacted them yesterday about it and they suggested I use windows restore to essentially boot back to factory settings(As I mentioned above). I went ahead and did this and I received a bluescreen earlier today.

I then ran the built in windows 10 memory diagnostics tool and it said I had issues with my RAM on both passes. I contacted Acer again (which I had intended to anyways, but the results from the RAM diagnostics said I should contact them as well) and they told me that I can send it in to be fixed but if they find any software related issues that I'll be charged $100USD. From my understanding the agent was telling me it's because they'd need to provide installation media, which I myself have. I just want my RAM fixed, which may be the only issue but then they're going to potentially charge me $100 for using their media if some software defects come up. It sounds really sketchy since I'm not exactly sure they'd prove that it was software you know?

TL;DR Basically my laptop is still under warranty and I ran tests and it was determined my RAM is faulty. However Acer is telling me if I send my laptop in and they find anything software related that's wrong I'm going to be charged $100USD and I can't opt out of them messing with the software and only have them replace the RAM.

Any thoughts on what I should do? The longer I wait the more worried I get that my laptop wont be back by the time I leave. Also shipping it to where I'll be is literally out of the question. I plan to call them tomorrow, but I'm not sure I'll make any headway there either.

Also pictures for reference to everything: 

Order details from amazon: https://gyazo.com/842ded9b264b9370cf2fc17103f83582

Memory Diagnostic event details: https://gyazo.com/5163bdc09c54d582758b32af6227b125

Lastly their warranty information: https://gyazo.com/e7a3ae1d8e9280df05bebb875e41be2f

The last few pictured I took with my phone so excuse the quality.

Memtest alerting me I have issues with my memory: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/231229363188793345/661531723418304527/image0.jpg

Another pic showing the window that popped up when I logged in: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/231229363188793345/661531724219547658/image1.jpg

And lastly the general tab of the memory diagnostic tool stating that it had issues: https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/231229363188793345/661531724722995210/image2.jpg

At this point I'm not sure if I want to send it in unless they can guarantee it'll be back by the time I leave. I'm open to them sending me replacement RAM and installing it myself and sending the RAM currently installed back if they want it for whatever reason. I'm also very cautious of sending it in too based on how the last agent I talked to was talking. He told me "I am here to provide you the disclaimer is up to you if you want send it or not. If the unit does not have a software issue as you said, there's nothing you should be worried about." not once, but twice, copied and pasted. I also asked is it possible to just have the ram replaced and have it sent back, regardless of any software issues because I can install win10 myself. Though he never answered that despite asking a couple times.  So I'm still in need of help and online chat has been pretty uneventful. Sorry it's a lot to process, but remember I had to take the time to grab all the info and write all this and trust me I would have rather have had this gone a different way completely.

jakesu11y

That's a tough spot to be in on a timeline. I'd give CS another chance today. This is just a peer to peer support forum with a few random Acer Employees running around. Maybe one of them will see this.

I can see why they want to charge if it's a software issue...imagine how many people think their machine is broke when it's just a 3rd party software issue or virus or something. That being said, I feel your pain. If I was certain that it was RAM, I might just keep the laptop and use the $100 to upgrade the RAM, lol. Good luck, I hope CS gets you squared away today. 

Hagendaz

I appreciate the reply Jake, but the logs are pretty straight forward. I also have evidence of the results. That said I don't really need more than the current 16GB of RAM I have. When it works it works very well. I just can't be dealing with with multiple blue screens a day (and shouldn't need to). I will be calling once I'm able to.

Hagendaz

Just got off the phone with someone from customer service. They were literally no help, and had absolutely no idea what I was talking about in regards to RAM. They also told me that even if I paid for expedited shipping that they'd still take 7-10 business days to even repair it. I asked them if there's be any possibility to send me replacement RAM that I could PAY for (I'd also be willing to send the defective RAM to them) and she told me they don't send RAMS.... smh. Well this has been eye opening, and it's fairy saddening. I remember a while back I had an issue with some case fans from corsair and they sent me replacements without any hiccups or fuss. I had to contact them ONCE about the issue too. I went above and beyond to fix the issue myself, even offered to pay for expedited shipping and for the ram to no avail. I'm very disappointed in the customer service here. Seems I'm stuck either buying RAM elsewhere now (probably a decent amount more expensive than the RAM Acer buys, so the savings would have been nice) or having my laptop bsod everyday. I'll continue to try and reach out and hope that someone can help me.

jakesu11y

That rough. Though the comparison to Corsair and some fans being swapped out isn't quite apples to apples when we are talking about something as integral as system memory.

I agree, defective RAM is likely the issue but, it could also potentially be the CPU as it houses the memory controller, or something on the motherboard too. While frustrating, I understand Acers position in wanting the entire laptop back in their hands for examination. Imagine a global company that size, and how many "broken machines" they get due to standard user error or software issues. Plus, it's not like CS is sitting on a pile of parts, lol. They probably aren't even in the same city as the repair department. If I had to guess, they probably don't even troubleshoot in an event like this. I'd bet they just get your laptop back, slam a new motherboard/CPU/RAM combo in there and send it out the door. They will honor their warranty, but it will be on their terms...pretty typical for any complex device manufactured these days. 

I recently had a Samsung fridge go sideways on me...all of the pain you are feeling, plus $200 in groceries. Twice. SMH.

For what it's worth, most Acers seem to use basic Kingston RAM, which on the whole is very reliable...but obviously some go bad. Most RAM modules are made by two companies, so generally speaking anything you find at the speed you require will probably work. 

Good luck! While you battle with CS, have you tried removing one of the RAM modules and running on one stick? 

Hagendaz

I have not tried running it on one module, though I may try that and run the memory diagnostics again. Also as I mentioned I was willing to buy the ram from them. And it wasn't so much that corsair sent me some fans. It's the fact that they were willing to not only compromise even a little, but sent them to me without any hassle whatsoever. I understand there are people out there that want stuff for free and I'm not one of them. I've jumped through hoops trying to narrow the issue down, and again on top of that offered to pay for the RAM. I'm sure they get it for wholesale versus spending 60$ elsewhere. I just wanted a shred of compromise, which I haven't seen any yet. Thanks again for your reply Jake, sorry about your fridge.

jakesu11y

I'd send you a RAM stick if I could! I bet you are super frustrated, and I get it. 

I feel safe in saying that Corsair has the best warranty style in the entire PC industry. Hands down. Even so, if you bought an All in One CPU cooler from them, then determined that just the pump was defective...they wouldn't send you just the pump. They would want the whole thing back, that was my point. 

Thanks, I got the fridge thing sorted out, ended up with a pair of nice Walmart brand Yeti knock off coolers in the process. So I got that going for me, lmao. 

XdxD

My reply would sound silly, but can you try taking off both the RAMs and wiping them with some dry cloth and check after reinserting them, how your PC works? One of my friends got his 8GB module working again after 6 months by doing this.

Hagendaz

I can definitely try that XdxD. You never know if there's dust or a bad connection somewhere. I'll try it once I'm back home, thanks for the suggestion!

XdxD

Moreover, if CS is about to charge you if they find any software fault, do this: Do an Alt+F10 reset and choose to delete everything. After setting it up, run memtest and keep a picture of the resulting screen. Then send it to them. That way, even if there are issues, it will be due to OEM software and not yours.

Hagendaz

I already did the whole alt+f10 thing and ran the mem test afterwards. That's where I found out my RAM was faulty.

XdxD

Hagendaz said:

I already did the whole alt+f10 thing and ran the mem test afterwards. That's where I found out my RAM was faulty.

You chose the option to delete everything?

Hagendaz

I sure did. Didn't wanna leave anything up to chance, which is why it's so frustrating lol. I'll try pulling the ram when I get home though and update.

XdxD

Ohk. Hope my silly suggestion works 😁. But if it doesn't, either wait for an Acer Employee to comment here, or let Acer check it, or if you are afraid of losing $100 for something that's not your fault, buy RAM yourself for $60 like you said above. 

sri369

Hagendaz said:

I sure did. Didn't wanna leave anything up to chance, which is why it's so frustrating lol. I'll try pulling the ram when I get home though and update.

If you have two sticks, you could try using one after other, or swapping a working RAM from some other machine to narrow down the RAM issue.

Manny-Acer_Retired

Hi Hagendaz,

 

I'm sorry that you're having issues with your Predator Helios 300.  Can you please send me a private message with the serial number of your unit so I can better assist you?

 

Thanks,

Acer-Manny