Wanted: SuperGeek

Thank you for reading my post.
Besides my technical ignorance here is my problem.

I took my computer into a local shop for data retrieval after I woke up to a black screen.
After saving my stuff and charging me $100 because I didn't keep back ups they reinstalled windows for me. My copy of XP had gotten broken so they could only install ME, the OS that came with the computer when I bought it from Gateway.
When I got it back it wouldn't recognize anything that I plugged into the USB ports. I took it back to the shop and they told me the problem was resolved. I got it home and it recognized the keyboard and the mouse but that was it.
I called them and they told me that they could look at it again for a fee.
I didn't take it back.
Can someone give me an idea of what could be wrong?

My daughter wants to download music to her MP3 player and I'd really like to be able to use my digital camera and printer again.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
-Angela

 

thats because ME don't have the same support has Xp dose when is comes to ubs devices
If possible get a copy of Xp and install that you can do it your self the Upgrade from ME to Xp is pretty much painless ust be sure you buy the upgrade version about 80.00 to 100.00 USD

 

Yes, I broke it. I ran it over with my office chair. Would you believe that I actually talked to several people at Microsoft (they kept passing the buck) for over an hour and they all told me that they could not send a replacement disc in spite of the fact that I still had the key id thingy.

 

Yes, I would.

Having talked to Microsoft's attempt at Customer Support in the past, the key to getting things done is to force them to pass you on to manager. Whatever you need to do to talk to someone with more authority, do so. Once you get to a supervisor, or to a third level supervisor, or whoever you need to get to before they're permitted to actually do something to help you, you're in good shape. You just need to persist until then.

 

If you have a valid, legal XP product key, the shop where you took the PC should have been able to install XP using your product key the first time you took it in. But that really isn't the point.... as stated above, ME has limited support for USB devices, especially newer stuff like MP3 players, iPods, and the like. And because it is basically an obsolete operating system, you may be a bit hard pressed to find drivers for newer devices.

 

Thanks!

Thanks for replying. It looks like I just need to scrape up the money for XP.