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  1. Member ranchhand's Avatar
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    An elderly friend of mine brought his new Toshiba Laptop to me that he had bought at Best Buy. I had offered to clean-off all the promotional "Try me-Buy me" garbage that is loaded on these things so they start running like they are supposed to. All the Usual Suspects were there, trials of Norton Security, Microsoft Office, various junk "handy & helpful" utilities, etc. Then I noticed something new: an installed Best Buy folder! This was big, several megs. I investigated and found several loaders. What the heck?! This couldn't be up to any good, so I uninstalled it from Add/Remove Programs. It didn't uninstall easy, I had to do a search in Explore to nuke about 20 leftover files. Then I ran my favorite Register Editor, and found - get this - 201 Register Entries. So I nuked those. I am just giving everyone a "Headsup" that Best Buy is doing this. At this point I can't say what this program would do, but you can be darn sure it would eventually get around to urging him into buying something.

    Now the corker, ya' gotta luv this. The Best Buy salesman told my friend that for $100 Best Buy would "clean up" his laptop and remove all the trial garbage that the manufacturer installed. (Note to self: I wonder if that offer included the Best Buy promotional junk installed?) So maybe we are seeing the start of retail stores loading their retail computers with their own software to promote sales.
    Anyone else notice this??
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  2. Pretty much the same thing here. My dad bought a desktop from BB. It was brand new and running horribly slow. Instead of trying to "clean" it up, I just formatted the HD and installed a full version of W7 that I had and used the W7 Key sticker that was attached to his computer. Now it's running a heck of a lot faster!!
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  3. It's really nothing new though. They've been doing that crap for years now. That's why I always build my computers from scratch! It's always to my specifications with none of that crap pre-installed.
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  4. Member dragonkeeper's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by mrswla View Post
    It's really nothing new though. They've been doing that crap for years now. That's why I always build my computers from scratch! It's always to my specifications with none of that crap pre-installed.
    Yeah your better off just buying a bare laptop (no OS installed) and do it yourself, these are not as common as they use to be but they are still available. For desktops i order parts on line and built from scratch.
    Murphy's law taught me everything I know.
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  5. I don't think I'll ever buy another pre-built desktop computer. I build them myself, and the above is one reason why.

    I guess I'll break down and get a laptop some day, but it'll be bare.

    You have to wonder though, at some point do these antics not store up a big fund of resentment on the part of customers? Or don't these companies give a damn about that? Are people really so contemptible and stupid, as Best Buy seems to think?
    Pull! Bang! Darn!
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    Most people don't like to mess with computers or the programs that are installed in it. I had a friend who's mother would periodically call me to fix her computer. The screen would be filled with icons...many of them the install program for her online games...not just the icons for the games themselves. She habitually downloaded to the desktop.

    She wouldn't have a clue how to get rid of the garbage installed on a pre-made machine from Best Buy. And wouldn't have cared. She would simply have expected the machine to run at whatever speed it did.
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  7. Member 16mmJunkie's Avatar
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    I would have thought "Netflix" would have this award

    And I agree with Kerry56 experiences with family members....and most people that shop BB don't care about anything...they are in for a fast fix on items. Plug it in, it works, their happy. Hence Geek Squad and their $100.00 charges.... most smart shoppers and tech geeks built their own, and buy online after research
    Last edited by 16mmJunkie; 28th Sep 2011 at 01:50.
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  8. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Surely if you don't buy a display model or don't have BB "set up" your computer for you, the crap will not be there.
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    Originally Posted by ranchhand View Post
    At this point I can't say what this program would do, but you can be darn sure it would eventually get around to urging him into buying something.
    MAYBE. But maybe not. You said your friend is elderly. Who are MOST elderly consumers who buy laptops from Best Buy going to contact when something goes wrong? Best Buy. It could just be that they put stuff on there to help them quickly diagnose problems and restore the system from scratch. My elderly late uncle bought an HP PC maybe 6-7 years ago and I can guarantee you that he was the bane of the existence of the HP support desk with his constant and unrelenting problems. Eventually they started charging him for the calls after the warranty period ended and even that didn't stop him from calling them about once a week over something. I know nothing about your friend, but yeah, I can certainly see how some customers might constantly be having issues of their own making and Best Buy might take steps to try to mitigate how much time their support staff spends on bs.

    Given how most consumers would react pretty negatively to forced advertising as you suggest and I've heard no reports of this actually happening, perhaps it would be helpful to turn down the paranoia a bit.
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  10. Member budwzr's Avatar
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    I agree with jman98, that the typical BestBuy customer needs extra hand holding and BB doesn't have the time to listen to a big long story about some "problem" that may or may not be valid or accurate, and their utility probably does a system scan and report.

    Getting rid of trialware and "helper" programs is not so bad. Sony goes even further and tweaks the whole damn system to "Sony Style-ize" it. I'm a big Toshiba fan because they seem to put the least crap on board.

    The worst thing about BestBuy is that they usually don't have the latest model of anything. I think the reason they're still alive is that with few competitors left, they can really milk the last few buyers that haven't gone to Amazon.
    Last edited by budwzr; 28th Sep 2011 at 09:38.
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  11. Member ranchhand's Avatar
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    helpful to turn down the paranoia a bit
    I understand what you are saying, there is no point in being unreasonable about this. But here's the rub: what could Best Buy possibly put on a computer that would "help" anyone?? Come on, now. Best Buy? A dedicated cold-eyed retailer? A Good Samaritan? As far as diagnostic utilities go, what could BB possibly put on a computer that Windows 7 doesn't already have? I have never seen BB give anything away yet. After I removed all the junk, his lap ran at least 20% faster, and I am sure others here have had the same experience.
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    My point, which you seem to have missed, is that Best Buy might put stuff on the PC to help THEM - Best Buy - if the customer ends up being like my uncle who seemingly can't go a week without calling support staff over one piddling thing or another. They might put software on it that enables them to connect remotely to the laptop, for example. I'm not any way suggesting that you were wrong to remove it or that the laptop won't be better off without it, but I'm also not personally willing to indulge your paranoia that Best Buy with 100% absolute certainty put advertising software on the laptop.

    Just because you're paranoid it doesn't mean that you can't be right, but I just don't see how this is really productive to post here about how "evil" Best Buy is. You have ZERO proof that they're doing anything that other companies don't do.
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  13. Member hech54's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by ranchhand View Post
    what could Best Buy possibly put on a computer that would "help" anyone??
    It was a display model that he bought....simply because what you are implying is the stuff of foil hats and new world order.
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  14. Member budwzr's Avatar
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    Scenario #1:

    New computer buyer (EndUser) previously had a different brand and older OS. New computer has an updated firewall and/or network behavior. EndUser tries the old strategies to connect online. Get's frustrated. Blames the computer. Blames BB. Wants to return.

    BB loads up their utility. Runs a full scan. Determines no faults. Reminds EU about the 15% restocking fee. EU claims nobody told him about that. EU blusters to manager. EU senses being trapped between a rock and a hard place. EU softens from rude wakeup call.

    BB offers in-home setup, for a fee. Makes a few dollars more from EU. Befriends EU at home. Offers ideas on home networking. Makes a few dollars more from EU.

    Tells EU that his TV can be networked too. Sends out "Home Theatre Dept". HTD empties remainder of EU's wallet. Offers to finance at a "low rate". EU discovers later the "low rate" was for six months only, and has now jumped to 24%.

    EU discovers from friend that an $89 media player box could have avoided the purchase of a new network ready TV, and that the "Full Monty" media package with DVR's isn't much better than Netflix streaming, Redbox $1 rentals, and local free DTV, except the cooking, gardening, farm, and model train building channels aren't there.

    EU cancels all the expensive hoo-ha because he doesn't watch it as much as he thought he would. But keeps internet service and wants to get an HD-PVR like his friend. EU discovers that his new state of the art TV only has HDMI and he can't record anything.

    EU's wife gets pissed off over EU controlling the TV's and complicating everything so you need 4 remotes to get anything going. Wife moves to spare bedroom, gets her own "premium" TV and programming, complete with Oprah package. Forbids EU to touch anything.

    Last edited by budwzr; 28th Sep 2011 at 10:56.
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  15. Member ranchhand's Avatar
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  16. Originally Posted by ranchhand View Post
    An elderly friend of mine brought his new Toshiba Laptop to me that he had bought at Best Buy. I had offered to clean-off all the promotional "Try me-Buy me" garbage that is loaded on these things so they start running like they are supposed to. All the Usual Suspects were there, trials of Norton Security, Microsoft Office, various junk "handy & helpful" utilities, etc. Then I noticed something new: an installed Best Buy folder! This was big, several megs. I investigated and found several loaders. What the heck?! This couldn't be up to any good, so I uninstalled it from Add/Remove Programs. It didn't uninstall easy, I had to do a search in Explore to nuke about 20 leftover files. Then I ran my favorite Register Editor, and found - get this - 201 Register Entries. So I nuked those. I am just giving everyone a "Headsup" that Best Buy is doing this. At this point I can't say what this program would do, but you can be darn sure it would eventually get around to urging him into buying something.

    Now the corker, ya' gotta luv this. The Best Buy salesman told my friend that for $100 Best Buy would "clean up" his laptop and remove all the trial garbage that the manufacturer installed. (Note to self: I wonder if that offer included the Best Buy promotional junk installed?) So maybe we are seeing the start of retail stores loading their retail computers with their own software to promote sales.
    Anyone else notice this??
    I would have left the A/V and used until it expired and then put a different one on, but then I'm frugal.
    Same with the Office trial. It will work for certain # of uses. That might be all one needs in some cases.
    If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself.
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  17. Originally Posted by hech54 View Post
    Surely if you don't buy a display model or don't have BB "set up" your computer for you, the crap will not be there.
    Well Best Buy does pre-optimize a percentage of the laptops from my reading, But when they sell those they charge the optimization fee too.

    It sounds like a floor model.
    If I'd known I was going to live this long, I'd have taken better care of myself.
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  18. Just buy a sealed box.
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  19. Member p_l's Avatar
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    How good is ccleaner these days at getting rid of most of this stuff?
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  20. Mod Neophyte Super Moderator redwudz's Avatar
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    There's still Decrapifier. http://pcdecrapifier.com/

    I've used it in the past and it's worked well for removing 'stuff' that the PC manufacturer is paid to install and is generally useless.
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