New laptop security query

[AE35Unit]

Just got a free Acer lappy from T-Mobile/Carphone Warehouse and having first booted it up it does all the Vista setting up(bleh,vista!) and asked for a user passsword. I never thought and just entered one, now every time it boots up I have to enter the flipping password. Any way I can disable that?
Cheers
Larry

[Lenny]

Open the start menu and click the picture in the square at the top right. That will bring up the User Account window. The second option in the main window will be "Remove your Password". Click it, and it will ask you to type in your password. Do so, OK it, et voila.

[Leisha]

I'm sorry.... FREE???




How on Earth...?

You lucky man, you!

[Overread]

its on the telly loopy = you sign up for a certain internet provider and get a free laptop!

I think its AOL too,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Leisha]

WHAT??? I need to sign me up! When I hear about offers like that, I always assume it's a scam of some sort...


Cynical, me?


Blimey. But they must make their money somehow. Maybe their internet fees are phenomenal, or something...

[The Ace]

The price of the monthly rental and the length of the contract add up to a sight more than the cost of the laptop. And far more than it's worth.

[Leisha]

Heh, well, it is an Acer...

But I suppose with some offers you're actually getting quite a good deal. I mean, how much does my family pay a month for internet access, and how long have they been paying??? Would add up to a fair amount, I reckon.

[AE35Unit]

Well we wanted a laptop for ages and thought we'd never afford one so we had a look in carphone warehouse for some answers. We couldn't go with AOL even if we wanted to because we can't get BT down our line,even tho the house has a BT line! Can't pass broadband down it,even tho the neighbours have it! Anyway we discovered we could use TMobile as we already have contracts with them. Now we just need to ditch Virgin Media for the digital TV and get sky,maybe!

[Lenny]

Think yourself incredibly lucky that you can't get AOL. It's worse than crabs, apparently.

Did you manage to turn the password off, by the way?

[Leisha]

Yes, do tell. It doesn't sound like a Vista problem; it sounds like some sort of automatic block on ISP/Carphone's end.

Others have had the same problem: 2 pounds (refunded) to prove you are over 18 | bitful



And I know someone who has AOL. They love it. However, they're not the most technically advanced human to roam this side of... um... Cumbria...


Personally, I just found it annoying, with their constant popups and "advice".

[AE35Unit]

Originally Posted by Lenny

Think yourself incredibly lucky that you can't get AOL. It's worse than crabs, apparently.

Did you manage to turn the password off, by the way?

Nope, i aint paying to watch my own flippin video!

Used to have AOL ages ago, wasnt bad!

[Commonmind]

It took me a total of three months and roughly a dozen phone calls to cancel my AOL subscription. Even then, AOL took another three months to stop charging me for the supposed "free" BYOB service that they assured me was hassle-free. When I finally threatened legal action against them, the individual I was discussing this with over the phone became wildly belligerent and actually began threatening me bodily. After sending several reports of this to AOL, including a very detailed description of the offending phone calls (there were several which ended with the AOL employee screaming at me or hanging up for no reason save avoiding actually having to cancel my subscription) and the names of the individuals whom I dealt with, their only response was, "We apologize for the inconvenience. May we offer you a discount on your next 90 days of service?"

[Overread]

knowing full well that you would probably not follow legal lines to follow up this as the cost to you would be too high = plus they could either lock you in court or just say "we responded as best as we could and the offending indeviduals have been disiplined/fired and we have put in place new initiatives to prevent this sort of thing ever happening again"

bah - where has customer service gone?

[AE35Unit]

Well when i was briefly with them around 2000 it was on dial up and sometimes wouldn't connect. I ditched them and went back to BT. Now we're on ntl world,or as its now known Virgin media, which i hear is now up for sale.

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by Overread

bah - where has customer service gone?

India, I think.

---

There's also the bad point, with AOL, that it can be an absolute swine to uninstall the software they give you. When I was eight I installed one of those free discs they give out, and my Dad was furious - it took him three days and five formats to get the computer back in working order.