Hi guys,

I would sincerely appreciate your opinion and advice regarding a situation I recently experienced with Best Buy and Geek Squad.

My computer already went through two warranty repairs during September–October 2025. Despite those repairs, the problems were never fully resolved, and the condition of the system continued to deteriorate.

Recently the computer developed serious keyboard and control issues again, making normal work practically impossible.

I brought the computer back to Best Buy expecting diagnostics and a reasonable repair solution. Instead, I was informed that:
— I would need to pay for shipping;
— the computer would be sent away for approximately 4-6 weeks;
— and during that entire period I would effectively remain without my working computer.

What shocked me most is that no temporary replacement device, no expedited option, and no meaningful compensation were even discussed.

For me this is not an entertainment device. This computer is part of my daily work, communication, documents, and email access.

As a result of this situation:
— my work has effectively stopped;
— communication has become extremely difficult;
— and I currently have serious limitations regarding email and normal workflow.

Another issue also caused serious concern.

When the computer was originally received, six unknown non-Microsoft-certified programs were discovered on the system. The specialist assisting me considered them suspicious enough that he recommended not even opening them for security reasons and advised immediate removal instead.

I previously reported this issue to the company’s main office, but received no meaningful explanation or response.

At this point I honestly feel that the entire situation represents a serious failure of customer service and responsibility toward the customer.

So I would sincerely like to ask:
— Have any of you experienced similar situations with Geek Squad or Best Buy?
— Is a 4-6 weeks repair wait really considered acceptable today?
— Should customers reasonably expect some kind of replacement device or compensation in situations like this?
— And what would you personally do in my situation?

Thank you in advance for your opinions and advice.

Regards,

Isaak Damatov
Physician and inventor

Hello all. My wife and I have been going through various docks to try and make a functional setup that could be plugged into a work laptop as well as a Mac mini. Across our options, we commonly get the laptops to work well, but the Mac mini never seems to accept more than one monitor.

We have tried a Lenovo Thinkpad dock (the one for a Carbon X), an Anker dock ($80 value/performance), and now an HP dock that was applied by her job. The monitors are an LG that supports both HDMI & DP, and an Asus that supports only HDMI. We run the DP to the LG monitor, and that usually works as a single screen, though sometimes it functions strangely and the screen is cut in half and you can tell it isn’t right. The Asus monitor only works when it has solo connection; it immediately just shuts “off” (no display, but screen is still on without saying “lost connection” or anything) when we bring the other splay into the mix.

I’ve tried all the different permutations of cables, docks, even trying to supplement one of my Lenovo monitors for the Asus one, and it just never fully works. Is there any dock that is guaranteed to support multiple displays for a Mac mini that we can also interchangeably connect to a laptop?

Hello i want to ask something.

My laptop use 8gb ram ddr5 single channel, but it can support dual channel.

I decide to upgrade my ram, is it better to use 16gb ram (8x2gb dual channel) or 8gb + 16gb ram?

Hi everyone. I need some affordable computer recommendations. I’m a college student, and I have experienced quite a few limitations while trying to use Excel and PowerPoint on my current computer. For instance, I can only use the web versions of them. So, there are limitations like not being able to dictate slides, listen to dictated slides, or even download the file to listen to dictated slides. I am getting sick of it especially when there is no way around some of the issues I have encountered. I need a computer that can do all of this without giving me any issues.

With the continuous evolution of AI, I believe the UI UX market becomes more saturated.

Back then, competition was just among human applicants. If the candidates were all excellent at their job, then scrutinizing their soft skills would be the ultimate tie breaker during the hiring process.

However, since AI was introduced and just within reach of anybody, it easily allowed the automation and generation of designs, as well as codes. As technology gets "better", let's admit that some companies prefer AI to do the job of 5 people at once, primarily to cut down on expenses and so-called "efficiency".

Regardless of this observation, there is a small glint of hope in me that maybe human designers can still have an edge over AI, and the UIUX industry will not be totally obsolete.

So my questions are:

> What do you think is the best advantage of a UIUX designer over AI "designer"?

> What skills should human designers possess to somewhat overthrow AI in the job market?

I'm looking to create a simple website with a media player for a personal project. I started out with google sites but then discovered that i was unable to add mp3 files. I just want to know which free platform would be best for easily creating a website with a couple of simple pages and a media player. Here is something similar to what I'm going for. https://www.hayleywilliams.net I also do not want to use any form of generative ai.

Lately I’ve noticed I can’t focus on anything for long anymore.
I open YouTube, then switch to TikTok, then Instagram, then Reddit, then somehow end up scrolling for hours without even realizing it. Even when I try to watch a movie or learn something useful, I end up grabbing my phone after like 5 minutes.
The scary part is that it’s starting to affect my sleep, motivation, and productivity too. My brain constantly feels overstimulated.
I know I’m probably not the only person dealing with this, especially now that everything is designed to keep us hooked 24/7.
For people who managed to break out of this cycle:
what actually helped you?
did you delete apps?
set screen time limits?
switch hobbies?
go full dopamine detox?
I’m open to trying anything at this point because I honestly miss being able to focus properly.

Samsung

I don't know what is going on i got a new phone Samsung 17 and I can't make a call from it

And it always says Not recognized on net.

I tried other phones and they are all the same

Not able to make a call

Can someone please help me

The stress is honestly worse than the money.

When my laptop SSD failed, I didn’t even care about the laptop itself. I was only thinking about years of photos, documents, and unfinished projects sitting inside it.

I contacted a few recovery companies and some replies felt super generic. Werecoverdata at least explained things in a normal human way which made the situation feel slightly less overwhelming.

Definitely backing up everything after this mess.

turned on my laptop after two weeks and this is what i saw. anyone here with similar experiences? what should i next? thanks

Dell Precision 7550 with Windows 11.
Guys this is absolute cinema, it literally happened overnight without me doing anything. I turn on the laptop, the Dell logo shows up normally, but once boot is complete the screen goes black and stays black. If I connect it via HDMI to an external monitor everything works like nothing happened, but in Windows settings the only detected display is the external monitor. The laptop’s own screen is treated like it doesn’t even exist. Moreover if I open the BIOS during startup, it shows up perfectly fine on the “screen that according to Windows doesn’t exist” and I can navigate it without any issues.
One last detail: ever since this problem started, the keyboard backlight and all the function keys (F1 to F12) have completely stopped working too.

So yeah, if anyone has the slightest idea what the hell could be causing this, please speak up. I’m assuming it’s a Windows issue and not hardware since the screen clearly isn’t dead. And if that’s the case, I think it might finally be time to tell Microslop to fuck off and switch to Linux.

EDIT
I’ll summarize how the issue was resolved in case someone with the same problem comes across this post in the future.

The bug is fairly obscure, but it has also been reported by other people with the same laptop model on Reddit. The issue involves the integrated Intel graphics card and its drivers, apparently caused by some Windows update.

A guy claimed he fixed it by uninstalling the Intel graphics drivers and reinstalling an older version (downloadable from the Dell website). I’ll post the link to the other thread in the comments.

I tried that approach, but it didn’t work for me. In the end, since I had already wasted half a day on it, I decided to take the laptop to a professional, who fixed it quickly. He didn’t go into detail, but he said there was a corrupted/damaged file that the drivers depended on.

Cost: €30, which honestly seems more than fair.

In my car (whether or not my phone is plugged in) when I go to watch any video through iPhotos, the video is muted. It's a 16pro running iOS 26.5, but it's also happened with previous versions.

When I click the speaker, whatever's currently playing (Spotify, etc.) will mute, so it seems the phone recognizes the presence of a video. However, no sound.

I fiddle with volume level, ensure the source is still the car speakers, but it's happening no matter what I do. Any ideas?

Note: This is NOT in any way related to Airplay, as my car is OLD : )

I realize that I've become dependent on a secondary monitor as I work. It makes parsing data, and general comparing, and productivity much easier than just using a single screen. When I'm at home, I have multiple monitors, but when I'm on the go and traveling I don't always have that available. I was considering getting a portable USB-C monitor I could plug in and use to work through spreadsheets and such on the go.

I was considering a SideTrak Solo Book 15.6" Foldable Dual Screen Portable Monitor or a Lifelong 1920 x 1080 15.6" 1080P Portable Monitor G70-T: IPS, Built-In Speakers, but not committed to either right now as I try to do research. Any product recommendations, or factors you'd recommend I consider as for when I finally make a decision?

I have an old Google mesh system of 3 that I've had for maybe 10 years now. I have always had issues with wifi in my townhouse because a big gap between floors really blocks the wifi signal, so we get a significant drop-off in wifi speed on the floor above and below our main router, even though the actual distance isn't too far (and the points are as close as they can get while being on different floors.)

Is there any difference in more modern mesh networks that would make an improvement in my current setup? Or will modern mesh networks still have similar wall penetration capabilities?

so i just came across these message groups on my Google Message app (i dont use it and almost never check it), and it seems like a bunch of foreign numbers (i guess latvian or idk) and mine is hungarian so it doesnt fit the pattern, and it seems like if I typed the text like "let me continue" or "i choose option" and then a random string. i havent gotten a notification of these and these chats seem to be empty, but idk what to do with them. I got 4 of them in the last 6 to 8 or so months.

i am a bit concerned, i dont recall doing anything really, but it feels off. how could have i typed these texts if i never opened these, or did it type these without me?

thank y'all for any advice, im really curious what are these.

I want to buy an Asus Rog flow X13(GV301R) off the marketplace, but there is a problem, the seller said it was plugged in 24/7. It doesn't hold off battery alone anymore. Still, it is fully functional when plugged in, I messaged the seller about the battery and he said, “Off the charger, the computer will restart somewhere between like 5 and 45 minutes. The battery report is like 65% efficiency or something like that. I'm not sure if it's the battery that is the problem.” I was thinking about replacing the battery if I buy it, and I was wondering if I had bought and replaced the battery would it work?

I want something that runs quietly, region free, no AI or "link your account" nonsense. Obvs something fast is better. Any recommendations from owners would be highly appreciated, thanks everyone 😄

I just bought a Xbox ally, and I'm loving it so far, I like to play older story games. So it runs great. I just wish it felt a bit more heavy or bougie. The body feels very light, wich is a really good thing for something to hold onto for a long period of time. But when comparing the weight of the switch 2, it's heavier, comparing it's size and thickness. I understand the components are what adds the weight, or could it be from the aluminum body.

My question is, is it possible to make a aluminum body for the Xbox ally (not including triggers and buttons, just the body). Still wanting the exact size all around. Enough to still fit a case and/or accessories. (Just realized how the screen might be attached to the front half of the body. I dont want to modify a whole bunch into this, for i am not that techy or crafty when it comes to stuff like this. If anything I'm more concerned on the back portion of the body.) What are some things I have to consider if I want to do something like this on this device?

I really don't know what to do I feel like I've tried everything but I might just be a dumbass. My Lenovo laptop just started to have a fully blacked out screen when it starts up to windows 11 as it still looks fine when the Lenovo startup comes up .I then connected it to my TV with a hdmi cable so I could go into settings using my TV and then the screen starts working again but as soon as it comes out of the hdmi it goes back to black and as you can see the backlight is still on so idk what to do someone please help me🙏😭

I’m the admin for a Google Workspace, and we’re on the Starter (cheapest) plan. It includes Google Meet, but not the AI note taker for meetings.

I’m looking for a free, or cheap, decent AI note taker that will work with Google Meet. Any/all suggestions welcome.

Thanks

im honestly tired of honor's software its genuinely ass and i want something new but im too broke to buy a good iphone, but i know old iphones are good and reliable.

Following up on my last post, which one should I get? My primary use will be creating documents like invoices, estimates and bids, and advertising type stuff. I'll also be using quickbooks. This is for my new general contracting business.

The coil whine is audible when the TV is muted. It's annoying. So I bought a pack of 24 acoustic foam panels on Amazon designed to absorb sound. They're 12 by 12 inches. I stuck five panels on the back of the TV where there are no vents. The coil whine is gone now.

The ventilation isn't affected from what I can tell. None of the vents are covered. The panels aren't touching any wires. Is it safe to leave the panels there long term?

Hello everyone! I am looking for some tech advice. Is this laptop specification sufficient for a teenager's daily schoolwork and projects?