CREATE BLOG dbo.SqlServer

In case you don't know, for a few weeks, we have build 9.0.3042 of SQL Server 2005 SP2 but, on March 6, 2007, it was "refreshed" to 9.0.3043 so that it included a hotfix for some pretty intense maintenance plan scheduling failures.

Now, the same day they released 9.0.3043, MSFT also released build 9.0.3050 which is for those people who installed the original version of SP2 (9.0.3042). Yes, this is a bit strange: build 3050 effectively brings SQL Server 2005 SP2 build 9.0.3050 "down to" SQL Server 2005 SP2 build 3043's level. KB Article is dated March 23.... At least, given the docs, that's what I *think* is the case.

The very next day came build 9.0.3152 (March 7, 2007) which is billed as a "Cumulative Hotfix for SP2". This includes the file sqlserver2005-kb933097-x86-enu.exe and it resolves a bunch of bugs but apparently it wasn't ready to be released on March 6 so it was released on March 7.

Are you still reading?

Good. I need you here because actually, I'm kind of lost as to what to install! Does build 3152 include the fixes in 3050 or is it only for 3043? The KB article says that it is a cumulative hotfix but does not mention builds 4050, 3043 or 3042 at all. The KB article for 3152 mentions builds
2214 and 2219 only.....................

Do I need to uninstall 3050 just to install 3152?
Does 3152 require 3043 only?

Arrrgghhhhh!

Sooooooooo - I've just installed 3152... Let me go check it out and see what it says (and whether the SQL Server 2005 Performance Dashboard reports run successfully since they didn't on build 3050).

..........................

Well, the ProductLevel is still SP2 (SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('ProductLevel') ) but now the ProductVersion shows 9.0.3152 (SELECT SERVERPROPERTY('ProductVersion')) but the SQL Server Performance Dashboard reports still don't work... So much for that!

Labels: sql 2005, sql server 2005, sql server 2005 sp2

So I'm trying to get the SQL Server 2005 Performance Dashboard reports installed on my SQL Server 2005 Developer Edition and I'm not getting anywhere...

I successfully run SETUP.SQL so that it adds the necessary support objects into the MSDB but I cannot get a single report to run :(

I get a variety of errors:

• Report parameter 'session_id' was not found
• The 'version_string' parameter is missing a value
• Report parameter 'include_system_processes' is missing a value

It seems that, for whatever reason, SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) is not passing the parameter values or the .rdl file is not able to get the values.

I've tried this on two separate machines, one S.E. and one D.E. edition. Both are running 9.0.3050 (so don't ask if I have installed kb933508, cuz I have!).

Help! Anyone know why I'm getting these failures? I've googled/yahoo'ed and the only site I came up with was something in Russian and it didn't offer any solution (that I could tell).

Labels: sql 2005, sql server, sql server 2005

UPDATE: April 28, 2007 - Unbelievable! HP finally shipped my replacement laptop - 64 days after I paid them and 46 full days after I shipped the defective one back - and they shipped me back the wrong laptop! This is truly unparalleled customer service. The laptop they sent me is missing three major components: the 512MB video card (came with 256MB instead), 2GB RAM (came with 1GB only), and the lower quality display (I had the top end). Back to the factory it goes for the second time in SIX WEEKS! You read it right - I sent them the laptop back for service on March 12 and just got it on April 27th and it's the wrong *&#^%$# laptop.

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So I read all the reviews I possibly could and wanted to post my own experience with my brand new HP Pavilion dv9000t laptop. I bought it for $2048.00 on the hp.com store website and it was fully loaded:
* Intel T7200 Core 2 Duo chips (2.0ghz)
* Two 7200RPM SATA hard drives
* 17" monitor
* 256MB video (I didn't upgrade the video 'cuz I don't watch vids/play games)

It came in only a week after ordering it - a full week early! I was stoked. I booted it up, went through the setup, and started playing around and WOW IS IT FAST!!! It looks so sleek as well - the black swirlies are super cool and, although everyone of the reviews complain about how your fingerprints get everywhere, I didn't care at all. It just looked so damn sleek and was so fast that I didn't care.

Now, the negatives:
1) It lasted two weeks before I had to ship it back to the factory since it would periodically turn itself off once the CPU rose about 80% use
2) The keyboard is annoying. They've decided, since this is a bigger laptop, to fully utilize the space by giving you the number keys on the right just like on a "regular" keyboard. I don't need that!
3) The keys are just too damn small. I read 3 or 4 reviews about the HP dv9000 and all of them said, "It's cool but the keyboard's keys are just too small." I figured that people were being nit-picky so I bought it anyway. Well, my thoughts are that the important keys like the arrows and the Enter, Tab keys are way, way too small but the rest of the keys are okay. I wish the arrow keys in particular were bigger. Any time that I want to use the arrow keys to navigate somewhere, I have to stop, look down, and think about what I want to do. That should never happen...
4) HP Support has now had my laptop for longer than I have and they have no expected ship date back to me :(
5) I have a dedicated department that I need to speak to but I am not allowed to call them directly; I have to call the standard HP Customer Support line, wait on hold (waited for 21 minutes the other day just for that number) and then tell the CSR my information, wait for them to verify it and ask to be transferred to the next department. The CSR then puts me on hold (I waited 35 minutes on hold today at this juncture) before I talk to the person who can connect me to my Case Manager. Arrgghhh

Wait a minute - HP has your laptop still?

Yup. I mailed it back on March 12 and, as I write this, today is March 26. HP Support has now had my laptop as long as I did :(

It gets worse! I've now spent over 3.5 hours on the phone: over 2 of which I spent on hold listening to the same, "Need support for your HP laptop? HP Has the best support..." and all the crappy marketing messages that just grate on you after the 3rd time hearing them.

Where We Are Today

I just got off the phone with HP's "Service Status and Repair Status Department" and they have no new expected ship date. The most recent date shows March 23, 2007 with no further notes. I have been escalated to a Case Manager but I am not able to call them directly nor email them directly; they have to contact *me*. I give them my phone number and they will call me within 24-48 hours. If I miss that call, I have to call back in to the HP Support number, wait to talk to a CSR, get transferred to the Service Status Dept, and then ask to be trasnferred to a Case Manager. OMG is that asinine!

Here's the problems with my HP Pavilion dv9000t in the event that others experience the same thing:
1) If you do any intense operations on the laptop, it utterly powers down with no warning. It ran fine for two weeks (great, actually) but then one morning, I came into my office and fired up Outlook 2007 (on Vista) and it just shut off. "Wow! What the ?!?!", I thought to myself. I booted it up, tried launching Firefox and instant death occurred. "Hmmmmmm..." I was able to boot it back up and run a few programs but, as soon as I ran MS Word and Excel at the same time, it crashed again. I was frustrated so I went and ate breakfast with my family.

When I came back and booted it up, it worked great for about an hour and then the same symptoms began appearing. it was clearly an overheating issue at that point. I leave my laptop on 24/7 sitting on my desk and so, when I came into the office that morning, my HP dv9000 had overheated and was just shutting down as soon as the CPU started getting going.

I called HP Support and spent 1.3 hours on the phone going through all the support requests. They'll ask you to hold the power button down for six seconds since that discharges any power still left in the system. We tried removing one RAM chip, switching the chips to other slots, and all sorts of things but to no avail. I worked diligently with the CSR who was great but nothing could be helped: it had to go back to the factory.

That was March 12. Today is the 26th. I got the computer on February 26th. When I called today, they still do not have an expected ship date and, worse, the Hardware Support Group (which is apparently where my laptop is) has not given a reason for the delayed shipment. Here's what the support page shows:

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Current status

Hewlett-Packard is currently repairing or replacing your product. Your replaced/repaired product is scheduled to arrive at your location on the expected delivery date listed below. Expected Delivery Date:03/23/2007

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Of course, today is March 26th...

Do yourself a favor: at least consider that this could happen to you before you give HP your money for one of these top of the line laptops.



UPDATE: April 16, 2007 - I finally got a call back from my case manager today and, although she told me that the laptop was built already and ready to ship last week, that was not the case. The laptop is still being built and "should arrive this week." When I pressed for more specific information, I was able to only get an order number but she said that it wouldn't do me any good. I browsed to the hpshopping.com order status page and tried entering the number but that page does not work lol. When I enter my phone number, it always returns "Please enter a valid phone number". Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked...

So, it has been FIFTY THREE DAYS since I gave them my $2100 and I still don't have a laptop nor do I even have a tracking number or ship date or anything. I told my case manager today that, it didn't matter what she said, I wasn't going to believe anything she told me unless I had a tracking number of some kind that I could find on their or UPS/FED-EX's website. She has repeatedly told me one thing and not followed through.

Example: she told me on March 30th that they would provide a replacement laptop and that it would take 7-14 business days to arrive. Fine, I said... However, today, she said that it is actually 7-14 business days from when hpshopping.com received the order which was April 5th, an entire week later. Arrggh s- so frustrating.

UPDATE: As of April 11, 2007 - a full month after I shipped my laptop back to HP Support, I *still* do not have a laptop or a refund. That means that I paid $2048 on February 22nd, received my laptop on March 1, and I sent it back to HP Support on March 12 because it constantly turned itself off. HP Support has now had my laptop (or, more succinctly, my *money*) for an entire month - more than twice as long as I had it. I finally received a return call yesterday afternoon after leaving five messages in five days on the Case Manage support line only for her to tell me that she couldn't provide a new case number or any new tracking information. The website still shows that my laptop will be "shipped on March 23, 2007" lol.

Labels: defectivebydesign, hp. review, review