Why updates denied to warranty expired customers?

[mkrausehpforum]

Today (11-26-2015) I was denied software updates on hp wireless assistant button & cyberlink, apparently because my hp warranty expired 1 month ago. I have problem evaluation coverage with the 'big box' store where I purchased the laptop that becomes available during & after the 1 year hp warranty expires.

Why should I have to buy a warranty to be able to get the software updates required to operate the computer?

I do understand I would have to pay for replacment hardward parts. But in the past,  I would have had to pay for replacement parts on a previous pc, if only it could be fixed. Also, I paid consultation phone charges & was denied a replacement pc for another hp latop which was only 3-6 months old, clearly within the first year warranty.

Please put the software updates through that pertain to keeping  the computer in operation, like the hp wireless assistant button.

I understand cyberlink & other outside vendors would require customers to pay for a new  program

Thank you for your assistance.

Happy Thanksgiving, 2015.

[Personal Information Removed]

[IT_WinSec]

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@mkrausehpforum wrote:

Today (11-26-2015) I was denied software updates on hp wireless assistant button & cyberlink, apparently because my hp warranty expired 1 month ago. 

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Hello,

Thank you for posting in the HP Support Forum.

Could you clarify exactly where you were denied software updates ? Are you using HP Support Assistant and you received such a message that your warrantly expired, thus no updates ? Or this is from HP web site ?

* note - plese do not post personal information such as email address as this is public forum and data can be accessed literally from anybody with Internet access + any net bots such as those from Internet search engines. I have asked a moderation to delete your email. You do not speak directly to HP here, this is a public forum where HP customers, volunteers post and HP employees.

[IT_WinSec]

I am looking forward to your clarification. However, generally speaking, any vendor can only provide specific drivers and software updates to a certain amount of time after initial product release and generally this is as long as the warranty period is valid. These updates you mention are not crucial for the computer work and function. HP released literally hundreds of new products every year and it is impossible to keep updating all of them indefinitely. Vendors usually concentrate on newest/latest products and provide such update usually up to about 2-3 years after the product release and till warantly period. Usually vendors cannot provide updates for long period for previous products because it takes tremedeous amount of time and human efforts and most of the times this may not be necessary.

Best regards!

[mkrausehpforum]

My 'hp Help & Support' button had a yellow exclamation point (to check for messages). So when I clicked on, there was a box on the far left which noted my warranty expired 10-25-2015. I tried to click onto the 2 udates (Cyberlink & hp wireless assistant) listed on the right side of the page. Neither 'completed' the update after downloading.

The hp wireless assistant is vital to operating & using the pc, so hp should send the update to the pc whether the warranty has been renewed or not. 

On a pc about 2 years old, it often does not make financial sense to renew the warranty, because the break-downs become so frequent. It makes more sense to buy a new pc.

mkhpforum

[IT_WinSec]

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@mkrausehpforum wrote:

I tried to click onto the 2 udates (Cyberlink & hp wireless assistant) listed on the right side of the page. Neither 'completed' the update after downloading.

The hp wireless assistant is vital to operating & using the pc, so hp should send the update to the pc whether the warranty has been renewed or not. 

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What made you think it didn't complete the update ? What happened ? Please, provide details.

HP Wireless assistant is not vital for using the PC and PC functions. Vendor drivers are important , all other programs may be useful but they are not essential and vital.

For example, I had this program on my HP computer but I uninstalled it and I use the built-in Windows functions for controlling the networks / as a personal preference - networking still functions fine /

[mkrausehpforum]

hp wireless assistant software updates are essential because the pc only works through software that is able to access the internet through the wireless assistant software.  Software updates should be included with or without the warranty. Repair costs for replacement of hardware, such as the circuit board which powers the broadband connection for the hp wireless assistant software,  usually are referred to in the warranty, per repair CSRs online & in electronics stores in the USA.

11-28-2015

[mkrausehpforum]

hp PCs in the USA don't work without an internet connection. Even Word now is a download, instead of a disk,  which doesn't work on an individual pc without an internet connection. I can renew Word for the year, but Word won't work on my pc unless I can connect to the internet through the hp wireless assistant software.

11-28-2015

[IT_WinSec]

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@mkrausehpforum wrote:

hp wireless assistant software updates are essential because the pc only works through software that is able to access the internet through the wireless assistant software. 

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As far as I understand, we are talking about this software >> http://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c01667669

Please, correct me if I am wrong.

This is not mandatory software, this is not essential software for your computer to function properly. As I wrote above, I had the same program on my Windows computer, I uninstalled it and ask you can see I am online replying now in the forum.

As written in the official description :

The HP Wireless Assistant monitors the connections to the notebook's wireless card or cards, allowing you to manage (...) devices using one graphical interface. The HP Wireless Assistant displays the status of all the wireless devices allowing you to enable or disable all or some of the wireless devices. 

You can do all this from Windows itself. Using Windows Network and sharing center, drivers, etc..:

Win 7 >> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/view-the-status-of-your-network

Win 10 >> http://www.windowscentral.com/how-manage-wireless-network-connections-windows-10
Win 7 - general   >> http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-modify-network-profiles#1TC=windows-7

[IT_WinSec]

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@mkrausehpforum wrote:

hp PCs in the USA don't work without an internet connection.

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Any computer (not only HP manufactured ones) does not require Internet connection to work properly.

It is some software that nowadays requires Internet connection for certain functions such as the example with MS Office 365 you give here. Microsoft Office will work even while your computer is in offline mode, it is just the updates that may not be downloaded while offiline. Please, do not get me wrong, I am not telling you that you will or should be offline.  I am just telling you that your HP computer will work fine even without HP Support Assistant or HP wireless assistant. These are very helpful but not mandatory applications.

I can assure you that even with expired warrantly, you computer can work and function properly and it does not require the updates of HP Wireless assistant (not even the software) to function properly. You will have network connection with or without this program.

It is another story that HP Support Assistant is notifying you about expired warranty period. This is just this software that notified you about the expired warrantly. You can download the latest drivers or latest available applications from HP for productions even out of warranty period from the HP Support site http://support.hp.com

Re. the HP Support Assistant and the expired warrantly notification - I will check this with the respective people and will provide this as an improvement notice and the responsible people may consider it. It seems in this case this is causing you worries. However, I can assure you that the computer will function properly without the non-essential software.

Essential software for Windows is drivers. You can continue download the latest available drivers from the HP site.

HP releases literally hundreds of new products every year and it is impossible to keep updating all of them indefinitely. However, not all updates are necessary and mandatory. Vendors usually concentrate on newest/latest products and provide such update usually up to about 2-3 years after the product release and till warantly period. Usually vendors cannot provide updates for long period for previous products because it takes tremedeous amount of time and human efforts and most of the times this may not be necessary.

Please, let me know if something is not clear and if I can assist you further.