Ron Schenone

Install Linux On A New PC Voids Warranty – Maybe?

Posted by on Mar 29, 2007 | 7 Comments

There is a interesting story about a woman who bought a new Compaq laptop and was having problems with her keyboard. The keys were sticking and the space bar was sluggish to respond. So she uninstalled Windows that came on her system and installed Ubuntu. The problem still was happening which indicated that it most likely was hardware related. So she called Compaq and when she stated she was running Linux was told her warranty was void and she would need to reinstall Windows.

Which brings up a interesting situation. Plus some interesting questions as well. How do manufactures differentiate from which operating system a user chooses to use in comparison on how they honor their hardware warranty? And is there something included in the warranty stipulations that preclude the use of another operating system besides Microsoft Windows?

According to the article I read it was stated:

“The PR rep told me, after wading through all the terms and conditions attached to the notebook’s warranty, that “it is impossible to anticipate every single issue that a customer can face, so the terms and conditions of warranties can’t list every possible scenario. Usually if a customer installs a different OS, it has a big impact on the PC and will void the warranty. However, since the OS couldn’t have been responsible for keys sticking on a notebook keyboard, I think this is an exception to the rule.” She also asserts that Compaq’s “warranty terms and conditions are in line with the rest of the industry.”

So how would Dell or other OEM’s respond if one chose to install another operating system beside the one that came with the system, which most likely would be a version of Windows? As stated above, this may be a gray area that could be based on a per system install and the results of the install.

As an example. Linux as we know does not work with all hardware because of a lack of drivers. So if one had a fully functional computer in which all the hardware worked under Windows, and the users installed Linux, would the PC company be responsible if a network card didn’t work? The logical answer would be no. Just my opinion. But if the screen went completely dead on a laptop, regardless of the OS, I would guess that a warranty would cover the repairs.

What’s your take? Comments welcome.

Full article and details here.

[tags]linux, windows, microsoft, warranty, [/tags]

  • http://fractalbeanstalk.blogspot.com/ Tim Hodkinson

    Unless the customer’s modification to the computer had the potential to damage it, I would expect the dealer to replace the broken hardware.

    However, I can certainly understand why Compaq, or any other manufacturer, would have trouble dealing with this sort of problem. Changing the OS is just too far-out for them to comprehend at this point in time. Their way of dealing with service issues is to follow a scripted procedure, which of course is dependent on the OS the computer shipped with. And since you can’t change a laptop’s keyboard like you can a desktop, they see the whole machine, OS included, as one, single, inseparable product. Even though, the customer could have hardware problems stemming from 3rd party applications running on Windows (messing up keyboard config).

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Tim,
    Agree. I can see where the OEM’s may have a problem, especially dealing with the various Linux distributions. Thanks for the comment. Ron

  • Kevin, The Dalles, OR

    This particular issue is similar to me taking my new car to have the upholstery redone on the seats and getting a sunroof installed. Then when the brakes seize up and I try to get them repaired by the dealership I am told the modifications I did voided the warranty on my vehicle.

  • Alan Hastings

    All Linux distribution use the kernel, and all device drivers are in the kernel.

    From a support perspective, this is somewhat like walking a Windows users through determining what version of a driver they are using.

    Remember, many Windows drivers come from third parties, making the situation very complex, especially if the user updated some. There is almost no dependency resolution in Windows, so applying service pack x doesn’t check that Linksys driver Y needs an update.

    On Linux, no matter what distribution, the operation is much simpler. Open a terminal and ‘uname -r’. That’s the version of all the drivers, because that’s the kernel you’re running. The kernel development is open and transparent, accessible to anyone that’s interested.

    In any case, the majority of respondents to Dell’s survey indicated that they prefer community support. I guess Linux users have discovered that PC manufacturer support isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Kevin and Alan,
    Thank you both for your comments. It is appreciated. Ron

  • Mike

    I wonder if the real reason migth be traced back to some sort of agreement between the PC manufacturer and Microsoft. Microsoft might make it part of their license that you not provide any warranty to users installing a non-Microsoft OS.

  • http://wp3.lockergnome.com/nexus/blade/ Ron Schenone

    Hi Mike,
    Sounds like a possibility. Thanks for your comments.
    Ron