Dell Computer Repairs

Updated January 30, 2006

UW has an agreement with Dell for advantageous pricing on their systems. There are three types of Dell purchases, and; subsequently three different avenues for technical support and repairs:

Rollover Dell purchases - Dell systems for UW's Academic Support Department Desktop Rollover;
General UW Dell purchases - Dell systems for all other UW departments and individuals;
Personal Dell purchases - For non-UW/home uses, with a discount.

More information about these purchase types can be found on the Purchasing a Dell Computer at UW page.

Rollover Dell purchase repairs

Standard Dell hardware repairs are performed by IST staff technicians. If it is more involved, Dell will send one of their technicians to do the work.

Request for Service by Email and Web
For campus equipment to be serviced on site, and for equipment which needs to be picked up, a request for service should be submitted using the IST Request System. On the right-hand side of the web page select “IST- Hardware” from the drop down menu. Then press the “Create a New Request” button. Alternatively, you could send an email to request@rt.uwaterloo.ca including the following information:
- Location of the equipment.
- Equipment type, manufacturer, and model.
- Description of the problem.
- Contact name and phone number.
- UW Financial account number (31 digits), to be charged.
You will be notified by email and given a Service Request number for job tracking.
Carry in Service
Bring the faulty hardware to the CHIP in MC1052 along with all warranty information, bill of sale, etc. It is usually not necessary to bring along cables, power cords, or the mouse, if you are unsure please call in to the Helpdesk (x84357). When the repair has been completed you will be called by the technician.

General UW Dell purchase repairs (non Rollover)

The user, or a computer support staff member in their area, will contact Dell technical support. You will help the technician serve you better if you have your service tag number, operating system version, and peripheral models you are using. The Service Tag is a unique five-seven digit alphanumeric (letters and numbers) code that is found on a bar-coded label affixed to your Dell product. You may be asked to run a diagnostic tool. Dell systems usually ship with any necessary diagnostics on individual floppy disks or on the Dell Resource CD. If you do not have a particular diagnostic, you can download all the appropriate diagnostic programs for your system. Let the technician know what error message you are getting and when it occurs, as well as what steps you may have already taken to solve the problem. If Dell cannot resolve the issue over the phone, a service call will be placed to dispatch the appropriate part(s) and a service technician, if necessary.

If you need assistance please contact the IST Help Desk, ext.84357. IST staff technicians can install any replacement parts received from Dell technical support (charges apply).

Personal Dell purchases

IST staff technicians can install any replacement parts received from Dell technical support (charges apply).

Hardware Repairs

Dell Computer Repairs

Rollover Dell purchase repairs

General UW Dell purchase repairs (non Rollover)

Personal Dell purchases