QUOTE (grandpabruce @ Sep 4 2006, 09:59 AM)

None of the posters, who were having problems, ever came back to the forums, so I guess we will never know. Perhaps frenchtoast... will drop in and offer some assistance.
So I contacted dell support chat, and I got the following conversation:
09/10/2006 05:25:57PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "How may I assist you today?"
09/10/2006 05:28:29PM Hye Lee: "hello,I've been having a problem with the sonic cd burning software and I had emailed dell to resolve the issue. The had me download a hot fix to solve the problem, but it did not work"
09/10/2006 05:28:43PM Hye Lee: "The program that had me install was named: IE7RC1-WindowsXP-x86-enu"
09/10/2006 05:29:01PM Hye Lee: "I can descrive the sonic problem in more detail if you'd like"
09/10/2006 05:29:21PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "I understand that you have an issue with Sonic. Is that correct?"
09/10/2006 05:30:24PM Hye Lee: "yes"
09/10/2006 05:30:50PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Don't worry, I will assist you in resolving the issue."
09/10/2006 05:31:02PM Hye Lee: "ok thanks"
09/10/2006 05:31:23PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Please elaborate on the error or issue you have with this software."
09/10/2006 05:31:41PM Hye Lee: "oops no it was the isum_hotfix"
09/10/2006 05:32:35PM Hye Lee: "so I double click on the sonic icon on the desktop start the software. Then it looks for an installation cd"
09/10/2006 05:33:07PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Is that in Sonic update manager window?"
09/10/2006 05:33:28PM Hye Lee: "then it gives me a window stating "The feature you're trying to use is on a cd-rom.."
09/10/2006 05:34:22PM Hye Lee: "ummm I don't think so. I just double click on the sonic icon"
09/10/2006 05:34:57PM Hye Lee: "I also tried to start it by using the start menu."
09/10/2006 05:35:15PM Hye Lee: "anyways, it tells me to insert the sonic cd"
09/10/2006 05:35:37PM Hye Lee: "which I do not have, so I press cancel.."
09/10/2006 05:36:01PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Can you click on the icon again and let me know if you see the Sonic Update Manager window?"
09/10/2006 05:37:00PM Hye Lee: "then it gives me an error message "an installation package for the product Sonic RecordNow Data cannot be found. Try the installation again using a valid copy of the installation package 'bmple.msi.'"
09/10/2006 05:37:18PM Hye Lee: "no I don't see the sonic update manager window."
09/10/2006 05:37:28PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Okay."
09/10/2006 05:37:56PM Hye Lee: "I actually googled this problem and it states in several forums that I need to get a sonic cd from you guys."
09/10/2006 05:39:34PM Hye Lee: "so this is what the dell e-mail folks e-mailed me. I followed the directions exacly."
09/10/2006 05:39:46PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Okay. Don't worry, we will send you disk if that is required."
09/10/2006 05:40:09PM Hye Lee: "Dell's e-mail software interprets your message as a request for help with the Sonic Update Manager requesting a program CD which you do not have. The Sonic software has a feature that allows you to find and install needed updates to this software as th"
09/10/2006 05:40:21PM Hye Lee: "The following error message appears on system boot: 'Sonic Update Manager' The feature you are trying to use is on a CD-ROM or other removable disk that is not available. Insert the ´Sonic Update Manager´ disk and click OK. To correct the problem, c"
09/10/2006 05:40:43PM Hye Lee: "3. Click Run. The Sonic - ISUM Hotfix Setup window appears. 4. Click Yes. The Sonic - ISUM Hotfix Setup window appears. Click Yes when the reboot prompt appears."
09/10/2006 05:41:13PM Hye Lee: "I tried this 3 times with no success"
09/10/2006 05:41:16PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Okay."
09/10/2006 05:41:55PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Can you please confirm your shipping address."
09/10/2006 05:44:01PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Thank you."
09/10/2006 05:44:34PM Hye Lee: "so will I be getting the sonic installation cd?"
09/10/2006 05:45:07PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Yes, I am dispatching you the CD Hye."
09/10/2006 05:45:22PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Could you please give me 2-3 minutes while I create a dispatch for the part? I will give you the details after that."
09/10/2006 05:45:32PM Hye Lee: "ok"
09/10/2006 05:48:43PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Thank you for your patience."
09/10/2006 05:48:59PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "May I know what are the other CDs you received from Dell?"
09/10/2006 05:50:17PM Hye Lee: "I received a red operating sys cd.."
09/10/2006 05:50:30PM Hye Lee: "drivers and utilities cd..."
09/10/2006 05:50:51PM Hye Lee: "and an applications cd, but I tried to run this cd to see if sonic was in this cd and it wasn't"
09/10/2006 05:51:33PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Yes, it wont be on this CD."
09/10/2006 05:51:38PM Hye Lee: "that's it. I only received 3 cd's"
09/10/2006 05:52:17PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Okay."
09/10/2006 05:53:47PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "I will give you the dispatch number."
09/10/2006 05:54:09PM Hye Lee: "are there any other cd's that I should have that I should be aware of and should have?"
09/10/2006 05:55:19PM Hye Lee: "because it seems to me that a lot of people are having this problem from the forums I've read...I just don't understand why dell doesn't send all this stuff out all at once"
09/10/2006 05:58:23PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "Dell did not send you the CDs because you have PC Restore option on your system."
09/10/2006 05:58:56PM Agent (Tasawwur_0129807): "This will restore the system to factory settings."
09/10/2006 05:59:38PM Hye Lee: "so what's the dispatch #"
hope this helps...of course I needed this cd Friday....I have a major deadline tomorrow and I can't do it until I get this #$^@ cd. I'm switching to a mac or something. I can't believe the idiocy of the process. I just can't believe it.