wpfish...... What kind of warranty do you have with this machine ? If its under warranty....... what was the $100 for ......?
Did you receive a original Windows cd ......with the operating system on it ?
Did you have SP2 installed ?
Were there any error messages .....when you tried to get the win updates .....
Did you purchase this machine new ....from ... a reputable dealer ? A brief discription of the computer would possibly help. All you have told us ..is that it is an ACER .....
It almost sounds as if there may be more going on here than your telling us.
dl65