I have a funny and frustrating story to tell you about with my experience with Xdrive. Xdrive offers free online storage and our company is making the move to be completely web based, so we all signed up for 5 free gigs of storage. I would have to say I’ve had good amount of internet experience signing up and registering for different sites and I’m pretty sure this is the first time that I failed.
Everything was going smoothly until the security check, which I couldn’t pass. I tried numerous times and just couldn’t get the characters correct. Then I tried to listen to the characters and all I got was beep. Frustration starts to set in, so I started the registration process all over. What is the deal AOL, which owns Xdrive, with not offering a different character image. There was one character in the security check that I just couldn’t figure out. I took a screen shot of the security check, check out for yourself.
What could it be?
- COHSJGXR
- COHS6GXR
- COHSIGXR
- COHbGXR
- COItJGXR
- Maybe the O is a Zero
I tried all sorts of combinations of characters and none were successful. What the frick is that character? I don’t know what that character is. Anyways that little character caused me a lot of mental anguish. I failed the security check and I had to do the registration process all over again. I did not have a pleasant experience with that security check, especially because they didn’t give me a new character image that would be more readable so I could finish my registration.
AOL please offer new character images, so users can start using your services quicker just in case they can’t read some of your wack security check images.
Update 7/27/2008
Many other’s continue to be frustrated with the Xdrive experience here is another image of a security check gone wrong submitted by a someone who commented on this post.
05/3/2008 
Comments (34)
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Hi Michael –
I wanted to thank you for trying out the Xdrive product, and for your persistence in working through a rather difficult CAPTCHA to complete your registration. All of us on the Xdrive team have felt that our security challenge can be far too difficult to recognize at times, and we’re actively working on a new registration flow that *does* allow the user to request a new set of images when they run into this particular problem. The new system should be in place in early/mid June.
Now that you’ve made it through the registration, I hope that you and your colleagues find that the Xdrive family of products meet all of your online storage needs.
Cheers,
The Xdrive Product Team
Comment by Xdrive Product Team — May 5, 2008 @ 6:37 pm
[...] are listening to what you have to say about them in the world wide web. In my previous post, “I Failed the Xdrive Security Check“, I posted about my experience struggling to get pass the security check when I was [...]
Pingback by Companies are Listening - Michael Li — May 7, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
Hi,
Just today I had the same frustrating experience Michael had with the security check part.
Comment by Marvin — July 11, 2008 @ 7:12 pm
I cannot get through it! When I listen to the clip, the sequence of characters doesnt match those written in the box. This thing doesn’t work!
Comment by Frustrated User — July 14, 2008 @ 6:33 am
Totally sux! We input the correct letters in the field but even so it’s shown as incorrect. Do please deal with it else you might loose possible costumers. Unless you excuse yourselves with that not to dispose what you announce…
Comment by PossibleCostumer — July 14, 2008 @ 7:59 pm
I agree with everyone that it was an extremely frustrating experience failing the security check. I can see I’m definitely not the only person that struggled with the security check. This surely is a major problem for Xdrive as I see more people commenting on my post about my experience with it from 2 months ago. This problem needs to be addressed by Xdrive, because you are losing customers everyday.
Comment by Michael Li — July 15, 2008 @ 7:11 am
Same problem here but I could hear the audio. I am pretty confident that I inputted the correct sequence but still got failed. A disappointing product!
Comment by Jun — July 22, 2008 @ 10:39 pm
Add me to the list of frustrated potential users! Maybe this link I found to a ComputerWorld article about the coming “sunset” of xDrive is the reason: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9110759
Comment by BillK — July 26, 2008 @ 7:03 am
Hi There,
Exactly the same with me today and I have tried that with 3 diff browsers and the result still the same, have the AOL guys desiged this thing to get themselves signed up or is it for the normal web users. Perhaps they should take the test sometimes and would now how this thing sucks…
Comment by Prad — July 27, 2008 @ 9:55 am
http://cid-7dd6f65edce61d83.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/ScreenShots–Etc/XDrive–Etc/XDrive–SignUp%20–1.JPG
Comment by Prad — July 27, 2008 @ 10:20 am
BillK,
Thanks for the comment and the link to the article about AOL shutting down Xdrive. I’ve also read somewhere that AOL is putting Xdrive up for sale for something like $5 million.
Prad,
You are definitely not the only person to have this problem. I see the link to the picture of the security check. Looks like you got the characters perfect but you were denied. My experience with Xdrive was frustrating as it was for you and many others.
Overall I think AOL is done with the Xdrive and they don’t care about it. I wouldn’t expect any changes until there is a new owner to Xdrive in my opinion.
Comment by Michael Li — July 27, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
now i see your explanation.
i tried 20 times…it was frustrating…now i give up
tks
regards
hans
Comment by hans — July 28, 2008 @ 6:48 am
Does not work full stop. What a waste of time.
Comment by Ewan — July 31, 2008 @ 8:58 pm
Unbelievable. I tried a dozen times but was unable to get through. What a waste of time.
Comment by Kevin — August 5, 2008 @ 6:41 pm
Same here, disappointed that after all this time AOL never bothered to do anything about it. I’m switching to an alternative.
Comment by Lance — August 7, 2008 @ 8:09 pm
It’s probably because AOL are likely gonna close xdrive down. They probably deliberatly fixed the sign up to always fail.
http://www.data-storage-today.com/story.xhtml?story_id=0210021ND9N6
Comment by Lol Morrisson — August 9, 2008 @ 5:29 am
Same thing here – I must have tried over 20 times – and most of the time, the letters and numbers are pretty easy to read, so there is NO WAY I messed them up – and then I finally got in, but never got the confirmation email.
Audio didn’t work for me either, I heard all kinds of background noise but only 2 letters clearly spoken.
I wonder if they’re doing that on purpose to discourage the actual use of their FREE stuff….. bunch of BS, if you ask me!
Comment by Andrea — August 21, 2008 @ 10:32 am
Unsuccessful as well. Seems like a very underhanded way of preventing new users. False advertising.
Comment by Joe — August 22, 2008 @ 10:07 am
Does not work. Obviously AOL lacks the courage and the business sense to simply announce that they are not taking any more users.
Comment by MBA student — September 1, 2008 @ 3:41 pm
Poor!
Comment by Jack — September 2, 2008 @ 2:22 am
I had the same problem. Extremely frustrating. The security check repeatedly told me I was wrong, and the audio did not work. I tried it on both Vista and XP, as well as in IE and Firefox, and nothing worked.
Luckily someone told me about adrive.com which offers 50 GB free storage. SO much easier to sign up, and the security code actually works!
Comment by julia — September 3, 2008 @ 1:53 pm
total scam – aol sucks – tried 20x both ways – it is setup to fail probably due to shutting down service – sue aol – its fraudulent – they’re probably still collecting emails and letting in paying customers, I think this is called, in legalese, bait and switch advertising…(say the free service is avaialable but not really)
stay away!
Comment by Barney Smith — September 4, 2008 @ 4:19 pm
total scam – aol sucks – tried 20x both ways – it is setup to fail probably due to shutting down service – sue aol – its fraudulent – they’re probably still collecting emails and letting in paying customers, I think this is called, in legalese, bait and switch advertising…(say the free service is avaialable but not really)
stay away!!!!
Comment by Barney Smith — September 4, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Hmm… I thought I know all that there is to know about using a simple web browser, but I guess I am wrong. Tried at least 12 times. Audio doesn’t work (at least on Firefox v.3.0.1). First I got frustrated, but then started laughing, when started reading some of the posts here. What else am I supposed to do?
Comment by CoSci Student — September 5, 2008 @ 5:47 pm
It does not work!!
Comment by Raul — September 6, 2008 @ 2:26 am
Tried it over and over… “ERROR: There has been an error and the registration process cannot be completed. – Error Code: 12000
”
These freaking losers should stop fiddling around with software and maybe get some job they are able to do – maybe something like plumbing or something where they only have to use a hammer …
Comment by DD — September 16, 2008 @ 3:19 pm
Experienced multimedia designer here.
Same issues.
Xdrive is done with the free accounts, I bet. They probably privately setup this bullshit error to maintain face with the uneducated public (those who aren’t smart enough to google “Why does Xdrive currently suck?”) and keep face while they maintain current customers and manage their possible paying clients.
Its a silly mindset, just tell us going forward it costs money. We get it, storage space costs money. Don’t setup these bullshit errors that are clearly on purpose. I mean, I spent 15 minutes doing this, trying to listen to the audio, refreshing the image, switching browsers, going to my laptop, going to iPhone, borrowing my friends blackberry, etc. Its on their side and its on purpose.
Comment by Charles — September 24, 2008 @ 5:46 pm
I was having the same problem and was unable to pass security check. So I signed up for a free AOL email account, then used that email to register for xdrive and had no problems at all. Just FYI for anyone else has the security check issue.
Comment by msgme — September 25, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
I also got the same error and it is completely unacceptable for AOL to waste my time, no professionality at all. Little respect I had for the company has gone down the drain. Bravo…
Comment by zafer — October 8, 2008 @ 5:58 pm
Same problem here. Tryied at least 30 times. I’m sure most of them where right, but I couldn’t pass the test…
Comment by Licho — October 18, 2008 @ 1:28 am
Vaya … que perdida de tiempo, sospecho que este impase es deliberado por AOL
Comment by Katz — October 30, 2008 @ 12:20 am
Totally disappointed! Same problem stills occurred since last year. Keep entering the right security code but failed. I think x-drive storage is almost full and no space for us all, my friends
That’s why our registration was not successful…
Comment by Prince William — November 1, 2008 @ 8:31 am
Ok, I had the same issue and it “appears” to be a difference between hitting the green button “CONFIRM” on the right side of the page, versus typing the code and just hitting Enter. If you type the code, and hit Enter, it works. Seems every time I hit that CONFIRM button, something was wrong and it misinterpreted the results…my bet is the button or the resulting action from hitting it is not coded correctly somewhere.
Comment by Ryan — November 4, 2008 @ 11:07 am
[...] May of 2008 I wrote a post about the hard time I had signing up for online storage Xdrive and it’s become one of my most popular posts to date. As an update to that post, Xdrive [...]
Pingback by Xdrive is Closing - Michael Li — January 11, 2009 @ 1:10 pm