Re: Installing XP Pro on XPS 420

Ben Myers wrote:
Your best, and perhaps your only, bet is to identify the motherboard, graphics,
and Bluetooth chipset manufacturers, go to their web sites, and see if they have
"reference" drivers for the chips in question. I have done this countless
times when confronted by a computer repair for which the owner has no driver
CDs, and it often works. It does not work when the chipset manufacturer has not
written the drivers for the operating system in question. Despite warnings
from Dell, GateMachines, HPaq, and the chipset manufacturers, the risk of any
sort of problem from installing the chipset manufacturer's drivers is virtually
nil. So do the research on the chipsets, and remember that Google is your
friend.

If Sideshow is only for Vista, forget about it. It may well depend on
low-level features added by Microsoft to make Vista what it is, whatever that
is... Ben Myers

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 15:24:56 -0600, cmplx80 <CCRider@xxxxxxxx> wrote:


Ben Myers wrote:


The unavailability of XP drivers direct from Dell for either the video or the
Bluetooth thingie in the XPS 420 should not stop you from searching for,
downloading, and installing drivers from the chipset manufacturer(s) web site.
Dell made a policy decision not to support XP with this box. Possibly the
decision was based on a similar decision from the chipset manufacturer(s). Why
not do some research, learn more about the guts of your computer, and maybe even
get to use it with a fully functional XP? ... Ben Myers

On Thu, 06 Dec 2007 10:24:31 -0600, cmplx80 <CCRider@xxxxxxxx> wrote:



Ben Myers wrote:



It's not Dell that "develops" drivers for computers. Dell does not have a
stable of software heavyweights versed in writing old-time C, C++, and assembly
language. The companies (Intel, AMD, nVidia, VIA, ALI) that design and
manufacture the chipsets are the ones who make the decisions about producing
drivers for various operating systems. If there is an absence of XP drivers
for a given chipset, blame the brand name company of the chipset, but do so only
after searching the company's web site for XP drivers. All Dell does with
drivers is put a software wrapper around them, in effect to "Dell-ize" them with
a common look-and-feel. Same with motherboard chipset, graphics drivers, card
readers, or any other devices driven by chips... Ben Myers


<BIG SNIP>

I've searched through several Sideshow and Vista gadget sites looking for XP drivers (or links to same) to no avail. I'll keep checking around. The decision made by Dell not to put XP on the 420 has nothing to do with policy, but is mandated by the box design itself. Dell might be a little strange, but they're not stupid. Sideshow is a Vista gadget that adds some MAC-like features to a heretofore somewhat staid line. Some gadgets may eventually have XP drivers and some probably never will.
Research? I consider this newsgroup a source of information and I explore it as such on a regular basis. My first post was to ask if anyone has done what I'm hoping to do. That is not not just research, that is *smart* research.

Thanks for your responses, Ben.
I've downloaded the drivers for the X38 motherboard chipset, ATI video card, and dvd, and am putting my install CD together as we type. I ordered the system on Dec 2nd and projected delivery is Dec 13-17. The more I scout around, the more info I find stating that Sideshow (or Vista gadgets in general) require Vista Home Premium and up. I'll gather more specific details as time permits.

I'll post up the results of all this after I get the system configured. .

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