E6400: what do I need to know to install Windows XP fresh

Just ordered E6400 with Windows Vista Home Basic and will install Windows XP SP2 as soon as it is landed. Is there anything I need to know before installing XP in E6400 (e.g. back up driver, compatibility with hardware, etc)? Thanks in advanced.

 

I think the only things that come with the factory install that you cant find on the website are the dell wallpapers.

 

The first obstacle will be getting the HDD to work. It (and the optical drive) are SATA and, I think, AHCI is enabled in the BIOS.

I would use nLite to slipstream the XP SP2 installation with XP SP3 and all the relevant E6400 drivers. Then, with a bit of luck, it will install the right SATA controller driver without the "press F6 to manually install a storage driver" business. You might need to check the Intel site for instructions on how to extract the storage drivers from the installation package.

John

 

Any update to the topic? As I just got my E6400 and want to reinstall my XP fresh. As I read a few saying install this but not this etc... now I'm getting confuse.... Any link to a good(updated) hardware drivers, nVdia, touchpad etc... I'm really having headache on reading the long long post already... Anyway Thx guys...

 

I have not used XP on the E6400. But I'll comment anyway.

o Relax. Use paper and pencil to make a plan. Or see the clean link in my sig for a similar starting plan. Also, make notes of each step you take for later reference.

o Boot and inspect your new machine to learn it's basic make-up including main devices in Device Manager. Also look the BIOS config over so you have an idea of its significant settings (F2 to invoke during boot).

o You could install a new HDD and keep your shipped drive as is.

o You can start the install and see how it goes and learn any tricks, and then start over as long as it takes.

o From what I read here, the XP install requires a SATA driver (storage controller) for getting the machine up and running that is not on the XP disc. Looks like you can automatically slip them into the install process if you know how, or manually invoke them at the right time. Being a newbie, I'd manually invoke them but would need to have them on media the machine can read from during the install... so what would that be, USB drive?

o As for the Intel Matrix Storage SATA driver, it's about the only driver on dell.com that extracts and does NOT auto install. So, you can easily extract it and put it on the required media ready for the install process... then point to it when required.

o If XP will initially install without any other drivers, you can then get the machine online to download all other required drivers/apps from dell.com. Then extract/install in prescribed order.

o Take notes. See this post.

o To download drivers from dell.com, setup an account, enter you E6500 tag id, find its resources/downloads, select your OS, download your drivers.

GK

 

Hey thx GK. Will take note of it. Now still trying to download all drivers and applications on Dell website. It's freaking huge file add together. Hope it already fix the known bug as I've read all the bugs was reported last year. Btw, if I'm going to use back Win XP SP3, which of the HDD setting should I use for performance, ATA, AHCI or IRRT? Seriously I'm really having cross eyes from reading to much wiki and forum..... heheheh....
Oh, for the SATA driver, well we also got a few E6400 for customers and my colleague have format it, so far it didn't ask for it and we never change any setting in the Bios before formatting, does that mean Dell have put the Sata driver in the OS cd?

 

You don't NEED to load the SATA/AHCI drivers at install time. You can set the SATA mode to ATA and the XP installation will go through just fine. After the install, if you want to use the SATA/AHCI drivers, you can update them then and switch the SATA mode back to AHCI afterward. The drivers are on Dell's driver CD, but you will have to load them from a USB stick, etc, at install time.

Quite frankly, I haven't been using AHCI on my E6400. There are supposed to be power and performance benefits, but I didn't see any with my D830, so I didn't really care to deal with the SATA/AHCI drivers on my E6400 install. The SATA/AHCI drivers will also give you the ability to hot-swap on your eSATA port, but I don't have any eSATA devices either.

 

Alrite thx... Btw is the Dell Connection Manager been bug free already? I really like it, but mine now have problem connecting, and it keep disconnecting every 20sec... Any other 3rd party connecting manager you guys recommend? How about the sound driver? any update? Hate to Mute the internal spk every time I want to connect to my external spk. Well after about a week of using my E6400, hhmm... the speed is not as fast as I thought... I have P8400 with 4gb RAM, HDD is 160 5400rpm. There are time, it's kinda lagging... for 2 sec when opening programs.
Anymore advise would be great. Thks guys...

 

I'm just using the default Windows XP connection manager. Works great. I'm using the most recent IDT driver and it doesn't seem to have your problem? If you haven't done a re-install, that's the first thing I'd recommend you do. Then check your processes and see if there's anything abnormal.

 

Alrite then thks and will do. I havent format my laptop as I'm using it to download app & drivers from dell website. Will post more if I have problems...Cheers..