XP Quest for Vostro 1400

Hi all...

After hours of researches, I've finally got my Vostro to work on XP 100%.

Since the Intel 965 chipset uses the ICH8, XP installation disc will not recognize the ICH8 SATA controller. We need to slipstream the ICH8 drivers into the XP installation CD by creating a new one.

For slipstreaming the drivers, I used:
n-Lite: http://www.nliteos.com/download.html
ICH8 Driver (extracted): http://www.zshare.net/download/29501155f5b9ba/

Basically, just use nLite to insert the ICH8 drivers I provided into the XP CD. If you don't know how to use nLite, please study it before you proceed. Make sure you add the folder of the ICH8 drivers instead of picking individual driver. You also need to highlight all the drivers before create the ISO.

Once the drivers are slipstreamed, and is burned onto a CD. I installed Windows XP as usual. Once everything is loaded into the desktop, the nightmare began:

Intel Chipset Driver: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...&OSFullName=Windows* XP Professional&lang=eng

nVidia 8400 GS Driver (changed due to stand-by issue):
1. http://support.dell.com/support/top...plash?c=us&l=en&s=gen&~mode=popup&file=211242

Audio: Follow the steps:

Alternative 1:
1. Download http://support.us.dell.com/support/...eid=R153908&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=205136
2. Extract
3. Run Installer
4. Uninstall the High Definition packages in Add/Remove Programs
5. When New Hardware Wizard is out, let it search for Microsoft UAA thing.
6. When New Hardware Wizard is looking for High Definition Audio, manually point the location of the driver to where the folder you extracted earlier.

Alternative 2:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/autolink.php?id=136&script=showthread&forumid=4

Modem: http://ftp.us.dell.com/comm/R147115.EXE
1. Download, Extract to one location
2. When prompt for Modem on High Definition Audio, manually select the location with the driver just extracted.

Card Reader: Dell

Wireless: Intel (3945 or 4695) or Dell (13xx-15xx)

LAN: http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netlink.php

Web Cam Driver: Dell

Web Cam Application: Dell Inspiron 1420

Touchpad: Dell

Bluetooth Stack: OEM WIDCOMM 5.1.0.3300 x86 (Broadcom) http://www.zshare.net/download/3112039dbb8b6d/

Hint:
- Some people suggested to change the SATA mode to ATA to install XP, then changed to AHCI after successful install. I do not suggest people to do it that way because the ATA drivers are "low-level" drivers, and changing it afterwards may introduce more hard disk related problem. My advice is, do it right at the beginning and forget about it afterwards.
- I made my life easier by physically disconnecting the modem before installation. I re-installed the modem after I successfully got the audio to work.

 

Cool, thanks for the mini-guide. Did you partition your hd and use dual boot with vista or did u just reformat that drive and put xp on?

 

Excellent description on how to do this. I think this should be a sticky on this forum.

 

This guide is not a "step-by-step" to baby-sit people to install XP. This is just a description of what I did to get XP to work therefore there are details lacking.

Dell made it extremely difficult to install XP, and I had to search the site to get the XP drivers.

Fortunately, the Vostro 1400 shares the same hardware with the D630, Inspiron 1420.

 

thank you killer23d, i added you a rep
mods please sticky this post

 

Thank you so much for helping me over the hump. MUCH happier now with Windows XP Pro running!!! Thanks!

 

Hey guys. I'm having a problem getting the audio to work. My boss and I can't seem to get the Intel INF utility to actually do anything. After I installed it, it didn't seem to actually take care of some of the unresolved hardware. Everything else seems to be working fine (including the modem oddly enough) and I did find a Sigmatel audio driver that installed, but it's got an exclamation point on the audio driver under Device Manager. Can any of you suggest how I might be able to get this up and running? Thanks in advance.

 

I tried the method you mentioned above about using the Intel INF installer, (tracking down where it extracts the files to was a pain, they showed up in some temp folder in my user profile under Documents and Settings). When I point the audio device to that folder however, it tells me it can't find anything for my hardware in there.

 

I'm having the same problems.. I followed the steps above and removed the high def packages from A/R Programs. No hardware wizard popped up but I do have three yellow Base System Devices under Device Manager. I removed those and rebooted and on each hardware wizard I pointed to the folder with the audio drivers. Still no dice. The internal speaker beep is driving me bat**** insane

 

OK I just used the Sigmatel drivers with the Latitude D630 which killer23d mentioned, shares the same hardware. The audio is now working. Thanks guys.