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    Can't install Windows 10 on XPS M1330

    Discussion in 'Dell XPS and Studio XPS' started by bizzybody, May 21, 2018.

  1. bizzybody

    bizzybody Notebook Guru

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    I booted off an 1803 DVD-R, it'd previously been upgraded from Vista to 7 x64. BIOS updated to A15.

    Setup halts demanding a "media driver" but it won't tell me *for what device*. The SATA mode is set to AHCI. The only other option there is ATA.

    What is this "media driver" it wants?

    Searches for xps m1330 windows 10 media driver ignore the m1330 and send me on goose chases for other XPS models that have a RAID option for SATA, and switching to AHCI fixes it. But that's not the problem with this laptop.

    It doesn't have BlueTooth, WWAN, or other installable options, but I noticed they're all set to enabled in BIOS.

    I had to spend 30 minutes taking it apart and putting it back together for a one second fix, closing the latch on the touchpad buttons cable so they'd work.
     
    bizzybody, May 21, 2018
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  2. Shockwave_Omega

    Shockwave_Omega Notebook Consultant

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    You could try and see if these might solve your problem: 64Bit.Or 32Bit.
    Yes its Windows 7 but it might help. I have been fighting my M1730 to run decent on Windows 10. All is working now except the graphics cards..
     
    Shockwave_Omega, May 22, 2018
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  3. bizzybody

    bizzybody Notebook Guru

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    It's the SMBus drive it needs, despite wanting a "Media Driver". Windows 10 install should say the SMBus driver is needed to proceed.

    Why after all these years does Microsoft still HIDE CRITICAL INFORMATION from the user? So often it's "unknown device" when Windows *knows exactly what the device is* but isn't telling the user to make it difficult to find a driver.

    Something else that still hasn't changed since 1995, when you dig through all the extra layers that have been added to get in your way of holding Windows by the hand to lead it to the driver, when you finally make it to "Have Disk", it still defaults to A: It always has, even on computers without a floppy drive. What's been needed since 1995 is a button to click right at the start to skip directly to "Have Disk" instead of being forced to wade through so much useless stuff.
     
    bizzybody, May 23, 2018
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  4. jeremyshaw

    jeremyshaw Big time Idiot

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    Yeah, I noticed the A: drive, too. I'm glad you got it working.

    Also, the SMBus just talks to (internal) peripherals. Why does Windows 10 deem it to be 100% critical, lol? It can wait until after install is complete, IMO.
     
    jeremyshaw, May 23, 2018
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  5. bizzybody

    bizzybody Notebook Guru

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    After it's done installing, it rejects the SMBus driver that was just fine for the install! Now I have to hunt for one that it will accept post-install. Brand is ELAN, according to Device Manager.
     
    bizzybody, May 23, 2018
    #5