Gateway 7422GX How To Update To (XP-PRO) Docs!!!

Upgrade your 7422GX Notebook to Windows xp Pro with service pack 1.!

PRINT THIS PAGE! Your going to need it!!

Warning! Do not attempt to do any of the following procedures if you are new to computers. Have a Tech or expert update your notebook!

Not following the steps in the orders given below will cause you hours of reconfiguring your system and much frustration.

You will be using your installed "NIC" card and highspeed cable modem with connection to complete the follwing upgrade. Your 56K modem and WIFI will be down while you are attempting to update your O.S. Platform!

WinXP "Home Edition" and "PRO with SP2" are NOT compatible with many software programs! over 200 as of 03/2005. Windows XP PRO with Service Pack 1 is!! You may want to do what we have done below.

One final note: I have built thousands of computers in 2 business I have owned. This update was very difficult to do. Gateway could not help us do this upgrade and the drivers were tough to get! I AM AN EXPERT, and this is the hardest upgrade I have ever done with out any tech support for the hardware on the 7422GX Notebook.

If you are unsure of what your getting into STOP NOW! and get help.
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PAGE 1.
Upgrade your 7422GX Notebook to Windows xp Pro with service pack 1.!

PRINT THIS PAGE! Your going to need it!!

Your new 7422GX notebook comes stock with XP Home Edition with SP2 installed.The back up program that comes with your new notebook will save the drivers for "HOME EDITION" only.... Some will work with "PRO" and some will not. In this platform upgrade we won't use any of the "Home Edition Drivers". Were going to download all the new and improved drivers from Gateway and others from the links provided.

I have located everything you need that is missing for XP Pro w/SP1
new O.S. reconfigurations...

Here are the correct drivers you WILL NEED for XP PRO with SP1 being installed from a clean partition and formated hard drive...

These will work for the 7422GX running XP "PRO" with SP1 and all updates installed.

WARNING! VERY IMPORTANT! DO NOT BYPASS THIS STEP!

Get "ALL" of your drivers inline and understanding what each is used for before attempting to format your system HD, and install XP Pro with SP1 and online MS Updates. !!!! Do not use the drivers on your "D" partition. Download all drivers from gate way except the ones you will be downloading from the links below...

Why do you want to use the driver links I have provided?

Because Windows XP PRO with SP1 is not outright supported by Gateway with the 7422GX notebook. Infact Gateway can not point you to the links below for liability reasons. When upgrading to XP PRO W/SP1, you will be missing 2 very important drivers! 1. Your sound card driver. 2. Your modem drivers. These drivers provided work 100% with XP Pro and SP1. It is a long standing policy of Gateway to not give you these O.E.M. Mfg drivers. I have spoke to Gateway about this problem and they will at some time in the distant future provide these links, but this may take some time.....If ever!!

A word about XP PRO with SP1 and Microsoft Corp.
If you do not own a "LEGAL" copy of Windows XP PRO with SP1 do not attempt to install a "PIRATED" copy! it is now impossible to install it and get away with it! "IF YOU DO" the SP1 updates will catch the pirated S/N and "LOCK" down your system. Your I.P. address will be logged into the Microsoft server.

Click the Link below to purchase a "LEGAL" copy of XP PRO! Investing your dollars in XP PRO is well worth it! and very affordable to purchase at around $80.00 depending on the build platform you desire.

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php?page_id=186&form_keyword=windows+xp+pro&rd=1

Step 1.
(Attempt to do this on another computer Not your notebook.)

SAVE ALL DRIVERS TO A BUILD DISK OR DRIVER INSTALL DISK AND BE SURE TO LABEL IT AS SUCH FOR YOUR 7422GX NOTEBOOK. INCLUDE THE DATE OF YOUR NEW INSTALATION AND BUILD. Do this on another computer! When you download all the drivers your going to use from Gateway do this by using your Notebooks S/N ! But do not install any automatic driver download software!!!!!! Just pull the drivers on your own!!!!!

Step 2.
Reset your boot configuration in the CMOS when you start your computer. Hit F10 or F2 at boot up to enter setup and set your startup to boot from your DVD/CDRW drive. Have your Windows XP Pro with Sp1 disk in the drive at this time. Save your Cmos settings and reboot your computer. Windows XP Pro will then start up for the 1st time from this new installation.

(Note: when finished installing your base system of XP Pro, repeat step 2 and set your systems Cmos "back" to boot from your hard drive's partition.)

step 2 allows you to re-partition and format your hard drive into one 80Gb partition or multiple partitions, I.E. (C) (D) and so on. After you have installed your new O.S. continue setting up your network and internet connection. Note you will not be able to use WIFI at this point since you don't have the drivers needed yet. As well you don't have your modem drivers. Use your network and highspeed connection such as a cable modem at this point. You will be downloading all the updates from M.S. for SP1. Repeat windows update until "all" sp1 fix updates are fully installed. This will take a better part of this O.S. Upgrade task.


DO NOT INSTALL WINDOWS XP SP2 !!!!!!!!!!

Force Windows update to allow you to custom install the SP1 updates.
If you are new to computing "DO NOT ATTEMPT" to do this on your own!
Get someone to do the following for you.

Installing Windows XP PRO with SP1 will not void your Gateway warranty!

CONGRATULATIONS! WINDOWS XP PRO WITH SP1 IS NOW FULLY INSTALLED!
TIME TO INSTALL ALL DOWNLOADED GATEWAY DRIVERS 1ST. DO THIS NOW.
NEXT:INSTALL THE "SOUND" AND "MODEM" DRIVERS FROM THE LINKS PROVIDED TO YOU "LAST".
_______________________________
DRIVER UPDATES AND INSTALL'S
PART 1.

BIOS DRIVERS:
None available or needed as of 03/05. To review current bios from gateway click below

1.
http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/getFile.asp?ref=DX&id=19164
2.
http://support.gateway.com/support/drivers/getFile.asp?ref=DX&id=14756


PART 2
SOUND CARD DRIVERS:
As for the sound drivers needed for XP "PRO" with SP1 and all updates installed DO NOT USE THE HOME EDITION DRIVERS!! THEY WILL CONFLICT WITH YOUR MODEM IF YOU HAVE A VIA AC97 MODEM!!!!

You must use this version of AC97 Sound card drivers for XP PRO & SP1.

CLICK BELOW:
http://www.techspot.com/drivers/index/file/information/1928


PART 3
MODEM DRIVERS:
All 7422GX Notebooks use the Conexant V92 "pci" Modem or "Via" AC 97 MODEM.

The correct name for your 7422GX modem is: CXT AC-Link Modem For Via.
The link provided for the correct drivers needed have been tested and installed. They will work 100%!
After hours of research I have located the "HSF" Generic drivers from the MFG. web site. here there are:

READ CAREFULLY!

Step #1.
List Modem Download! GO to the site below "scroll down site page to the "List Modem" download icon... Download it and check your modem type. "Just to make sure of what you have!"

CLICK BELOW: Choose the "Modem Driver Assistant" link to get you to step 2 below.

http://www.conexant.com/support/md_driverdownload.jsp

STEP #2.
WARNING! In most cases your 7422GX will have the "VIA" AC97 Modem.
From the site list above you "must" DOWNLOAD this file 1st:
ListMdm_v1.6 (ListMdm.exe) This file when installed and run will turn on the power to the modem and check its bios information.

Inturn you will see info about: Vendor ID, DEVICE ID, REVISION ID and most importantly "if the modem has "winxp inbuild support" The reason the system will not see the modem in your "device driver" hardware screen of your control panel is because "it does not".

After you see the results of your modem query then download the appropraiate driver: ( HSFac97_WinXP.zip (AC97 MODEM))for modem versions (1.6 made by VIA.) again from the site above.
PCI Modems, (however very rare) types will need the appropriate PCI drivers for WIN XP PRO! Unzip the file and run, follow the promps, and select yes even though the sofware has not been certified by microsoft!!

Post any problems or success's you have for others to see...[ ]


PART 4
MOUSE PAD DRIVERS:
xp home edition drivers will work on xp pro systems.. but beware!

WARNING! When re-installing the mouse pad drivers beware..
Do not install the Win2K file, this is very EZ to do and if you do, you will kill the XP drivers your trying to install.

All of these files will work fine for any 7422GX running an XP PRO System with SP1 and all additional "fix" drivers installed from Microsoft!

I have as of now compleated the full upgrade to Windows XP Pro with SP1 (all updates) and the rig is stable... And runs every piece of software we use in our office. [ ]


Thankfully Notebook Review.com is here to give each other this kind of support that Gateway CAN NOT!!! AND WILL NOT!!!

Hense my sadness...

Contact Information:
[email protected]


Weldwirez[8]
President
Genisys Micro Inc.

 

THANK'S THE SOUND DRIVER WORK'S GREAT BUT I HAVE A PROB. MY HEAD PHONE JACK DOES NOT WORK NOW WOULD YOU HAVE ANY IDEA ?

HEY I NOW HAVE MIUSIC AFTER 3 MONTH'S OF NO SOUND AGAIN THANK'S[ ]

 

Very strange...
I did not encounter this problem with any of the 5 7422GX systems we are running...

Check with tech support on this one...
Or go thru the control configurations for your speaker setup and make sure your running sound out of your "LAPTOP" speakers settings in the control panel.. this might help.

As well make sure you follow the exact instructions to the TEEEE.!
when installing XP PRO with SP1. Running the AC97 sound drivers with out installing the correct modem drivers will cause problems such as this...

Weldwirez[8]

 

HEY THANK'S AGAIN CAN I USE ANY OTHER PROGRAM BESIDES VINYL AUDIO? OR IS THAT THE ONLY ONE?

 

Ac97 sound cards in the 7422GX running XP PRO with SP1 only work with the drivers provided in my 1st posting...

This is also a fact with "any" O.E.M. Hardware device.... They need the right "KEY" to make them work... Just like your automobile needs the right "KEY" to start its engine... Same Thing...

Try downloading a copy of SANDRA PROFESSIONAL from the link below
this is an award winning jewel that will help teach you about what is inside your 7422GX Notebook.

http://www.sisoftware.net/index.html?dir=&location=downandbuy&langx=en&a=

Weldwirez[8]

 

Thanks for the info. I just purchased XP Pro Service Pack 2 because that's what we use where I work and that's what they require for personal computers connecting through the VPN. I installed the drivers; the sound card is still not working but at least I can use my modem to connect to work (which is the reason I installed XP Pro anyway). This laptop was a great deal as far as horsepower per $, but I don't think I'll be getting a Gateway again soon. I think I can live without the sound card for a while because I need to get back to doing real work...

 

Just an update to this post. These steps and drivers also work for upgrading to Windows XP Media Center Edition.

 

and another update...

I had to use the Vinyl Audio driver for a Home Edition install on a Gateway MX6121

 

Thank you! The fact that Gateway would not help me get my sound card working seemed absolutely ridiculous. Now that it is working I'm absolutely giddy. Thank you, this fix worked just fine.

 

Just in way of follow-up, I used the suggested VIA sound driver on my Gateway MX6025 after installing XP Pro.

 

WeldWirez,

I have done, and apparently, am still doing this exact job for a friend. I wish that I had found this forum and your post before beginning this job! Since I didn't, and have already installed XP PRO S.P. 2, there remains one problem. The computer cannot connect to access points wirelessly. The Broadcom Wireless Network Card Software seems to work fine. It detects accurately and actually indicates connectivity. Windows appears to be blocking the connection and is always trying to aquire the network address for the prospective connection. It never does. I have tried to fix it, but to no avail. Any ideas on the wireless?

(BTW. This laptop has overheating issues which causes it to shut down frequently. I installed all software including the OS under a 20 ton AC unit. I have attributed it to the battery or charging circuitry. Once battery is removed, the laptop runs just fine.)

 

dood this thread is old...i doubt they will be answering any questions.