Flashing the new BIOS didn't do much to be honest. All the settings for Wifi and wifi switches are turned on so all I really need are the correct drivers.
Can someone help me gathering drivers for my Dell?
- Thread starter Trash_Bandatcoot
- Start date
- Views 7,199
- Replies 74
If you are content to stick with windows XP I might point you at
http://driverpacks.net/
Used to use them all the time for setting up new machines but between windows update/inbuilt linux/custom installs via nlite/it only being a select few old machines with a specific task I already keep drivers for/... I have not needed them much of late.
Bit brute force really but downloads are not that bad and still easier than slapping legacy websites hard enough that they work.
http://driverpacks.net/
Used to use them all the time for setting up new machines but between windows update/inbuilt linux/custom installs via nlite/it only being a select few old machines with a specific task I already keep drivers for/... I have not needed them much of late.
Bit brute force really but downloads are not that bad and still easier than slapping legacy websites hard enough that they work.
What does your Device Manager look like on Windows XP?
On Unbuntu/Lubuntu, did you allow it to install third-party drivers?
So I downloaded a WLAN driver. So I just copy it to the required folder? I forgot the location.
There should be a program that takes the packs, selects what it needs and installs it http://driverpacks.net/applications/driverpacks-base/10.06
Failing that you have the big boy methods
Go in control panel to whatever the equivalent of device manager is. Those things without drivers will have a yellow ! on them. Find the wifi one (you might have to check a few) and get its vendor ID and product ID (VID and PID)
If it is a card then
https://www.pcilookup.com/
https://pci-ids.ucw.cz/
https://devicehunt.com/
The latter should also do USB, but there are USB ones for it.
Once you have those in the comments for a given website some kind soul will tend to link drivers of some form but if not it is a better thing to search for.
In windows xp you can view the device ID strings by viewing the properties of the device whether its unknown or not. Be careful of those drive tools they usually contain adware.
You try the driver for this device
That laptop will also run windows 7 good aswell.
You try the driver for this device
- Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11a/g) mini Card
That laptop will also run windows 7 good aswell.
Last edited by Captain_N,
Yeah, the laptop was actually build for Windows Vista, as it had a Vista Buisness OEM on the back with 2 symbols having a smurge over it.
Idk how, but probably by installing that new BIOS, there is now a driver for the "Dell Wireless WLAN Card".
I did everything. I opened the application, I even found what FAST6191 was talking about with the yellow '!' (about 9 drivers are missing), but even the correct drivers cannot be installed.
I officially can call myself a noob in restoring a laptop.
I did everything. I opened the application, I even found what FAST6191 was talking about with the yellow '!' (about 9 drivers are missing), but even the correct drivers cannot be installed.
I officially can call myself a noob in restoring a laptop.
Listen, I know that you're trying to help, but I'm a XP-boy. This is how the laptop came from the manufacture and that's what my mission is, restoring. I'm not installing Windows 7 and if I have to, I will install Ubuntu.
I'm just following steps from the ones that will help me with Windows XP, because restoration stuff. Finishing it off with an OS that will die in 1 year anyway is not how you fix something like this, as specially when you look at the title of the post.
Core 2 dou aint worthless. You can still do all the normal web browsing. One of my servers is a core 2 duo so still not worthless.
Dont matter if an os is not supported by its creator any longer. There is no rule that says you have to stop using it after a certain amount of time... For those noobs that have to stay current its always an issue, but then again they are the walking brain dead. They only want new new new, like a zombie wanting brains.....
XP is perfectly serviceable for OP's use case, there is no reason to overburden the hardware if it's just for Web browsing and there is no point in trying to teach old dogs new tricks with Ubuntu, especially considering the fact that Ubuntu sucks and Mint is better in every way. Personally I would download all the drivers from the support page, note down the sets that worked, nuke it and re-do it again. Time consuming, sure, but guaranteed to work. Alternatively go with @FAST6191's suggestion, but I consider applications like these to be unnecessary bloatware - you can just as easily look up device ID's from the device manager itself.
If the machine is going to touch the internet, XP is not appropriate. There are numerous unpatched, zero user interaction RCE exploits.
That is true. The OP is not using it as a primary machine. Id like to see someone try to get in my xp machines and find nothing.
While it is inadvisable to continue to use Windows XP I have one of these for running old games and they are really reliable, I can also tell you that it runs window 7 fine. I don't know your computer literacy level or what configuration your laptop is in (it come in configurable, with ram,wireless, 3g card all as available options) so will try to keep this simple and general for you.
Now you mention you want to run Windows XP and that's your Plan so, if you do and you lost all your drivers like I have many times you want to first install Windows XP, get that up and running, then one of the first things with these machines is that the WiFi can be turned off even though it's turned on, strange I know, you need to press Fn+F2 you should see "Network Controller" in device manager. Run a Program called "SkyDriverXP" it is a great little program I have used for many years and it has all the drivers for the different configurations this laptop came in (in fact I've found it has all but the most exotic hardware made before aprox. 2011). If you run it it should install all the missing driver thought the graphics ones might be a little old. just make sure your Wireless is "plugged in" (turned on in software Fn+F2) or else the driver might not be installed.
hope that helps you an sorry but I'm doing these from memory and might be a little off please forgive me
Find the .cab file for the model of the dell and use it to install all the drivers at once.
https://www.dell.com/support/articl...s-for-enterprise-client-os-deployment?lang=en
https://www.dell.com/support/articl...s-for-enterprise-client-os-deployment?lang=en
Similar threads
