XP Reinstall-Drivers

diable

I would only bother downloading the network drivers and USB ones as once you have installed the OS AND SP3 then you can can connect to the network and down the XP updates or whatever else is needed.

That's what I always do and never have any problems.

Iconic

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

If you've been following this guide, you already have everything you need. Use nLite to integrate your backed-up drivers into the Windows image, then create an ISO to burn to disc.

If you like, you can slipstream IE8 as well.

What a fantastic first link:beer:

I think I will give IE8 a miss;) Opera and Firefox are all I need:cool:

-TangleFoot-

Iconic wrote: »

I think I will give IE8 a miss

As part of the OS it's a potential security risk and you can only avoid installing it for so long: the next time you access Windows Update you'll probably get it along with the rest of the updates.

Iconic

-TangleFoot- wrote: »

As part of the OS it's a potential security risk and you can only avoid installing it for so long: the next time you access Windows Update you'll probably get it along with the rest of the updates.

Thanks for the info. I thought MS lost a case about compulsary IE download a couple of years ago

-TangleFoot-

That particular case is still going on.

Lum

pgilc1 wrote: »

Sorry but this is wrong. The right graphics drivers etc WONT be included and probably not the onboard sound ones either, or LAN card.

The answer is to go to https://www.dell.co.uk, click on support, click on drivers, plug in your Service Tag or the model details, and hey presto all the drivers for downloading.

This

diable wrote: »

I would only bother downloading the network drivers and USB ones as once you have installed the OS AND SP3 then you can can connect to the network and down the XP updates or whatever else is needed.

And this.

Personally I would use nLite very carefully, and sparingly. It's a very powerful tool but people new to it are easily tempted to go in, fiddle and !!!!!! things up.

Go ahead an integrate SP3. When it does that it just automates the official Microsoft method of doing this anyway, so that's fine. I'm always wary of the RyanVM pack. Lots of people use it but I'd rather get the updates installed via the official method rather than a 3rd party pack which also includes (or at least, used to include) additional software and functionality.

As for drivers. The only thing I would integrate are your network drivers and (if necessary) drivers for any special hard drive or RAID controller you use.

With this, the chances of burning a CD that is useless are greatly reduced and you can use the CD again next time you reinstall. When you do reinstall you'll end up in a basic system that you can then use to get onto the internet and download the most current versions of all your drivers. As mentioned you can use the service tag and Dell's site to get most of them, however Dell seem to be pretty lax about getting updated drivers up for their kit, especially if it's older kit, so you may want to visit it, see what you need and then visit the manufacturers sites to get an updated driver. If nothing else you should do this for your graphics drivers, get them from https://www.nvidia.com

Lastly Unknown Devices will help identify anything left that you couldn't find a driver for.

Strider590

As a side note, it may be best to avoid doing anything with graphics drivers until your onto SP3 and the latest DirectX. More than likely the graphics are either Intel onboard or ATI, it's ATI that you need to be careful of, they can be so random sometimes.

Lum

He said in the first post that it was nVidia?

Iconic

Lum wrote: »

Personally I would use nLite very carefully, and sparingly. It's a very powerful tool but people new to it are easily tempted to go in, fiddle and !!!!!! things up.

Thanks I am trying to cover everything before I start the reinstall. In fact I am going to try it first via Windows Virtual PC

Lum wrote: »

Go ahead an integrate SP3. When it does that it just automates the official Microsoft method of doing this anyway, so that's fine. I'm always wary of the RyanVM pack. Lots of people use it but I'd rather get the updates installed via the official method rather than a 3rd party pack which also includes (or at least, used to include) additional software and functionality.

Good point and I notice that the latest version RyanVM pack only covers updates to Jan 09. If I do not use RyanVM how do I find out the updates I need from SP3 to the present? I want to ensure these updates are slipsteamed... I will then know when I connect to the internet my machine will be fully protected!

Lum wrote: »

As for drivers. The only thing I would integrate are your network drivers and (if necessary) drivers for any special hard drive or RAID controller you use.

Stupid question but what do you mean by network drivers. I have got my computer hooked up to three computers via a Netgear DG834 router. I am almost sure the Network Card on my computer uses XP drivers.

Lum

Iconic wrote: »

Thanks I am trying to cover everything before I start the reinstall. In fact I am going to try it first via Windows Virtual PC

Good plan, if Virtual PC is anything like VMWare, you wont even need to burn a CD, can just have it use the .ISO that nLite creates, however the VM you create won't have the same hardware so you wont be able to test if the integrated drivers actually work.

Good point and I notice that the latest version RyanVM pack only covers updates to Jan 09. If I do not use RyanVM how do I find out the updates I need from SP3 to the present? I want to ensure these updates are slipsteamed... I will then know when I connect to the internet my machine will be fully protected!

Just make sure that the first site you visit is http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com You're behind a router so you aren't going to get infected by worms actually attacking your machine, only by stuff you inadvertantly download. Once you've run Windows Update, go straight back there and see if it has any more for you. It probably will. Keep repeating this process until there are no more updates. (Then install Firefox )

Stupid question but what do you mean by network drivers. I have got my computer hooked up to three computers via a Netgear DG834 router. I am almost sure the Network Card on my computer uses XP drivers.

I mean the drivers for the network card. What card is it? At that age of PC, and using built in drivers, my money is on a Realtek 8139.