Drivers for laptop - finding out make/model of devices

DonnyDave

I have a laptop which I've wiped on re-installed Windows XP. Unfortunately, the driver for the video card and some other devices have not been installed because it is unable to find them automatically.

I would like to go to the manufacturer's website for the video card and download the driver, but I don't know the make and model.

Is there any easy way to find this out other than taking the machine apart?

This page suggests that DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag) will say, but just says "n/a" for manufacturer, under the Display tab.

The laptop is a Patriot 3005 from Dixons/PC World.


Other devices shown in Device Manager with an exclamation mark beside them are "Multimedia Audio Controller" and "PCI Simple Communications Controller".


Also, how do I allow it to standby and hibernate? The Standby button on the shutdown menu is grayed out. Also in Device Manager under Batteries, there are two items; "Microsoft AC Adapter" and "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery". That suggests that it's installed drivers for it, so why aren't the standby and hibernate options available?

fwor

Have you tried either PC Wizard or Belarc Advisor?

Both are free. I've used the former many times, and it's generally good at identifying hardware.

Atasas

... me again... and again I can not stop wandering about people not knowin' SIW....
http://www.gtopala.com/download/siw.exe

fiddiwebb

If no joy with SIW have a "wander" through this lot............

http://groups.google.com/groups?q=patriot%2Bcomputer%2Bdrivers&btnG=Google+Search&hl=en

closed

http://www.pcidatabase.com/



This is the bit that id's the hardware.

DonnyDave

fwor wrote: »

Have you tried either PC Wizard or Belarc Advisor?

Both are free. I've used the former many times, and it's generally good at identifying hardware.

Thanks. I've installed PC Wizard onto it.

On a sticker in front of the keyboard it says it has a VIA C3 Processor 1.2GHz. Also "Integrated CLE266 Graphics with up 64MB shared memory." And "AC97 Audio".

Armed with the information on the sticker I headed over to the VIA website and found this page on drivers:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/support/tech_faq.jsp#via_support

This links to a "Understand what you need" article in respect of Windows drivers:
http://www.viaarena.com/microsoft-windows-drivers---understand-what-you-need.aspx?ID=149&MCatID=1
Unfortunately the links within are now no longer valid.


The PC Wizard shows for the "Mainboard" (I presume that this is a variation on "Motherboard"):
Manufacturer: DIXONSXP
Mainboard: DIXONSXP ref. NO:G320-yymmdd-DI-01-00-FF-FF$
Chipset: VIA CLE266 (VT8623)

Under "Video" it says that the video card is "VT82C570 MV IDE Controller VT8623 Apollo CLE266 CastleRock AGP 8x Controller".


I then went to the drivers page and under the integrated drivers CLE266 it says VIA chipset drivers must be installed, so that is what I am doing at present.

fiddiwebb

DonnyDave wrote: »

Thanks. I've installed PC Wizard onto it.

On a sticker in front of the keyboard it says it has a VIA C3 Processor 1.2GHz. Also "Integrated CLE266 Graphics with up 64MB shared memory." And "AC97 Audio".

Armed with the information on the sticker I headed over to the VIA website and found this page on drivers:
http://www.via.com.tw/en/support/tech_faq.jsp#via_support

This links to a "Understand what you need" article in respect of Windows drivers:
http://www.viaarena.com/microsoft-windows-drivers---understand-what-you-need.aspx?ID=149&MCatID=1
Unfortunately the links within are now no longer valid.


The PC Wizard shows for the "Mainboard" (I presume that this is a variation on "Motherboard"):
Manufacturer: DIXONSXP
Mainboard: DIXONSXP ref. NO:G320-yymmdd-DI-01-00-FF-FF$
Chipset: VIA CLE266 (VT8623)

Under "Video" it says that the video card is "VT82C570 MV IDE Controller VT8623 Apollo CLE266 CastleRock AGP 8x Controller".


I then went to the drivers page and under the integrated drivers CLE266 it says VIA chipset drivers must be installed, so that is what I am doing at present.

Hope all goes well Dave :j