Yes you get a full Vista install disk. I expect it's an OEM version, so won't work with vastly different hardware (like you'll upgrade a laptop much!), and I'd be surprised if it installed in anything other than a Dell (identified in the BIOS). You should get a driver disk too. Vista natively supports AHCI HDDs so you won't need to worry here about having F6 drivers available at install.
Dell Vostro 1500
- Thread starter Ripper
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Yes you get a full Vista install disk. I expect it's an OEM version, so won't work with vastly different hardware (like you'll upgrade a laptop much!), and I'd be surprised if it installed in anything other than a Dell (identified in the BIOS). You should get a driver disk too. Vista natively supports AHCI HDDs so you won't need to worry here about having F6 drivers available at install.
The OEM disk is the orange coloured DVD, isn't it?
Cheers
Anyone have a link etc to a tutorial on how to make a slip streamed XP disc with the Dell drivers in the right place using nlite?
Cheers
Anyone have a link etc to a tutorial on how to make a slip streamed XP disc with the Dell drivers in the right place using nlite?
The Nlite website will tell you all you need to know, it's not a difficult tool to use. Just make sure you already have your drivers extracted onto your hard drive.
Soldato
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I've been working on one in the last couple of days, so took the chance to take some quickly this afternoon. Was in a bit of a hurry, so they're not the best, but here they are anyway. Should point out that they're all 10mp images, and haven't been resized, so the file sizes aren't small.
http://www.thisisgav.co.uk/tmp/vostro1700
The last image is a comparison to the Vostro 1500. The 1500 is lined up to the left-rear of the 1700. DSC_0514.JPG shows the 9-cell battery sticking out of the back, and I've just realised I haven't taken the plastic off the Dell logo on the top. Have to say I never expected it to come with a full 102-key keyboard (well, full size anyway). Very nice use of the space that the extra screen size affords. It is absolutely MASSIVE though. Whether that's good or bad is a matter of opinion (it doesn't bother me in the slightest). Pretty damn heavy too, as all the Vostros are. Quiet though - not silent, but very quiet. Hard drive is the loudest thing I think, but there's a setting in the BIOS to quieten it down, which I've never played with it. They're very, very nice laptops.
Warning of note on the 1700s and I presume 1500s too (given the specs are seemingly exactly the same). To install a clean Vista install from the OEM media (rather than the recovery method) you'll need to either enable the SATA mode to ATA rather than ACHI in the BIOS or to download the textmode drivers from either the Dell site or the Intel site and stick them on a floppy or USB flash drive or something, loading them when you'd usually load the F6 drivers in the Vista install. If you don't the installer does detect the hard drives anyway, and does the first part of the install fine, but after the first reboot it hangs on "Completing installation..." for hours. I'm not the only one to suffer from this, so I assume every one would.
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No need to downgrade your HD in the BIOS to fresh install Vista. In fact this is something you defo do not want to do!
The SATA drivers required are on the drivers disk supplied, just point to this when you are at the initial disk stage of installing Vista. It will install normally then & not fail at the completing stage.
Have done a fresh install on my 1700 now & is running very well with a few tweaks.
Associate
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ive been looking at this for the past couple of days now and i must admit for a business laptop it seems far too oriented for games 
its cheaper than the "home" ones they do and a quick call ensures windows home premium and the home versions of there finance deal.
So i think come the start of october ill put my order in for 2 of these babys one for me and one for my dear mother.
they seem to sort there deals out at the start of each month dont they?
Zero.
its cheaper than the "home" ones they do and a quick call ensures windows home premium and the home versions of there finance deal.
So i think come the start of october ill put my order in for 2 of these babys one for me and one for my dear mother.
they seem to sort there deals out at the start of each month dont they?
Zero.
Soldato
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I didn't, I used the drivers (downloaded them onto a USB stick rather than use the CD though).
I was just posting the 2 known solutions. Haven't noticed any performance loss on the PCs I have used IDE emulation though, but none of them were Vostros - indeed none of them were ICH8.
Yes, they didn't call me to arrange a delivery time, lucky i was at home when it came really
Mine took 2 days to arrive after dispatch and it turned up at about 2pm.
Thanks, i just checked the tracking system and it said it has been arranged for a pm delivery tomorrow. Lucky Dads at home
Is the screen (standard) causing anybody eye strain or headache? I can't seem to stay on the laptop for more than 20mins without feeling this.
I've come straight from a CRT monitor and that doesn't cause any problems. I can't seem to adjust the refresh rate either (60hz)
I've come straight from a CRT monitor and that doesn't cause any problems. I can't seem to adjust the refresh rate either (60hz)
Soldato
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As you've come from a CRT, it's probably the brightness of the LCD backlight that's causing the problem and the fact that your eyes aren't used to change. I think a lot of people experience this when going from CRT to LCD.
I've been using LCD displays for a while and I find the Vostro godly bright at max setting. I have to turn the brightness down a notch or 2.
My advice would be not to sit at your laptop for long periods of time and don't force yourself when you feel discomfort.
I've been using LCD displays for a while and I find the Vostro godly bright at max setting. I have to turn the brightness down a notch or 2.
My advice would be not to sit at your laptop for long periods of time and don't force yourself when you feel discomfort.
Soldato
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Nope, there's no way you can increase the refresh rate.
It might seem terrible coming from a CRT, as you're always told to got for the highest refresh rate so its comfortable on your eyes. But you got to remember that LCD's work different.
If you like to enable V-Sync, then you'll find the FPS in games locked at 60. If you've been using a 100Hz CRT for example then the FPS would be locked at 100.
I've been using 60Hz LCD's for years and never found them to be a problem.
You'll just have to allow your eyes to get used to it.
It might seem terrible coming from a CRT, as you're always told to got for the highest refresh rate so its comfortable on your eyes. But you got to remember that LCD's work different.
If you like to enable V-Sync, then you'll find the FPS in games locked at 60. If you've been using a 100Hz CRT for example then the FPS would be locked at 100.
I've been using 60Hz LCD's for years and never found them to be a problem.
You'll just have to allow your eyes to get used to it.
Im sure there's something wrong with my laptop. It takes 42 seconds to get to the load screen from a cold boot, then another 25 seconds to load the desktop. When i have pressed the login button, the desktop seems to load instantly, but i can't seem to click on anything for about 25 seconds, then the screen flashes black and the desktop comes to life. Why does it delay like that?
I am also finding that there are a huge number of processes running in the background even when idle (yes, i have done a fresh reinstall of vista). I seem to have ~58 processes running most of the time, all i have installed are 2 games, office 2003, avg antivirus, and a couple of drivers, i also run windows sidebar. Why do i have so many processes running?
Finally, i have tried installing the dell touchpad drivers that disable the touchpad when i have my usb mouse in, but this program slows the boot time by a huge 20 seconds!
Why does it do that?
If someone could answer these questions it would set my mind at rest
Thanks
I am also finding that there are a huge number of processes running in the background even when idle (yes, i have done a fresh reinstall of vista). I seem to have ~58 processes running most of the time, all i have installed are 2 games, office 2003, avg antivirus, and a couple of drivers, i also run windows sidebar. Why do i have so many processes running?
Finally, i have tried installing the dell touchpad drivers that disable the touchpad when i have my usb mouse in, but this program slows the boot time by a huge 20 seconds!
Why does it do that?If someone could answer these questions it would set my mind at rest
Thanks
Soldato
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I've installed a fresh Vista partition and with all my drivers and apps installed it takes around 45 seconds to boot up into Vista.
Wouldn't worry about the processes. Mines currently on 50 and feels fast and responsive.
Did you use the drivers from the Dell website? If you did, some install additional services and bloat.
Follow my guide:
Doing that will ensure full functionality without any additional bloat.
The screen going blank for a second or 2 plus the delay is most probably due to the nVidia drivers. It installs 5 startup items!
HotKey Service
Driver Helper Service
NvCplDaemon
NVIDIA Media Center Library
nwiz
I was having problems getting my brightness level settings to stick so I re-enabled all of them. Now that I've got my replacement Vostro and brightness can be turned down via the Fn key's without the buzzing noise, I'll probably go and disable them all again.
Can't say I've had the problem with the Synaptics touchpad drivers.
I personally found the sidebar utterly useless and disabled it. Its another application that adds time to the bootup process.
Wouldn't worry about the processes. Mines currently on 50 and feels fast and responsive.
Did you use the drivers from the Dell website? If you did, some install additional services and bloat.
Follow my guide:
Doing that will ensure full functionality without any additional bloat.
The screen going blank for a second or 2 plus the delay is most probably due to the nVidia drivers. It installs 5 startup items!
HotKey Service
Driver Helper Service
NvCplDaemon
NVIDIA Media Center Library
nwiz
I was having problems getting my brightness level settings to stick so I re-enabled all of them. Now that I've got my replacement Vostro and brightness can be turned down via the Fn key's without the buzzing noise, I'll probably go and disable them all again.
Can't say I've had the problem with the Synaptics touchpad drivers.
I personally found the sidebar utterly useless and disabled it. Its another application that adds time to the bootup process.
the reason why you ought to run CRTs at more than 60Hz is because they continually reflash the screen with the image, and at 60Hz, it does it 60 times a second. this continual reflashing at 60Hz causes some people to feel discomfort and get headaches.
LCDs don't do this. all they do is display a static image and change the few pixels that change every now-and-then. this is why having a refresh rate greater than 60 on a LCD is useless.
Associate
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ok what on earth is "bloat" and why is it bad?
Associate
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Bloat, coming from the word Bloated, meaning uncomfortably full.
In computer terms, the PC is uncomfortably full of applications it doesn't need, that run in the background, and as such behaves as if bloated i.e. slow, unresponsive, etc...
The source of such bloatware is normally people like Dell who install all manner of 'utilities' that serve little if any useful process whilst killing the performance of your nice new machine, for the tasks you actually want to run.