You need the ATI SMBus Chipset Driver and Ricoh Chipset drivers, they may be found in your drivers and downloads page.
There is a specific order to install the drivers to insure that they work correctly. Learn how to install Install Drivers in the Correct Order by Clicking Here.
Locate the Drivers and Downloads for your system by Clicking Here.
There are a total of 16 upgrade items one can download for the 1501. One is an update to the sound driver, another is a BIOS update. When I got my 1501, I downloaded all 16 items and burned them to CD.
Later, I installed an OEM XP Pro. I installed the drivers from the CD I made and I've got sound.
Have you updated to the latest BIOS? How about installing the chipset drivers? Typically on a fresh install I install the chipset drivers (they may be called motherboard drivers or north and south bridge drivers) first, then the graphics driver, and the sound driver is one of the last drivers I install. That "base driver" message you're getting leads me to believe that either the motherboard driver is corrupted or outdated or perhaps the BIOS need an update.
IIRC, the latest BIOS is 2.6.1 and there are even two different versions of that.
That message that the OP is getting is because the OP has not installed both sets of chipset drivers. I mentioned them in my post above.
Updating the BIOS is not the panacea to everything. If you go through these message boards (and others), you will see that there are a lot of failed BIOS updates and thus a lot of unhappy customers. Sometimes a BIOS update is needed to fix an issue. At this point based on what has been posted so far, it is not called for.
There is a specific order to install drivers that needs to be adhered to and I posted a link that describes the process.
Typically on a fresh install I install the chipset drivers (they may be called motherboard drivers or north and south bridge drivers) first
On a Dell laptop with XP, the Notebook System Software should always be installed first, before the chipset drivers, as Bay Wolf's link correctly states.
I assumed an OEM install of XP Pro. If he's installing the Dell version, then you are correct.
@Bay Wolf: Several problems I've read about concerning the 1501 are solved with a BIOS update. The 1501 is old enough that it'll only ever need to be updated once, and that's to the later 2.6.3 (I was wrong about it being 2.6.1 above) BIOS. After that, one never has to worry about updating the 1501's BIOS again.
Then, too, that's one of the first things I do to new hardware: Update the firmware or BIOS to the latest version. Then again, recovering the 1501 from a bad flash is a five minute procedure. IMO, it's actually easier than recovering a video card or something, but neither is for the faint of heart.
Bay Wolf
4.4K Posts
0
December 27th, 2011 23:00
You need the ATI SMBus Chipset Driver and Ricoh Chipset drivers, they may be found in your drivers and downloads page.
There is a specific order to install the drivers to insure that they work correctly.
Learn how to install Install Drivers in the Correct Order by Clicking Here.
Locate the Drivers and Downloads for your system by Clicking Here.
shadow460
51 Posts
0
December 28th, 2011 20:00
There are a total of 16 upgrade items one can download for the 1501. One is an update to the sound driver, another is a BIOS update. When I got my 1501, I downloaded all 16 items and burned them to CD.
Later, I installed an OEM XP Pro. I installed the drivers from the CD I made and I've got sound.
Have you updated to the latest BIOS? How about installing the chipset drivers? Typically on a fresh install I install the chipset drivers (they may be called motherboard drivers or north and south bridge drivers) first, then the graphics driver, and the sound driver is one of the last drivers I install. That "base driver" message you're getting leads me to believe that either the motherboard driver is corrupted or outdated or perhaps the BIOS need an update.
IIRC, the latest BIOS is 2.6.1 and there are even two different versions of that.
Bay Wolf
4.4K Posts
0
December 28th, 2011 21:00
Shadow460,
That message that the OP is getting is because the OP has not installed both sets of chipset drivers. I mentioned them in my post above.
Updating the BIOS is not the panacea to everything. If you go through these message boards (and others), you will see that there are a lot of failed BIOS updates and thus a lot of unhappy customers. Sometimes a BIOS update is needed to fix an issue. At this point based on what has been posted so far, it is not called for.
There is a specific order to install drivers that needs to be adhered to and I posted a link that describes the process.
Jim Coates
4 Operator
•
13.6K Posts
0
December 29th, 2011 05:00
On a Dell laptop with XP, the Notebook System Software should always be installed first, before the chipset drivers, as Bay Wolf's link correctly states.
shadow460
51 Posts
0
December 29th, 2011 15:00
I assumed an OEM install of XP Pro. If he's installing the Dell version, then you are correct.
@Bay Wolf: Several problems I've read about concerning the 1501 are solved with a BIOS update. The 1501 is old enough that it'll only ever need to be updated once, and that's to the later 2.6.3 (I was wrong about it being 2.6.1 above) BIOS. After that, one never has to worry about updating the 1501's BIOS again.
Then, too, that's one of the first things I do to new hardware: Update the firmware or BIOS to the latest version. Then again, recovering the 1501 from a bad flash is a five minute procedure. IMO, it's actually easier than recovering a video card or something, but neither is for the faint of heart.