XPS M1530 running Windows 7 RC (Build 7100)

HI If you neeed the Volume display to show, it wont !

But you can install this nifty little gadget on the desktop or sidebar. It works well with the volume - & + and mute .

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Windows-Widgets/System-Utilities/Volume-Control-Gadget.shtml

Sam:-)

Sam: Thanks.

The final Windows 7 retail version, installed clean, works with Dell's Quickset and OSD for the volume control.  I think it was because I dual booted Vista/Win7RC that the volume buttons didn't work.

Separately, have you gotten the Firewire to work?  Mine doesn't seem to recognize my Firewire 400 Maxtor drive.  I already tested the cable and drive on a separate XP machine and they both work.  The drive also works if connected to USB.  Just somehow can't get the Firewire port to see the drive. I have 2 XPS 1530 and neither would work with the drive.

Thanks once again.

Just to comment: I recently installed Windows 7 (Final) on my XPS M1530, but it took a while to round-up the drivers.  See my blog-entry on what I've found (current as of 2009.11 - www.keyliner.blogspot.com). 

Finding the 64-bit drivers was a pain and I'm still not entirely pleased with the sound driver.  I have found newer and better touchpad drivers than those listed in posts, below.  Thanks.

@cinbmyers:

Assuming you are installing a 32-bit version of Windows 7, the video drivers can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/yduo5z7

The BIOScan be found here: http://tinyurl.com/9csgeh (do this first).

For me, the brightness and volume control buttons worked right after the initial install.

Hope this helps.

I liked your post and I agree.  I am really liking windows 7.  I upgraded so I matched my daughters new computer and I'm glad I did.  I did it myself and I've never upgraded before.  Can you please tell me how you got the nVidea update and updated the BIOS.  I need to do the same but I don't know how.  Also, do you know how to get the brightness buttons and the volume control buttons back up and running?

I installed windows 7 64bit to replace the vista 64 bit my computer came with.  Does that make a difference?

Yes, I had the same problem with the RC and the original Beta Windows 7. After I installed the retail release of Windows 7 in October, the onscreen volume bar worked.

 The only thing it doesn't do it show the on screen volume change bar when you adjust the volume.

The only way I have seen to get that option back was to go to the Dell website and install the dell touchpad drivers.  The driver will show as being for Windows Vista but it runs just fine on Windows 7 32-bit professional.

I am begging for some of you to help me out. I have have scotch taped my touchpad!!!

On my 1530 I installed Win 7 64-bit, clean install, had Vista 32-bit before that. There are three drivers that won't install:

R140135 (bluetooth)

R168308 (finger print) 

R166314 (touch pad)

I would manage with half my computer power, a 800x600 resolution, give my left arm, and 30 minutes with water boarding if I just could turn of that torture of a function on the touch pad where a tap on the pad is the same as a left button click. I am seriously going insane. And to keep my sanity (and keep my computer from flying trough the window) I have put scotch tape over the touch pad so that it doesn't initiates a left click when I touch it with my thumbs when I'm typing on the keyboard (which it does all the time when I'm typing).

Called Dell and he suggested me to install the 64-bit Win 7 driver from the Synaptics website (since the touch pad is from synaptics). You can find it here: http://www.synaptics.com/support/drivers

And sure now I can do aaaaall the things you want to adjust on the touch pad, like speed of pointer, smart move etc etc EXCEPT turn off the "tap-on-the-pad-means-click" function. Please help me save 2000 USD (looking at new computers now....I can't take it....) and help me remove this function (and the scotch tape :emotion-4: ). Since it is Christmas day today, give me the best present I could wish for! Anyone??

PS: If you got a solution to the Bluetooth driver and the fingerprint driver too then I would love to get those too, but a bit afraid to mention that since the touch pad is waaaaay more important than those two. Like a million to one.....

Thanks and a merry Christmas to you all!!

Okay to start I wasn't aware that you could install a 64-bit operating system on a 32-bit computer.  Maybe you can't (i.e. the problems you described).  Also, as far as I can tell from the Dell website the XPS M1530 in any configuration only comes with the Dell Touchpad manufactured by Alps Electric, so I don't know where the Synaptics part comes in.  However, my best guess would be to try installing the Dell Touchpad driver for Windows Vista 64-bit (R193152).  If that driver installs correctly then you should be able to use the option in the mouse settings to disable the touchpad when an external mouse is present (if you use an external mouse; you didn't specify).  As for disabling just a one feature of the touchpad (i.e. tap-means-click), I don't think you can.  I would also try the Vista 64-bit drivers for the finger print sensor and the Bluetooth.  (Although Windows 7 32-bit installed the Bluetooth for me automatically without any drivers from Dell)  Lastly, for the scotch tape I would try to peel it off as best you can and then rub white board (dry erase board) cleaner on it, I've been able to remove any tape residue with that stuff and it shouldn't harm your touchpad.

Hope this solves your problem and have a Merry Christmas!

When you said you cannot "turn off 'tap on the pad means click' function, do you the function does not show up as a checkbox, or do you mean the function does not do anything when you checked it? 

If the first issue, using driver R193152 (64 bit Vista), the option is available as a check box.  In the Control Panel, choose Mouse, then choose the Dell TouchPad tab, click on the touchpad image, and you will see 4 panels of options.  On the lower left, there is a TouchPad Settings icon. Click on that and it will show you a screen.  In the middle, there is a check box for that option. 

If you have already done all that, then you probably have a malfunctioning TouchPad.  

As to the scotch tape, if the other user's suggestion of using white board erase (basically alcohol) doesn't work, you may try a product call Goop Off (available in HW stores in the US).  Don't apply it directly on the touchpad though, as that will make it spill everywhere.  Put a few drops on a microfiber cloth (don't use paper towel or cotton, they leave fibers everywhere) and then gently rub that goo off.

Much luck and merry xmas.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are like sent from above. The R193152 worked perfectly. Finally I can turn of the "tap to click" function. I'm truly happy with your help. Thanks a million. My god it feels so good.....

If now I could just install the Bluetooth driver and the fingerprint reader then I can confirm: there is no problem installing a 64-bit on a 32-bit computer. You don't happen to know the name of the driver for Bluetooth anf fingerprint reader for 64-bit Vista? If you do, please tell me. I would love to try that. :emotion-2:

PS: I didn't scotch tape directly on the touch pad. There is some protection in between. If I were that stupid I don't deserve to own a computer :emotion-4:

R193152 is the old Touchpad driver from 2008.

Here is the newer one:  Dell: R228446 from 2009.

Ok I think I'll make another reply her since I'm only one driver from a complete sucsess.

Like stated earlier, I installed windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit on a XPS 1530 running Vista 32-bit. This is the drivers I used to make it work:

1530_A12 (BIOS)

R166187 (intel mobile chipset)

R166188 (ricoh)

195.62_notebook_winvista_win7_64bit_international_whql_video driver (from NVIDIA home page)

R167854 (ethernet)

R167855 (sigmatel)

Wifi driver Win 7 64 bit for 4965AGN (From Intel website)

Wifi software Win 7 64-bit for 4965AGN (From Intel website)

R193152 (touchpad)

All the above drivers was simply to install like normal.

But for fingerprint I had to do it a bit differently. What I experienced was that the right drivers and software for the fingerprint was:

R173506 (fingerprint driver)

R186441 (Fingerprint software)

Problem was, when I tried to install the driver, nothing happened. Trying to click "update driver" and choose the folder where this driver was located for the computer to browse always ended in the computer telling me the latest driver was alreaddy updated (bit the fingerprint hardware didn't work). So what I needed to do was to uninstall the driver, then do a scan for new hardware, then manually choose the R173506 folder and the subfolder x64.vista and choose the driver manually. Then this driver was installed and the fingerprint is working perfectly, both the software and the hardware.

There is only one hardware I can't get to work properly and that is the blutooth. After countless times trying to install the driver in a normal way (which only ended the same way: the install program asking me to hit Fn + F2 or turn on the radio switch, but none of them made the blutooth card to react) I finally tried the same way as doing the fingerprint driver. I uninstalled the driver. BUT the problem was after doing that the Bluetooth device disappeared from the device manager. Scanning for new hardware do not help. It is simply gone now. So now I don't have any bluetooth I guess, unless I find some way of getting the device back in to device manager and also a driver that fits Win 7 64 bit.

Advice?

I've never seen anything like that happen before.  My best suggestion would be to physically remove the Bluetooth chip, reboot, shut down, and reseat the chip.  This is relatively easy to do. (My XPS M1530 didn't come with Bluetooth, I added the chip later)  For instructions on how to do this see http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/xpsM1530/en/OM/HTML/parts.htm#wp1043338 and choose the Internal Card With Bluetooth® Wireless Technology option.  Within that page will be a link as to how to remove the center control cover.