Installing XP on Inspiron 1545

Hi UrbaneGorilla

 

Most common cause is the keyboard, e.g. using a USB or wireless connected or a faulty keyboard

 

If using the laptop built in keyboard then check System Setup (BIOS) settings

A long shot, but some laptops have BIOS settings to enable changing function key behavior (or even behaviour if in the UK)!

 

If correct then try Function Key First setting (if available)

 

Alternatively, try holding down Fn key then pressing F8 key

 

 

Hi UrbaneGorilla, On the XP model its the CTRL + F11 to do a factory restore, and F8 on the vista models.

The SATA drive mode must be changed from AHCI    to ATA otherwise the XP install will not even start.

To change that you will have to into your BIOS by pressing F2 when you see the dell splash screen. If that does not work then you will need this driver HERE. To get it on you will need a floppy drive or slipstream it using nLite HERE. HERE is a journal on getting Xp on, and HERE is a journal on your drivers and in what order they go on, and HERE where to get them

Hello Robin,

 

Thanks for your (very!) prompt reply. What I am stuck on is the failure of F8 when trying to install a "native" (i.e. not

Dell supplied) version of XP Professional. I have looked at the setup (obtained by pressing F2 during POST ) but all that

ot says about the BIOS is its version; what I need is some kind of software gizmo to get round the fact that F8 seems to

be set up in such a way that native XP installation does not recognise it. It is not the keyboard because I can scroll up and down the agreement text.

As far as I can see, there is nothing on the "Support" site which mentions either the ATA business or the F8 disabling.

I have, yesterday, written to the CEO of Dell UK in the strongest possible terms but do not expect any help there! 

Yes I understood you were booting from CD-ROM with XP Pro CD (now know it’s a Retail version)

Thought so, hence the problems with SATA drivers!

 

What version is it, e.g. SP2?

 

I referred to checking BIOS settings or trying the Fn & F8 keys

 

Are you saying you can’t get into BIOS settings when pressing F2 during bootup?

 

Edit: I was referring to multi function (Fx) keys NOT the up/down arrow keys (completely different)

 

 

Hello Bellboy,

 

Delayed reply - went to funeral yesterday.

On the Inspiron 1545, pressing F2 during POST gives a set of menus: In "System Information" it simple says:

BIOS Version AD7

Under the menu "System Configuration" there is a promising-looking sub-heading "Function Key Behaviour" but all that gives is the

"opportunity" to choose how the F2 and F12 keys behave as multimedia choices and anyway, this choice only

works with Vista loaded, not during POST. No mention of F8!!

the sub-menu "Fn Key emulation" gives one the option of using the key on an

external PS/2 keyboard as the Fn key (whatever that means!) and simply saya that an external USB keyboard

only works with non-ACPI access to HDD

 

You might be intested to know that my letter to Dell CEO UK got an immediate response: a phone call from India (I guess)

from someone who read me the info from the support pages!  I'll get back to him

 

Regards

Hi again UrbaneGorilla

 

Had a very quick scan at some of the edocs for Inspiron 1545

 

Hmmm, not much technical info, contents are pretty basic

 

Didn’t see the usual section that fully covers System Setup (BIOS) setting options??

Most of the documents only describe Keyboard key function/settings when in Windows

 

But did find something about Function Key Behavior setting in the System Setup (BIOS) utility, as described in the Setup Guide PDF edoc, click here & scroll down to page 23

 

As expected it states the Multimedia Key First option is only active in Windows & you’d expect that excludes Windows Setup process

 

To eliminate a faulty F8 key, have you tried using it during boot process to open boot menu options?

 

Have you tried (if available) an external USB connected keyboard?

 

Can you confirm if the XP Install CD being used is a full Retail version with SP2?

 

Hello again Bell Boy,

 

Thanks for you help and interest but I think I have tried everything legal now.

I shall contact Dell and ask for a copy of the Dell XP which WILL WORK or a lot of money, whichever

they prefer.

 

My copy of XP with SP2 is a copy of the one provided as part of the universiy's site licence which I have

installed on my Shuttle desktop, a VERY old Toshiba laptop, a new Acer laptop (fuss with the graphics driver here!)

and on an antique "legacy" old desktop tower - all work perfectly.

 

The univerity geeks can't help either and they are veryu experienced.

 

I'll let you know what happens, but don't hold your breath.

 

Best Wishes

Hello Bell Boy and Robin (and all users trying to get XP onto a 1545 Laptop)

I got a phone call today giving me a Tech. Service number to ring. After a 20min wait listening to awful robot-generated "music"

I got to speak to an "advisor".

He informed me:

1. Yes XP would not install and the F8 problem is, as far as Dell is concerned, insoluble.

2. Dell offer no customer service on XP notwithstanding their website giving detailed - wrong - instructions

   how to install - or "downgrade" as they coyly call it - XP

3. Even if one were able to install XP Dell offer no drivers for the wireless network hardware in the 1545 so no

   internet access!

So, thats the end of it UNLESS SOMEONE OUT THERE KNOWS A WORKAROUND!

 

Dell is apparently being effectively blackmailed by Microsoft to peddle huge, slow and practically useless Operating

systems (VISTA and Windows 7). They are at variance with all the modern trends to Open Source systems. I would not dare to try Linux!

They are a disgrace to the computing community at the very least.

 

Regards,

Hi again UrbaneGorilla

 

To eliminate if a faulty (or not) F8 key

 

If not already done, check EULA F8 key function during Setup by using your Dell OEM Vista CD/DVD (then quit Setup by pressing F3 key)

 

If the F8 key works then:

 

The problem is that Setup cannot mount your hard drive because it’s unable to either recognise or communicate with the hard drive (i.e. the next step in Setup initiated by pressing F8 key has failed)

Normally a missing SATA drive or SATA controller problem?

Usually as a result of the absence of required drivers on the XP SP2 Installation CD or wrong BIOS settings

 

Just for information:

Dell & other OEMs use mainly System Locked Preinstall (SLP) technology & COA unique key

Where an OEM identifier string is added to system BIOS during manufacturing

In most cases you don’t need to activate windows if using same preinstalled family of Windows OEM CD

 

Meaning if you had Vista preinstalled & you want to downgrade to XP you would either need to buy a Dell OEM XP full version media CD/DVD with licence or full version “boxed” Retail XP version with licence

 

Quote “the one provided as part of the university’s site licence”

That would be a Volume License Key (VLK) & presumably doesn’t require activation?

 

Quote “Dell offer no drivers for the wireless network hardware in the 1545”

 

Are you saying none of the 1545 OS XP download Network drivers are suitable click here & if required, change OS platform dropdown to XP??

 

First check hardware build spec to help determine what drivers are required, use Dell Support here or Belarc Advisor (free) from here (used by many Forum members), keep results in a safe place

 

Finally, most Forum members recommend removing original hard drive leaving Vista installed & buy a new hard drive to install XP, leaving original Vista hard drive for a rainy day or if you ever want to sell the computer

 

 

 

2. Then I got as far as seeing the Microsoft Licensing declaration
   inviting me to press F8 to accept, this simply did nothing; I could scan
   up and down the info but F8 had no effect. There is no mention of
   this on the support site instructions. This error is reported in the
   forums on the internet but I could find no solution.

 

I had that same problem and found a fix for it.   When that comes up, press the key marked "Fn" THEN press the F8 key.  You might even need to repeat this a couple ways. Like trying both keys at once.  I can't remember exactly what worked for me but think it was pressing Fn first, letting go then, pressing F8.  All I know is that I was able to proceed with installing XP and have that step all done.

Btw - The Fn key is at the bottom left of the keyboard, next to the CTRL key.

Note that after you install XP you'll then need to download a bunch of drivers for the 1545 from Dell's website and untangle a confusing mess of what you need vs what you don't need vs what you should avoid, in order to get everything working right.  I am still working on all that for my PC.  There are a bunch of threads about that on this forum and elsewhere on the 'net.

 

Now if I could only figure out how to get SATA working via the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver.   The upgrade path for using that after already installing XP is as clear as mud.

 

3. Even if one were able to install XP Dell offer no drivers for the wireless network hardware in the 1545 so no

   internet access!

 

Not so, don't despair.  They DO have drivers for various wireless cards under XP for the 1545.  I can't say firsthand if they work though (I am in the process of trying to get XP working on my 1545 as well).

Go here for the XP drivers for the 1545:

http://support.dell.com/support/downloads

Either enter your service tag #, or try "1545" for the model #.

Be warned that It is work getting through it all (I am doing that now for mine), and it can get a bit "hairy".

 

 

 

Hello Bobby_Peru

Well, I was on the point of giving up - I have already made Vista look as much like XP as

I can (the laptop is for my wife). You might like to know the response to writing a couple of brisk letters to the CEO of Dell UK.:

I got put onto some special team for "support" who had two solutions to the problem (three if you count "do not do this please")

1. Get rid of any static build-up in the machine by removing the battery and the mains charger and pressing the "on" button for 30 seconds

   needless to say that did not work.

2. Doing a (MS-DOS type) low-level use of "debug" to test the whole disk and remove all the disk partitioning info to start again from

   scratch.

It is clear that their advisers think that there is some kind of bug in the this particular machine not a systematic oversight in the BIOS

   (or something)

I am going away for a while tomorrow so I'll give your idea a go when I get back - I'll let you know the result.

 

Thanks again

Hi again UrbaneGorilla

 

Doesn’t sound like you are getting the right Tech person in your communication with Dell (not a surprise)

 

Meanwhile back to your Forum thread:

 

It may help if you can provide feedback to suggested solutions – often called “things I’ve tried”

 

Reason I say this is:

It lets the person trying to help know “that didn’t work” rather than guessing if was or not, even tried?

It lets “others” know what has been tried, thereby helping them or preventing duplicated suggestions

A good example is in the replies from Bobby_Peru that repeat possible solutions already suggested

 

Dell do provide ALL the drivers required for XP & I have already explained “how” you select them

 

Finally, most Forum members recommend removing original hard drive leaving Vista installed & buy a new hard drive to install XP, leaving original Vista hard drive for a rainy day or if you ever want to sell the computer

 

That's a point worth re-emphasizing for UG. 

If you try to downgrade your existing hard drive you also may have to deal with some issues about the hidden Dell diagnostic and recovery paritions.  Also perhaps a "mediadirect" partition too.  

Thanks to advice up here I bought a new drive and that is what I am using for my XP install.   I'm not planning on putting the original one back in later to sell as clean Dell PC like BellBoy mentioned but that is a very useful suggestion that folks should think about.  I'm gonna wipe the VISTA drive and reinstall VISTA clean on it to remove all the Dell bloatware and use it that way in addition to my XP config.  That is an entirely different long story though.

 

Well thank goodness someone has tried the    key combination :emotion-21::emotion-2:

It's been suggeseted enough times in this thread  :emotion-55: