Upgrading Vostro 400 to Windows 8

Uninstall the driver, likely WIndows 8 will contain its own driver for the ethernet network adapter.

Thanks a lot. I've been reading your wikia and it's an amazing job.

Thanks, let me know how the installation goes.

Hi again.

I posted this thread in the desktop forum aswell and your teammate RoHe told me that:

"It sounds like there's no Win8 compatible driver for the NIC (ethernet hardware) in this system.  While I can't verify that, if that's correct, even if you did a clean install, you still won't have a NIC driver and therefore no internet connection using the on-board Ethernet port."

I don't know what to do, i cant make my mind. ¿Any suggestion?

It looks like there is a problem with Intel Network Connection:

www.eightforums.com/.../10728-intel-r-network-connections-17-3-63-0-a.html

www.eightforums.com/.../10544-win-8-pro-requires-i-uninstall-intel-r-network-connections.html

It seems that the problem is that while you are upgrading you have to uninstall the driver. I dont know if it could be solved just by doing a clean installation instead of an upgrading.

By the way, i've doing a bootable USB using Dell Datasafe Basic and everything went right but now it looks like the program has changed the HDD partition where the factory data is stored. Is that normal?

Sorry for posting so much, but i dont know how to edit a post.

I found this Vista driver for Intel Pro Network Connection, version 17.4

downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx

I also see that there is a driver for Win 8

downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx

I still didnt try it ¿do you think i should?

Its more problematic than it first looks; the upgrade assistant is a bit messed up. It won't let you proceed without uninstalling the driver but if you uninstall the driver you cannot access the internet...

Download both the drivers you mentioned and the original one and save to the Desktop:

http://ftp.dell.com/Pages/Drivers/vostro-400.html#Network

With regards to the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant, click Download Pro for £24.99 and save Windows8-UpgradeAssistant.exe to the desktop.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/buy 

Uninstall the Intel Pro Network Adapter and restart the computer.

However lets see if we can trick the upgrade assistant to bypass the incompatability screen. ;)

Run the assistant (you will have no Internet access) hopefully this screen will show and the incompatability error will be gone...

Now don't select anything. Instead go to your desktop and install your Vista Network Adapter from the Vista file you downloaded on the Desktop. If the Network Adapter prompts you to restart your computer select no or restart later (your Internet should work).

If there is only the option of restart and nothing else on the Intel Network Installer just leave the installer open. Next verify if you can access the internet through internet explorer.

If you can access the internet (you should be able to) select next in the Windows Upgrade Assistant.

This should hopefully take you to this screen, select nothing:

You have the option to purchase Windows 8 and whether to purchase a backup DVD from Microsoft.

In your case it may be better to get the DVDs as you have 32 bit Vista on your machine; thus the installer will download the 32 bit version of Windows 8. I think if the DVDs are purchased you will get both 32 and 64 bit media so if you want to upgrade to the 64 bit version then you should be able to do so. The 64 bit version will be better if you have 4 GB RAM or more in your system. 4 GB is the maximum according to Dell and Crucial however from this post here (http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/desktop/f/3514/t/19249074.aspx) it seems like 8 GB would work.

2 of these parts for example:(http://www.crucial.com/store/partspecs.aspx?IMODULE=CT2KIT25664AA800).

You will be prompted for payment information:

The next part of the install assumes that you don't get the DVD shipped to you:

Once you have purchased Windows 8 you should get a product key and download link sent to you via email. Click on the download link and run the Windows 8 setup. The setup will then begin to run.

You will be prompted to enter your product key, enter it and select next.

Select next and next again

The setup will then begin to download. This may take some time. When it finishes you will get installation options.

Select install by creating media and press next. When prompted select .iso file

Save this file onto an external hard drive. Beside the .iso file create a notepad file with your product key. This will give you an easy means to make Windows 8 installation media in the future.

Click finish. The .iso will be 64 bit if your previous version of Windows was 64 bit and likewise be 32 bit if your previous versions was 32 bit.

Once one has the .iso file, they need to make either:

(a) a bootable DVD which requires a blank DVD
(b) a bootable USB stick which requires a USB stick of 4 GB or greater.

To do this download the Microsoft .iso to USB/DVD tool is a very easy to use tool to create a bootable USB/DVD from the .iso file. It mentions Windows 7 but works for Windows 8 and Vista .isos also. I recommend saving the installer for this beside your .iso file like shown below.

Install the Microsoft .iso to USB/DVD tool and run it from the start menu to create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive (For USB flash drive recommendations see here).

Ideally you should use a new USB Flash Drive. If you are using an old one format it with the HP Format Tool.

Wow, thanks a lot for your help.

I already made the bootable USB using the Win8 32 ISO, actually i don't need to use the asistant since my college have premium access to DreamSpark, so i don't know if the installer is gonna complain about the intel pro network stuff as the asistant does.

In the other hand, i can't find the intel pro network driver in order to uninstall or update it. The only driver related to LAN network that i see in the device manager is that:

"Intel (R) 82562V-2 10/100 Network connection". This one appears as compatible to the asistant.

Anyway, i'm gonna run the installer and see what happens before the "install Winows 8" screen.

I appreciate your help :)

I insert another image about how my recovery default drive is after creating another bootable USB with DellDatasafe. Is that normal? It's like 5 Gb but i can't explore the Recovery file. Files inside the bootable USB are like the ones inside the HDD were before using Datasafe.

I ran the installer, i quit that before agreeing to the contract but it loooks like it doesnt complain.

By the way i'd actually rather to perform a clean install more than an upgrading since i never formatted the computer the last 5 years XD

I would recommend performing the clean install also.

The Dell DataSafe, I would recomemnd making a bootable USB opposed to a DVD or a set of DVDs in my experience it is more relaible although personally I prefer just having a Dell Reinstallation DVD (and performing a clean install) to using Dell DataSafe.

I post here too since this was my original thread about the subject. I have to say that although i still have unsolved problems any of you thinking about upgrading your old Vostro 400 can give it a try. Windows 8 have all the needed drivers, at least the critical ones. I had no problems with the Intel Pro Network stuff.

Well,the original problem was solved but other different problems come. First of all, i  have a new graphic card GeForce GTX 550 Ti. I tested it a few days while i still was in Vista and everything was working properly. Then, i finally started my clean Win8 install.

I installed Win8 Proand  everything was fine, i installed some programs, the latest drivers from Nvidia , i ran Windows Update so i rebooted my desktop in order to accomplish with the drivers and windows update request. BIOS was ok and then i saw the win8 screen with the window and the circle looping and right after that while i had to be in the login screen i just get a blank black) but stuttering screen (monitor do receive its input) where i only can see the mouse pointer. I restart in safe mode, uninstall the 550 Ti, then i can reboot whithout problem, Win8 detects the card and autoinstall the latest drivers and eveything is fine again and i' m able to play whatever i want, until i have to reboot or shutdown again. I need to uninstall the card everytime i reboot if i want to have the chance of login again. Sleep mode looks right cause i don't have any problems with that, problem appears when i reboot.

So it looks like the card works right but there is a problem with the "welcome" and login screen. It's weird and frustrating to reach there and suffer that kind of odd problem :(

Try installing the driver from here:

http://www.nvidia.co.uk/object/win8-win7-winvista-64bit-310.70-whql-driver-uk.html

Hi again Philip.

That's the first thing i did when the clean install finished, Windows had its own drivers but i installed the last ones from Nvidia page using the automatic scan they provide.

I'm gonna try another fresh install tracking this time wheter the problem occurs or not right after finishing Windows install, before installing any driver, program or Windows Update.