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Re-installing Win XP Help!!!!!!
I'm trying to re-install Windows XP on my Dell 4600 computer that I purchased in 2004. I've run into two problems. First, I can't change any settings for the monitor. Second, I cannot establish and Internet connection. I have two hard drives in my system so I can still use the CURRENT installation while I try to figure out how to fix the new one.
The Monitor problem: I can't change the settings so I can display a higher resolution and more colors. Following the instructions to change the settings, I click Control Panel--> Appearance and Themes ---> Display. I then select the Settings tab. At this point the only selection in the drop down Color Quality list is Medium 16 bit. Also I cannot move the Screen Resolution slider bar from the lowest setting. I figured that I needed to install some drivers, but strangely when I attempt to look at the drivers in my CURRENT system, it says there are none installed. The main difference between the CURRENT system and the one I'm trying to install is that in the CURRENT system the monitor is classified as a plug and play monitor and in the the new system the monitor is classified as the Default Monitor. It looks like when I installed Windows XP and the drivers from the ResourceCD the monitor wasn't configured properly and/or the graphics adapter in the mother board wasn't recognized.
Cannot establish and Internet connection.: First my cable connection to my ISP is working properly as evidenced by this posting. I click Control Panel--> Network and Internet connections. I then click Setup or change your Internet connection. I go through all the steps to set up a new connection, but nothing is set up.
As an aside, I noticed on my CURRENT system there is a DRIVERS folder that contains sub-folders like AUDIO, MODEM, NETWORK, PRINTER SYSTEM and VIDEO. This folder does not appear in the new installation and I don't know where it comes from. I don't know if this has anything to do with the two problems I described above or not.
I don't know what the Dell techs. did when the configured the computer, but it worked perfectly out of the box.
I really feel fortunate that I have the two hard drives If I had done a clean install over the CURRENT system, I'd be out of luck at this point. I wouldn't have anyway to contact anyone except by making a costly phone call to Dell support.
I hope some of you experts can help me.
Thanks in advance.
Wayne
inspiron_wvhpe
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761 Posts
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Posted July 20th, 2007 18:00
Here's the driver page for your Dimension 4600. http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=DIM_P4_4600&os=WW1&osl=en&catid=&impid=
Inspiron 1501
MK36 AMD Turion
2 GB RAM
ATI 200MSeries- Thanks for your reply mombodog .I've made progress. Going through the Device Manager, I was able to install the video drivers from the folder I told you about. However, I cannot find a way to install the Network Adaptor drivers. The two links below show the Device manager list for the current system and the new system. Note that new system does not have a Network Adaptor entry. As far as I know the drivers in the folder do not have an execute module to install them directly from the folders. How can I install the Network Adaptor drivers?
Current System Device Manager:New System Device Manger:Thanks for you help.Wayne - Well, I fianlly got all the drivers installed. :smileyvery-happy: I think it was much more trouble than it should have been. :smileysad: Exccpt for the drivers on the ResourceCD each one required a different approach.The other thing is, why wern't all of these drivers on the ResourceCD or some other CD set to me by Dell. As I said above, if I had done a clean install over my previous OS, I would have been in big trouble. Not only could I not have accessed the Internet to ask for help from you people, but I would have blown away that drivers folder. Since I couldn't have accessed the Internet I would have a useless peice of metal for a computer. I backed up that drivers folder on one of my backup drives and I plan to burn it to a CD. That was pretty stupid of Dell to do to it that way. :smileymad: I'll be sending Dell an email.Now all I have to do is figure out how change the settings of all the programs to the way I had them. Of course since I did this at least three years ago, I'll have to look at the help screens :smileywink:Thanks for you help.Wayne
mombodog
2 Intern
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12735 Posts
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Posted July 20th, 2007 01:00