What OS/version are you using - i.e. Vista Home Premium 32bit?

 

1) How can I verify that the correct version is now properly installed on my system?

 

I've never installed the System Software myself, but is it an executable program - i.e. can you open it, in the same way you'd open any other program?

If it can be opened (Start/All Programs, or Control Panel?), you should be able to confirm the version, as you would do for any other program - i.e. via Help/About?

I'll have to rely on someone else advising you, if it can't be opened?

 

Re the extraction/installation:  I personally prefer to extract all files myself, rather than just double-clicking the downloaded file(s).

I do so, primarily because it allows me to extract the files to where I want them extracted to :emotion-55:

 

Depending on what OS you use, it *may* require you to have a program installed, which can handle compressed files - i.e. .zip, .RAR or whatever?

But that's no big deal, because you can use one or other of the FREE file archiver programs available for the job.

7-Zip is one of - if not the best... and it's available in 32bit +/or 64bit versions :emotion-5:

If you look in the folder where the Desktop System Software files were extracted (R121089), there is a "dss features matrix" .xls  file that includes the patches installed by the software. Most are hotfixes for features on a particular set of systems that aren't already included in the original OS/Service Pack from Microsoft.   If the matrix says No, then that patch isn't necessary - either the OS already supports it, or it's not applicable to a given set of systems (Dimension, Optiplex, or Precision).

I went ahead and downloaded and extracted that file (using an unzip utility),  and checked the Excel (.xls)  chart. With XP SP2 on your Dimension/XPS system there are 3 patches:

- Microsoft Hoftix KB908763, which fixes a possible USB hub issue when tranferring large files using USB. If you do a search on your PC (including hidden files), KB908763 should listed somewhere if it installed correctly.   In any case, if any USB drives work fine, you're good.

- Enable UDMA support for optical drives - if your CD/DVD drive in device manager has UDMA support, you're good.

- 1k "crash analysis marker" to alert Dell as well as Microsoft if you report an error - yeah, OK, whatever. Dell's not going to fall all over itself fixing a crash on a system out of warranty/out of production.

As for the installation instructions - most newer Dell downloads will launch the install automatically.   I suspect Dell leaves the older manual installation instructions in there just to be on the safe side.  Don't overanalyze it.

In other words - take a deep breath,  and relax.  If your PC works, it works.  Don't start tearing your hair out until something DOESN'T  work.

Thanks for your excellent response, Alexandra.

I looked at the spreadsheet.  My particular operating system was not listed (Windows XP/Media Center Edition/Version 2002/SP3).  I searched my system as you suggested and did not find KB908673 anywhere.  You specified KB908763 but I assume you made a keying mistake.

Also, I could not find anything in Device Manager anywhere that indicated I had UDMA support - enabled or disabled.  Would this show up in Properties for the CD/DVD drives?  If so, I did not see any mention of it.

Thanks for your reassurance on the installation procedure.  I sure thought everything was right but the documentation seems so far removed from the current practice that it made me question what was going on.

So, finally, I am back where I started, i.e. I cannot produce anything that indicates to me that the Desktop System Software update was really installed.  Is it because I am running Windows XP/Media Center Edition/Version 2002/SP3 and there is nothing showing in the matrix to be installed for it?  In other words, is no evidence exactly what I should expect?

Thanks.

One piece of additional information; my CD/DVD drives are listed under an Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 27DF in Device Management.

Further reading on my part unearthed a reference that states:

In common parlance, drives that use Ultra DMA are often called "Ultra ATA/xx" where "xx" is the speed of the interface. So, few people really talk about current drives being "Ultra DMA mode 5", they say they are "Ultra ATA/100".

That being the case, I guess I do have evidence that UDMA is enabled.

Exactly!

Like I said - relax.   I'm just a user like you - and the more I learn, the less I know.  It's annoying, but true.

I figure that if it works, it works.  While technically a PC is just a machine,  you could spend years trying to figure out what tens of thousands of smart people have put into all this stuff and never, ever catch up.  Not in a million years.   The technological pace is too fast and too complicated - at  some point you have to just trust that it'll work the way it's supposed to - until it doesn't.

Just keep going,  and hope for the best.

:emotion-2:

Okay, I checked under:

Intel(R) 82801G (ICH7 Family) Ultra ATA Storage Controllers - 27DF

Primary IDE Channel

Properties

and see it shows Current Transfer Mode as "Ultra DMA Mode 2".

Still nothing found on KB908673.