Pacifix, you scared this guy!  Good one.  If you want to downgrade the bios but have the ability to easily get back to where you were, you could just do the CD that Pacifix recommended.  Then if it happens again, we know definitively that the bios of 6 and lower are incompatible with the ATI 4670. 

HardDriveWhiner, yeah Gparted messes with the parts of the HDD that the OS is on.  It can easily f that to no tomorrow.  I only used it early on in the process, right before I installed XP.  It still took Vista about an hour to repair it, and I rebooted it a few times to be sure.  I'll also note that if you have even 1 bad sector on the HDD, Gparted won't touch it with a 10 foot stick (it could theoretically move parts of the OS onto the bad sector resulting in all sorts of BSODs later).  Nothing was worse than when I also tried to get iDenib OSx on it.  That managed to blow away the boot sector after removal (it installed but did not boot), and it took great effort with the XP disc to repair it.  My latest process of installing XP went something like this :

- Use Gparted to resize Vista partition

- Let Vista repair and reset/shutdown a few times to ensure stability

- Installed XP.  Drives letters were all over the place. (XP was on F)

- Had to go into Accessories\Computer Management\Disk Management to reset some drive letters

- Reinstalled XP to get it to sit on D drive

- Defragged both partitions.  All is well....

- Set up all drivers in XP

- Done

I read some stuff on getting XP to Dual-Boot with Windows 7 here :

http://lifehacker.com/5126781/how-to-dual-boot-windows-7-with-xp-or-vista

http://apcmag.com/how_to_dual_boot_windows_xp_and_windows_7_xp_installed_first.htm?page=1

There's some tricks to it as apparently W7 hides some of it's partitions.

I had the same issues with no video after flashing to A06, so it looks like the hardware isn't the same.  Flashing back to A10.  Was worth a shot.

Cool, thank you.  You have a 4670, right?

Here's an interesting problem. I have an iPhone and was trying to get iTunes to back up the phone. This is built in functionality for iTunes when my iPhone is connected to a USB port on my computer. However, iTunes will not recognize my iPhone even though the two Apple device drivers are loaded and working properly. Has anyone else had this problem?

Does anyone have TWO Unkown devices under "other devices" with my configuration: 

XPS 1640; P8700; ATI Mobility Radeon 4670 1 GB; RGBLED 1920X1080 Display; Optiarc BluRay DVD/CD; Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate); Integrated High Definition Audio 2.2; 500GB 7200RPM Free Fall SensorSeagate Hard Drive; 2.0 MP Webcam; Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11AGNHalf Mini Card w/ My WiFi

I tried the other chipset driver suggested from Ninja's post without luck.

Pacifix

This happened to me aswell.  But I contacted Dell and they have just replaced the motherboard!  Did you ever get the 'eject' to work?  Or did stick with Bios 10.

Sorry for that Mike... I almost did the same!

Nope,  still with A10... (and beleive me... I will never change that again for nothing!)
But I have copied the cd icon from windows explorer in a toolbar in my taskbar, so i can right click on it to eject without opening the explorer...

I have tried some MS keyboard drivers that you can configure every keys, but none for the eject.
I could develope something but I would have to hook (windows services) the keyboard, and that would slow the machine for nothing, it would also ring some alarms in anti-spyware software.

I will post my complete config soon... (I only took a couple of drivers from this post) I will upload them on my web site for download. Latetly I corrected my mic, but I still have an unknown device and an exclamation mark on my friewire network, for the rest everything works fine and the pc is stable.

By the way... don't bother for the windows recorder... every pc with windows xp and more than 2 gigs will give you the bug: "out of memory..."

Have a nice day and welcome back!

It's a shame you didn't read this before agreeing to have Dell fix it.  It probably was not the motherboard.  Quick question for you : Do you have the ATI 4670 in your pc?  This seems to be the component unsupported by bios pre-version 10.  Bios stands for Basic Input Output System.  IE - Input being Keyboard functionality.  Output being display functionality.  Pacifix never got the eject fixed in XP as the eject only works with bios up to version 6 for XP. Vista does not have this problem as apparently the support for the eject is built in to that OS. 

While I don't support fear-spreading as this prevents learning about your pc, I do think that Pacifix's explanation of making the autorun CD is dead-on and of sound logic.  If anyone is going to try downgrading their bios in the future, just do what Pacifix says regarding making that CD so you have a means to get back to where you were in case it does f up.  This is a general rule of experimenting with pc's.  Always make a way you can get back to a good spot.  Otherwise you place yourself in potential jeopardy.  If you leave a path back, you will be fine.

Yes I have the ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics card!

Thank you for the help with all the other drivers etc.  I agree about your comment on experiemntation, but this one really did freak me!

Hi nice guide :) I just managed to install windows xp pro x64 But now now i have A LOT of driver problems :( Does the drivers you link to only work for xp 32-bit? Do you now where to find the drivers for x64? I have also tried to install the video driver from ati.com but i doesn't seem to work properly and the control center wont show :(

x86 = 32 bits

:-) ok now you have change your message for x64... that change everything! Don't have an answer for that sorry...

Pacifix,

Please post your drivers list and where you obtained them.  I still have two unknown devices and I am wondering if you will look at your device manager and right click on the one unknown device and post what it is.  My current two unknown devices, aside from the 1394 firewire driver, are:

1) "Intel(R) ICH9M LPC Interface Controller - 2919".  I installed the chipset driver from Intel's website http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&ProdId=2115&DwnldID=18052&lang=eng as well as tried Ninja's chipset driver with to no avail. 

2) "Microsoft ACPI-Compliant System".  This may be linked to a loss of functionality, on shut down I can not select hibernate. 

Also does anyone have an iphone where they are using iTunes to back up their iphone?  Mine does not seem to work through the USB port.

For those who are still wondering about the webcam driver.  You can download it from Windows Update for XP by allowing MS to scan your computer and then by selecting the optional drivers/software from other manufacturers.

This install doesn't work for x64 XP.  There's no drivers available for that version.  Go 32 bit if you actually want to use your system.

@Harddrivewhiner :

You really need to READ.  I already posted the answer to this question quite some time ago.  You won't get the remaining 2 devices to be unknown.  It won't happen.  Don't waste your time.  Also, you don't need hibernate.  The time you're spending on this will not yield any appreciable value to you.  Pacifix obtained his drivers from where I posted above, possibly with the exception of the Intel driver.  :

"As far as the unknown devices, you should only have 1 and a ? next to the 1394 Net Adapter.  Try installing the driver I listed here for chipset.  ( Intel Chipset http://rapidshare.de/files/40173743/...autol.zip.html).  It may be that the chipset driver on Intel's site is too current for the chipset that's actually in the laptop.

I listed a IR driver here.  I can't really confirm whether or not it works as I have no IR devices and have no plan to get any.  What are you using this for that you need this?

As far as the hibernate issue, I would read this : http://lifehacker.com/311701/hibernate-vs-standby .  Hibernate takes longer to load up in many cases as just having a streamlined system that you actually shutdown and power on.  I don't have the option to hibernate anyways (only in Vista).  

I actually shut my computer down unless it's downloading something.  My boot time is less than 1 min for XP. "

Hi guys,

Just wondering whether after some six months, (and I see you are quite busy), anybody got their built-in mics to work. Six months ago, that issue was at dead end due to lack of driver.

Also to thank. I am a non experienced user. Could ´ve never got the thing to work without your posts.

Regards

HardDriveWhiner,

Just send me an email: 

, il will send you all my drivers... some Dell guy supress some of my messages, and there was absolutly no hard comment... That really ... off!

One of them was to correct one of the not so bright suggestion about the bios flash... Some other people will change their mother board I guess... what the ...

And no, I did not took all my driver from here, probably less than half (Who cares... it is a forum not an ego trip)...

Ecidre,

I also have the driver for the mics and you don't have to install it in a special order with the video driver (that include audio with hdmi), juste send me an email to...

Have a nice week!

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