Windows 7 should be fine. If you have installed the current drivers from the Vostro list, assuming that Windows was not corrupted in the install process then it is just a question of the correct video driver. All 3500's shipped before Oct of 2010 will have either integrated Intel, or discrete Nvidia. Systems sold after that will have switchable graphics. So if yours is an older system, I suggest just installing Nvidia discrete drivers. Other than that it’s going to be a Windows / drivers corruption problem and you may want to consider another manual reinstall of Windows, or the video ports are defective.
Sorry for the delayed response, I dont update posts until I have exhausted every option.
As my laptop is 15 months old it does not have switchable GFX. Thankyou for this information! Can you please update the Vostro 3500 support page so others can identify this, as there are lots and lots of forums talking about how this issue, and when dozens of posts talk about switchable GFX and nothing else, its a fair assumption to make.
Ok, so moving forward, I am now using the descrete Nvidia driver (the one that crashes on boot at the splash screen) and have moved to this being a hardware problem not software... RAM. I found a SODIMM module that was not locking in tight into its housing. RAM modules removed, cleaned, and reinstalled.
Everything works now! Mind you when I started this adventure, every memory test program I ran on this thing said the RAM was fine.
Nvidia 280 drivers installed, Prime95 test been running now for 3 hours, Furmark got a whopping 2 FPS on the 'Burn In' test (ran for 30 mins), external monitor works.
Thankyou again for the information TB, its what got me over the line.
It is switchable graphics. Unfortunately there is only one driver available and those are the switchable graphics. Here is the link for the 32 bit version. I have not heard of any others being available outside of Dell.
I have not heard many complaints regarding not being able to use external monitors with the drivers. I would suggest completly uninstalling the drivers from the system then downloading and reinstalling them from the Web.
I am just curious, when was the problem first noticed that external displays would not work?
Thankyou for getting back to me. The problem happened after a fresh install of Windows. Basically the HD that came with the laptop died which is fine as SSD is the way to upgrade anyway. This laptop did not come with a recovery CD and I have access to some spare Windows 7 licenses so x64 went on one drive, x86 on another, so this is not a Dell Windows install, but a fresh install straight from Microsoft.
[Mind you, it wasnt until I was having problems with finding a working video driver did the original user tell me he had been running it in safe mode the whole time he had it as it would crash on boot... so much for catching problems inside warranty. Im guessing a Windows Update put a new video driver on and caused this, he has a habit of clicking 'Yes' first and asking questions later.]
Windows did a very good job finding drivers and my Device Manager only has one item 'Unknown', which is the 'ACPI\SMO8800' or Accellerometer. As I am using SSD I chose not to install this component.
I tried your driver link, this one looks like the same driver on the 3500 support page but gave it a go anyway. When I run this driver I only see the option 'HD Audio' and nothing about video. I tried it anyway and nothing changed after a reboot.
I have read elsewhere (but I take this with a grain of salt) that the Intel GMA driver needs to be installed first, of course I cannot find a Intel driver that recognises a video card is available. Both the Intel driver on the 3500 support page and the auto-detect component of Intels website display the 'Intel Turbo Boost' option, nothing about video... kinda like Nvidia's drivers ;-)
This laptop is worth some value and I am happy to go the extra mile to find a solution, basically the external video is the only deciding factor in using a laptop in my company and I would have been happy to leave this laptop running without a graphics driver if the HDMI or Analogue video ports had worked.
Feel free to tell me you have run out of ideas... Ebay will get a new laptop for sale if thats the case ;-)
Here are the list of drivers and their order to be installed. All of these should be downloaded directly from Dell; native Windows drivers should not be used.
Desktop System Software (DSS) or Notebook System Software (NSS) - A vital utility that provides critical updates and patches for the operating system. If you are reinstalling the operating system or updating all the computer’s drivers, it is imperative that this software be installed first. Currently, the DSS and NSS are not required for systems with Windows Vista installed. This is located under the System and Configuration Utilities Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Chipset - Helps Windows control system board components and controllers. This is located under the Chipset Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Video Adapter - Enhances video performance. This is located under the Video Adapter Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Network Interface Card (NIC) - Enhances the network controller for Internet or network access. This is located under the Network Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Audio Adapter - Enables and enhances the audio controller. This is located under the Audio Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Modem - Allows dialup capability. This is located under the Communication Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Wireless Network Card - Enables and enhances the wireless network controller. This is located under the Network Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Touchpad, Pointer, Track stick, Mice, and Keyboards - Enhances the pointing device features. This is located under the Mouse & Keyboards Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Other Devices
Bluetooth® Module
This is located under the Communication Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Dell Wireless Mobile Broadband Cards
This is located under the Communication Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
PCMCIA/Smartcard controller
This is located under the Security Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Depending on when the system was ordered it will either have a discreet Nvidia GPU or switchable graphics Intel / Nvidia
Video drivers for switchable graphics
Intel
Nvidia Switchable
Nvidia discrete
If neither of the Nvidia drivers work, then my next suggest will be to reimage the drive installing the Dell drivers in the proper order.
From reading your reply I should focus on the first two steps you mentioned, create a restore point, then try installing the 3 different video drivers. Regretfully the first two steps did not produce results :
1. The DSS or NSS utility mentioned in this step is unavailable in the download options for Vostro 3500 (service tag <ADMIN NOTE : Service tag removed per Privacy policy>). I am unable to find the utility or the 'System and Configuration Utilities Category' you mentioned. If you could provide a Windows 7 link (x86 preferred but x64 will do) that would be greatly appreciated.
2. The Chipset driver on the Vostro 3500 page warns me that my currently installed driver version 9.2 is newer and would I like to overwrite with 9.1... I chose not to install this driver.
Thankyou again.
Damian
P.S. You mentioned something about Step 1 not being required for Vista, should I grab a Vista install? As you can tell Im willing to squeeze blood from stone to get this laptop running.
"All 3500's shipped before Oct of 2010 will have either integrated Intel, or discrete Nvidia. Systems sold after that will have switchable graphics."
Fyi the laptop repeated the same problem after 6 months and was bought on by using a power pack of lower wattage (some sort of safe guard I'm guessing to stop the laptop using 3D to conserve power?).
Using the original higher-wattage power pack did not resolve the problem, countless hours and buying new RAM did not work this time, so it became a toy for the kids. I concluded this laptop was built on a Monday or Friday and just didn't want to work.
Anyway, thanks for bringing back the memories by replying to this old thread :-)
Just thought of something. My power pack was rated over 90 watts... If yours is also it could be a indicator it's nVidia as well (I think mine was 130 or something, but plugging a 90 watt one in would yield a error at POST).
DELL-Terry B
4 Operator
•
3.5K Posts
1
October 10th, 2011 17:00
Damian
Windows 7 should be fine. If you have installed the current drivers from the Vostro list, assuming that Windows was not corrupted in the install process then it is just a question of the correct video driver. All 3500's shipped before Oct of 2010 will have either integrated Intel, or discrete Nvidia. Systems sold after that will have switchable graphics. So if yours is an older system, I suggest just installing Nvidia discrete drivers. Other than that it’s going to be a Windows / drivers corruption problem and you may want to consider another manual reinstall of Windows, or the video ports are defective.
TB
opmopadop
7 Posts
1
October 11th, 2011 23:00
TB,
Sorry for the delayed response, I dont update posts until I have exhausted every option.
As my laptop is 15 months old it does not have switchable GFX. Thankyou for this information! Can you please update the Vostro 3500 support page so others can identify this, as there are lots and lots of forums talking about how this issue, and when dozens of posts talk about switchable GFX and nothing else, its a fair assumption to make.
Ok, so moving forward, I am now using the descrete Nvidia driver (the one that crashes on boot at the splash screen) and have moved to this being a hardware problem not software... RAM. I found a SODIMM module that was not locking in tight into its housing. RAM modules removed, cleaned, and reinstalled.
Everything works now! Mind you when I started this adventure, every memory test program I ran on this thing said the RAM was fine.
Nvidia 280 drivers installed, Prime95 test been running now for 3 hours, Furmark got a whopping 2 FPS on the 'Burn In' test (ran for 30 mins), external monitor works.
Thankyou again for the information TB, its what got me over the line.
Damian
DELL-Terry B
4 Operator
•
3.5K Posts
0
October 7th, 2011 13:00
It is switchable graphics. Unfortunately there is only one driver available and those are the switchable graphics. Here is the link for the 32 bit version. I have not heard of any others being available outside of Dell.
I have not heard many complaints regarding not being able to use external monitors with the drivers. I would suggest completly uninstalling the drivers from the system then downloading and reinstalling them from the Web.
I am just curious, when was the problem first noticed that external displays would not work?
opmopadop
7 Posts
0
October 7th, 2011 18:00
Hi TB,
Thankyou for getting back to me. The problem happened after a fresh install of Windows. Basically the HD that came with the laptop died which is fine as SSD is the way to upgrade anyway. This laptop did not come with a recovery CD and I have access to some spare Windows 7 licenses so x64 went on one drive, x86 on another, so this is not a Dell Windows install, but a fresh install straight from Microsoft.
[Mind you, it wasnt until I was having problems with finding a working video driver did the original user tell me he had been running it in safe mode the whole time he had it as it would crash on boot... so much for catching problems inside warranty. Im guessing a Windows Update put a new video driver on and caused this, he has a habit of clicking 'Yes' first and asking questions later.]
Windows did a very good job finding drivers and my Device Manager only has one item 'Unknown', which is the 'ACPI\SMO8800' or Accellerometer. As I am using SSD I chose not to install this component.
I tried your driver link, this one looks like the same driver on the 3500 support page but gave it a go anyway. When I run this driver I only see the option 'HD Audio' and nothing about video. I tried it anyway and nothing changed after a reboot.
I have read elsewhere (but I take this with a grain of salt) that the Intel GMA driver needs to be installed first, of course I cannot find a Intel driver that recognises a video card is available. Both the Intel driver on the 3500 support page and the auto-detect component of Intels website display the 'Intel Turbo Boost' option, nothing about video... kinda like Nvidia's drivers ;-)
This laptop is worth some value and I am happy to go the extra mile to find a solution, basically the external video is the only deciding factor in using a laptop in my company and I would have been happy to leave this laptop running without a graphics driver if the HDMI or Analogue video ports had worked.
Feel free to tell me you have run out of ideas... Ebay will get a new laptop for sale if thats the case ;-)
Damian
DELL-Terry B
4 Operator
•
3.5K Posts
0
October 10th, 2011 11:00
If all the drivers that have been installed on the system are native Windows drivers, that could be a problem.
Here is a good article on manual reinstalls.
support.dell.com/.../document
Here are the list of drivers and their order to be installed. All of these should be downloaded directly from Dell; native Windows drivers should not be used.
Desktop System Software (DSS) or Notebook System Software (NSS) - A vital utility that provides critical updates and patches for the operating system. If you are reinstalling the operating system or updating all the computer’s drivers, it is imperative that this software be installed first. Currently, the DSS and NSS are not required for systems with Windows Vista installed. This is located under the System and Configuration Utilities Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Chipset - Helps Windows control system board components and controllers. This is located under the Chipset Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Video Adapter - Enhances video performance. This is located under the Video Adapter Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Network Interface Card (NIC) - Enhances the network controller for Internet or network access. This is located under the Network Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Audio Adapter - Enables and enhances the audio controller. This is located under the Audio Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Modem - Allows dialup capability. This is located under the Communication Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Wireless Network Card - Enables and enhances the wireless network controller. This is located under the Network Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Touchpad, Pointer, Track stick, Mice, and Keyboards - Enhances the pointing device features. This is located under the Mouse & Keyboards Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Other Devices
Bluetooth® Module
This is located under the Communication Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Dell Wireless Mobile Broadband Cards
This is located under the Communication Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
PCMCIA/Smartcard controller
This is located under the Security Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.
Depending on when the system was ordered it will either have a discreet Nvidia GPU or switchable graphics Intel / Nvidia
Video drivers for switchable graphics
Intel
Nvidia Switchable
Nvidia discrete
If neither of the Nvidia drivers work, then my next suggest will be to reimage the drive installing the Dell drivers in the proper order.
TB
opmopadop
7 Posts
0
October 10th, 2011 16:00
Hi,
From reading your reply I should focus on the first two steps you mentioned, create a restore point, then try installing the 3 different video drivers. Regretfully the first two steps did not produce results :
1. The DSS or NSS utility mentioned in this step is unavailable in the download options for Vostro 3500 (service tag <ADMIN NOTE : Service tag removed per Privacy policy>). I am unable to find the utility or the 'System and Configuration Utilities Category' you mentioned. If you could provide a Windows 7 link (x86 preferred but x64 will do) that would be greatly appreciated.
2. The Chipset driver on the Vostro 3500 page warns me that my currently installed driver version 9.2 is newer and would I like to overwrite with 9.1... I chose not to install this driver.
Thankyou again.
Damian
P.S. You mentioned something about Step 1 not being required for Vista, should I grab a Vista install? As you can tell Im willing to squeeze blood from stone to get this laptop running.
DELL-Terry B
4 Operator
•
3.5K Posts
0
October 12th, 2011 09:00
Damian
Thanks for posting the update. I am very happy to read that you got the system up and running as it should.
TB
Rocko99
8 Posts
0
February 21st, 2015 09:00
Can you tell from a service tag number whether your laptop has Intel or nvidia graphics?
Rocko99
8 Posts
0
February 21st, 2015 12:00
Ah. My build date is early 2010. So it could have either discrete or not discrete? Was it an option when you bought the unit?
opmopadop
7 Posts
0
February 21st, 2015 12:00
Hi,
The service tag did not help, what did help :
"All 3500's shipped before Oct of 2010 will have either integrated Intel, or discrete Nvidia. Systems sold after that will have switchable graphics."
Fyi the laptop repeated the same problem after 6 months and was bought on by using a power pack of lower wattage (some sort of safe guard I'm guessing to stop the laptop using 3D to conserve power?).
Using the original higher-wattage power pack did not resolve the problem, countless hours and buying new RAM did not work this time, so it became a toy for the kids. I concluded this laptop was built on a Monday or Friday and just didn't want to work.
Anyway, thanks for bringing back the memories by replying to this old thread :-)
opmopadop
7 Posts
0
February 21st, 2015 12:00
Just thought of something. My power pack was rated over 90 watts... If yours is also it could be a indicator it's nVidia as well (I think mine was 130 or something, but plugging a 90 watt one in would yield a error at POST).
opmopadop
7 Posts
0
February 21st, 2015 12:00
At the time of purchase I only remember big signs talking about boost speeds and system RAM... pointless sales distractions.
Because the laptop was for a colleague I let him open the box, ie a sticker/book may have been the indicator but those are long gone.
I found the auto-intel driver-finder to be reliable in other laptops, if it doesn't detect anything it's safe to assume yours is nVidia.