Latitude E6400 Owner's Lounge

I don't know how your cable modem works. Every ISP (Internet Service Provider) is different.
In Montreal, cable internet by Videotron. The system that my isp uses, is that the cable modem is always connected the second you plug the power and the cable. The cool think about it is that you have no software to install, no router to configure... the modem does everything. So the second you have the Ethernet card driver installed on your computer installed and the Ethernet cable attached (or using a router), you have access of the internet.

However, DSL with Bell Canada, you must install a software on the computer which hacks Windows/Mac into making think that your Ethernet card is a 56K modem, and give the user a connection manager, like the old 56K modem days. You can image the lack of support for Linux/Unix and new OS, and the great quantity of Bluescreens and system crashes on Macs that users experience. This can be avoided with a router which needs to be configured... and well a mess as well. But you save a few dollars.

So it really depends on your service system.

But for cable modems in general, it is like what I have (Videotron)

Here is how you install you OS properly:
- Download and burn onto disk: ALL Dell drivers with properly file names for you to identify each file.
- Print Dell driver order page for you to access. (Found on the same page where you download the drivers of your system).
- Backup your system data
- Ensure you have everything as there is no way back once a format is done.
- Insert XP disk and restart your computer.
- And boot from disk (you should be prompted to press any key on the keyboard to boot from CD).
- Follow XP installation wizard.
- Once done, time elapse of Windows XP should be 45min (format takes longer on larger disk partition (size). So if you have a 1 partition system, and a 80GB HDD, it will be quick, but if you have a 2TB HDD, you may want to go to sleep until it's done).
- Once all done, install all the drivers from disk using the driver order install sheet.
- Once all done, you should have access to the internet. If not restart your modem and router if you have one, and see.


F.A.Q
Note: This is a general FAQ based on people installing Windows XP on their system form the original version all the way up to XP SP3.

Q: Windows XP setup can't identify my HDD, what to do?
A: You probably have a SATA HDD, and XP doesn't support SATA.
Cancel the setup, and start in XP as you did nothing. The solution is to attach a Floppy drive (if you don't have one), get a floppy diskette ready, and put the SATA drivers of your computer into the floppy extracted. Then, start again XP setup the same way you did, but this time you'll have a split second to press F6 key when it says to "press F6 to install additional drivers" when XP setup is loading. From there, tell XP to install the drivers in your floppy.

Q: Windows XP setup is frozen when I format my HDD. What should I do?
A: You HDD is really big, XP setup was not designed for large HDD's, therefore you have to be patient. Bigger your HDD the more time it will take.

Q: My keyboard doesn't work during Windows XP setup. How to fix my problem?
A: XP doesn't know what USB is. Attach a PS/2 keyboard (plug is usually pink).

Q: My keyboard doesn't work during the BIOS so I can't enter Windows XP setup when asked. How to fix my problem?
A: Your system BIOS doesn't know what USB is. Attach a PS/2 keyboard (plug is usually pink).

Q: After installing Windows XP, Windows says, included it's own programs, that it's on random: Corrupted or Invalid Win32 application or works. What is going on?
A: Yes, you will need to re-install. You probably have a SATA HDD, and XP doesn't support SATA.
Cancel the setup, and start in XP as you did nothing. The solution is to attach a Floppy drive (if you don't have one), get a floppy diskette ready, and put the SATA drivers of your computer into the floppy extracted. Then, start again XP setup the same way you did, but this time you'll have a split second to press F6 key when it says to "press F6 to install additional drivers" when XP setup is loading. From there, tell XP to install the drivers in your floppy. If this fails then your HDD or SATA controller might be broken.

Q: After installing Windows XP, my image is distorted, even after installing all the drivers, and I made sure of it. Any idea?
A: Your video card is overheating. Turn off yur system, and earth yourself, and make sure that the video card fan is functional, and that it's heatsink and fan is dust free. You can use an air can for you to fix it. Just make sure you don't allow dust in the fan motor, as it will brake the fan.

Doesn't help!
A: Remove the video card (while you are earthed and system power off, of course), and make sure the motherboard plug and video card pins are grease and dust free.

Doesn't help!
A: XP doesn't suport PCI-E, update your system to AT LEAST Service Pack 2, and the problem should be solved after reboot.

Sorry... :/
A: 3 problems:
- Damaged video card
- Damaged motherboard
- Power Supply (metal box inside your computer with lots of wires) is not providing enough Amps to your components of the computer.


Q: WinXP setup freezes during loading...
A: Something in your system is broken.

Q: i have 4GB f RAM, but I only 3.x GB. What is the problem?
A: XP is a 32-bit OS. Like all 32-bit OS, it supports a maximum of 4GB of RAM. But for complicated reasons (this thread is getting too long), the OS can't use it all. You need a 64-bit OS like: Vista 64-bit, Win7 64-bit or Linux 64-bit, to use your 4+ GB.. 64-bit CPU's allows support for (if your hardware can follow, which most probably can't), 16 EB (Exa-Byte), that is 16 000 000 000 GB of RAM.
Fun fact!, today it seams a huge number, but back in the days when the 32-bit CPU came along, people were having kilobytes of RAM in there system, and that 4GB limit seams impossible to reach. A few years later... SURPRISE! And it's still not enough RAM.

 

1. I would never recommend plugging a cable modem direct to a computer. It makes it easier for the hackers and trojans to get in. A router provides an additional level of hardware which is more difficult to hack through.

2. My (UK) cable modem talks to the router without any special configuration: Plug in router then reboot cable modem is enough to get everything running.

John

 

This morning I installed the BT 370 update and DCP Security Manager update. I'm on WinXP 32bit

Since then every restart or startup I get a message:

show_msg

There was a problem and it needs to close.
I get the option to "Send error" or not to send.

Signature:
EventType : clr20r3 P1 : show_msg.exe P2 : 1.0.2.0 P3 : 4863f81d
P4 : mscorlib P5 : 2.0.0.0 P6 : 492b834a P7 : 2b51 P8 : 333
P9 : mxyabj2rsfg4uknkgmspj2kfpmzxhcc5

Any recomendations on what to do to get rid of this problem?

EDIT: I temporarily disabled show_msg.exe from startup using msconfig, so I don't get the error message each startup.
The file show_msg.exe is located in subfolder of Wave, so something to do with security manager...

 

I agree with John -- get a hardware router. I use a Netgear and it -- like most current routers -- allows you to clone the MAC address of the modem (so it more or less "becomes" the modem), but with the added security of placing your computer behind a hardware firewall.

 

Did you also install the latest (A11) security driver as well as the updated Security Manager?

Dell issued a TPM firmware update a few months ago. Did you install it? Also, while the latest (A14) BIOS does not explicitly mention any security improvements, there may be some changes (more so if you are running a BIOS older than the previous A12).

John

 

Have anyone had problems with their DVD-ROM struggling to read blank DVD+R discs? The other day I was going to burn a DVD for the first time (CDs have burned OK), but the DVD-ROM wouldn't read my discs. I tried with two separate brands.

 

Which model burner?

Dell has issued firmware updates for the UJ-862A and the TS-U633A.

Also, you can use DVD Identifier to check the media type. The different brands use a relatively limited selection of dyes.

John

 

Hey, don't tell me.
I am not the one with this setup.

 

I had installed both the latest TPM firmware and the latest BIOS, before the Security Manager.

I have now restarted a couple of times and haven't noticed any problems so far (still have the show_msg disabled in startup).

 

Regarding purchasing from the Dell outlet: most of the machines are in x86 configurations. Would I be able to install an x64 version of the OS using the provided license (without paying extra)?

i.e. I order a laptop with Vista Business 32, would I be able to do a clean install of Vista Business 64 using the same license + some download/media from MSFT/Dell without incurring the cost of a new license?