Windows 7 on Latitude E6400

Thanks chunglau and everyone else.

3. I obtained the Windows 7 x64 RC1 build.

2. Which (if any) Vista 64-bit drivers from the Dell Drivers Download page should I install?

1. I'm not sure what you mean by needing to install Dell's Security drivers. Can you be more specific?

Ideally, I'd like to be able to use the built-in webcam, the fingerprint reader, the SD card reader, and the other features of this E6400. It's not clear to me yet, however, how many of these features (if any) are supported in the Windows 7 x64 RC1 build...and which downloads from Dell's web site I should install.

Thanks, again!

 

By RC1 do you mean Build 7077? If so, there is only item showing with an exclamation mark in Device Manager: the Broadcom USH device. If you want to fix that (and you don't have to), the driver pack is under "Applications":

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...&servicetag=&os=WV64&osl=en&catid=-1&impid=-1

My webcam works with the Win7 drivers. You can check that easily by running Windows Messenger. The latest Ricoh SD reader driver is an automatic Win7 update that just happens after you install Win7. You don't need that latest driver, but you can always choose update driver in the device's properties, and Win7 will find it.

 

@chunglau, well.. I guess I got a special Dell disk then. I already returned my machine, Windows update had 4 updates. On my new machine, Vista was fully updated, I already re-installed the OS and I had no updates to do other than Windows Live programs and my Office 2007

 

I downloaded Build 7100. There seems to be some disagreement on other forums as to whether this is RC1, a newer build, or something else altogether.

Thanks. I'm still in the 'information-gathering stage'. Vista Business 32-bit (which came with the system) is still installed.

So it sounds like it's a simple matter to install the Windows 7 beta--which is what you've been saying all along. I'll try it!

 

If you have Acronis or some other similar backup program, it is not a bad idea to create an archive image of your Vista installation on an external hard drive or thumbdrive. It is much easier restoring an image than to have to reinstall Vista.

Maybe I should give Build 7100 a try...On my E4200, the earlier builds are not compatible with the Ambient Light Sensor. I don't have any problem with the E6400, though.

 

I don't believe you . Just look at that link I gave you. In April 2009 there have been 4 Vista updates...

Of course, on the day you installed the OS, maybe all those updates were downloaded...That is, the updates ARE NOT ON THE SP1 disc.

 

True, that works well as does my preferred method of dual booting. And for FWIW I have installed Win7 beta on eight systems with various configs all have been running flawlessly for many months. I amazed at the problems I see reported here, quite opposite then what I have experienced in my deployments.

Dennis

 

I'll be wiping out the present, new Vista 32-bit installation regardless--and installing a 64-bit OS in its place. So there's no need to back anything up.

(My system came with Vista Business 32-bit. Dell is shipping me Vista Business 64-bit media. I also have retail Ultimate 64-bit media. And now I have the Windows 7 RC1 x64 media.)

 

Your comment made me wonder how easy/difficult the Windows 7 install will be. I have a 250 GB drive--split into a 230 GB OS partition and a 2 GB RECOVERY partition. Will the install process enable me to preserve the RECOVERY partition?

 

Yes.
And, Windows 7 installation is the same as Vista (Win7 is a little easier, but the Interface and the main steps are the same)