Got a new Studio 17 on the way, want to use XP Pro...

Hello all. This is my 1st post here and I am hoping that you folks might be able to assist me. This is my first dell, It supposed to be here in a couple of weeks. Below is the specs from my order. I want to replace Vista with XP Pro, new never opened. My sister bought a Dell laptop a year or so ago and I used it once or twice. Full of what seems to be preloaded "Dell Stuff". I'd rather have a clean install with an OS that I have an intimate relationship with and without all of the dealers "fluff & stuff". I know that Office 2007 works on XP so that's not a problem and I already have a multi-computer antivirus to install from the internet. Are there any conflicts that I should be aware of? Will XP recognize the hardware in this machine or should I be looking for drivers to download to a disc now before I format the HD in the laptop when it gets here. I'm of above average computer skill but I don't want to get blindsided. Am I in for a rude awakening or is this pretty straightforward. Thank you in advance.

1 Studio 1737, Intel Core 2 Duo T6400, 2.0GHz, 800Mhz, 2M L2 Cache
1 313-7198 Matte Black Paint with Black Trim
1 311-8623 3GB, DDR2, 800MHz 2 Dimm
1 330-0560 Back-lit Keyboard
1 320-6897 Hi Resolution, glossy widescreen 17.0 inch display (1440x900)
1 320-7273 Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD
1 341-7835 320G 5400RPM SATA Hard Drive
1 420-8566 Microsoft Windows Vista SP1 Home Premium Edition, English
1 330-1800 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP INSP 1737
1 420-5769 Internet Search and Portal
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
1 420-9100 Dell Dock Consumer
1 420-8223 Dell Video Chat
1 420-7622 DELL SUPPORT CENTER 2.0
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 420-9106 eBay Web Access Icon
1 410-1883 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
1 313-6256 8X Slot Load CD / DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
1 420-8159 Roxio Creator 10 Dell Edition,Factory Installed
1 420-9763 Media Direct 4.0
1 330-2350 Media Direct 4.0 Compact Diskette
1 313-4783 Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
1 430-3272 Intel 5100 Wireless-N (1x2) Half Mini-Card
1 320-6653 Integrated 2.0M Pixel Webcam
1 410-1160 McAfee Security 9.0, 30-day Subscription, for Dell Inspiron / Dimension
1 312-0708 85 WHr 9-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
1 412-0148 No ISP requested
1 420-6589 Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition
1 950-3338 2 Year Limited Warranty

 

Hmm, usually there should be an install guide for this like the one on the 1735. I was searching and I saw a few posts that hinted that people got it installed on the 1737, mainly in the Studio 17 owner's lounge. Someone later asked there and got ignored it seems, you could always try when your machine comes.

Honestly though, I would at least play with a fresh install of Vista from your Recovery DVD and your Drivers CD for a week or two before completely giving up on it. This gives Vista time to learn and adapt to your usage patterns (it can preload the programs you use most often during different times of the day into memory)

With 3 GB of RAM, it should run smooth as butter, mine does and I have 2 GB. Getting rid of Dell's default install can make a big difference, esp. if you didn't decline most of the trialware during the configuration process.

Keep in mind that Vista uses memory (in a good way) a bit differently than XP to make performance better.

 

I'm past the state of giving up on Vista to the point I don't want to even boot it up when I get the machine out of the box. I got my XP Pro cd at the ready to go in as soon as it gets here. I was just assuming (uh oh...) that someone would have probably already traveled this road seeing how many users here say they have the 1737 with XP on it that they might have a couple of tips that they could offer.

 

I'm awaiting delivery of my Studio 17 with Vista SP1 on it, should arrive Mon or Tues this week. I have the same question. I know Dell only sells very few machines now with XP configured - not all of them, and as far as I know, there is no install CD available for XP for the Studio 17. If you call them, they'll say no, you can't, and it voids the warranty, blah blah blah, and that there are no drivers for the hardware, blah blah blah... so I'll be VERY curious to know if you decide to stick with Vista or go the XP route. Either way I'd appreciate it if you would update this thread once you have it done. Many thanks!

 

got machine, installed 2nd hd, attempted to install xp on 2nd hd, no go!

 

heya,

just installed windows xp pro 32bit on my 1737 and its working 100% follow this guide: http://wickmanstudios.com/content/view/17/29

only thing I havent been able to do is find drivers for the HD3650 that will allow me to play with the clock settings =\

 

and you never will - Dell has locked it.

Normal desktop discrete video cards have the firmware on the card itself. This firmware holds the code that controls IO functions for the GPU (including clock rates, vcore, etc).
... laptop discrete cards will usually have the video card firmware integrated with the machine's BIOS.

Unless you decompile the BIOS and patch it, you won't be able to modify the clock rate, nor the vcore settings of the GPU.

I've thought about doing it, but I don't have the time, nor the motivation.

 

jd
would you mind too terrible much walking me and others through the process of getting everything to work on the 1737? i have been fighting it all day long and still have missing drivers. thanks very much in advance!

 

I'm still trying to get all of the drivers. I found functional audio drivers so far and that's it.

I have an s17-162b.... or a studio 1737. I don't know why it has two model names. So I should need xp drivers for an Intel GMA 4500MHD video card, and a Dell Wireless 1510 networking card. If i can at least get those two to run ok I should be fine. None of the other drivers seem important.

EDIT: I think this is the chipset here and they have a video drivers for xp up.