HP Laptop - XP downgrade with switchable graphics

Hi, I'm looking to purchase and downgrade a HP dm4 series laptop, either the: -

- HP dm4-1060ea http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/document?docname=c02269464&cc=uk&lc=en&dlc=en

- HP dm4-1050ea HP Pavilion dm4-1050ea Entertainment Notebook PC Product Specifications HP Pavilion dm4-1050ea Entertainment Notebook PC - HP technical support (United Kingdom - English)

The HP dm4-1050ea seems like it would be less trouble to downgrade as it only has an intel graphics card. the 1060ea has the switchable graphics. What i'd like is a dual boot with Windows 7 and XP and to have the 1060ea with switchable graphics. Most of the time Id be in XP with the switchable graphics disabled and running on the intel graphics, when i what the extra power use windows 7 with the ATI graphics card. I really want XP as I'll be using this laptop for work and is a lot easier for me.

I was hoping (like other brands of laptop) the bios would contain an option to disable the ATI graphics in the BIOS and just run off the intel so that XP would be fine. I've had a look at one in Comet and went into the BIOS and couldn't find the option, maybe i missed it as i only had a quick look?
Can anyone help me with this? I take it the option is missing and HP need to release a BIOS update? Any other ideas for me? There are no ATI drivers for XP.

Thanks in advance!

Added - Just looking into it further, if I installed XP would both graphics cards show in device manager? Could I just disable the ATI graphics card in device manager? Would any of this affect the battery life (e.g. will it still drain power from the ATI card?)

 

You can disable the x16 pci-e port the ATI card is attached to. See here. Same could be done in XP by disabling the device first, then doing the equivalent of the setpci using baredit or 'r-w everything' software.

 

Could I do it just for XP by disabling the device and using either of the pieces of software? Could I just disable the device and do that only? Would this have any detrimental affect on the power usage (e.g. would it still drain power). I haven't heard of either "r-w everything" or "baredit" do this tools work software based or hardware based (so running them in XP would only disable them in XP?)
Thanks for the help!

 

Curious...if you plan on dual booting XP and W7 why not just use XP mode from within W7?

 

Because the last few times I've just it on client networks it has been next to useless for various different reasons. I want to get XP on properly in a state that when it's working I wont have any further problems. Switching between XP and 7 on my current laptop has been extremely useful over the past year or so.

 

well switchable graphics and XP don't mix. They fight.



Now if they fight like how they fought on my envy when I was doing things to try to get the new catalyst drivers installed well, the computer will be unstable, completely.

fighting in this case means that they swap from one driver to the other back and forth every 10 seconds til the display just gives up and shuts off.

 

I'm going to moan to HP tomorrow for a BIOS update, maybe they're planning on releasing one. HP need to add options to disable switchable graphics, disable os detection of switchable graphics and disable the intel graphics card or ati card. At least if the BIOS had this then I know I'd be okay. Most other brand laptops seem to have these options already!

 

MagusDraco, when you said they fight what did you try to resolve it? If you disabled the ATI card in device manager did it settle down and just use the Intel card?
I'm spoken to HP and things sounded promising about just having to disable the ATI card in XP but then they started to contradict themselves when I asked further questions.

 

Are you back on Windows 7 now then MagusDraco?

 

The Insyde BIOS hacking thread has unlocked options to set which is the primary bootup display adapter. That's what you might want to try if HP don't want to give an option to disable the ATI graphics.

 

HP have given me little confidence yet in being able to do what I want. They just say "disable the ATI card in device manager". Anyone actually think this will allow it to work properly in XP? Unlocking advanced BIOS sounds like it would work but also seems quite risky! Don't think I'd be prepared to do it with a new laptop....