problem with Windows Vista OS reinstall

Yesterday I installed a replacement hard drive (HD) (WD5000BEKT) in my back-up PC, which is also a Dell M1330 like my main notebook PC listed below in my signature. Its hardware is almost identical to my main notebook PC, the main difference are 1) Intel Core2Duo T8300 CPU w/ 2.4MHz; and 2) its GPU is part of the Mobile Intel 965 Express Chipset. I then re-installed Windows Vista Home Premium using its original Dell re-install source CD. I used the same CD to reinstall the OS on my main notebook PC last week without problems.

However, after I installed the OS, I noticed the following two problems:

1. I tried to change the display resolution to the highest possible, but the highest possible is only 1024 X 768 and is still blurry. On my main PC, the highest resolution permitted is 1280 X 800 which creates a sharp screen image. Before I replaced its HD and reinstalled the OS, I was able to use 1280 x 800 for the back-up PC's display resolution. I chose 32-bit color for both PCs, the highest permissible. Any reasons my back-up PC will not offer 1280 X 800 as the highest resolution now?

2. The back-up PC no longer detects my home wi-fi network, which it did up until I replaced the HD and OS. In fact, it doesn't detect any nearby networks, which it did previously, and despite the wi-fi being switched on. At the same time, my main PC detects and connects to my home wi-fi network and detects nearby networks.

I surmise that the Windows re-installation is related to the two problems above, given that it was the only change that occurred before the problems manifested. As mentioned above, the back-up PC and main PC are both Dell M1330's and have the same OS installed from the same Dell re-install CD; the main PC is able to go to 1280 x 800 display resolution and detect both my home wi-fi and nearby networks while the back-up seems limited to 1024 x 768 and does not detect any networks. I tried re-installing the Windows Vista again but this did not resolve the problems.

Any ideas as to what might account for the discrepancy and the 2 problems above, and how to rectify the situation?

Thanks much for reading and any suggestions.

 

Inderek-

I greatly appreciate your detailed response and suggestions, they seemed very logical and valid. I followed your suggestions and discovered the following:

1. I checked the Device Manager and indeed, under Display Adapters, it read "Standard Display Adapter", which indicates a driver update is needed. However, I could not download the updated driver due to inability to connect to the internet, discussed below.

2. I checked Device Manager to see if my WLAN card was listed, but it was not. I then opened BIOS and my wi-fi and WLAN card were listed as "enabled". BIOS also confirmed the native resolution of my PC screen is 1280x800. After completing my BIOS check, I opened device manager again to see if the WLAN card had appeared, but it remains absent.

3. During this process, I found a Dell CD with drivers and utilities that was shipped with the PC. I duly installed its drivers and utilities. During the installation process, the CD confirmed the presence of the WLAN card. I then rebooted the PC, but none of the problems were rectified.

4. I re-installed again the Windows Vista Home Premium from the original Dell source CD and re-installed the drivers and utilities from the Dell source CD mentioned above in #3. I then repeated the steps above in #1 and #2, including checking the BIOS settings.

The main problem now is inducing Device Manager to recognize my WLAN card and establishing wi-fi and internet connection, and then updating the video drivers, and the WLAN and other drivers if needed. I'm completely flummoxed at this point and I'd greatly appreciate any additional suggestions and ideas to accomplish this. At this point, should I try to download updated drivers for the WLAN card with another PC and then transfer the drivers to the stricken PC? If so, how do I identify the drivers I need from the Intel and/or Microsoft site?

Thanks much for reading and any suggestions.

 

Indrek-

Thanks for your continued help. I checked the device manager for unknown devices, but did not locate any.

When I read your note about connecting to the internet via cable, I mentally kicked myself. For some reason, I'm so used to using wi-fi for my internet connection I forgot about the basic cable. Later this evening, I'll bring my PC to the study with the live internet socket and connect the PC and see if I can update my drivers. If I cannot solve the problems this way, I'll heed your suggestion and post the situation in the Dell subforum specific for my PC.

Thanks much again.

 

Indrek-

Both problems are now rectified. I connected the PC with the wi-fi connection and screen resolution problems to the internet via cable. I visited th e Dell website and found a mid-2008 driver for the Dell WLAN 1395 wireless card and downloaded/installed it. Simultaneously, as soon as I connected to the internet via cord, the Windows Vista automatic update function kicked in and quickly downloaded 5 updates. I then looked for a driver to the Intel Mobile 965 chip GPU on the Dell website, but all pertinent drivers were older than the drivers already installed. I then suspected the video driver update was likely located in one of the automatic updates; if not in the first 5 already downloaded, then one of the 100-120 to follow. I rebooted the PC and as soon as it did so, the screen resolution automatically increased to the 1200x800 I was looking for and the wi-fi was working perfectly.

I was still curious as to why my other PC did not encounter these issues when I reinstalled its OS with the same re-install source disk and shortly afterwards I discovered the reason. I had erroneously thought both PCs has the same Dell WLAN 1395 wireless card, but in fact, the other PC's wireless card is a Broadcom 802.11 adapter. I suspect the Broadcom's drivers were already up-to-date, so after the OS was installed, the PC's wi-fi was already working and connected to the internet as soon as the PC was rebooted, and downloading automatic updates, one of which was the driver that increased the screen resolution to 1200x800.

Thanks much for your suggestions, which were invaluable in rectifying the problems.