32-bit Windows XP on 64-bit Dell computer

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PeterV57

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I have a new Dell Vostro 3750 64-bit notebook, and after 3 months of unbelivably frustrating and agonizing experience with Win 7 and its XP Mode, I want to install plain old 32-bit Windows XP even at the cost of sacrificing the installed 8 GB memory. While attempting to install Win XP (both x32 and x64) it crashes with a blue screen. Somewhere on the net I read that on most branded computers this is deliberately done by the manufacturers who somehow cripple SATA drivers to prevent installation of other OS's. Any help?
 

PeterV57

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Many thanx, badge, but this doesn't help because WinXP never gets installed and thus there is no opportunity to install any other drivers. Trying to install WinXP on this notebook it starts loading files from the CD and then it crashes displaying a blue screen. Dell "recommends Windows 7" for this and just about any other new computer, which means there is absolutely no support from Dell for Win XP. And have you tried to talk to Dell non-support guys who all seem to be in Bangalore, India? What a joke.
 

PeterV57

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Well, it starts loading some files from the WinXP installation CD into memory, but once done and before actually starting the installation process it displays the blue screen and crashes. So absolutely nothing gets actually installed. Btw, I've installed WinXP and older versions on dozens of computers, but I have never encoutered this problem. Is it possible that this has something to do with the 64-bit computer?
 

PeterV57

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I should add that I have tried to install both WinXP x32 and x64 (both legitimate and original MS CD's) on clean reformatted hard drives (NTFS), with the same result.
 
The issue is the fact that it's a new computer, and an old version of Windows. All computers now are 64 bit, so that's not an issue, and there were 64 bit computers in the days of XP as well. The vendors don't deliberately make XP not work on the computers, they just don't bother developing anything for that OS. MS has tried to kill support for XP a few times already, why would a hardware vendor spend the time and money to design something new for and old operating system when they supply you with one on the computer? Sure some do, but there are plenty of new systems out now without XP support.

You need to try an XP SP3 setup disk, see if that works.

Dell also has no XP drivers for the 3750, so even if you did manage to get XP installed, things like audio, video, USB, network, etc... have a very good chance of not working or crashing all the time.

If you need XP for something, check for a laptop that does have XP drivers (Lenovo ThinkPads I know do). Or get an older used laptop, or a desktop.
 

PeterV57

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1. First, after a lot of research I managed to resolve the blue screen problem. The Dell 3750 being a 64-bit machine has its 'SATA Operations' BIOS set up to use AHCI, which is a new 64-bit system. Hence to use SATA drives with a 32-bit WinXP this BIOS setting has to be changed to the good ol' ATA mode. No more problems with blue screen.

2. Just because Dell Support doesn't have particular drivers doesn't mean that those drivers don't exist. Hence I eventually identified all notebook components by manufacturer and part number, and sure enough, from the respective manufacturers you can get WinXP x32 drivers, if they exist. Which is exactly what I did.

3. The bummer was that the video card in Dell 3750, the nVidia GT555M, is a 64-bit design, and therefore a WinXP x32 driver does not, and most likely will not, exist for it. And without a proper driver the display has a resolution which looks like old DOS screens, and this otherwise wonderfull notebook thus becomes a useless piece of junk.

4. After repairing an extensive damage to the wall from banging my head against it, I gave up and went back to Win 7, the worst crap I have ever come across in some 30 years of my work with computers (years ago I was smart enough to dump Vista within the first week, so that doesn't count). Looks like I am going to spend the rest of my youth XP'ing the Windows 7, i.e. searching for utilities and tweaks to undo the idiotic and crippling changes done to Win 7 (the Classic Shell is a good starting point).
 


I don't know how many times I have to tell you this hang-the-9. You can get the drivers from the chipset manufacturers. We have this discussion every time this topic comes up.

Doesn't matter if there are no drivers on the Dell site. Go to chipset manufacturers. They should have the XP drivers.

There are very few systems at this point that don't support XP. That will change in coming years im sure. But for now, plenty of XP support.
 


Very nice work. You figured out in a couple of days what I have been trying to get hang-the-9 to figure out for weeks if not months.

Unfortunately you chose one of the tougher nuts to crack. Nvidia does not make XP driver for their current mobile discrete graphics parts. Desktop Yes, but not mobile.

However, you could configure the unit to use the integrated graphics only, as it switches between integrated and the Nvida unit based on load. You also could try the GT 430 desktop drivers, as the 555m is just a mobile version of the desktop 430. And there are XP drivers for that.
 


The issue with this is that many people will have no idea how to find all of the individual components that go into making the system work. Chipset is one thing, what if the laptop maker added something to it? And many hardware vendors just point the support back to the laptop vendor. Look at nVidia, AMD, they always say to get the drivers from the laptop vendor if you want good results.

It's possible to get drivers from other sources for laptops, but it's almost never a clean setup. Even in this case, there was no video drivers for XP.

If someone does not know to check for drivers and compatability first before installing a new operating system, finding reference drivers from the component vendors is not something I'd want to send those people off to do. Seeing how in many cases they'd just end up in crashes. I've yet to see one fully functional laptop without official drivers for Windows run well. It's always USB ports don't work, or sound does not work, or video does not work, or it crashes randomly, and so on.

Which is why I don't tell people to go ahead and install XP on new system or Windows 7 on old systems, then dig in and find out all of your hardware components and try to get it working.
 



It just fustrates me that you dont mention it. Even if you advise against it. Let the poster make up his mind whether to attempt it or not.

Most of them I have seen run well. It just takes a lot of work to tune them right.

OEM seem more likely to change the drivers and chipset manufacturers are less likely to have XP drivers. Still, 95 percent of the time, a laptop will run XP just fine.

And I do think there are drivers for that laptop. His Nvidia chipset has a desktop counterpart. I just had to dig because the part numbers were different. They didn't just add an M to the mobile. The desktop driver should work, though I doubt it would be as efficient at the Lappy driver would be. Also, it has Sandy Bridge integrated graphic that he could use exclusively if he chose to. And that does have official XP driver support.
 

PeterV57

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Many thanx to all of you guys for your advice. Even though I have given up on this for now, in the end I simply replaced the hard disk I used for my XP installation with another HDD on which I reinstalled Windows 7, so all my work and attempts up to now are saved. I plan on resuming my WinXP installation efforts by swapping the hard disks again once my frustrations dissipate a little bit, but I am afraid that Falcon's suggestions of researching differences in nVidia chipsets etc. are probably beyond my skill level.

I need this notebook for my mostly legacy applications and engineering development, so I don't really care if I lose any exotic features and benefits of 64-bit systems, but at least a basic decent video is a must. The way Win 7 is driving me crazy I know that it's only a question of time before I get back to it. Many thanx again to all of you.
 


No need to research. I did that already.

The GT 555m is the mobile version of the desktop GT 430. So when the time comes to try again, dig up the GT 430 desktop driver. There is a window XP driver for it.

That machine uses Sandy Bridge integrated graphics for light load and then transitions to the gt 555M for heavier graphics loads.

You should be able to adjust the bios settings to use only the integrated Sandy Bridge stuff. That XP driver should be easy to find and configure.

For whenever you feel up to tackling it again.

 

PeterV57

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_________________________________________________

With advice like that and continuing harrowing experiences with Windows 7, I just couldn't stay away for too long, and I gave it another try. I downloaded the GT 430 desktop driver (nVidia_GeForce_GT430_280.26-desktop-winxp-32bit-english-whql.exe) which, as its name indicates, is indeed supposed to support Windows XP x32.

Unfortunately, when I tried to install it I got a message that "The graphics driver could not find compatible graphics hardware", i.e. it does not recognize GT555M as being compatible with GT430, as you said.

So I don't know whether it is indeed incompatible with the GT555M or not, and if there is a way to force the driver to be installed despite this "incompatibility".

Back to sqare one.
 


Unpack the driver and try to install it manually. Its likely just looking at the id info and not the hardware itself.

What about the integrated graphics?

I also stumbled across this.

http://www.opendrivers.com/download/driver-156558.html

Claims to be a gt 555m xp driver.
 

PeterV57

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I will definitively try every driver that looks promising, including the one you refer to (ver. 270.61).

However this conflicts with the statement I found this morning on the nVidia site:

"Starting with Release 270 drivers, NVIDIA Verde drivers for notebook PCs will only be available for Windows Vista and Windows 7. Notebooks running Windows XP are supported by the latest Release 266 WHQL-certified driver" (see http://nvidia.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2950)

So I will have to try it before I pass a judgment on it.

Thanx anyway.
 

PeterV57

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So far I've tried ver. 266.58, 270.61 and 280.26, all with the same results that "The graphics driver could not find compatible graphics hardware".

The first two versions include a file ListDevice.txt, but only in v.270.61 the ListDevice.txt file mentions GT555M as being included within NVDM.INF

However, when I tried to manual install the driver using this NVDM.INF I got a message that "The specified location does not contain information about your hardware".

Geez, how frustrating . . .

Next I'll try to figure out how to "adjust the bios settings to use only the integrated Sandy Bridge stuff" . . .
 
You can try to edit the inf file and manually add in your card. Get the inf string you need from the drivers for the old OS, and copy it into the new one. But I'm guessing you will end up crashing your laptop if you try to do that. There is a reason almost all hardware makers leave laptop support to the laptop vendor.
 

PeterV57

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TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

To my amazement, nVidia Customer Care actually cared to respond to my question on this subject. The link in their response is a real gold mine of relevant info, and the LaptopVideo2go web site also very educational (see below).

Following the download and the instructions, I indeed managed to install the 270.61 video driver, and it seems to work - sort of. That's the two steps forward.

However, on reboot my User Account (and all related settings) were lost and replaced by the Administrator account. Secondly, in the System>Hardware listing it show a small yellow exclamation mark against the video card indicating some unspecified problem. I did notice that the driver shows GT525M instead of GT555M, if that makes any difference. Several Restore System ops eventually gave me back my user account, but on the next reboot it was lost again. That's the step back.

nVidia's response follows:
______________________________________

I understand from your email that you are facing issues while trying to locate the drivers to support the GeForce GT 555 M on your Dell Laptop with the Windows XP 32-bit OS

The Laptop manufacturers purchase only the chipset from NVIDIA and custom design the graphic cards and the drivers to support customized features for specific Laptop models. The drivers available on the NVIDIA website may support only the basic features of the graphic chipset and may not enable customized features supported by that specific Laptop model

Please note that there are a few options available to update NVIDIA drivers for notebook computers

a) Primary Source = Notebook Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)

The primary source for graphics drivers is from your notebook OEM. These drivers have been fully qualified by the OEM to work with their specific notebook customizations. NVIDIA does not control the schedule for updates to these OEM drivers

b) Optional Source = Direct from NVIDIA

There are no graphic drivers from NVIDIA to support this graphics card with the Windows XP

c) Third Party sources

However if there are no available drivers with your notebook manufacturer or NVIDIA and you require a display driver, you may try a third party website like www.laptopvideo2go.com. This website hosts desktop display drivers which have been modified to install on a notebook

Please keep in mind that since these drivers do not contain any customizations for your notebook, they may not work as well as those provided by your laptop manufacturer nor does the maker of your laptop or NVIDIA support them

For your convenience, I am providing you the driver links to support this card while on the Windows XP 32-bit

http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/drivers/xp/270.61/disclaimer

Please click the link below for instructions on how to install these drivers (ForceWare Updater's Quickstart Guide, Want to update but don't know where to start?)

http://forums.laptopvideo2go.com/topic/33-have-disk-method-for-windows-xp/

Please let us know if the above steps have helped us to fix the issue

Warm Regards, NVIDIA Customer Care
 

Snoopy33

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The video drivers are indeed an issue, but i also had problems with the Wireless Network card. Has everyone figured out all of the hardware manufacturers? Can someone give me a list of the manufacturers. If i can force the video drivers and get functionality from the rest of them, i'd love to go back to Win XP. I have the laptop loaded with Win 7 and there are some programs that i need to install that refuse to work with that OS.

The ones that i know work are:

The sound drivers loaded with the drivers for Win7 from Dell
The Network Card is an Realtek RTL8111E
Chipset - Intel
SATA Drivers for Win7 from Dell will worked


That's about as far as i got. Like i say, i'd love to go back to XP, even with minimal video support (i don't care about wireless video, I just want to be able to use a usb Docking Station), but if i can't use the wifi, the video issue being resolved is only going to get me halfway.
 
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