From: Adrian C on
Shenan Stanley wrote:
> Download and install the motherboard/chipset drivers from the manufacturer.
> Do the same for all other hardware. Since you have a Dell - this is EASILY
> accomplished through their web page and knowing your Service Tag (usually on
> at least one sticker on your computer.)
>

I hate to wonder where all the service patches went.

Sling it, and buy a new computer.


--
Adrian C
From: Shenan Stanley on
<snipped>

Sally Bowen wrote:
> On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 13:20:20 -0500, Paul <nospam(a)needed.com> wrote:
>> If you wanted some help, you might have mentioned the make and
>> model
> Oooooh, I think that's a little harsh! I'm quite happy to divulge
> everything down to my bra size and recipe for coquilles sans
> jacques, but for an initial post, I was merely putting out feelers
> in case it was something really mundane - as opposed to throwing
> every last nitty gritty detail at everyone straight away.
>
> Anyway, I've taken the back off, and as I suspected, no sound card.
> I even took it in to work so a tech guy could check, and he agrees
> with me. So everyone who suggested I need to re-install the
> original disc blah blah, no can do! In fact I didn't get ANY discs
> with the original computer.
>
>> If it is a Dell, you'd want to know if it was a Dell Dimension
>> 8100 or the like.
> It is a Dell and I will certainly look up the motherboard info
> online. If some download is suggested, I will do so. I have to be
> honest, I'm not sure why a Windows re-install should mess up
> something that (to me) seems related to the PC itself rather than
> any operating system, but then I'm not an engineer.
>
> If I have no joy, I shall stick to playing music on my other PC, and
> just give Dell a wide berth in future.
>
> But thank you everybody for your time nonetheless.

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> You have no idea why a windows reinstall would....
>
> You wiped the system. Windows - no OS - has all device drivers.
>
> Download and install the motherboard/chipset drivers from the
> manufacturer. Do the same for all other hardware. Since you have a
> Dell - this is EASILY accomplished through their web page and
> knowing your Service Tag (usually on at least one sticker on your
> computer.)

Adrian C wrote:
> I hate to wonder where all the service patches went.
>
> Sling it, and buy a new computer.

What's a "service patch"?

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


From: Adrian C on

> Adrian C wrote:
>> I hate to wonder where all the service patches went.
>>
>> Sling it, and buy a new computer.
>
> What's a "service patch"?
>

OK, I'm being a bit unfair since I don't know how the OP has rebuilt the
PC - There is more than just installing soundcard drivers after loading
the XP CD, and you've hit the nail on the head with doing motherboard
and chipset drivers from the Dell website. It's likely the user will
need to install not only drivers but windows update service patches as
well. XP SP2 was a long time ago now, and updating to SP3 - how much RAM
is in this thing? Dell used to sell fairly minimal machines with 512MB
or even less installed around the time of SP2.

Besides, this is now two Microsoft generations of OS behind what is
current, and users (unless technically competent or planning on being
so) sure shouldn't have to mess around reinstalling an OS as a 'user
experience'. Drivers maybe yes, but the whole OS?

This is why people go on MCSE courses.

--
Adrian C
From: David B. on
You don't realize it because you have no experience in what your dealing
with, it's perfectly normal. Your tech guy at work is obviously equally
unknowledgeable when it comes to computer setup and operating system
installation, I would, in the future, refrain from getting any advise from
him.

Blaming Dell is pretty foolish, the problem has nothing to do with Dell, it
has to do with you not knowing the proper procedure of install an operating
system and required drivers and making assumptions about thing you know
nothing about, blaming Dell is just plain ignorant.

--


--
"Sally Bowen " <AuntSally(a)aol.com> wrote in message
news:4b407bc2.3904968(a)news.btinternet.com...
> On Sat, 02 Jan 2010 13:20:20 -0500, Paul <nospam(a)needed.com> wrote:
>>If you wanted some help, you might have mentioned the make and model
> Oooooh, I think that's a little harsh! I'm quite happy to divulge
> everything down to my bra size and recipe for coquilles sans jacques,
> but for an initial post, I was merely putting out feelers in case it
> was something really mundane - as opposed to throwing every last nitty
> gritty detail at everyone straight away.
>
> Anyway, I've taken the back off, and as I suspected, no sound card. I
> even took it in to work so a tech guy could check, and he agrees with
> me. So everyone who suggested I need to re-install the original disc
> blah blah, no can do! In fact I didn't get ANY discs with the original
> computer.
>
>> If it is a Dell, you'd want to know if it was a Dell Dimension 8100 or
>> the like.
> It is a Dell and I will certainly look up the motherboard info online.
> If some download is suggested, I will do so. I have to be honest, I'm
> not sure why a Windows re-install should mess up something that (to
> me) seems related to the PC itself rather than any operating system,
> but then I'm not an engineer.
>
> If I have no joy, I shall stick to playing music on my other PC, and
> just give Dell a wide berth in future.
>
> But thank you everybody for your time nonetheless.
>
> Sally
>
>
>