Dell :: New 1647! Clean Reinstallation Missing Out On Some Missed Features!
Mar 19, 2010
I got my 1647 from FEDEX and so far everything seems to be good. There is a slight wobble from underneath the battery but I guess that's fine.
The laptop doesn't get as hot as fast and the RGBLED screen is a great screen. WLED seems so washed out and dull so the [over]saturated colors are welcome here.
Anyway on to the point: I've done a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium on my laptop, I installed all the drivers, did Windows update to let it be fully updated, installed the latest graphic drivers (10.3a), and of course installed the latest BIOS from Dell (A05) .....
I just got my Seagate Momentus 7200.3 320GB hard drive today. I don't have any external cases I could use to do a backup image and I wanted to do a clean install anyway since I haven't done one to this system since I bought it.
I've tried using Dell's driver disc that came with the system but it's out of date.
The Web site has been a mess as well. Selecting through the service tag Dell is offering drivers for hardware that was never part of this machine and hardware that is apart of it isn't listed unless I look at all D630 drivers.
After a smooth clean installation of Windows 8.1 and loading all the Lenovo drivers, software, and apps, the system runs extremely well except in the Lenovo Settings Metro App, I no longer see the option of battery life protection (to charge only up to 50%). In addition, in the Windows power settings, there are only four power profiles: high performance, balances, power saver, and fly mode. I do have Lenovo Power Management Driver and Settings Dependency Packages installed. Lenovo's System Update does not show any missing installations.
Along with finding the proper downloads, I'm not sure in which order I should be installing them (if there is a specific order at all), and if I need to reboot every time I install something new.
Is there any modded bios available with some advanced "oc" features. I am trying to undervolt cpu from bios, shut down one core, slow down clock, change fan from silent to normal mode... etc... (This wouldn't be too much to ask from regular desktop board)
Until I boot and start windows my cpu is already too hot. (my notebook is ok, just cpu was upgraded and it's overheats a bit.)
Does this original bios has some secret menus to tweak those settings ?
What are your thoughts about the shiny (almost mirror like) high gloss screen types? Do people actually like it?
I think it�s terrible, I can see myself in the screen and all of the lights around me. They are supposed to reduce glare and all but in my opinion it creates it.
I'm comparing this to what I prefer using � standard TFT displays.
I have just installed a OS on my new acer 4420- (came with no os or recovery features).........It doesn't even recognize the wifi..........What do I need to do in this situation? I need to get it online to download drivers.
The only "recovery" cd's I have will not run. They are .ISO files or something..... Someone help a noob out.........
I do have a portable usb zip drive, but I can't figure out how to transfer files from one computer to the other, and then open and run them.
i got a Vista Reinstallation DVD with my Studio 1735.
1. Do i need to format c before i can install a clean vista with this DVD? If that is correct, how can i format c without a floppydrive?
2. Or does using the Reinstallation DVD automatically format the HDD? Will i loose the recovery partition this way? And perhaps some more important hidden partions? Because i would like to keep the recovery partition.
3. i have heard about problems with mediabuttons, when reinstalling Vista. Will they not work anymore or crash my pc, after using the Reinstallation DVD?
Dell Inspiron laptop has a corrupted Vista operating system and needs reformatting, however he seems to have lost all the disks that came with the PC (except for the Media Direct 3.5 disk).
My question is can I use a standard (non dell branded) Vista disk to install Vista on his laptop (using the CD key on the bottom of his laptop?)
or do I have to use the original dell branded vista CD that came with the laptop?
I am having a very hard time getting Windows XP to install I have even downloaded the ata sata drivers for my hard drive! I used Nlite to mod the disk and add the drivers, I also tried loading the drivers via floppy drive and still no luck I keep getting the blue screen of death any ideas? Also I need to know how to fix the settings so I can install MAC OS Snow Leopard on it! I am currently running Bios That was just updated on April 19, 2010 !
So I'm planing on reformatting my E1505, but I'm faced with a daunting problem. My laptop screen is broken.
This is the first time I'm reformatting on my own and I'm worried that the broken screen would cause a problem. The monitor I have hooked up only starts showing things from my laptop after the boot up process gets to the blueish screen that says Windows is starting up.
If I were to go into the installation menu, is there a way for me to get it to appear on my external monitor instead of the broken laptop monitor?
I have had a problem with my IdeaPad U310 for quite a while now (about a year), the problem is the touchpad, it work all the time, but the features of the touchpad, such as two-finger-scrolling and features like that, stop working everytime I open a Microsoft Office program.
It works fine again when the computer has been restarted, but as soon as a Microsoft program has been opened the problem is there again.
I have tried to solve it as described under the topic: "IdeaPad U310, U410, U510 - Touchpad stops responding while using Microsoft Office", but the problem is the same.
Apple not only fixed the issue for me but went above and beyond by giving away a free Magic Mouse as a compensation for the inconvenience I had to go through. The fix was simple reinstallation of Mac OS X.
Dell never gave my girlfriend a disc to re-install Vista.
Actually... I'm playing the role of Tech Support Guy (even speaking to her with a difficult-to-understand Indian accent!!).
She had a crash, so I used VistaPE to get her data off of the computer. Now, I wanna restore Vista to the original factory settings. Sounds easy enough... use f8, right?
Wrong... it won't work in my case. The recovery partition is still there... I just can't access it. The operating system won't boot up at all. I used a non-Dell Vista Home Premium disc to access the Vista System Recovery option, but that doesn't help. I can't get at Dell's recovery partition.
I figure if I had a re-installation disc that's actually from Dell, I could access Vista's System Recovery feature that includes the Dell option to restore the computer to the original factory settings. Problem is, I can't get ahold of one.
Does anybody know where I can find one without going directly to the Dell website? I think Dell has the worst customer service on the planet and I would pay someone to hit me in the head with a sledgehammer before I'd spend one dollar on a Dell product. I've been scouring the internet for two days and can't seem to find a stray copy of what I need.
The computer came factory-installed with the 32-bit (x86) Windows Vista Home Premium.
Yeah... you read that right: a DELL with VISTA!! Could it get any worse?!
This whole thing is driving me bat-sh*t crazy.
I hate Dell... I thank you all in advance for any help that you can give.
Maybe someone would be so kind as to post an .iso image of their own disc?!
I have a W530 with win 7 64 bit installed. Some time ago I mistakenly uninstalled Hotkey Features Integration for Windows using the windows 7 control panel.
I have an Acer 6920G with tons of problems so I wanted to reinstall vista. The thing is that a Vista installation CD didn't come with it, just a CD key on the label. And I didn't create a backup of the system.
In Acer Empowering Technology there's an option called "Restore factory defaults" which didn't work. When I click it, it warns me that all data will be lost and that I have to restart the pc. I click Yes then the notebook restart but nothing happens, it just boot Vista like it usually would. My question is: is it legal to download Vista and use the CD key on the label?
A few of my problems are -BSOD when i launch games (sometimes) -Random music start playing even though I have no music player up, not even in processes. this is the weirdest bug I've ever seen. It starts playing a random song for like 10 seconds then stop. -Slow system, I just feel like a fresh installation would fix everything.
I can't find the driver for the media buttons on the front of the Inspiron 6000 notebook. I know the buttons work, but I need the software / driver for them.
Also can't find it on the dell.com drivers page (well at least, none of the descriptions match; I may be wrong).
For quite a while my GF has nagged me for a "nice laptop", i.e. a MacBook. With the new models out, the old ones (just before the latest one-piece-thingies) should be easier to find. Most of her friends have one and I am soon getting my bonus, so starting to shop around.
Myself, I am a ThinkPad evangelist (those "ugly, square, black things" according to my GF), and have no trouble picking a used one. With Macs I am basically into uncharted territory, hense my post.
1) I am concerned if the previous owner has enabled features that would interfere with our privacy - remote activation of camera, remote access, etc. How can I check this and make sure she will not participate in some amateur BigBrother?
2) What should I check on a 13 inch MacBook except the obvious battery, fan noise, scratches and dirt beyond normal?
3) Does the Mac have BIOS, drivers, etc. I should upgrade before I hand it to her?
So I managed to do the unachievable... I junked my OS X install the same way Windows junks by itself in 6 months
The super snappy interface now randomly throws beach balls at me, Safari 4 often pauses for several seconds while scrolling through a page...apps take 20-30% longer time to launch...
It's not like the system is crawling, it's just that it feels a lot more bloated than what it was a few months ago Possibly due to the fact that I installed a lot of junk applications
I tried cache cleaning etc but didn't help all that much
Been thinking of doing a reinstall but without losing my personal data..
- Take a time machine backup - Do a clean reinstall - Restore backup
The question I have is what options do I choose when restoring the backup
- I need to make sure my Documents/pictures/Videos etc are restored as-is
- I'd prefer to get back some of my applications although I am not sure if restoring the applications would make the entire reinstall exercise futile since the junk apps would also return back.. Is there any way I can selectively choose the apps to restore
I would like to know if a USB drive can be made bootable using Windows 7 Re-installation DISC given along with my Dell 1558 Laptop and can be used for clean installation of Windows 7.
I have a Y560 ideapad and the hard disk recently crashed, I did not have enough time to take a backup of my windows copy. I have purchased a new hard disk and installed a fresh copy of windows 7 on it, downloaded all the drivers from the lenovo support website but I really would like to have done the one key recovery on the new copy of windows to set it back to the factory settings.
After waiting for over a month or so, I finally got my XPS 1647 from dell. I was very keen on adding a second HDD to store bulk data and use a SSD as primary driver for OS.
Speical thanks to this specific thread, specially Nando4 for all the information.
Pre-Requisites:
Confidence to open your laptop
HDD Caddy to replace the Optical Disk Drive - I got one from New Mode Electronics, which sells such caddys. This specific machine uses 12.7mm (height) slot-loading model with SATA external interface. You can buy it on ebay too for a cheaper price, but most of them ship from China and takes a long time to arrive.. and if there is a problem..its a nightmare to return or re-order. A second HDD
Dell Service Manual for Studio XPS 16 series - Specially how to replace the Optical Drive
Here is the Pictorial :
Click on each of the image below to see a larger image (in a new window)
Step 01 - Ready to Dismantle the Laptop
Step 02 - Remove the Back cover (10 screws to remove)
Step 03 - Remove the Rear caps (slide, and pull out as described in the dell service manual). Don't apply force.
Step 04 - Remove 14 screws (this is needed to remove the palm rest). On my system 10 screws were marked "P", 2 were marked "K" and 2 were flat screws.
Step 05 - Turn over, and remove the two screws to remove the palm rest. (Point to remember - once you are done, and when you tighten this later, don't tighten it too much, else the plastic under it would crack). Once the two screws are removed, use the two tabs to pull out the palm rest (as described in the service manual)
Step 06 - Disconnect the cables connected (by lifting the tab - again - its described very well in the service manual).
Step 07 - Remove the cables connected (two of them). Now the palm rest is free & the motherboard and the ODD is visible
Step 08 - View of the mother board and ODD
Step 09 - View of the mother board and the 3 screws that need to be removed to free the OOD
Step 10 - One screw at the back to remove the ODD. Point to note - the HDD caddy did not have this screw hole - but the HDD Caddy fits in place securely with other 3 screws.
Step 11 - the ODD is now free - You can see the inter-poser (SATA to the motherboard pins) - simply pull it out from the ODD to set it free.
Step 11a - View of ODD out of the system
Step 12 - The ODD and the HDD Caddy that I got from New Mode Electronics. There is a component that is used on the ODD to secure it to the motherboard - This needs to be removed (2 screws) and put on the new HDD caddy as shown in this image.
Step 13 - View of ODD, Securing Component, Interposer, and the HDD Caddy - all side by side.
Step 14 - The new HDD caddy with the 500 GB Seagate HDD (that came with my system), interposer and the securing component
Step 15 - Plug in the HDD caddy in the system and fasten the screws. From this point, its just a reverse process of putting things back in place (palm rest, screws, rear caps and the back cover)
Step 16 - BIOS - now shows the second HDD !
Step 17 - Window Shows the second HDD!
Total time taken from start to finish (including taking photos..etc) - 60 mins!
So, there you go.. you now have a second HDD in your XPS 1647..
I've been stalking the XPS 1645/1647 for a while now hoping that the overheating/under clocking issues get resolved. I'm to the point now where I just need to roll the dice and make one of these work for me.
Currently I work off of a Mac Book Pro (latest unibody) with the 3.06 GHz processor upgrade and the 256 SSD upgrade and 4GB RAM. I do primarily web design (.NET, WordPress, etc.), so I stay in Windows (via Bootcamp) most of the time or work on my Sony Vaio Z. I was waiting for the Bootcamp upgrade to come out in hopes that it would help the hardware cope with Win7 better. Well, it came out a couple of days ago, and it did help, but it's still lacking in a few ways.
My question is around the processor. My everyday activities, making up 80% of my day, are fairly light with the exception of Adobe Creative Suite apps and Microsoft Visual Studio, but I do a decent amount of video processing. I am looking for the most power available without sacrificing battery life. If I understand the processor options correctly, that would be the i7-620M. How would that processor compare to the i5 540M in terms of speed and battery life? I have read that the i5 is "newer technology" and "should" be more efficient than the i7's.
It should be shipped in a week or two, and I was wondering what recommendations you all had for it. I plan on reformatting it to get rid of all the bloatware and also undervolting it.
I'll use it as a desktop replacement and occasionally play some games on it (probably nothing too demanding though). So any suggestions on what to do to start off right and keep it healthy?
