help installing xp

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
Nothing but XP will work on that thing as its really old. That screen shot doesn't show what I asked for. Go into network adapters, right click on the wireless device and click on properties, then click on details tab.
 

Agent Smith

Well-Known Member
To get that screen shot you need to click on network adapters and select the network properties. There you will see the hardware IDs.

Edit-

And once again I didn't see page 3. LOL
 

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
Uninstall the wireless driver first and don't let the driver reinstall itself, then take a screenshot.
 
ok, the wireless driver went away so there is nothing to access to take screenshot......Thank you for all the help, however at this time I think it would be easier and I would prefer to just start over from scratch......Please let me know how I should proceed, reinstall os disc, then go to dell and download drivers recommended my model number (or should the drivers already be on OD disc)? Will this work? Because if it will and it doesn't work for me with the OS disc I have, I will buy a OEM xp disc and try that. Please explain if this is correct and if not, how I would go about repairing from scratch. Thanks again
 
Last edited:

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
But when you uninstalled the driver you should have gotten either an unknown device entry or a generic network controller which needed a driver. But you will need a dell XP install cd that way you don't need to worry about activation. The drivers you'll need to download are

chipset
lan
wireless
audio
video

Let me ask this though. Did everything work correctly before the install?
 

_Pete_

Active Member
This will not help but in my opinion you have an awful lot wrong with this computer or the OS installation than just what would have happened if you had just deleted a driver.
 
one follow up question in general, if I install a new os on a computer, I need to pick an os that came out around the time computer was made or an earlier os version to make sure it will run on computer, and if there is a product key on back of computer, I need to install the same os listed on product key or make sure the os comes with it's own product key. Is all this correct?
 

johnb35

Administrator
Staff member
XP would be the only OS that will run on the system as its so old. You'll need something like this, as I said it will automatically activate after install because of it being OEM.

https://www.ebay.com/i/112948155000?chn=ps

You won't even need to use the key on the sticker. Most likely the sticker is faded and can't read it anyway?
 

beers

Moderator
Staff member
one follow up question in general, if I install a new os on a computer, I need to pick an os that came out around the time computer was made or an earlier os version to make sure it will run on computer, and if there is a product key on back of computer, I need to install the same os listed on product key or make sure the os comes with it's own product key. Is all this correct?
Not really, but I wouldn't waste money with buying a Windows key even at like $25 for that PC.

If you aren't adverse to learning new things then some variety of Linux like Lubuntu wouldn't be a bad play for that old hardware.

Personally since you're having so many problems with that and it's ancient, you could even pick up some other used system that would be exponentially faster, and you come out ahead if you value your time at all.
 
Top