[Introduction] [Main] [Display] [Sound] [Drives] [Modem] [NT]
A: The Texas Instruments chipset (PCI-1220) is apparently not supported by Windows 95 so anyone that disapproves of the installed Win98 OS has NO CHOICE. Vaughn Cox, webtalk
Steve's site - Linux on a Dell Inspiron 7000 Laptop: http://www.eecs.umich.edu/~steveh/inspiron/
Steve is an I7K owner running Linux. You can find information about Linux and other Unix derived OS's on his site. If you have information about these OS's please pass it on to Steve. Lilla
A: Howdy. In regards to the BeOS demo disc on the I7K - it works only if you change the scan order of the startup discs (this is a BIOS setting) such that it scans the CD drive before the hard drive. Also, you have to hold down the space bar during the Be Kernel boot sequence to get into boot options. Essentially what you have to do is set up the video to use 4-bit grayscale, 640x480. This slows the OS down considerably and of course, we all know that grayscale is boring. So it's only worth it if you're -really- bloody desperate (I was). It's a rockin' OS, though, the best on the market if you can run it. (On the I7K, you really can't. It's not a good machine to see the full capabilities of Be. Oh well. . .) Keith Starr, webtalk
G. Carl Everett Jr., Senior Vice President of Dell's Personal Systems Group, was one of four who participated in Dell's "Executive Insights Live!" (http://www.dell.com/insights) this morning. Carl was asked whether Dell has plans to support NT on the Inspiron series. His reply: "Yes, in fact, the Inspiron family will support NT, and it will be fully supported in the January timeframe." Finally, the answer we've all been waiting for... Thanks Dell! Hans Omli, newsgroup
I7K is listed in MS HCL as Win95/Win98/WinNT compatible and PC97 compliant. Dell doesn't officially support I7K under NT4, but you can install it yourself. NT functionality is pretty much the same as found in other notebooks such as IBM Thinkpad 600 and Tecra except IRDA works on ibm. WinNT4 with SP3-4 will run fine on I7K with full video, audio, touchpad, apm, pcmcia/cardbus and modem. You will need to buy softex for apm and cardbus/pcmcia support. Internal modem will require extra tinkering around but it will work. Due to OS lack of support, usb, irda and dvd will not available. DVD will accessible as cdrom. Albert Ho, webtalk
A: So there is no support for the Inspiron and NT? Funny since there's a nice sticker on my new Inspiron [7000] which says "Designed for NT/98" ... false advertising? Colin Fetter
A: I7K is listed in MS HCL (Hardware Compliant List) as Win95/Win98/WinNT compatible and PC97 compliant but dell doesn't officially support I7K under NT4. Albert Ho, webtalk
Q: Dell does not support NT on the 7000, why? I expect that NT would run perfectly on this unit with the rights drivers. Do you agree? Pierre-Eric Laroche
A: You are correct, NT has been installed by customers and runs just fine on the Inspiron line of portables. Dell has opted to validate and ship the system with Win98 and not NT. If you install NT4 on this system, I would suggest that you purchase a software product called Softex which gives NT power management features that were not originally designed in NT. Dell - WebTalk
There's a section on NT5 Beta at the end of this document.
There are two very valuable step-by-step instructions for NT4 later in this document. We are very grateful to Ed and Albert for sharing their expertise with the rest of the Inspiron 7000 Community.
A: I have discovered something. It is in fact true that one does not need softex's drivers to get pcmcia support on NT, and as the notes say, it will not be hot swappable without. However, there appears to be a trick to getting pcmcia to work. First of all, I've seen some posts that say to turn pnp off in BIOS. In the BIOS that shipped with my I7K, there is "no" way to turn pnp on or off. There simply is no setting. What one must do is boot their working version of NT, and go into services. Make sure Plug & Play is set to automatic, and it is started. If this is the case, you will be able to go into Control Pannel and open up "Devices". Move towards the bottom of the list of devices, and there should be an entry for PCMCIA. It will most likely be set to Disabled. Set it to Automatic and reboot the machine. Upon rebooting, go into control panel and click on PCMCIA Controller. When I did this, NT recognized my Megaherz/3COM modem (I have the one Dell offers for i7k), and all that was needed was for me to install RAS and the NT modem drivers. This may or may not work with other cards.. Later Ben writes... I noticed that upon rebooting to 98, and then to NT, NT stops noticing the PCMCIA controller, even though you've set the device to automatic.. I'm not sure why this is happening. I'll be working on this so I'll keep you informed, but for now, the solution I last emailed [whihc is the one presented here] does not seem to work consistently... Ben Freidlin, email
A: You don't need any third party pc-card software with NT except if you want to add plug and play functionality on your cards like Win95 or 98. If you want that, purchase the software from Softex, it's probably the better! Install NT with the three floppy disks who came with the CD. The install program recognize the PCMCIA and install the right driver for that. I use my I7K on my office with a mix of Novell and NT network. I use also many applications from Groupware (Office and many others) to development tools so, I made hard tests the last two days, without any problem. If you look on the I7K when it came from the factory you have a logo "Designed for Windows NT and 98" !!! That's true, it's designed for windows NT!!! but without support !!! except yours !!! and ours !!! Pierre-Eric Laroche
A: Buy PCMCIA and Power Management software by Softex. Softex site: www.softexinc.com (about $135 w/shipping)
A: In conjunction with Softex, we have an updated Softex driver on our website for the 3CCFE575BT Cardbus network interface card. Use this driver disk if you have this card and are using Softex with Windows NT 4.0. The filename is NT-575BT.EXE. Dell, David Whiteley
A: Customers have reported success with drivers available from Softex. They will provide APM (Advanced Power Management) and PCMCIA support. Note: These drivers replace the existing NT drivers for PCMCIA, and drivers for various cards will come from the Softex diskette, and not the disk provided by the hardware manufacturer. As with NT, Softex does not provide drivers for every card available, but most of the common cards do have drivers. Dell/Brian McCullough, Webtalk
A: I7000 needs PCMCIA card controller software for NT. Definitely choose Softex over SystemSoft. The Softex software worked as advertised. The power management software has a wonderful battery metering display. Softex has impressive software. Softex offers more hotswappable CardBus drivers. For example, Softex has drivers for 3C575B [3Com Network card] where SystemSoft doesn't. Softex worked out of the box on the Dell 7000. Bob Salita, Newsgroup
A: Go to the ATI web site and download the latest driver for the ATI Rage Pro and NT 4.0: http://support.atitech.ca/drivers/drivers.html For the configuration, use the "ATI 3D Rage Pro Turbo" It works fine on the I7K. Pierre-Eric Laroche, Webtalk [I think this post is SP3]
A: To install the ATI video drivers on NT make sure that you've installed SP3 FIRST. Failure to do so will mean that the drivers will appear to load, but after you reboot you are still in VGA mode. Gerry High
A: I've got NT4, SP4 up & running fine on my I7K. I had to hunt down audio, video & modem drivers. I may have got it from Microsoft's hardware compatability web site. In any event, someone in here should know. Video: File is ATI3DNT4.EXE. I think I got that one from ATI's web site, again, I got the link from in here.
A: The correct video drivers for NT 4.0 on the 7000 are the ATI LT Rage Pro drivers located at http://www.atitech.ca/. Installing this driver allows full flexibility in resolution and colour depth. Andrew McLaughlin
A: I have NT 4.0 loaded and running on mine. I found the NT drivers on the ATI web site and they work just fine. I run in 1024x768 True Color. No problem. Philip A. Herzfeld, newsgroup
A: Synaptics V5.0 Touchpad driver for Windows NT4.0 http://www.synaptics.com/drivers.html - Lilla
A: I downloaded a FAT32 driver for NT (www.sysinternals.com). Works great. David Walker MCSE, CCNA- newsgroup
A: Use the true driver (ESS 1968 Maestro 2). It worked fine. Follow this link: http://www.microsoft.com/hwtest/hcl or ftp://ftp.microsoft.com/services/whql/drivers/winnt40/audio/X86/a27711.exe A27711.exe is v4.00.18 of the maestro drivers! v4.00.14 had problems.
Q: I downloaded the A27711.exe file from Microsoft, but when I attempted to install it I received the following message: Error Creating Process START "c:\HCLDRV\ES1968" Reason: The system cannot find the file specified. Carlos, newsgroup
A: That is ok--it is just extracting the files. Go to the control panel, multimedia, advanced tab and do an "Add" device, "Unlisted" and give it the above directory. It will find the INF file and install the drivers. Gerry, newsgroup
A: I've got NT4, SP4 up & running fine on my I7K. Audio: I forget where I got this from but I found the link here in DellTalk. The file name is A20951.EXE. I may have got it from Microsoft's hardware compatability web site. In any event, someone in here should know. Jerry Hofmann, webtalk [File name makes it sound older than above? Lilla]
Q: I7K owners who have installed NT4: Does anyone's audio survive a suspend/resume? I've talked to several people on Dell Webtalk, comp.sys.laptops, and the folks at Softex, and no-one is successful in this area. With NT 4 SP4 & the latest ESS Maestro drivers (v4.00.18) the audio stops working after resuming from a suspend or standby on the I7K. The only thing that returns the sound is a full reboot. This problem occurs regardless of whether Softex drivers are installed or not, and with both SP3 & SP4. Other than this last nagging problem, NT4 works well on the I7K. If you DO have audio that survives a suspend/resume, could you please share your secrets... and/or post your BIOS version, driver versions, etc. Thanks a lot, Marc Johnson, webtalk
Goto Digitan web site at http://www.digitan.com Get the driver for their ISA-based Lucent LT Winmodem (It's V90 capable). The file name is Modem520ISA.EXE. Follow Albert Ho's step-by-step installation instructions in this document.
A: As author of the 56k=v.Unreliable site with extensive information on the LT Win Modem, I'd like to point out that regarding the LT on NT question: The driver for WindowsNT is LTMODEM.SYS (Win95/98 use LTMODEM.VXD). The Genica web-site (on the list of firmware links) has some of the best NT initial installation advice I've seen. Note, my page talks about updating the modem with NT, but assumes you already have the modem installed. It's been almost a year since I installed mine in NT [not an I7000], and I'm not expert in all the possible problems you might have doing the initial install, but it *can* be done <g>. Aloha, Richard
A: I got my Inspiron 7000 internal modem to work under NT4. It works as well as the Win98 counterpart. I'm pretty happy to get full video, audio, modem, touchpad, apm and cardbus to work under NT4. It works as good as the Win98 version. I had to use another vendor's driver and it's not straight forward but once you get it installed, it works flawlessly. Ho, Albert O, newsgroup [Albert was the first one to get it to work. Good going Albert! [Albert provides detail step-by-step instruction in a later post - included in this document.]
A: Good News! I have been able to use the 3Com Megahertz Cardbus Ethernet PCMCIA card (3CCFE575BT) in Windows NT 4.0 without Softex. There is a new driver in 3Com (11/2/98) that works fine. Manuel Roman, webtalk
A: Definitely choose Softex over SystemSoft. Softex offers more hotswappable CardBus drivers. For example, Softex has drivers for 3C575B [3Com Network card] where SystemSoft doesn't. Softex worked out of the box on the Dell 7000. Bob Salita, Newsgroup
A: Dell now ships Softex drivers with this card and they have posted Softex drivers for this card on their site. Lilla
A: For the Xircom Realport 10/100 and the Linksys PCMCIA Ethernet adapters, you *DO NOT* need the Softex cardbus drivers. MS's hardware test site says that the TI 1220 Cardbus chipset is supported natively by NT 4. I have successfully set up both the Xircom and Linksys cards using the drivers that came with them and NT 4, SP3's native Cardbus support. Morris Morris, Webtalk
A: Due to OS lack of support, usb, irda and dvd will not available. DVD will accessible as cdrom. This functionality is pretty much the same as found in other notebooks such as IBM Thinkpad 600 and Tecra except IRDA works on ibm. Albert Ho
A: Windows NT 4.0 does not provide support for USB. I would advise using Windows 98 or a dual boot for that. Dell/David Whiteley, Webtalk
A: I have NT4 + SP3 on this I7k. Things you need: * Softex's PCcard manager and power manager ($135 including the $15 to overnight it) software, which works very well. * ATI display driver from the ATI site. * Maestro sound driver for ESS1968 (which I got from Microsoft's site). * Yes, the DVD is recognized as a CDROM drive. * Let me also save you some time at the outset: initially make your new NT partition less than 4Gig (at least for NTFS) ... NT won't install on a bigger partition. Later you can use Partition Magic to stretch it out. Bruce Mallett, Webtalk
A: The NT4 system/boot partitions must be in the first 4Gb. If it is not you will get "Inaccessible Boot Device" or Similar Nathan, webtalk
A: I have NT running on a 7000. This is what I've been able to do: * NT itself works as advertised * PCMCIA socket software from www.softexinc.com works great. * ATI Rage LT software from www.atitech.com works great. * Battery info software from www.softexinc.com works great. * DVD drive acts like CD-ROM * Do not use www.systemsoft.com software, its broken on a 7000. Bob Salita, Newsgroup
A: Dual boot Win98/NT. I have it installed this way. It seems to work OK. Rick Helbling, Webtalk
A: Other notes: NT 4's DOS setup program (Winnt.exe) wouldn't create an 8 GB partition. I created a 2 GB, FAT partition so I could dual boot Win98 and NT. Once installed, NT's Disk Administrator let me partition the remaining 6 GB into one partition. Morris Lewis, Webtalk
A: With NT it is often absolutely necessary to reinstall the service pack AFTER you've installed a new device. (Cute, huh?) Something to keep in mind if you've installed a new device and it isn't working. ThinkpadMan, newsgroup
by Ed Staffin 28Oct98 (posted on webtalk)
Hi All, After nearly 3 days of grueling working I now know exactly how to get NT working on an I7000. Follow these steps *exactly* and life will be good. Go outside these guidelines and misery is sure to follow. I am not a Dell employee, just an end user who wants this to work. Anyhow, here goes. 1. Blow away the existing OS on the drive and repartition it with 2 partitions. The primary must be 2 gig or less (very important!) if you want more than two partitions, that's fine, but make sure the first one is 2 gig or less. Install NT (workstation or server is fine) on the C drive, but make it the absolute minimum install. Don't even bother installing networking just yet. All we want to do is get nt to boot off the c drive.
Once this is accomplished, go into the NT disk administrator and create the second partition if you haven't already done so. Reformat the second partition to FAT or NTFS as is your pleasure.
Now run NT setup again and install on the D drive normally. Do not install networking just yet. Once this is done, blow away the winnt and program files directories on the c drive.
Now install service pack 3. Do not install SP4 just yet or you will be sorry (trust me on this). Once SP3 is installed, install Softex pc card drivers. Do not install the systemsoft stuff it will only cause pain and suffering (specifically, it will make your net card work but will trash the sound driver and when you go to reinstall the sound driver it will trash the systemsoft driver aeeeeeee!).
Install Softex Power management drivers.
Install the ati video drivers.
If you are going to be installing Vstudio, be sure to install IE4 with SP1 off the 1st vstudio CD before you install the NT option pack. Otherwise you will end up having to install IE4 twice.
Now you can install the option pack.
If you get an error on boot up during or after installing the option pack that says something about not enough storage, reinstall Service Pack 3 and life will be good again and you can continue.
Next, install office, vstudio etc. Now you are pretty much done with the NT portion of the install except for SP4. Hold tight we'll get to that in a minute.
At this point take a breather and run rdisk and get an emergency repair disk made.
Now go back and install win95/98 on the cdrive.
Once this is done, boot the machine and press F2 to enter the bios setup and change the boot order to boot the CD first.
Stick your NT CD in the drive and boot off the CD. This will start the NT install process again and give you a chance to do a repair. The only thing we want to do here is repair the boot sector so that the little menu comes up. Make sure when you do the repair that you do not have anything check other that repair the boot sector or you will be mightily sorry.
Now boot again and go into the BIOS setup to reset the boot order back to the hard drive or floppy or whatever you want.
Now you can reconfig the win95/98 system with all the DELL supplied drivers etc. and we'll be all done except for one thing... SP4.
Install NT service pack 4 after all is done and life will be good. That's it. Good luck and send me money! :-) If you want, you can email me at ed@staffin.com.
Later ... Ed
by Albert Ho (10/27/98)
First off, I'm writing this down based on memory recall when I got my I7K. This is not a guarantee it will work for all cases so YMMV. First Assumptions:
Step 1. Goto I7K BIOS Setup; and goto modem settings; remember the following
settings...
Step 2. Goto Digitan web site at www.digitan.com Get the driver for their ISA-based Lucent LT Winmodem (It's V90 capable). The file name is Modem520ISA.EXE. Run the Modem520ISA.EXE and extract the files to a directory \modem520 DO NOT run the SETUP.EXE application that comes with it.
Step 3. Insert WinNT Service Pack 3 CD and look for the file PNPISA.SYS and install the driver using the INF file. If you do not have the SP3 CD, goto Microsoft's web site & download nt4sp3_i.exe. Start the SP3 install by running nt4sp3_i.exe. It will first extract all the files. While it is extracting, note the directory it is extracting TO. Wait for the extract to finish. When the "Welcome" dialog appears, do NOT acknowledge it. Using a DOS box or NT Explorer, go to the directory where the files were extracted to and copy PNPISA.SYS & PNPISA.INF to the \modem520 directory. Now, choose "Cancel" on the Welcome dialog for SP3 installation. Now you have the PNPISA files. Now install the PNPISA driver. (Just right click on INF and choose install and reboot computer). Make sure that in Control Panel --> Devices --> "PnP ISA Enabler Driver" that it's set to Automatic for Startup.
Step 4. Goto Control Panel and remove other COM ports except for COM1 (for the built in serial port).
Step 5. Add a COM2 port (for use by winmodem) and match the settings you read from the I7K BIOS for modem settings. (mine is Add COM2 and settings at 2F8 hex, IRQ 3)
Step 6. Goto Control Panel
Step 7. Run REGEDIT.EXE and goto HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ltmodem There should be a key entry named "ModemIo". Change it's value data to what the BIOS says for modem configuration port (mine is 130 hex) Make sure the change is saved to registry Close the registry.
Step 8. Reboot WinNT.
Step 9. That's should be it. Verify by running WINMSD.EXE and look Under Resources and ltmodem should appear there in Device list or IRQ list or IO port list. Verify by running Hyperterminal and select COM2 and type a modem command like "AT" to insure that it responds with OK.
Step 10. If you wish, add in control panel the modem string "S38=0" to force V90 and disable kflex modem. Advantages of using I7K's internal modem?
When you get it to work then do me a favor and send email to Dell and ask them to support ACPI and NT4 for Inspiron 7000. This will insure the notebook's future for NT5 (Windows 2000).
Enjoy! Albert
Lilla-- Thanks for your help. Albert wrote me with the instructions, and went off with out a hitch. Curious, are you involved/employed by an organization who is supporting this machine. If not, it's certainly very nice of you to look after all the new Dell owners. (I see your name all over the newsgroups) --Thanks!
Since you asked, it's just the nice thing. Lilla
A: I think all current and future Inspiron users should put pressure on Dell to support NT and ACPI on I7K to insure the notebook's future when NT5 comes. Albert Ho, newsgroup
A: NT5B2 on I7000: Using a USB Intellimouse and it works fine. Plug and play and the whole enchillada seems to work well with USB - no reboot required. I managed to print about a page using IR but it was slow to the point it was frustrating so I hooked it up with a cable. The I7K is now doing "beta" server duty - and is quite happy doing it. John Welter, MCSE+I
A: Morris Morris (via webtalk) on running NT 5.0 Beta 2 on a Dell Inspiron 7000:
A: Here's my experience with NT 5.0 Beta 2 on a Dell Inspiron 7000. Short take is -- don't bother.
Bob Salita Bob_Salita@SoftworksLtd.com Software Developer
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