[biggins]

...well i screwed up my laptop and went to reinstall windows xp home edition (the one that came with the computer. I installed it on the partition that was labeled NTFS and everything. the installation is complete. the problem is that there were 2 smaller partitions that i could not delete and my screen resolution is set real low and it is not adjusting. whats going on here? i have tried reinstalling and whatnot but it still does the same thing.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

You probably need to install drivers from the manufacturer. You got a support contract?

 

[binary visions]

The two small partitions are probably part of your computer's setup. Sometimes there are seperate partitions for diagnostics or whatever - just leave 'em.

The screen resolution problem means you need to install your monitor drivers. Just visit your laptop mfr's website, and they should have the drivers for your laptop monitor. After you install them, you'll be able to change your screen resolution.

 

[biggins]

cool i will check that out ansd let ya'll know if it worked. i do not have a service contract on the laptop anymore.

 

[Wumpus]

The two small partitions are probably part of your computer's setup. Sometimes there are seperate partitions for diagnostics or whatever - just leave 'em.

The screen resolution problem means you need to install your monitor drivers. Just visit your laptop mfr's website, and they should have the drivers for your laptop monitor. After you install them, you'll be able to change your screen resolution.

...or the video card driver.

 

[JRB]

Get a mac.



*I don't really like macs, or own one, but wanted to be the first to say this.

 

[binary visions]

...or the video card driver.

Actually, that's what I meant, though the monitor driver should be installed too. Oops :

 

[biggins]

so uhhh it wont let me get online either. it is apparently not recognizing the cable modem or something. this sucks. my old POS laptop i am on now just fires right up and detects everything when windows is reinstalled on it. works like a charm every friggin time.however it has some issues and crashed a lot. this newer one on the other hand is nothing but a pain in the ass.

 

[biggins]

my interne runs from cable modem to router to my computer if that helps at all.

 

[syadasti]

What kind of laptop is it? You said it has two other partitions - it might have a rescue mode where it reloads the factory HDD image from the other partitions - much easier/faster than reinstalling windows and finding all the drivers you need...

 

[binary visions]

It probably can't find your ethernet card drivers either. You're online right now, just download them and put them on a floppy or something. Your laptop didn't come with a driver disk?

 

[Silver]

It probably can't find your ethernet card drivers either. You're online right now, just download them and put them on a floppy or something. Your laptop didn't come with a driver disk?

Yep. Head over to the computer manufacturer's website, and have your model number handy. Download all of the drivers. Laptops are a bit of a bitch that way...

 

[biggins]

yeah it did but apparently i didnt do any good with the damn thing...i am starting to get very frustrated.........i would just take the damn thing somwhere if i had the money but i dont.

i have a disc that is labeled: Dell Ispiron System Software and it says that it contains device drivers, diagnostics and utilities. i istalled that but still nothing. I also installed a DVD program from dell hoping it would contain the driver for my screen but no such luck.

 

[biggins]

Yep. Head over to the computer manufacturer's website, and have your model number handy. Download all of the drivers. Laptops are a bit of a bitch that way...

thats the problem is that i cant get online because it wont register the cable modem or whatever either.

 

[biggins]

so it read my internet card and i was able to get online and look for drivers. there are a ton of them under each friggin heading. how do i know which ones i need?

 

[syadasti]

Dells have a service tag on them. When you do a driver search you can search by service tag (I think there is a pop-up link which will tell you where to find the tag and how many characters it is). If you search this way it will only display the drivers/BIOS/software for your system.

 

[binary visions]

Plug in your service tag number, it'll be on your machine somewhere. That will filter the results to only what's applicable to your machine (give or take, sometimes it'll offer you choices).

That driver disc doesn't just "install your drivers". IIRC, it installs a web interface that you can go through to select what drivers you want installed. Check your start menu - there will probably be a new entry there that you can use to install your drivers from. That is if you don't want to keep looking at Dell's website. Frankly, I'd stick with the Dell website so you know you're getting the latest drivers.

 

[biggins]

ok so i got the screen resolution taken care of by installing the video card driver. now i still cant get the laptop to recognize the cable internet unless i plug in a pc card in the side. any ideas?

 

[Wumpus]

There should be a disk that came with the router. You are probably going to need to install that driver too.

 

[syadasti]

There should be a disk that came with the router. You are probably going to need to install that driver too.

Umm routers don't require any drivers. Maybe you are talking about connecting to a cable modem via USB.

 

[binary visions]

ok so i got the screen resolution taken care of by installing the video card driver. now i still cant get the laptop to recognize the cable internet unless i plug in a pc card in the side. any ideas?

You mean, before you didn't need the PC card?

There is probably a built in ethernet card that you need the drivers for.

 

[SkaredShtles]

You might want to consider going back to a film camera.............

 

[Wumpus]

Umm routers don't require any drivers. Maybe you are talking about connecting to a cable modem via USB.

Fine. Whatever you want to call it -- the software that came with the router/wireless card.

 

[biggins]

the driver for the wireless card is installed and it is working, i tried bypassing the router and just plugging directly from the cable modem into my laptops port in the back and that is where the issues is. with the card in or wirelessly it works fine.

by the way thanks for all the help.

 

[binary visions]

Probably just need a driver for your wired ethernet card. Without that, it won't recognize the LAN which allows you to be connected to the internet (via the ethernet cable).