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Driver installation after XP clean install
I'm about to do a clean install of XP on my Dimension 8300. I want to make sure everything goes right. I just want to get clarification on the following points:
a) I plan to use the latest chipset driver found on Intel's website (the latest version posted on Dell's site for my Service Tag goes back to 2003). Intel says the following
The Intel Chipset Device Software does not install drivers for AGP or USB. DO NOT DOWNLOAD THIS UTILITY IF YOUR DEVICE MANUFACTURER IS RECOMMENDING IT TO CORRECT AN "AGP DRIVER," "AGP GART," OR "USB DRIVER" ISSUE; IT WILL NOT CORRECT YOUR ISSUE.
Do I need to install specific drivers for USB? Or is that covered by the drivers on the Windows XP installation disk?
b) I would like to take images of my hard disk using Acronis True Image at several points thoughout my clean install process so I have "restore points" in case something goes wrong. I would like to take an image of my hard disk directly after installing XP........but before installing any drivers. Could there be any negative implications of doing this?
Thanks for any input and advice!
b.) I don't see the point of doing this.
I agree. If you're going to image your hard drive after installing XP but before installing drivers, why image it at all? Seems like that would needlessly take up a lot of time, especially if you are doing it between driver installs.
Just throw all the drivers on there and then make your image. It's unlikely that installing drivers will do anything so disastrous that you'll have to reformat again.
I thought having an image would be useful due to the fact that it seems so important to install the drivers in a particular order (especially chipset driver first)........combined with the fact that I hear differing advice about using the absolute latest chipset driver from Intel versus the one available on Dell's website, which is six years older. I imagine that if I install the latest Intel chipset driver along with the sound and video drivers only to find that something isn't working right with the chipset driver, I would be required to reinstall it (perhaps using the Dell version) in which case isn't it best that it is installed before sound and video drivers?.........which would require that I get back to the point directly after installing XP. Do you follow my thinking? Am I off base?
ieee488
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Posted November 6th, 2009 18:00
a.) I would use the Dell drivers.
b.) I don't see the point of doing this.