Computer Help!

[v2freak]

Hi everyone. I've got a Dell Laptop model PP07L. It recently became very slow so I had to reformat it with Windows XP (that's what it had before) and now the screen is tiny! When I try to adjust the resolution in the Display Properties, the little adjuster won't budge. And when Windows starts up, I get a little balloon saying the resolution is very low and that I should let Windows fix it. The only problem is Windows can't do this for whatever reason.

And on top of this, the laptop isn't recognizing any USB devices I'm plugging in.

Anyone have a solution? Thanks

[ChumpDumper]

You need to download all the drivers for that particular model from Dell. You're just using generic XP drivers that don't allow for full functionality.

[SPARKY]

Go to Dell's website they have the drivers.

[TDMVPDPOY]

yeh that, or dl video card drivers for that card, whoever produce it, you can always goto there site or from dell

if your video card is nvidia just goto there site :D

banzai

[DannyT]

yes if that hasnt help go here...
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/index.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen

i think you have an inspiron 1100 but look more at your laptop and select what your model is ...yes for the screen to expand you need the video driver and they will have it
as far as your usb goes you will have to download the driver labled chipset and manualy load that driver because it is not an executable program it is just a file.....if you need more help just post here and we will guide you back to recovery....

[v2freak]

Yep you're right, it's an 1100. Thanks everyone for the help, I'll look the stuff up on this computer, burn to a disc (since the laptop doesn't recognize USB devices) and update the software!

Edit: it worked without a hitch. Thanks again everyone!

[Zombie]

next time don't buy a DELL! :rolleyes :lol

[v2freak]

:lol

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

And when you get done reinstalling everything, quit looking at porn :lol

[v2freak]

^hahahaha (no!)

So the screen is all fixed but the laptop still won't recognize USB drives! I downloaded the chipset thing but it still doesn't work.

[DannyT]

are you sure you installed the file right?
if you right click on my computer and go to manage then device manager...
and in device manager do you see any devices with a yellow question mark on them?
if one of them is a usb device
you have to grab that one usb2 file and manually add it to that specific device...
you can either right click on it and go to update driver and let it scan the hard drive or cd rom where ever that usb driver is located or you can by pass that and import the driver manually

[spurster]

Dell sucks.

[v2freak]

When I get to the device manager, I don't see any devices except the main hard drive and the CD-rom drive.

[DannyT]

thats strange all though i really do find that hard to believe....are you sure you are in the device manager....?
because you would have a lot more items then just a had drive and cd rom ...like display adapters and monitors and network cards and you devices would be in there

make sure you are in your device manager
i wish i was there to help cause i know if you take it somewhere they are goin to
RAPE YOU

[leemajors]

i advise you to not take it to compUSA.

[v2freak]

You're right, I was under disk management instead of device manager. There are yellow questionmarks next to some of the things. When I insert the CD and I right click - Update drivers, it keeps saying it can't find any under both the advanced and recommended options. It wants me to connect to the internet but I don't think I can with that laptop

[DannyT]

so youre right clickin on which device/which yellow question mark?
maybe its not the right device that you are trying to load....if the device with the yellow question mark doesnt say usb device then try updating one of the device with a yellow question mark that say unknown device...and sometimes there are more then one device that say unknown device so you might have to try this a couple times...and yes you are right those are the two options you want to use and since you are using the cd rom to load your drivers you have to make sure that that you check the box that say serch removable media....do you k now how t take a screen shot of your your computer? if so if you could take a screen shot of your screen of your device manager and post the picture on here so i could better help you out
and one more thing ..when you downloaded the chipset driver you did execute the file right? because if you did you should have a folder now with a bunch of different types of files with one that says usb...is this what you have?

[v2freak]

The structure of the device manager goes as following, in regards to which devices have yellow question marks next to them:

Other devices
Ethernet Controller
Multimedia Audio Controller
PCI Modem
Universal Seerial Bus (USB) Controller

The 5 above have yellow question marks and I've tried right clicking and updating all of those, but to no avail. Unfortunately I'm not able to get online so the only way for me to be able to take a screenshot is with a digital camera, which I don't have.

I'll download the chipset again and post my results.
BTW I'm not sure if I was clear on this but I've been using the installation CD I got with the laptop since my first post. I haven't been getting them off the websites. That would be a more tedious process, having to burn the software onto a disk etc.

[DannyT]

well since you have the recovery/resoration cd that came with your cd you SHOULD have no issues with the drivers unless the driver on your disk are for windows 2000 and XP...but i am still curious if you are tryin to install the drivers currectly....because i think you need to extract the chipset driver off of the cd and onto the hard drive and then let the driver be updated....but yes one of the drivers you need is your sound your internet port and modem and another device possibably a card reader or something else.
but yes pm me with your email address and i will email the attachment and you can put that on a disk and try that
its small enough that it can fit on a floppy if you still use those

[leemajors]

if a friend of yours had a copy of windows XP with SP1 slipstreamed into it that could help. it has a lot of drivers that didn't come with the initial release. hell, maybe someone could send you sp1 and sp2 on a cd.

[Nbadan]

Dell is cheap, but not incompetent. They usually loads third party drivers into their own folders.

With your dell disks in the cd/dvd drive -

Go to My Computer ---> highlight D (cd/dvd) drive (right clicK) -----> explore

The drivers you need maybe in folders named after the devices, and you may simply need to point your device manager to the exact folders on your disk.

Otherwise, you need to download the Belmarc advisor (www,belmarc.com) and find out who the manufacturers of the devices are to find the right drivers.

[v2freak]

Thanks guys for the advice. I'll try my best to get to it when I can, but I've got finals around the corner!

[v2freak]

Alright I'm back. I hope no one minds me restoring this thread, if so, I apologize.

Here are the drivers on the CD that are available for download

Audio Drivers
Chip Set Drivers
Communication Drivers
Input Drivers
Network Drivers
Video Drivers
Application Drivers
Coummunication Applications
Communication Diagnostics
Communication User's Guides
Diagnostics
Documentation User's Guides
Network Diagnostics
Network User's Guides

What I did with the Chip Set driver was I clicked on it and extracted the files. Then a blue screen popped up, called Intel Chipset Software Installation Utility, and I just followed the steps to installing it. Then, as prompted, I restarted the laptop. This is the exact same process I went through with the screen problem and the screen was fixed by the time I had restarted my computer.

My only two problems now with the laptop are its inability to recognize USB drives and it's inability to connect to the internet. Even when I plug in an Ethernet cord from my router, the LAN icon doesn't pop up under Network connections. I have Cable internet too so I thought once the Ethernet cord is plugged in, IE should be good to go.