Experiences With a Dell Inspiron 4100

Checklist for Installing Windows XP

• If you have put any work into setting up WinXP, then before repartitioning the disc, use the transfer wizard: Start - All Programs - Accessories - System Tools - Files and Settings Transfer Wizard. Drop the data on the desktop (it makes its own folder) and transfer it to the server machine or a Zip disc. (It will help to un-install Flight Simulator first.) About 26 Mb of compressed junk. WinXP can copy the wizard software to a disc that you can execute on old versions of Windows, or, I believe, you can execute it (on the old system) right off the installation CD. It would be better to not put anything valuable on the disc in advance of setup, so you don't need to back it up.
• Get the right size partitions in the right place. See the hibernation writeup. Here is my partition table.
• Boot the "Reinstallation CD, Win XP Home" (Dell). Select the partition you intend for WinXP. Let 'er rip. When it says "rebooting, remove any floppy", also remove the CD. Let it reboot. Give it back the CD when it asks. It takes about 1/2 hour to read everything. Dell ships a pre-activated Windows disc so you don't have to enter the product identity code.
• Get the network working enough to contact the Internet. It should be sufficient to just plug in the Ethernet cable, assuming your DHCP server has a stanza for your new machine's NIC or has blanket permission to hand out addresses. Don't mess with the wireless card yet.
• From "Help and Support" or "Control Panel", choose Windows Update. Do the critical updates first, and reboot. Repeat doing the regular and driver updates, and reboot.
• Insert the "Drivers and Utilities" CD (Dell Resource CD). It might have been better to do this step before Windows Update. The items installed (in menu subfolder Dell Accessories) are:
  • (Skip audio driver, Crystal CS4205 rev A03 -- it had a Windows Update)
  • Communications diagnostic, PCTel MDC Rev. A01
  • (Skip PCTel MDC driver rev A04 -- it had Windows Update)
  • Communications Users Guide for PCTel MDC rev A01
  • Input driver, Synaptics Touchpad Rev. A03
  • (Skip Network Driver, 3com 3c920 -- it had Windows Update)
  • Video Driver, ATI Radeon Mobility Rev. A00 Formerly (from Windows install) v5.1.2001.0 dated 6/6/2001 Updated from disc to 9/17/2001 (version not given).
• Insert the CD "Backup: Dell-Installed Programs". It will autostart. Select Norton AntiVirus, install it, configure it, do Live Update, but cancel the virus scan. If you're using any of the other software, install that too.
• Install additional software, either downloading anew or using a saved installation file:

  Software	Source
  SSH Secure Shell	http://www.ssh.com
  Cisco VPN Client	http://www.bol.ucla.edu/wireless
  Wireless client manager or driver	http://support.dell.com
  Microsoft Works	From the CDs
  Microsoft Flight Simulator	From the CDs

• Retrieve the saved settings and use the wizard to reload them. If your saved copies of some of the above software are among your saved files and settings, you may want to install that software after this step.
• Verify behaviors of the Synaptics Touchpad.
• Configure the wireless card (see the wireless writeup).
• Set up the printer (assuming we've gotten Samba working).
• Any other configuration we've missed.
• Finally do a complete virus scan.