helping you stay protected in the digital age

For those of you that have installed Windows 7 64 bit on the Vostro 15xx laptop:

Quickset:http://supportapj.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=au&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R163853&formatcnt=0&libid=0&typeid=-1&dateid=-1&formatid=-1&fileid=220010
Sigmatel Stac 92xx: http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R186858&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=255669
Ricoh Media Reader (displays as “Base System Device”): http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R166188&SystemID=INS_PNT_PM_1525&servicetag=BVTKMD1&os=WLH&osl=en&deviceid=13405&devlib=0&typecnt=0&vercnt=1&catid=-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=27&fileid=224384
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator (resolves a lot of issues): http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18228&ProdId=2800&lang=eng
Dell Truemobile Bluetooth 355 (make sure you turn off the wireless using the wireless switch before installing this program then turn on when the program asks!): http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R140135&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=188664
Intel Mobile 965GM Chipset: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=18494&ProdId=816&lang=eng

Update: Webcam for Vostro 1500 (I bought model PM027 on Ebay): http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R173082&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=235336
Installation is very similar to the Inspiron 1525, it took me about 3 minutes using my instructions. See this post: http://johndball.blaize.net/2009/01/29/add-an-integrated-webcam-to-the-dell-inspiron-1525/

I just finished install Windows 7 64-bit on my sister’s Vostro 1500 and spent the last hour hunting down these drivers. Hope it helps somebody

Unfortunately your Windows Media Player toolbar is gone! Yeah, Microsoft has made a tremendous amount of improvements in both Windows 7 and Windows Media Player 12, but somebody over there isn’t thinking all of the changes through. One cool feature about Windows Media Player 11 is the ability to minimize to the toolbar and still control your media, but not with WMP 12.

Luckily for me I stumbled across this blog which describes how to get the WMP toolbar minimization feature back with WMP 12… of course after some slight modifications. The only “problem” I experienced is when closing WMP 12 after the modification the program doesn’t actually close, WMP just sits on my taskbar. Fine with me though cause I have a lot of room.

Head on over to http://techie-buzz.com/how-to/media-player-taskband-windows-7.html to get the instructions and the cool toolbar feature back in WMP 12.

Working on a problem I discovered. When I have the Intel Turbo Memory installed (flash cache module) Truecrypt won’t encrypt the whole disk nor will encrypt the system partition. Disabling the flash cache module in the BIOS seems to fix the problem but I haven’t dove more into it and I’ll post when I find more info. Truecrypt reported that I was using a third-party chipset and I would have to uninstall the third-party chipset software to encrypt the hard drive (though no third party chipset software was installed, just the intel turbo memory).

Update: I played around with Truecrypt and the Intel Turbo Memory aka Flash Cache Module aka Intel Ready Boost Module and discovered some things. I recently installed Windows 7 to take advantage of some enhanced hardware built into my laptop (well, added by me).

The problem I ran into was when I attempted to use Truecrypt to encrypt my entire hard disk. I was being told by Truecrypt that it couldn’t encrypt the entire disk due to an I/O error caused by a defect of the hard disk. I literally just purchased this hard drive (Seagate Momentus ST9500420ASG) so I doubted that it was a defect of the hard disk. Just in case I ran chkdsk /f /r and, guess what, the partition checked out clean (granted all I checked was the partition, not the entire drive). Truecrypt then told me that it was an I/O error and an error caused by custom chipset drivers. Custom meaning stock Intel chipset drivers because that is all I installed (this is a brand new Windows 7 install mind you).

I thought maybe it was the Seagate “G-Force” sensor in the hard drive that was causing the errors that Truecrypt was reporting but I read that other people using this hard drive weren’t having any issues with Truecrypt.

Poking around in Windows 7 some more I came across “NV Cache” and “Hybrid Hard Disk”. Disabling those didn’t seem to fix the problem but I thought about the Intel Turbo Memory mini-pci card that I had added to my laptop. I went into the BIOS (revision A17 if you’re wondering) and turned off the Flash Cache Module. Booted up into Windows 7 and made sure it was off (checked in the device manager) and attempted to use Truecrypt to encrypt the whole disk… one more time. This time, it worked! I’m not sure what about the Flash Cache Module was keeping Truecrypt from working but this was it.

I encrypted the whole disk and, 12 hours later (yeah, I’m that paranoid), came back to a completed encrypted disk. I rebooted, started up in the BIOS, and re-enabled the flash cache module. Booted up into windows and everything seems to be working without issue.

One thing I did notice was that in the Performance Monitor the Windows Ready Boost/Flash Cache showed no available space. I’m not relying on the Intel Turbo Memory too much, it is more of a toy, so I formatted it in Disk Manager and set it to “Dedicate entire device to Ready Boost”.

Went back to performance monitor and now I have 511mb of available cache space for Ready Boost and an entire hard disk encrypted with Truecrypt. Good to go.

Using the instructions from this website, http://www.blackberryos.com/forums/blackberry-how-guides/6313-how-browser-fix-t-5-0-os-using-bbsak.html, here are pictures for the graphically stimulated (like myself). I did use the Blackberry Bold simulator as I had already followed these steps on my actual Blackberry Bold and I wasn’t going to mess up my phone just to get pictures of the steps. I deviated from the steps slightly in which I noted towards the end of the instructions.

Step 1: Download Blackberry Swiss Army Knife from http://rimgeeks.com/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=56

Step 2: Backup your entire device using Blackberry Desktop Manager (if you don’t know how to backup your device using BDM you don’t need to be doing this browser fix)

Step 3: Connect the USB cable and launch the Blackberry Swiss Army Knife

Step 4: Click “read system” on the BBSAK and sort by name

Step 5: Select (now highlighted) net_rim_bb_browser_daemon and click “Save COD”. This will save the .cod file into the default BBSAK directory which is usually C:\Program files\BBSAK\CODs\net_rim_bb_browser_daemon

Step 6: Select “Remove COD” and allow the device to reboot

Step 7: Download the AT&T Service Books and open the BDM

From the original instructions: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=2LPGJW24
Alternate link to the service books via web search.
http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=652217d0a1ad632e6b21be4093fab7ac13691ffdf1927bb9e04f31aacf568dab

Step 8: Select the advanced tab in the BDM under the Backup/Restore main menu

Allow the device to update:

Step 9: Choose File –> Open and select the service book .ipd file that you downloaded

Step 10: Highlight the service book .ipd file that you opened and select the >>> arrows to add them to the phone

Allow the service books to load and phone to refresh

Step 11: Once completed, close the BDM (just click the X) and open BBSAK. Click “Install COD” and navigate to the .cod file that you saved earlier.

Step 12: Close BBSAK, disconnect the USB cable, and allow the phone to reboot. Once the phone reboots, pull the battery and allow the phone to power back up.

Step 13: This is where I deviated from the original instructions. Once my Bold powered back up the browser was already on the home screen without needing to resend service books from AT&T’s website (na. blackberry.com/mycingular or something like that).  I simply changed the options on the “Browser” menu of the “Options” page to “Browser” from “Media Net”.

After all was said in done everything worked properly. I did however have to re-setup my e-mail for my work and Gmail accounts. All of my e-mail was on the phone, I just had to reconfigure the accounts (took all of 3 minutes).