Need Help on formatting my Notebook

lolipedofin · Unread post by **lolipedofin** » September 19th, 2008, 3:18 pm

Guys... long time no see, miss u all, but there's no time for idle chatting, I NEED HELP!! (ok, i concede... that's the reason i came back..

p).

So...here's the thing, i just decided to finally format and revive my laptop, a crap you could barely call a laptop/notebook.

It's really an old shit that I've been keeping only because there's no alternative, I am planning to buy a new PC, but i'm thinking about getting a desktop one... one that i can construct myself, and turn it into an awesome one for multimedia, gaming, and *cough* school and work*cough*, while using my laptop for mobile needs... the thing is, my laptop is really in a bad state now, virus infested, slow speed, useless software everywhere, etc etc. It reached the point where it simply need to be murdered and reincarnated again... basically i want to format it.

So that's the end of the background story... if you actually waste you time reading that, lol. what i want to do is total revamp, delete the windows xp, all the files in it, all of the thing in the harddrive, in the system, delete completely, and then install everything from the beginning.

So here's the main problem... I don't own the drivers anymore... only God knows where i tossed that damned CD at. I asked the maker of my notebook, and they actually told me that they've stop making pc and laptops since 10 years ago... (could this laptop be an artifact, a catalyst to summon servant O.o), so the driver is not available in neither CD nor online.... It's hard to digest because my laptop operates on XP, which i don't think any laptop produced at 1998 capable of doing... and i really don't think Centrino was developed back then.

So, guys, what do you think? Is it possible to format my laptop w/o the driver CD? Can i just download one by one drivers in internet for each hardwares and look for the compatible one.... or is it just impossible..?? i really need advice in this problem, any help appreciated guys....

Btw, i use a Wearnes laptop... yea, i kno... some of you raise your eyebrows, maybe you never heard of it before, but i got one in my hand... if any of you own the same laptop, please tell me, maybe i can use your drivers....

Zensunni · Unread post by **Zensunni** » September 19th, 2008, 4:30 pm

Yeah you can find download drivers online one by one... But you should get the laptop working after format with just the basic things a win98/xp disc has to offer.

Only things you'll have trouble with are getting the laptop online without the software for it's network card/adapter, resolution/graphics sucking without software for the graphics device...and um, maybe getting sound to work will be difficult, or using hardware like printers and webcams...

lolipedofin · Unread post by **lolipedofin** » September 20th, 2008, 2:31 am

Wow.. allright... Thanks, i'm really a noob if it's about this stuff....

Another question tho... is the driver for the network adapter universal, or it needs a specific one for each type? do i just need one, or several for the lan cable and the wireless one?? while for the graphic card, i use the standard one, intel, do i still need a driver for that??

And i want to confirm one thing, if i don't install any driver in the laptop, it is still usable, i can install windows XP and boot up normally, the dvd-rom will still be usable, i can connect flash drive through the USB slot and all basic stuff...

But i can never go online, and there will be no sound output... am i correct? while for printer and other accessory, i just had to install the appropriate driver that comes with the accessories, right??

Can the problems up there be solved by downloading the drivers elsewhere, not the one that came with the laptop... I'm sorry if this sounds stupid, but i'm just gonna write what's written in my device manager,

Sound:
Legacy Audio Drivers
under line
Realtek AC'97 Audio

Display Adapters:
Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express Chipset Family

Network Adapters:
1394 Net Adapter #3
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC

So... can i still get them somewhere in the net?? and one important question, the DVD-rom really doesn't need any driver, right?

I'm gonna do this with the assistance of a MacBook, just in case i need something in the net, while the laptop can't go online yet....

Any tips, advice, or important points i shouldn't miss guys... and btw, where can i download these drivers??

Einherjar · Unread post by **Einherjar** » September 20th, 2008, 2:54 am

I wouldn't think that your pc can't go online (even though it's 10 years old (???))...
Doesn't that come with XP?

abscess · Unread post by **abscess** » September 20th, 2008, 3:07 am

Einherjar wrote:I wouldn't think that your pc can't go online (even though it's 10 years old (???))...
Doesn't that come with XP?

I think that only happens if you aren't using wireless connection. If it's wireless, you need the correct drivers, else, a simple broadband cable is enough. As for the drivers, I dunno much about them, but I know you can get the newest RealTek ones from the net.

Einherjar · Unread post by **Einherjar** » September 20th, 2008, 3:10 am

abscess wrote:
Einherjar wrote:I wouldn't think that your pc can't go online (even though it's 10 years old (???))...
Doesn't that come with XP?
I think that only happens if you aren't using wireless connection. If it's wireless, you need the correct drivers, else, a simple broadband cable is enough. As for the drivers, I dunno much about them, but I know you can get the newest RealTek ones from the net.

Wireless of course. But when lolipedo said "But i can never go online", I thought he needed it for broadband.

In any case, most laptop companies don't help you with drivers all, so you'll have to get it yourself, which shouldn't be too hard since you only have 2 to take care of, and you have broad to get your laptop online to search for it (I hope?).

idontknoW · Unread post by **idontknoW** » September 20th, 2008, 4:30 am

lolipedofin wrote: And i want to confirm one thing, if i don't install any driver in the laptop, it is still usable, i can install windows XP and boot up normally, the dvd-rom will still be usable, i can connect flash drive through the USB slot and all basic stuff...

Yep. Windows XP will work rightaway. You won't be able to do any of the deeper features though, that's where drivers play their role (you only get the generic drivers)

lolipedofin wrote: But i can never go online, and there will be no sound output... am i correct? while for printer and other accessory, i just had to install the appropriate driver that comes with the accessories, right??

Seeing your list of drivers: You will have wired LAN preinstalled by XP right away but You will NOT have wireless and audio right away, you'll need the drivers for this instance.
And yes, Wireless LAN drivers do not come together with the Wired LAN drivers. They come in separately although this is usually the case for Intel.

lolipedofin wrote: Sound:
Legacy Audio Drivers
under line
Realtek AC'97 Audio

Display Adapters:
Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express Chipset Family

Network Adapters:
1394 Net Adapter #3
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection
Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC

Realtek AC'97 Audio - i've seen it in the internet somewhere. My old ASUS board used this back then although I'm not so sure about compatibility with your laptop.
Mobile Intel(R) 915GM/GMS, 910GML Express Chipset Family - lives. see the intel site.
1394 Net Adapter #3 - comes with windows by default
Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection - once again, intel's site.
Realtek RTL8139/810x Family Fast Ethernet NIC - not sure about this one, but I think Windows XP might install the default LAN drivers instead, which also works.

Do you have an idea as to how to format the laptop exactly? Or no?

lolipedofin · Unread post by **lolipedofin** » October 3rd, 2008, 4:14 am

Yep, i've searched the net on how to format a notebook, and i got the basic idea on how to do it now, i was just not sure about the drivers since all of them put a bold note saying, "Driver CD STRONGLY RECOMMENDED", which kinda made me chickened out a bit...

Anyway, thanx for the help guys, i'm gonna try formatting my notebook tonight... Should shit happened and my laptop turned into a worthless crap, that would mean i'll hardly be online until december, so just in case, farewell guys...

T,T