Sunday, March 22, 2009

Windows XP 64-bit Drivers on Dell Studio 15 (1537)

LAN: You may install the Broadcom Vista 64-bit LAN driver from your Dell rescue disk (or download from/

Wireless: Vista drivers won't work. But you can get 64-bit XP drivers from Dell's website:

http://support.us.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R189137&formatcnt=1&libid=0&fileid=259102

Some info (for 32-bit XP):
http://www.laptops-drivers.com/laptop-news/installing-windows-xp-in-dell-studio-1535.html

Here's how you can install AHCI drivers into XP if you didn't enabled the drivers during initial XP installation:

http://www.theacerguy.com/2009/01/how-to-install-the-ahci-drivers-after-installing-xp-in-ide-mode-2nd/


Base system device:
Copying the device instance ID into google:

PCI\VEN_1180&DEV_0852&SUBSYS_029F1028&REV_12\4&31FC8C23&0&0CF0

Reveals that this is a Ricoh Memory Stick Controller.
1. Download R188094 in Dell's website
2. Running exe would do the install but the base system device "!" mark won't go away.
3. Right click the devices in Device Manager.
4. Update Driver -> Manually specify driver (manually specify directory)
5. XP will complain the drivers are not signed. Click on "Continue Anyway".
6. For 64-bit windows, they'll at MSx64, SDMMCx64 xDx64 directories for each of the three devices.

Some details here (On a different Dell laptop model: http://technicallyeasy.net/2008/01/dell-inspiron-6400-three-unknown-base/ )

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Studio 15/ Studio 1537 audio DPC latency problems

I do a bit of home recording and I've been trying to set this up on my new Dell Studio 15 / Studio 1537 laptop. Latency is poor in the default set up, and there are cracks in the audio even if buffer size is increased. After going through the online forums it turns out the problem is in the ACPI driver in windows. Below is a solution that works for Windows XP 32-bit. Unfortunately 32-bit windows only recognizes 3GB of your 4GB ram. But that's an entirely different topic.


Vista-64bit:

Method does not work on Vista (I tried on Vista 64-bit) - you'll get a message that says "Unable to access thread: The system cannot find the file specified." Running process explorer as admin makes no difference.

1. Download and run DPC latency checker:
http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

2. Download and run Process Explorer
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896653.aspx

3. In process explorer, double click System.

4. Go to Threads

5. Select acpi.sys

6. click suspend

7. You'll notice that the red spikes are gone.





I would suggest re-enabling this before shutting down...

Monday, July 02, 2007

Yi Jianlian

  • He refused to work out with other players and would only play against a chair in his workouts.
  • He banned Milwaukee from attending his workout.
  • Milwaukee drafted him anyway thinking he was the best player at #6.
  • He decided that he wasn't going to attend the post-draft conference.
  • He didn't show up at Milwaukee after the draft.
  • He is getting his agents to force a trade even though the Bucks intend on keeping him.





    If he wants to be in a city with heavy Asian population, he should stay in China!
    Yi Jianlian shouldn't even be allowed to play in the NBA at all.

    Check out this article:
    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2923183

    In Dallas on Sunday, when asked if he'd had any contact with the Bucks, the 7-foot power forward said, "I don't want to talk about that."
  • Tuesday, May 15, 2007

    Suns-Spurs

    Robert Horry Suspended. Good call.
    Amare and Diaw suspended? Sure, I can live with that - but why isn't Duncan nor Bowen suspended? They both left the bench. Now the outcome of Game 5 - and likely the series - will be depended San Antonio's thugs and their dirty acts.

    As for the Spurs? "Cheap shot Bob" Horry for Stoudamire and Diaw - isn't that good tradeoff.

    Stu Jackson can't do his job right even if his life depended on it.

    Horry bodychecks Nash into the scorer's table


    Duncan and Bowen leaves the bench



    Bruce Bowen tries to injures Stoudamire


    Bowen knees Nash between the legs

    Saturday, September 09, 2006

    Triumph in Quebec

    OHhhhhhhh yea.... what a classic.



    (Conan O'Brien in Toronto. Triumph the insult comic dog visits Quebec)