What Do You Do If....

DY357LX

<div class="IPBDescription">Never thought about this before...</div> OK i'm gonna install Windows XP when my next Format rolls arround and
there's a question I have.

I noticed that on my SoundBlaster Live 5.1 Driver disc there's install
info for 95/98/98SE/2000.
So what happens when i've installed XP and it comes to installing
the Drivers for the Sound Card and my other Card's? Such as my Ethernet?

Maybe XP comes with these Drivers built in-to the install.... BUT what if it doesn't?
Will I be sitting there with a few useless cards?

Anyone had any experience along these lines?
Advice/info/tips/comments? Post em here, don't be shy folks

xioutlawix

Sound like you know what you're talking about Ven, might as well ask ya too...

I as well am going to be installing XP professional w/ service pack in a bit (building computer from scratch). Is xp generally good in terms of locating relatively new drivers for your hardware?

Thansal

you don''t need windows to detect drivers

All you have to do is go to that company's webbie and look in there, very rarly are third party drivers better then what you can get from the company itself

and as for installing drivers when you install XP, if you don't have the XP driver, simply don't install one. Windows comes with 'default' drivers that will work with basicaly everything, you can then go and get the newest ones for XP

Venmoch

Well I know this through Experience. I fluffed up with XP!

To make a long story short I installed some new drivers and the installer crashed on me. So I had a half a driver installed. Not Very good!

XP isolated the problematic .dll and then I was able to install a new driver. Go into System and then choose Device Manager. If you right click on any hardware XP can do a driver update. (Which is what I did, and no problems so far...)

FlatlineUTD

Like Venmoch said, XP should automatically update your drivers for you. Running Windows update never hurts either. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->

If all else fails, just check the manufacturer's websites for driver updates.

What I highly suggest you do after your reformat is install XP and all your drivers/updates/whatever, then install Norton Ghost and make a copy of your entire HD to either a CD or a separate drive. That way, if anything happens and you need to reformat again, you can just load up from that backup image rather than having to reinstall everything.

Venmoch

XP is one useful SOB.

What it should do is install tempory drivers on install and then update them via the Web when your in.