So, I’m ever so much closer to firing up my newer Dell Optiplex GX270 computer.
The Restore CDs from RestoreDisks.com arrived today.
The 56K Dial Up Modem that I ordered from the Walmart website is still 10 days away from arriving.
Nevertheless, a possible plan to get the computer up and running this weekend is to take the Modem out of my old Gateway computer and slap it into my Dell computer.
The Modem in my Gateway computer is an: SF-1156IV/R9A
NOW …
(1) I notice that that Modem has an extra Plug that IS used in my Gateway computer.
The indication on the Plug says: Line Out … and Mic In
From what I can see on my Dell computer, that Plug is NOT something that’s gonna be used.
There is no connector on my Dell computer where that cable would go.
CAN I use this Modem and just leave that Plug with nothing connected to it?
From what I vaguely read, that is probably related to that Modem being a “VOICE” Modem and being able to handle Phone Answering functions or something.
(2) What are the odds that the Windows XP Professional that I’m gonna be installing in that Dell computer is going to be able to handle that Modem as is without needing an additional Driver installed?
(3) If I do need an additional Driver installed to handle that Modem …
What is a legit, reliable website from which I can download the Driver?
I somewhat saw some places, but I have no idea whether they are legit, SAFE sources for Drivers or Virus Pits.
Ohhh, DriverMax, Eh?
That’s what one guy at Geeks to Go also recommended.
Would you concur / confirm that only 2 Drivers per DAY can be downloaded for FREE?
That’s what I believe he told me.
If that’s the case, so if the Driver Scan indicates that your computer needs 4 or 5 or more Driver Updates … you’d either have to pay or else only download 2 Drivers per day until you eventually download all the Drivers you need over 2 or more days?
Don’t know about Slim Driver since I don’t use it.
Correct on the free downloads. I know they limit the amount not sure about how many are allowed since I use the pro version.
I do know that it’s a reliable and safe place to get your drivers.
BTW … I actually do have the Dell computer now up and running.
I did stick in the old Modem from my Gateway computer … installed Windows XP Professional and the Drivers from the RestoreDisks.com CDs and fired up the computer. I installed AOL and was able to connect to the Net. So, I guess the Modem is running with some generic Windows XP Driver. But, it would probably no doubt work better with a genuine Driver.
I do have to solve an issue first though before promoting it to my Main Computer.
When I followed the instructions that came with the Restore CDs, at Step 13 I was NOT prompted for the Product Key as I was supposed to. And when I try to manually Activate Windows, the “Activate Windows” option just plain ole does NOT exist where it’s supposed to at Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools. So, I have E-mailed RestoreDisks.com Customer Service so that hopefully they can toss me a Fix.
Okay, I’ll download DriverMax and give it a closer, 1st hand look and try it out both on my HP Pavilion and on the Dell to see what Driver Update recommendations it yields.
Oh, that’s the one I asked you about earlier, except I called it “Slim Driver.”
Interestingly enough, I wound up trying SlimDrivers the other day as well.
I had tried DriverMax first, but something seemed to NOT be working properly.
When I’d click to download a Driver, it would say it was going to open up the page for the download or something, but NOTHING would happen. It would just sit there doing nothing. Even after a Reboot and trying again, the same results.
So, I downloaded SlimDrivers and tried that.
I immediately saw a recommendation of a Gateway Data Fax Modem Driver.
So, of course I jumped on it and clicked to download it.
The download began.
Within about 30 seconds, a Windows Warning message pops up informing me that that Driver had NOT passed the something or other Test … and that if I continued with the download, that Driver could possibly FUBAR the functionality of my Modem either immediately if not in the future eventually. It prompted me to either Continue or to Stop the Download. It highly recommended that I STOP the Download. So, I stopped the Download.
I then went and tried DriverMax again. This time it worked.
I looked at the Gateway Data Fax Modem Driver that it was recommending.
By the description (that it was by "Generic) and the date that it was released, it appeared to be the same one that SlimDrivers had found.
Yadi Yadi Yada … my very 1st experience trying out SlimDrivers and DriverMax and I wind up striking a Driver, which I am warned is not genuine, not reliable and could have a negative impact on my system. Doh!
What are the odds that that warning was correct?
Have you encountered a warning like that with DriverMax, Bob?
Or have any of the Drivers you’ve downloaded before ever messed up some hardware’s functionality or flat out caused it to stop working? Did I on my 1st try just have the bad luck of encountering the exception and not the rule … regarding a negative experience?