Possible Laptop, Possible Issues, Vista Soooo Totally Sucks

[Baphomet]

Here's the deal... I have, right now, this gorgeous HP Pavilion DV6000 lappy which I picked up (retail box) for an absolute SONG. Seriously, it's almost criminal what I paid, or didn't pay, I guess, for this little laptop. Comes spec'd with a 1.8Ghz Core 2 Duo and 2GB of DDR 667. Intel GX3100 graphics, but hey, at least it'll share up to 384MB (and I figure with 2GB of RAM I can share a little). I'm not all THAT enamored of Compiz anyway, so that's not a consideration for me.

Soooo... Love the PC and love what I paid for it, but what I want to do with it is dual-boot Ultimate and Windows XP. I have 15-days (two weeks now) to figure out if I can overcome the obstacles to this goal. The problems I'm experiencing are, and in order of magnitude, as follows:

1. Vista comes preloaded and I can NOT install XP. I even used GPartEd to wipe the drive totally and tried to install XP using a totally legit, full-blown XP Install CD. No dice. Setup tells me it can find NO hard drive to install to once I remove the existing partitions via GPartEd. It's Windows Vista or it's nothing it seems. Unless someone knows a way around it. I suppose I could live with Vista and learn to use it, IF... I could successfully shrink the partition and install Ultimate. This leads us to potential issue number two...

2. The Broadcom Wireless Networking card. I know the Broadcoms can be a pure-t, cold-iron bee-otch to get up and working. Does anyone know of the success rates or anything? If I'm toooootally shooting myself in the foot with the Broadcom card, I'll let it go. Wireless is, obviously, an absolute must have. Full stop.

So yeah... My questions are if anyone knows any way to get XP running on this bad boy. THAT, right there, would be huge. Vista has already, in the span of this PC being out of the box for about three hours, blue-screened on me THREE TIMES!!! Three BSOD's in as many hours. Go figure how Visa even made it out of beta, much less went gold.

Anyway... Anyone else run into that problem with the hardware not allowing you to downgrade the OS? I'm assuming this has to be some kind of hardware/BIOS connection. I could swap the hard drive, but I'm wondering if that would cause the same issue when I went to install XP. ???

That and the Broadcom wireless card under Ultimate Edition... Huge problem? Small problem?? Could I bypass the Broadcom wireless by using, say a LinkSys wireless adapter via a PCMCIA card??? I don't see myself using that slot for anything else...

EDIT: Holy crap... Of course WinXP can't find the drive to install to... Since WinXP doesn't come with SATA drivers on the install disc! Jeebus I can be stupid at times... So, I could either build/slipstream those drivers into a new install CD or, I could swap the installed SATA hard-drive for a PATA hard-drive and try it again. I have a link that provides most all the required WinXP drivers for this notebook, soooooo... hmmmm...

[cowboy]

Lol...oh do I know this all to well..what may work for an Acer may not work for Compiz..or work in Sony..but you might start here if you have not seen this one.. http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/windows- ... -computer/ ?

[SaddleTramp]

Baph Baph Baph Baph Baph...tch tch tch....what you do get yourself into Figure you'll have XP figured out by the time I post this so I'll get on to the Broadcom deal...it just so happens I know a couple of smart fellas that's already figured that out...and guess what!?!?! they even (maybe even just for you) posted a 'How-To' over there...Ain'tcha glad you're part of our Ultimate Edition fam-ly
How-To #1: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1040
How-To #2: viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1047

Have fun!!!

[Baphomet]

Ahhhhh... I knew I could count on yous guys!!

This little Pavilion really is a sharp looking little lappy - I'd hate to have to take it back - but I've got to be able to get the wireless working with Ultimate or it's a total "no-go". Guess I need to give a shout out to Big V for the Broadcom wireless walk-through! Thanks buddy!

I could, I suppose, learn to put up with Vista as one half of the dual boot scenario, if required, but I created the restore-dvd's so if I decide I want use Vista in the future that will remain an option because I really want XP on here, along with Ultimate as my primary OS. To that end, I'm thinking about creating a "slipstreamed" install CD for XP (including the required Sata drivers), but then, too thinking about dual-booting Vista with Ultimate. Ugh. Decisions, decisions... Well, nothing to be done about it today; I'm hitting the beach with my girl this afternoon.

Thanks for the input, Cowbowy, Tramp... Really hoping I can get this stuff ironed out. I'll post back of course when I've got something to report. You've saved me a lot of time and trouble!

[SaddleTramp]

Figured they would've had the SATA drivers incorporated in SP3 release...

[Baphomet]

I give up. I've spent hours beating my head against a wall trying to get this to work and, while I've never said this about Ubunutu before, I'm going to say it now: If this level of frustration and difficulty is common for linux neubs getting their notebook wireless connections to work, I can see why Windows has such marketplace dominance. And you know it pains me to say that, but the truth hurts. I'll spare everyone the details, but simply put, what an unacceptable situation.

Tutorials that lead nowhere, packages that can't be found, if you have version 2.9826488.1.2938474665512(8383) Rev. 2.1.9.66.920-B go HERE, but if you have version 2.9826488.1.3938474665512(8384) Rev. 2.1.9.66.920-B go HERE, both of which link to a 50,000 word essay/Ubuntu.docs site that would require a PhD to figure out.

So far my biggest accomplishment has been to get the little blue WLAN light to come on when I'm not hard-wired to my router. Still no wireless connection though.

[DaddyX3]

I totally understand your frustrations .... I've had a few myself, believe that. However, one must weigh spending countless hours trying to get a built in wireless solution working or simply buy a $30-$40 Netgear USB wireless card that works flawlessly and is plug'n'play with Ultimate Edition/Ubuntu
I would recommend spending the bucks and spare yourself the head-ache Good Luck Bro!

[apc15x]

I would recommend spending the bucks and spare yourself the head-ache Good Luck Bro!

I agree with you Daddy, hey Baphomet like you said that you are already getting your lappy for a song so spend a little more and forget the aggravation. Just my 2 cents.

[deate]

I give up. I've spent hours beating my head against a wall trying to get this to work and, while I've never said this about Ubunutu before, I'm going to say it now: If this level of frustration and difficulty is common for linux neubs getting their notebook wireless connections to work, I can see why Windows has such marketplace dominance. And you know it pains me to say that, but the truth hurts. I'll spare everyone the details, but simply put, what an unacceptable situation.

Tutorials that lead nowhere, packages that can't be found, if you have version 2.9826488.1.2938474665512(8383) Rev. 2.1.9.66.920-B go HERE, but if you have version 2.9826488.1.3938474665512(8384) Rev. 2.1.9.66.920-B go HERE, both of which link to a 50,000 word essay/Ubuntu.docs site that would require a PhD to figure out.

So far my biggest accomplishment has been to get the little blue WLAN light to come on when I'm not hard-wired to my router. Still no wireless connection though.

YES!!!!You Raggedy Reptile!!! That is the level of frustration felt by many! Now throw in a few sudo this grep that and maybe a couple of lspci's when you don't have a clue, and you get the results you're feeling!!! Then hope that one of the young whipper snappers here can post a how-to By the way, 2 thumbs up on getting the blue light to work!!! I've seen many posts from those who didn't get that far!!

[Baphomet]

YES!!!!You Raggedy Reptile!!! That is the level of frustration felt by many! Now throw in a few sudo this grep that and maybe a couple of lspci's when you don't have a clue, and you get the results you're feeling!!! Then hope that one of the young whipper snappers here can post a how-to By the way, 2 thumbs up on getting the blue light to work!!! I've seen many posts from those who didn't get that far!!

Dude. I sooo sudo'ed, I grep'ed I did make-install-tar.gz... And if anybody even so much as mentions "b43-fwcutter" I'm a gonna get aaaaallll STABBY-LIKE.

Holy s--t and shinola, what a sad state of affairs. At this point I'm done though. Wireless access card via PCMCIA or USB dongle be damned. You can stick a FORK in my a-- gents, because I repeat: I... AM... DONE. That HP is back at the store and I'm glad I took it back. I think I'll put the money toward upgrading my present system. My local Fry's had an awfully sweet LGA775 motherboard on sale for $99...