Hey, Mark . . . (computer question)
Rob D.
seminarian.
Never mind that I can't get it to boot to any kind of Linux Live
Disc . . . at least it has WinXP. But I can't get internet access on
it.
It has a little stick on the side, and when you push it, a little
black card that says "Dell" pops out. (It reminds me of the "space-
filler" cards from my Sony Reader, before I put an SD card and a Sony
Memory Stick in.)
According to what I can find, the D600 uses a "PCI Card" or a "Mini-
PCI" to access wirelessly.
Being a stinkin' Mac user, I am not real clear on what this is.
I am hoping this means that I can get a little card, pop it in the
side, and I'll be in business. Am I on the right track here, or is
pci or mini-pci something where I would have to crack the case open?
Rob
Mark Warner
> We've got a Dell Latitude D600 that I'm trying to fix up for a
> seminarian.
>
> Never mind that I can't get it to boot to any kind of Linux Live
> Disc . . . at least it has WinXP. But I can't get internet access on
> it.
I assume you mean you can't get *wireless* access. The specs show that
it should have at least a ethernet connector. They also show that it may
have a wireless NIC built in as well.
Look in the Device Manager for a wireless controller. May need to be
reinstalled. If nothing else, you can get some identifying info there.
Also, on the bottom of the computer should be a Service Tag with a 5-8
digit number (combination of numbers and letters). You can go to
Dell.com and plug in that number and it should give you detailed info
about what was built into that machine.
> It has a little stick on the side, and when you push it, a little
> black card that says "Dell" pops out. (It reminds me of the "space-
> filler" cards from my Sony Reader, before I put an SD card and a Sony
> Memory Stick in.)
>
> According to what I can find, the D600 uses a "PCI Card" or a "Mini-
> PCI" to access wirelessly.
>
> Being a stinkin' Mac user, I am not real clear on what this is.
I believe you're right -- that little card is just a filler.
> I am hoping this means that I can get a little card, pop it in the
> side, and I'll be in business. Am I on the right track here, or is
> pci or mini-pci something where I would have to crack the case open?
What you need, I believe, is a PCMCIA card. This assumes you actually do
not have built in wireless.
One example:
You can usually find these at a big box like Best Buy or Office Depot or
Staples. Heck, even WallyWorld might have one.
If all else fails, you can send it to me (or even Charlie, if you dare)
and we can get it squared away for you.
--
Mark Warner
MEPIS Linux
Registered Linux User #415318
...lose .inhibitions when replying
Chronocidal Charlie
I've picked up couple of pcmcia cards, both wireless 'nd ethernet at
Wally-World in the past year. One Belkin Wireless for about $30 and one
off brand eth for about $20 for the llttle Dell laptop I rebuilt for my
Nurse Buddy's college student kid. Also a couple of Hiro wireless PCI
cards in the $20.00 range from either NewEgg or TigerDirect that worked
out of box on both Linux and Win XP, vista or Win 7, both 64 'nd 32 bit
platforms.
Just looking, the one you linked to is same as the one I bought at
Walmart. I opted Walmart rather than online due to shipping costs
equaling out about same as I could procure locally.
CC
Ted L.
<0cf50455-7153-4b56...@a21g2000yqc.googlegroups.com>,
"Rob D." <fr.rob...@gmail.com> wrote:
> It has a little stick on the side, and when you push it, a little
> black card that says "Dell" pops out. (It reminds me of the "space-
> filler" cards from my Sony Reader, before I put an SD card and a Sony
> Memory Stick in.)
>
> According to what I can find, the D600 uses a "PCI Card" or a "Mini-
> PCI" to access wirelessly.
>
> Being a stinkin' Mac user, I am not real clear on what this is.
When the wireless on my Mac Powerbook died I ordered a PCMCIA wireless
card to use instead, rather than pay the price it would cost for a
technician to just open it up and figure out what was wrong. (Some
on-line comments indicate flakey wires on some models.) There was no
"blank" card, but it has the same deal of a little button you push to
eject the card. Any chance the card already is a wireless card? Does it
have any lights and markings other than the "Dell" on it.
Can't help you on the software.
--
Ted L.
Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini.
Rob D.
wrote:
>
> Also, on the bottom of the computer should be a Service Tag with a 5-8
> digit number (combination of numbers and letters). You can go to
> Dell.com and plug in that number and it should give you detailed info
> about what was built into that machine.
>
Aha! Very useful info, Mark. Thank you.
Here's what Dell tells me (I've starred the part that leaves me
puzzled):
1 6M871 Assembly, Cable, Coax, LCD, D-Fmly
1 6M873 Bezel,LCD,Latitude, D600
1 8M659 Assembly, Hinge, Center, CoverNotebook, D600
2 8T145 Bracket,LCD,Adapter,D600
1 G5152 Assembly,Base,Notebook Pentium 4,M9,32M,B2ADDS
1 6J564 LCD,Thin Film Transistor, Standard Panel Workgroup, Samsung
1 X3677 Assembly,Palmrest,Dual Pointing,D600,V2
1 7R414 Processor, 848215,1.4GHZ,1MB, UPGA
1 1M745 Keyboard,87,US,English,D-PTG D-FMLY,R2
1 F2951 Kit,Cord,Flat,3F,D3W/3P Proposition 65,United States
1 2T219 Kit,Advanced Port Replicator D/Port,DAO
1 5U092 Assembly,Adapter,AC,65W, 19.5V,World Wide
2 3Y182 DIMM,256,266,32X64, 8K200B2
1 Y1338 Battery,Primary,11.1V,6C Cylindrical,Sanyo
1 Y0231 Modem,56K,Internal, Modem Daughter Card. D480,V2
1 7T902 Kit,Documentation on Floppy Disk,IVI,4.0,Without Dolby
Headphone Technology
1 U5251 Assembly,CDRW/DVD,24X Hitachi LG Data Storage,D Modules
1 1R159 Assembly, Floppy Drive, 1.44M,F3, USB, Sony, DMOD
1 J2711 Assembly,Cable,Universal Serial Bus,FDD,P65,D Modules
1 8267R Connector,Header,2X22,F,2, Short,Gold,35K,Third Height,CS
1 N1166 Hard Drive,40GB,I,9.5MM,5.4K HIT-MRGA
1 R2527 Kit,Software,Overpack,WXPPSP1ACompact Diskette/W
Documentation,English
**** 1 U2027 Card,Wireless,Capacitor INTEL2100,Not Applicable *****
0 01323 INFO,NO ITEM
1 0N983 GDE,SFTY/REG,D600,DAO/BCC
1 P5982 TSH,LGL,TERMS,COND
1 R5976 Tech Sheet, 21 Day, Return Policy
1 X4474 Guide,Product,Information Portable,AMF/BCC
1 82UXX Customer Kit,Cable,Input/Out RJ11,Black,6 Feet,WW
1 2N403 Heat Sink,Plastic Grid Array NoteBook,B2
6 6R933 Cover,Bezel,Bump,BII
1 8M669 Assembly,Cover,LCD,14.1, Notebook,D600
1 J0762 DOC,CPN,WRLES,2.4GHZ,5GHZ,US
Think "Not Applicable" means it's not in there, or it's a dummy, or
what?
Rob
Mark Warner
I don't know, Rob. Could be.
Were you able to get into the Devise Manager and see it there's anything
listed in there pertaining to wireless? If there isn't, it's probably
safe to assume it doesn't have it and head on over to WallyWorld or
wherever.
It would be a PCMCIA card that you want. They're all essentially the
same. Buy the cheapest you can find. I'd tell you to look for one with a
Linux supported chip, but there's no way to tell that from the specs or
the package.
Rob D.
Thanks, Mark.
It's a weird little machine. I'm pretty sure the missing PCMIA card
is the problem. We're in the midst of a major snow/ice storm (for
Oklahoma, anyway, with too many idiots who have no idea how to drive
on it out on the raod), so I won't be heading out to BB or WW anytime
soon, but I'll probably get there by Monday.
I think the CD/DVD-ROM is bad. Weird. The device manager or whatever
says that the device is working properly, but I can't get it to boot
to any Linux distro, nor listen to a CD nor look at a DVD movie, so I
think it must be kaput.
What's really weird is trying a USB stick Linux. I tried Ubuntu
Heron, and hung with a message that the CD-ROM failed:
[233.958204] sr0: CD ROM (ioctl) error, command: Test Unit Ready 00 00
00 00 00 00
[240.050064] sr0: CD ROM (ioctl) error, command: Test Unit Ready 00 00
00 00 00 00
[260.799043] sr0: CD ROM (ioctl) error, command: Test Unit Ready 00 00
00 00 00 00
***********
Least, I think that's what all that means.
When I tried a USB stick of Mint 7, all I gots was a hang on the
"loading bar" and two of three little lock icons flashing on and off
at me.
Sort of makes my wonder if this thing has some weird security stuff
built into it.
Last week, I bet the jail chaplain a nickel I could break into his
computer. He said "No way. It has all kinds of security stuff all
over it. No way anyone can hack into it."
I put a disc of Ubuntu into it, rebooted, and held down the f12 key.
(You know what happened after that.)
Now the city/county jail is reviewing its computer security policy,
and the DO's look at me funny in the hallways.
I'm maybe thinking since this Dell Laptap is more a business model
(with possibly confidential info on it at one time), someone has come
up with a way that you can't crack into the laptop via this method.
Rob
JimB
> Rob
Reboot your PC and hit the F2 key at the Dell splash screen (logo) to
get into BIOS setup. From there you can check the computers Drive
Configuration. If you don't see a CD/DVD drive listed as a secondary
device, your CD/DVD drive is not connected, not powered, or bad.
You may need it working regardless of your internet connectivity solution.
--
JimB
The Ubuntu Counter Project - User# 28648
Rob D.
>
> Reboot your PC and hit the F2 key at the Dell splash screen (logo) to
> get into BIOS setup. From there you can check the computers Drive
> Configuration. If you don't see a CD/DVD drive listed as a secondary
> device, your CD/DVD drive is not connected, not powered, or bad.
>
> You may need it working regardless of your internet connectivity solution.
>
> --
> JimB
> The Ubuntu Counter Project - User# 28648
Thanks, Jim. I'll give that a look.
Rob
Rob D.
> > Rob
>
> Reboot your PC and hit the F2 key at the Dell splash screen (logo) to
> get into BIOS setup. From there you can check the computers Drive
> Configuration. If you don't see a CD/DVD drive listed as a secondary
> device, your CD/DVD drive is not connected, not powered, or bad.
>
> You may need it working regardless of your internet connectivity solution.
>
Trying this showed it present.
Device Manager shows it working properly. Remoiving the driver and
rebooting starts a wizard which reinstalls the driver.
According to Windows, it works just fine. Maybe I should believe
Windows, and ignore the fact that it can't read an audio cd, a dvd, or
a blank disc. Redmond *must* be right!
Mark Warner
You can buy cleaning disks that might, just might, fix whatever ails
that thing.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5020565&CatId=4206
This is why I hate laptops. If this were a desktop you could replace the
damn thing for $25.
Rob D.
Does this list below explain why I am getting no sound?
I have managed to find an overweight telephone cord and connect to the
internet, and I have dl'd iTunes for him, but . . . .no sound. . .???
Rob
Mark Warner
> Hey, Mark,
>
> Does this list below explain why I am getting no sound?
>
> I have managed to find an overweight telephone cord and connect to the
> internet, and I have dl'd iTunes for him, but . . . .no sound. . .???
Nothing there that I can see. Sound should be built in. I'd get into the
Windows Control Panel and see if there's anything amiss in the sound
settings. Might see if there's any flags in the Devise Manager too.
JimB
> Rob D. wrote:
>> Hey, Mark,
>>
>> Does this list below explain why I am getting no sound?
>>
>> I have managed to find an overweight telephone cord and connect to the
>> internet, and I have dl'd iTunes for him, but . . . .no sound. . .???
>
> Nothing there that I can see. Sound should be built in. I'd get into the
> Windows Control Panel and see if there's anything amiss in the sound
> settings. Might see if there's any flags in the Devise Manager too.
>
Usually, the mute is controlled by a blue function key and one of the F
buttons. Try toggling the "sound" F button. Then check the bottom
right hand "system tray" area for a speaker icon and make sure sound
level is up and not muted.
All this only if the Device Manager says your sound is working. After
all, Redmond knows best ;-)
Rob D.
wrote:
>
> Nothing there that I can see. Sound should be built in. I'd get into the
> Windows Control Panel and see if there's anything amiss in the sound
> settings. Might see if there's any flags in the Devise Manager too.
>
> --
I feel really stupid.
The sem looked at it, clicked two settings, and had it working.
Apparently, under Windows, you can turn the sound all the way up,
*and* also have the sound muted. (Under *two*, count 'em, *two*
different "mute" settings.
Gosh. Talk about obvious.
Rob
Can't see how I didn't think of that.