G74SX-DH71 - Clean Install Review

[TeckTime]

Hey Folks:

Let me know if I may be missing anything within these steps or if I need to reverse anything:

1. Install Windows 7 SP1

2. Install Intel Chipset Driver using cmd line -overall, reboot

3. Install Intel RST, reboot

4. Install Realtek LAN, reboot

5. Download all current updates for Windows 7

6. Install remaining drivers from JRd1st's "Driver's, Apps, and How-to's", making sure to reboot between each driver installation.

Thanks for your time.

Teck

[BrodyBoy]

You don't need to install the chipset that way when installing the first time. The overall switch is useful for later when you want it to re-install all chipset driver components, i.r., if they have been overwritten or corrupted. The first time, just run the executable installer.

I install all the essential drivers before doing Windows updates....otherwise, Windows may detect missing drivers and find ones that I don't want.

Otherwise, looks pretty good.

[dstrakele]

If you are using a wireless connection, I'd recommend copying the most recent Atheros driver to a USB 2.0 flash drive so you can install it after Windows. I found that running the SETUP.EXE in Atheros driver folder produced an error when I attempted this on my clean Windows 7SP1 install, but choosing "Update Driver" in the "Network Adapter" Properties of Device Manager and pointing to the Atheros directory on my flash drive succeeded. Apparently, Windows 7 did not recognize the Atheros card as such without a driver installed.

I think you may be missing the step "Taking the name of the Lord in vain and pulling out my hair" somewhere in your list. ;>{)>

[BrodyBoy]

dstrakele wrote:
I found that running the SETUP.EXE in Atheros driver folder produced an error when I attempted this on my clean Windows 7SP1 install, but choosing "Update Driver" in the "Network Adapter" Properties of Device Manager and pointing to the Atheros directory on my flash drive succeeded. Apparently, Windows 7 did not recognize the Atheros card as such without a driver installed.

Yeah, that main setup.exe file doesn't work, presumably because it hasn't been customized somehow for our machines. But the setup.exe installer in the Install_CD subfolder does work. So I just use that one.

[TeckTime]

dstrakele wrote:
I think you may be missing the step "Taking the name of the Lord in vain and pulling out my hair" somewhere in your list. ;>{)>

Beginning my clean install right now.... queue the head-bashing into wall....

[dstrakele]

TeckTime wrote:
Beginning my clean install right now.... queue the head-bashing into wall....

I remember that step from MY clean install... ;>{)>

[TeckTime]

Can I skip the Windows Product Key step and run ABR when I'm done with the OS install?

[BrodyBoy]

If you ran it before you started, yes.

[TeckTime]

I did; skipped that step. I'll run ABR once i'm done installing all of the latest drivers and prior to updating windows

[BrodyBoy]

TeckTime wrote:
I did; skipped that step. I'll run ABR once i'm done installing all of the latest drivers and prior to updating windows

Not sure what you're saying.

If you skipped that step, you can't use ABR to activate after installation. But if you did run the "activation_backup" application on your old installation, you can use "activation_restore" on the new one.