Ol 'Zab

Hi all.

I've gotten really far downgrading from Vista Home to XP Pro SP2, and run into two or three problems I can't seem to solve.

My equipment:

Toshiba Satellite a205-4797
Chipset Intel 945GM, onboard video
Realtek HiDef audio card with software modem aboard
Intel SD Card reader
Hours of poring over forums studying downgrade issues

My procedure - a restart after *each* driver installation.

Performed Vista partition wipe
Installed XP Pro on available partition
Installed Intel Chipset Driver INF_AllOS_8.4.0.1016_PV_Intel.exe
Installed Intel Video Driver - GFX_XP32_14.31.1.4864_PV_Intel.exe
Installed Realtek Hi Def Audio Driver - driver_audio_realtek_27409A.exe

I got all my drivers from the Toshiba website except for a few that I allowed "Driver Detective" to change after they didn't work with the Toshiba ones. But that didn't change anything about my difficulties.

Other than these things, I can get everything up and running - wi-fi, LAN, modem, webcam, etc.

Now the problems arise:

1. Installed Toshiba Common Modules - util_common_modules_26672A.exe, restarted.

Tried to install Toshiba Hotkey Utility - util_hotkey_26673A.exe (supposed to make all the "fn" keys - Brightness, Volume, etc. keys work), but upon unpacking it immediately says "Toshiba Common Modules not found, exiting install."

The hotkeys still don't work, obviously. I have tried several different versions of Toshiba Common Modules with exactly the same results. TCM seems to install fine, but the subsequent programs that want it don't find it. TCM doesn't show up in the "Add/Remove Programs" list for removal and reinstallation. The hardware sound volume knob works fine.

2. Installed Mass Storage Controller - Texas Instruments PCIxx21 FlashMed - qe15flashdriver.exe. Still had "Mass Storage Controller" yellow question mark in Device Manager. Updated driver from within Device Manager to TI PCIxx21 Flash Media Controller. No more yellow question mark. Built-in SD Card reader *does not* recognize SD card at all, although a USB SD card reader works fine.

3. At some point in all these installs, an icon appeared in the system tray that I think is connected to my problems. It may well have appeared after the Toshiba Common Modules install. It appears as a small pic of a laptop with a "slashed circle" at the bottom right corner. This icon is entirely unresponsive to left or right clicking. In the taskbar properties where you decide which icons to hide, it ha <no title> next to it.

Questions:

Where am I going wrong? I've heard these drivers have to be installed in the order I've given, especially chipset first. Did I mess up the order, and is there a way to fix it without starting over with an HD reformat and XP reinstall?

Is there any way to make this computer work in full function with XP?

Is it necessary to restart the computer after each main driver install, or can you do several, then restart?

What the heck is that system tray icon?

I really appreciate the time of any of you experts that could help me out with this!

Ol' Zab

Ol 'Zab

Can anybody suggest anything?

Houndog777

Hi, go in to Control Panel and Add/Remove Programs.
Choose to Add Windows Components.
Tick everything except things you obviously don't need.
You'll need your XP Disk.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307894

Ol 'Zab

What finally worked for me:

After trying many different drivers and orders of installation with the same results as I originally got, I finally decided to try what a few had said you needed to do, and many had said you don't, which is find a BIOS that supports XP.

I went and looked at the latest BIOS for the A205-S4797 at the Toshiba USA website, and, lo and behold, it said it supported XP and Vista. I installed it via the "by Windows" method since the boot CD method didn't work.

Then I reinstalled all the drivers again, from the chipset and all the other couple of dozen, including the Toshiba common modules and Toshiba Hotkey Utility and this time *everything* worked perfectly as advertised and the puter is just like a brand new XP machine.

I used the instructions and installation order of drivers from the Toshiba Europe site, and also used a couple of drivers from the Toshiba Canada site. Since the A205 is not sold in Europe or Canada, in order to determine which was the correct one among the drivers where there were many to choose from, I picked the ones that were offered for the Satellite model with the hardware that most closely matched mine, especially chipset, onboard video, etc.

So, in closing, for me the key was to find a BIOS that supported XP. After installing that, everything was as it was supposed to be.

Yay!

Houndog777

Hi Zab,
Thanks for sharing that info; it will help others.
Cheers,
Houndog