A Few Driver Questions Regarding Pavilion a1777c

[GHagen]

Gentlemen,

I'm looking to get Vista drivers for a Pavilion a1777c. I notice that on the driver download page for this model that some of the downloads are available as either 32 or 64 bit. The operating system drop-down box only lists "Vista" with no 32 or 64 bit designations. Does it matter which bit rating the original installation media from HP used? I currently have a Vista 32 bit disk, so can I use that even if the original HP-installed version was 64 bit? I know I can't use 64 bit drivers with a 32 bit installation, I'm wondering whether it matters whether I install the the same bit-version of Vista that the computer shipped with.

 I don't see any chipset drivers on the driver download page. Traditionally, this is is the first set of drivers you install. I see a bios update, a Intel ViiV software update  and drivers for an Intel Matrix Storage Manager, but this is as close as anything seems to come to chipset drivers. Does the driver download page actually have everything needed or do I have to go to ASUS (who made the P5LP-LE motherboard) for actual chipset drivers? If the latter, I don't know why these drivers wouldn't be listed on the HP driver download page, or at least a notation and link to go directly to ASUS.

Also, I notice a Roxio Creator Application update. Since I don't have the original installation material would it be a waste of time trying to install this software? I installed drivers for another HP computer that had a Roxio update and the update would not install because it couldn't find any earlier version to update. Same deal here?

Your interest is appreciated!

Grant

[old_geekster · Accepted solution]

Hello, Grant.

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@GHagen wrote:

Gentlemen,

I'm looking to get Vista drivers for a Pavilion a1777c. I notice that on the driver download page for this model that some of the downloads are available as either 32 or 64 bit. The operating system drop-down box only lists "Vista" with no 32 or 64 bit designations. Does it matter which bit rating the original installation media from HP used? I currently have a Vista 32 bit disk, so can I use that even if the original HP-installed version was 64 bit? I know I can't use 64 bit drivers with a 32 bit installation, I'm wondering whether it matters whether I install the the same bit-version of Vista that the computer shipped with.  The best way to determine if the driver will work is to try to install it.  If it is not compatible it simply will say so.  There are come 32-bit apps that will run on a 64-bit OS.  An example of this is Adobe Flash Player.  I have had to run the 32-bit version several times.

 I don't see any chipset drivers on the driver download page. Traditionally, this is is the first set of drivers you install.  You are correct.  There is no Chipset driver for the 945G chipset.  I even tried the Intel website and they don't show one for Vista.

I see a bios update, a Intel ViiV software update  and drivers for an Intel Matrix Storage Manager, but this is as close as anything seems to come to chipset drivers.  If you try to install the BIOS update, please be extremely careful.  A failed BIOS update is the easiest way that I know to create a good boat anchor.

Does the driver download page actually have everything needed or do I have to go to ASUS (who made the P5LP-LE motherboard) for actual chipset drivers?  Since HP motherboards and BIOS'es are proprietary, they are not the same as the retail version of the same mobe.  You can only use drivers that are developed by HP in most instances.

If the latter, I don't know why these drivers wouldn't be listed on the HP driver download page, or at least a notation and link to go directly to ASUS.

Also, I notice a Roxio Creator Application update. Since I don't have the original installation material would it be a waste of time trying to install this software? I installed drivers for another HP computer that had a Roxio update and the update would not install because it couldn't find any earlier version to update. Same deal here?  You can give it a try to see what happens.  I know that many apps that are shown as updates have been found to actually be a full app.  In the past Windows Upgrade versions were full versions, but not listed as such.

Your interest is appreciated!

Grant

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Please click the Thumbs up + button if I have helped you and click Accept as Solution if your problem is solved.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

Hi:

There is an Intel chipset driver you can download for your PC.

Download, unzip and run the setup.exe file from the link below.

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/20018/INF-Update-Utility-Primarily-for-Intel-6-5-4-3-900-S...

[old_geekster]

Thanks, @Paul_Tikkanen.  I don't know how I missed it.

[GHagen]

geekster! Paul! My men!

I didn't expect any kind of meaningful response this quickly!

This was a bit of a tag-team effort, and I don't know whether the site is configured to register more  than one "Accept As Solution", though you both should get one.

I just want to go into a bit more detail about my question regarding the bit designation of the original version of Vista that shipped with this computer. My interest in this mostly has to do with getting the new installation activated using the Windows product key on the sticker.

I bought this computer from a thrift store for next to nothing. It has no hard drive so obviously I'm starting from scratch. Once I get a new HDD installed, I was planning to throw on a generic (originally downloaded from Microsoft) 32 bit copy of Vista. I've done this before with another HP computer which had a Vista sticker and the installation was accepted for activation using the activation code on the sticker.

With this computer, because the driver download page offers some drivers in both bit versions, I'm not sure which bit version this computer shipped with. So, if it originally shipped with a 64 bit version of Vista and I install a 32 bit copy of Vista, would it make any difference as to whether it would be successfully activated through the product key on the sticker? Or would I have to install a 64 bit  version of Vista in that case?

It may not make any difference, but I'd like to hear some opinions from those more learned than I.

Thanks!

Grant

[old_geekster]

You are definitely welcome, Grant.  Our main goal on the Forums is to help our members.  Who gets the Solution is definitely secondary.

Here is the Product Information page for the computer.  According to the Product Specs it came with Vista 32-bit, Media Center from the factory.  So, I would say that it would be better to use that version.  Many of HP's computers come with different versions of Windows in the same model.  So, this is why they have both driver versions.

[Paul_Tikkanen]

You're very welcome, Grant.

I agree with the OG that you should install Vista 32 bit definitely if you have no plans on maxing out the memory to 4 GB,

64 bit OS's require more hard drive space and memory than a 32 bit OS does.  Not double, but more.

IMO, 4GB is the minimum acceptable memory to run a 64 bit OS on.

But to answer your qustion regarding the product key...it will work on either the 32 or 64 bit version of Vista.

Please give the Old Geekster the solution credit.