In my email newsletter, I wrote about the first email I received from Louis Zarowin, and how I responded.
Louis wrote back to ask for some more help:
Terry:Thank you for the response to my email regarding my older computer with "Windows 98/Windows 98 SE" that need the operating system re-installed.
Of course I can get a new "XP Professional/XP Home Edition Disc" and "Microsoft" will be sending me the "XP Professional Upgrade Disc" shortly.
The whole problem is that in addition to installing a new operating system, is the "Drivers/Drives" which Dell recently told me do not exist and were never made for my particular machine. I began to wonder if that is the case then just how did this computer ever get to "XP from Windows 98" at all?
After speaking to Dell I briefly did speak to "Verizon Premium Tech Support" as they are my local telephone company in my home area, and the person who was on the phone really seemed to know about this area and advised me that its very possible that as my computer was originally a "Windows 98" it simply was perhaps just upgraded to the "XP" so that way its a more simple process and "Drivers/Drives" aren’t needed in that case.
I did check the Dell Website and according to the information for my computer it isn’t even intended to be "XP at all" just like older computers aren’t upgradeable to Vista at all.
Just recently Dell did mention this to me on the phone and couldn’t imagine that this ever got to "XP" and I told them that it was that way when I got it from someone as someone gave it to me. My computer is a "Dell Optiplex GX-110" and the "Service Tag Number is: xxxxxx" and the "Express Service Code is: xxxxxxxxxxxx" so maybe with this additional information I provided perhaps you can look further to see if there is more information about this.
If it is possible that I can look on line to purchase the "Windows 98/Windows 98 SE" then is there a place that you may recommend where I can get a decent product that is in good condition?
I trust that you will try to look more into this for me thanks for all the help you have provided.
Yours Very Truly,
Louis R. Zarowin
I wrote back to tell Louis that Dell never provided any XP drivers for my Dell Inspiron 5000 notebook, either — but I ran XP on it for a long time.
I didn’t have to find any special drivers — but I did have to have my Win98 drivers diskette to get certain functions working. I’m pretty sure that I did a fresh install of XP during those years.
I was not particularly surprised to see that Dell did not provide new drivers for the notebook computer, since it was no longer a current product of Dell and Dell never offered it with an option for Windows XP.
I don’t expect computer manufacturers to provide new drivers for operating systems that are released at a significantly later date — but, if I bought a computer from them 4 to 6 months before the new OS was released, I would be disappointed if they didn’t offer any new driers that might be needed. I don’t think that Dell is any different from other computer manufacturers in that regard.
On the other hand, I do expect peripheral manufacturers (e.g., printer manufacturers) to provide updated drivers for their products, since they may be bought for use with new or old computers.
and