I stuck it to the Man

Hey there,

I've been gone for a long time, but I had to share this information because it saved me some cash. Just today I had to get a new hard drive for my aging laptop and reinstall Windows XP. This is a simple task because the manufacturers usually have all the required hardware drivers available on their website. Unfortunately it was my bad luck that this particular company didn't want to give the very crititcal chipset drivers away for free (These drivers are require for your PC to run at maximum efficiency). After asking around on their forums I discovered that this company wants you to pay them money for a CD in order to get these drivers. Needless to say I was mad. No way am I going to pay them for what is supposed to be free.

How did I solve my problem? Well I know that this isn't the only laptop in the world running on this particular chipset. Many, many, other companies have used this chipset for their laptops, and they seem to have the drivers freely available. I simply downloaded the chipset drivers from a competitor and they installed just fine. Device Manager says no drivers are missing and my PC is running at top speed.

So the next time you're dealing with technical support and they're just begging you to fork over the cash, get creative. Look for another way around your problem before you give in. I never pay money unless I've run out of options.

Stick it to the man!!

Thanks for reading.

reply to post by aletheia


Next time, don't stick with a proprietary operating system, really stick it to the man and use an open source operating system like Linux.

A good modern version (like Linux Mint 11) reduces the learning curve from Windows XP and has pretty much everything you need, right from set-up.

It can even run Windows programs (like games written only for Windows) in an environment called "Wine" which emulates Windows pretty well now.

And it is essentially free (as in you don't have to pay for it to install it). No activation hassles or reduced functionality.

reply to post by chr0naut


Oh I know all about Linux. I am an IT professional after all, but I find that Linux can't really satisfy the hardcore gamer in me. When they get companies like EA, Ubisoft, Valve, and others to develop for them I may switch. For now Linux is just a hobby. I run it in a virtual machine on my Windows 7 gaming PC.

reply to post by aletheia


Fair enough.

I actually have to do the same thing for work (Windows PC & Apps).

But I use Linux at home.

reply to post by aletheia


This is easy, friend! Just download Device Doctor, and you hardware drivers problems disappear. The program downloads the drivers from it's own database, then you click to install. I work on computers for a partial living, and install Windows all the time. I do not like Windows drivers, they never work right, and the customers never have a motherboard drivers CD. Device Doctor, which is free, installs the correct manufacturer's drivers. Your hard ware will work much better, and faster.