M17xR3 clean install SSD instructions and recommendations

[carthikv12]

Thanks for the detailed steps jywang... I got a random bsod after 3 stable days on the 6970 card (didn't use ur method as i found this only yesterday)... so decided to clean install using this and noticed a small discrepancy - you've mentioned that ATi has to install ati drivers and then the intel ones in igp mode right? thats actually for the nvidia as the intel drivers in the resource dvd clearly states that its only for optimus. When i tried installing them, it says it couldn't validate the hardware i had... but everything else is going smoothly so far - still have to finish it - hopefully, I don't have any bsod issues...

[fjc2]

I'm getting ready to pull the stock 320gb drive from my shiny new M17xR3, and put in an Intel 510 SSD as a boot drive with a WD Black drive for a secondary.

From this and other threads and searches, it sounds like I'm better off staying in RAID mode in the BIOS. It seems that Intel's drivers will then use their AHCI drivers, versus the msahci driver from Microsoft that's installed if the BIOS is in AHCI mode.

Anyway - I plan to do a fresh install with BIOS set to RAID, using a Windows 7 Ultimate install disk/usb drive that has SP1 slipstreamed into it. Will I need to have Intel RAID drivers available for WIn7's installer, or are there stub drivers built into the install?

[Judas543]

will this setup work for m17x R1 as well? Just replace R3 with R1 drivers?

finally do i need any drivers for the Intel 510 SSD, or when i install windos 7 with raid enabled will it work default?

[Judas543]

can anyone answer my questionm?

[devildoc17]

So is it RAID or ACHI?

[kevinmajere]

I use raid with my SSD and a 750 gig HDD. SSD in Slot 0, HDD in Slot 1. No issues. I am expericing one issue since I followed this guide. All my quick touch buttons work... except the one to launch CC. I even uninstalled, and reinstalled it, no change. I did some research and installed the m18x CC, no change. It's a minor issue, but I like my machines to be perfect... any ideas?

(I have not tried the power drain trick, by the time I thought about it, it was 3 am in the morning, I had work in 5 hours... I'll try it when I get home tonight)

[RIKO]

I put SSD on my new M17xR3 and do a clean install of Windows7. After the clean install, I use the Resource DVD to install the drivers. But I cannot install the Wireless Driver, for some reason when it extract the driver the application is missing, I tried to download the driver on dell website and its still the same. Does anyone have this issue before or just me?

Thanks..

i had the same problem as you, the way i done it was installing it manually on the devices driver menu

[TraptPatriot]

Does anyone know if putting it on RAID lets you use TRIM? Obviously I mean it's not part of a RAID array, but just says RAID on the BIOS?

[herou1272]

hey, thanks for the great instructions but i followed the guide , and when i reached the bluetooth drivers i couldnt get past the "Activate bluetooth using wireless switch" . Can you guys help me out. Oh and btw i installed the intdl 510 120gb ssd into my m17x r3 using ahci and never had one bsod. Only the bluetooth is a minor issue.

[NegLet]

What about the Intel RST Driver? When, if ever, do we install this driver?

And a silly question: the BIOS driver thing on the Dell website comes with Windows 7 correct? So that means that I do not have to install it myself?