Driver problems

HippieWitch

New Member
Messages
3
Location
Seymour, TN
Hi! I've got some issues with my latest install. I've got a Gateway NE56R41U laptop. Came with Windows 8 pre-installed. I decided to wipe it out to try out Linux Mint on it. I shoulda left it alone. Now that Windows 8 is installed, I downloaded and installed the drivers from the Gateway site. I installed them all, but there are issues.

First is the touchpad. It's a Synaptic touchpad. I first tried the Gateway driver. Moving the pointer works fine, so does all the clicks, but the scrolling is VERY choppy and erratic. So I uninstalled it, and downloaded the driver from the Synaptic site. That driver wouldn't let me scroll at all.

Second, in the Device Manager, it shows the "base system" has no driver. Am I missing something there?

Third, is screen resolution. It's much lower than before. Not sure what to do about that either.


If anyone can point me in the right direction to fix this, I would greatly appreciate it.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway NE56R41U
    CPU
    Intel B960
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 gb
    Browser
    Opera 12.14
How did you "reinstall" Win8? Did you do a system restore? Or did you wipe the drive and do a fresh install from a DVD?

If you want the "original" install back, you should contact Gateway and see if they will sell you a full-restore media set. Most likely, this will be a single DVD.
 

My Computer

I reinstalled from USB with a Windows 8 ISO I bought. If I had done a system restore I would have said that, instead of reinstall.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway NE56R41U
    CPU
    Intel B960
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 gb
    Browser
    Opera 12.14
Peace, HippieWitch. Welcome to Windows EightForums.

Is there is a recovery partition via looking in Disk Management? Or do you know enough to buy a disk for fresh install to rid the OEM crapware?

Just out of curiosity > You didn't like Mint?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
Peace, HippieWitch. Welcome to Windows EightForums.

Is there is a recovery partition via looking in Disk Management? Or do you know enough to buy a disk for fresh install to rid the OEM crapware?

Just out of curiosity > You didn't like Mint?

No, no recovery partition unfortunately. I bought a new copy for the install cause of all the bloatware that was in the stock install. I love Linux Mint, but I never could get the video drivers to even compare to Windows. I would much prefer Linux of any sort of Windows, but without a good video driver, it's just not possible since I do a lot of high def video work.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 64 bit
    Computer type
    Laptop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Gateway NE56R41U
    CPU
    Intel B960
    Motherboard
    Intel
    Memory
    4 gb
    Browser
    Opera 12.14
Great find, Mark. :thumb:

That should get the drivers, but you might wind up getting the Gateway OEM driver for your Synaptic touchpad again. Could it have been a program configuration setting for the scroll? Did it work originally when you purchased the machine?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    8.1 Pro X64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Acer T690
    CPU
    Intel Pentium D Dual Core
    Motherboard
    Acer/Intel E946GZ
    Memory
    2GB (max upgrade)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 - PCI Express x16
    Sound Card
    Integrated RealTek ALC888 high-definition audio with 7.1 channel audio support
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Acer AL1917W A LCD
    Screen Resolution
    1440 X 900
    Hard Drives
    350 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10
    Thumb drives
    PSU
    Standard 250 watt
    Case
    Desktop 7.2" (183mm) W x 17.5" (445mm) L x 14.5"
    Cooling
    Dual case fans + CPU fan
    Keyboard
    Acer Windows PS/2
    Mouse
    Wireless Microsoft Arc
    Internet Speed
    54mbp/s
    Browser
    IE11
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Office Pro 2013 / Nokia Lumia 1520 Windows Phone 8.1DP GDR1
Peace, HippieWitch. Welcome to Windows EightForums.

Is there is a recovery partition via looking in Disk Management? Or do you know enough to buy a disk for fresh install to rid the OEM crapware?

Just out of curiosity > You didn't like Mint?

No, no recovery partition unfortunately. I bought a new copy for the install cause of all the bloatware that was in the stock install. I love Linux Mint, but I never could get the video drivers to even compare to Windows. I would much prefer Linux of any sort of Windows, but without a good video driver, it's just not possible since I do a lot of high def video work.


For "Hi Def video work" I would certainly recommend a suitable desktop over a laptop--cheaper, generally far more powerful, user serviceable and upgradable--non of which generally applies to laptops. Linux is absolutely not the way to go if high-end gpu work is something you need to do--the Windows drivers for AMD and nVidia gpus are light years ahead (of even their own Linux drivers), and often for laptops with custom/hybrid gpus (of which there are many such mutants these days) no Linux drivers are available at all--from anyone! It's not that these companies have it in for Linux, it's that such a small percentage of their business runs Linux as a primary OS (less than 1%) that they simply don't devote much in the way of time and resources to doing R&D for Linux gpu drivers--and ne'er forget that Linux itself is fragmented with several different distributions that are often incompatible with each other, etc., never mind being completely incompatible with Windows...;) Linux' claim to fame is as a highly configurable, cheap (sometimes), server OS--and that is absolutely not anywhere near what you are presently using a computer for.

The cure for bloatware is format C:\. Then take your Win8 .iso and key and do a clean install. Then concentrate on installing the latest drivers for your hardware which in 99 cases out of 100 are going to come from Gateway, not the hardware OEM, because you own a Gateway laptop and that's the way driver updates work for laptops. You get them from the laptop company, not the hardware manufacturer. Yet another strike against laptops in general is that things like gpu drivers are developed very slowly and released at a glacial pace. Some laptop models by some companies offer a single gpu driver and never again offer an update! It's the nature of the laptop business, frankly. Again, if high-end gpu video work is your claim to fame then by all means get a desktop--keep your laptop on the side for those times when you need something portable. A desktop environment is where you get serious work done.

If by some chance Gateway does not yet have the drivers you need listed as separate downloads for your model # on the Gateway web site, then like the person advised above, you should order the Recovery DVD from Gateway by all means. Use the DVD to reinstall bloatware & all, then go to the Programs & Features control panel, and just uninstall everything you think is bloatware and leave yourself the meat & potatoes. Less than perfect, I know, but you are dealing with a laptop and, imo, "less than perfect" is something every laptop owner is forced to adjust to.

If you don't need portability (and most people who think they need it, don't), then be nice to yourself and buy a desktop...! Yea, I'm opinionated, but after doing this stuff for nearly 30 years I figure I'm entitled to my own opinions now and then...;)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    UEFI install of Win8.1 x64
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    self-crafted
    CPU
    FX-6300 @4.515Ghz
    Motherboard
    MSI 970a-G46
    Memory
    8 GB DDR3 (2x4) 1600 @ 1800
    Graphics Card(s)
    2GB HD 7850 @1.05GHz core/6GB/s ram
    Sound Card
    RealTek 892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG HZ281
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1200
    Hard Drives
    Seagate 320GB sata2 boot UEFI install of 8.1 x64;
    1TB WD Blue SATA 3;
    Seagate 2x 500GB sata2's in RAID 0
    PSU
    Corsair GS600
    Case
    LIan Li
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    Logitech Internet k-board
    Mouse
    Microsoft Sidewinder
    Internet Speed
    VDSL
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    built into OS MSE/Defender
    Other Info
    Had a brain amputation followed up by an all-lobe "clean-up" lobotomy last year, am doing fine. Life is so much simpler, now.
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