One equipment that I carry around when providing technical support is an old Dell Latitude D400 laptop. Associates that see it always wonder why I have such an old laptop (since it is limited to running only Windows XP) but it is mainly to help in solving network connection problems along with accessing my faster Hackintosh computer at the office using Remote Desktop.

Although Dell has not provided any drivers for later Operating Systems, Microsoft Vista (the successor to Windows XP) installs just fine on the Dell Latitude DS400 and with no video issues. If I do try to install on any versions of Windows 7 that functions on a 32-bit machine, I must use compatibility mode as it is the only way to fix the video drivers as it is unsigned for Vista.

I’m not sure who at Microsoft came up with the compatibility mode feature but my clients and I are very thankful that it is available as it has helped with the installation of printers such as the Lexmark X5470 on Windows 7 and other devices that I had to troubleshoot over the years.

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Stephan Pringle

Chief Executive Officer at Sipylus

About The Author: Stephan Pringle is an Information Technology Specialist. He covers hardware and software and provides tips for you to troubleshoot and repair issues on your own. In his spare time, he writes articles about the State of New York on his Hackintosh and HackBook and that has helped him to become the top contributor of the New York City section of Yahoo! Answers.

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