DV7-1720us on linux???

Hi,

Some history first...

I've been using Windows since Windows 3.1 but this laptop came with Vista 64 bit and there's several old programs I like that will not run on Vista, I have to use them on my desktop XP computer. They will run on Windows 7 if... you use the "virtual XP" but the affordable home version of Win 7 will not allow virtualization. The only way to run these few programs (a reminder & address book programs) is to buy the Win 7 Ultimate which does allow virtualization and I'm not going to pay M$ that kind of money for "Ultimate" just to run a couple of legacy programs whose dll comands they decided not to include as in native Win 7.

So... I tried loading XP on this laptop but the one driver I could not find anywhere is the one for the onboard sound card. I could run everything else with the drivers I found but HP the @#$%^, will not provide an XP driver for the onboard sound card. If they did, there would be no issue. I do have a USB sound card which works wonderfully but I need a 110V outlet to run it and taking the external box everywhere I go to hear audio makes it ludicrous to bring with me everywhere I take the laptop.

I finally want to kiss off Microsoft and be done with them for life from this point on and HP seems to be in bed with M$ in that there are no drivers for this laptop except for the ones for Vista & Win 7; so the only possible solution I know of with this laptop is to try Linux. The only Linux I dabbled in before was 5 years ago and that was SUSE. All my programs ran fine with it from my then 32 bit desktop but I didn't know about Open Office & wanted to keep using my existing Doc & Access files so went back to XP on my desktop.

OK... so now up to today...

I've looked at Ubuntu & SUSE Linux to see if this laptop, my DV7-1270us (sold by Newegg) has drivers for the sound card but my search has come up dry. If there are sound card drivers for this I just don't know and nobody has mentioned anything about it. Perhaps this laptop is not as good as I thought it was when I bought it one year ago (it's still under warranty) but I paid a grand for it and it's fighting me all the way.

Does anyone know of a Linux that has sound card drivers available for this laptop? I really want to ditch Microsoft for good. Maybe HP as well for being in bed with the enemy...

Thanks!

Gary

First of all, thanks for the link to check out, I will do so but have to leave the house in a few min.

2nd of all, I disagree with your first comment. While XP is still being sold and Win 7 to be released within a few weeks of my buying this new laptop, I expect compatability with current software. XP should have been covered. For HP to still not have drivers for XP is unconscionable and an intentional act of omission. This is THE FIRST computer I have owned on 25 years that has not been backward compatible and there was no mention of this on the HP web site.

I do not find this action on their part, one of integrity.

I do though appreciate the links and will check them out when I'm back from work.

Thank you.

I guess I forgot that is possible, I didn't recall that & I'll need to check up on how to work that. Does it remember the drivers you install when you run off the live CD so I can search for them over several days or do I need to keep the distro running throughout to see what works or can I shut it down & pick up where I left off?

This particular laptop does offer a lot all considering, blu-ray, bluetooth, N wireless, makes your coffee & so on... There's a lot of drivers it needs and those software driver finders aren't worth a hill o' beans as far as I found when trying to get the audio drivers for XP. It'll take awhile to track them down I think.

I do think if I can find all the drivers to run Linux, I would happily kiss M$ goodbye for life. If only to run XP... I'd be good.

And thanks for the reply