[cookiemonster]

I know I have at times been quite confused as to which drivers were for what hardware, and there has especially been some confusion over the different drivers for the Battery Meter/Wireless Select Switch thing. I therefore decided to compile a list of the various drivers together with their filename. All links are to Dell's ftp site, for direct file download. BTW, these are listed as Windows XP drivers on their site to download drivers. Ubuntu drivers are built-in to the kernel (so, you don't need these).

Drivers for the Mini 9, taken from Dell's website:

• R192569.EXE - Battery Meter
• R192570.EXE - Wireless Select Switch
• R192572.EXE - Intel Graphics Media 945GSE/GM965
• R192574.EXE - Intel (R) Mobile Chipset
• R192597.EXE - Synaptics TouchPad
• R193480.EXE - Creative Labs Integrated Camera
• R197390.EXE - Broadcom Arcadyne Wireless LAN
• R197392.EXE - Realtek ALC268 HD Audio
• R197393.EXE - Realtek LAN RTL8102EL
• R197396.EXE - Broadcom Bluetooth
• R200081.EXE - JMicron JMB385 Card Reader
• Dell_Wireless-5530-HSPA-Mini_A01_R212325.exe - Dell Wireless 5530 HSPA Mini-Card (Firmware)
  
• DELL_WIRELESS-5530-HSPA-MINI_A06_R220877.exe - Dell Wireless 5530 HSPA Mini-Card (Driver)
• DELL_WIRELESS-5530-HSPA-MINI_A00_R198215.exe - Dell Wireless 5530 HSPA Mini-Card (Application)
• DELL_WIRELESS-5730-SPRINT-MO_A02_R240425.exe - Dell Wireless 5730 Sprint Mobile Broadband (EVDO Rev-A) MiniCard, Driver, Windows 7 32-bit, English, Multi System, v.2.10.52, A02

Recommended order to install these drivers

Finally, you can sign up on Dell's website to be notified by email whenever a new driver is released (including new BIOS releases). You will need to be signed in to "Create a New Subscription." The rest should be pretty straightforward.

I hope people find this post useful! Maybe it can be made a sticky... hint, hint

Edit: Due to popular demand, I will list drivers from sources other than Dell which have been reported to work with the Mini.

• Synaptics Touchpad driver - discussion
• Hacked Bluetooth driver - discussion
• (updated 2010.01.20) Broadcom Wireless Driver for Windows XP, version 5.60.18.35
• (updated 2010.01.30) Broadcom Wireless Driver for Windows 7, version 5.60.48.18
• (updated 2010.01.23) Realtek High Definition Audio (R2.41) driver (2000/XP ver. 5.10.0.6029; Vista/Win7 ver 6.0.1.6029), (too slow? See here. Alternate install method.)
• (updated 2010.02.02) JMicron JMB385 Card Reader, ver. 1.0.37.3
• (updated 2010.01.20) Realtek LAN driver (XP ver 5.742; Vista ver 6.230; Win 7 ver 7.011.1127.2009)
• (added 2009.3.29) Hitachi microdrive filter driver - makes your removable devices appear as fixed, useful if you've done the internal USB hack

[helius]

Thanks! This should come in handy when I get my mini on Friday

[skidmark]

Sorry I'm a newb ops: but do I need to download these drivers?

[JekyllInside]

Originally Posted by skidmark

Sorry I'm a newb ops: but do I need to download these drivers?

Only If you are planning to do a fresh install (which is highly recommended)

Saludos!

JekyllInside

[holmes4]

Well, recommended by some. I would not recommend a fresh install just for the heck of it. If the Dell install does what you want, at least live with it for a while and investigate the alternatives to see if they might better meet your needs. There are things you can do to improve the system without starting over.

[SlvrScoobie]

will this thread also highlight other drivers that can increase functionality? the sysnaptics driver from the larger laptops which includes support for gestures (even forward and back) and edge control works perfectly on the mini 9
its really quite handy except the back button area is a bit large and sometime i go back by mistake oops!

[strider_mt2k]

Agreed.
Things have evolved a little bit so a new list featuring both the stock drivers as well as the viable alternatives would be a great idea.
(and yeah the synaptics driver rocks for the touchpad)

[TD99]

This is from Dell's website, but I modified it so that it applies specifically to the Mini 9:

The following list is a general guideline of the correct order to install drivers on Dell portables. After reinstalling Microsoft® Windows®, follow the order listed when reinstalling drivers. It is recommended that you print this list for reference when installing drivers.

Note: Some devices may not function properly if the drivers are installed out of order.

1. Chipset - Helps Windows control system board components and controllers. This is located under the Chipset Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.

2. Video Adapter - Enhances video performance. This is located under the Video Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.

3. Network Interface Card (NIC) - Enhances the network controller for Internet or network access. This is located under the Network Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.

4. Audio Adapter - Enables and enhances the audio controller. This is located under the Audio Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.

5. Wireless Network Card - Enables and enhances the wireless network controller. This is located under the Network Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.

6. Touchpad - Enhances the pointing device features. This is located under the Input Device Drivers Category on the Drivers and Downloads page.

7. Other Devices

* Bluetooth ® (if installed)
* Webcam (if installed)
* Flash Media Controller
* Battery Meter
* Wireless Switch

[jsimon]

Do these drivers work with the Windows 7 build 7000 installs as well?

as soon as my 16gb ssd shows up I plan on trying out several OS options before I choose one.


Thanks

[holmes4]

Go to the Windows 7 section of the forum for help with that. In general, you'll want the Vista drivers for the Mini 12 there.