acer aspire 4310

Acer Aspire 4310 is hell to me...

My friend bought one for his sister for a very good deal. As life is unpredictable, he comes to me for hoping he could find the solution to the laptop's really banging issue.

Problem 1: Installing Windows XP
Solution:
Installing Windows XP on this is easy IF you are willing to do either the following:
1. Get a USB floppy disk drive so that when you are prompt to install the SATA drivers for it during installation. The down side, paying for the USB floppy disk drive for that purpose.
2. Slipstream it using nLite or the manual way of inserting SATA drivers into the installation disc.

Recommended method: Slipstream the drivers in to your Windows XP installation disc.

Problem 2: Drivers
I have read everywhere that there are a lot of problems with installing drivers with this PC. Well, hunting for it was easy thanks to the powerful Google. :)
Get the drivers you need at: http://support.acer-euro.com/drivers/notebook/as_4310.html

Installing the drivers were a bit uneasy for me as I have to crack my head for various solutions.
This is how I managed to get everything EXCEPT for the Broadcom Wireless LAN (Wi-FI/WLAN) device to work.

1. Install Intel chipset drivers.
2. Install Intel AHCI drivers.
3. Install Intel GMA graphics drivers.
4. Install the Synaptics touchpad drivers.
5. Install the card reader drivers.
6. Install the Bluetooth drivers.
7. Install the Webcam utility.
8. Install the Broadcom LAN drivers.
9. Install the Realtek sound chip drivers.

This is where it comes to down to hell.
Initially after installation of the drivers, one of the programs used by the drivers were not installed properly because Windows XP didn't detect it at all. Shocking. In the end, I managed to fixed it. Open the Device Manager (Right click My Computer > Properties > Hardware), refresh the whole thing, and the Realtek HD Audio device suddenly appears there. Amazing... it's a miracle. But I seriously wonder what happened to it.

10. Install modem drivers (either you try out with Agere or Conextant). My friend was using Conextant.
11. Install Wi-Fi drivers.

Wi-Fi drivers are probably giving me a headache... need to sleep... zzzz.....
Hopefully if you own one of this, this solves your problem.