Installing Windows on Dell Inspiron 1545

If you're trying to install a clean copy of Windows XP or Windows 7 on a Dell Inspiron 1545 laptop, these notes might help...

• You must update to Dell's latest BIOS before you start, otherwise the XP installer will fail with a blue screen.

• Dell's BIOS updater only runs under Windows, so use the preinstalled Windows to update the BIOS before you do anything else.

• If installing Windows XP, you need to build a "slipstreamed" installation CD that incorporates Service Pack 3.  (Google for the instructions on this.)  Otherwise, again, the XP installer will fail with a blue screen.

• You can also install a full retail RTM Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit) DVD.  Of course that will need a unique license key (just like XP).    There may be a cheap way of buying legal license keys if you already own a genuine Windows 7 installation disk: see http://www.windows7key.co.uk - but I can't vouch for that website, and it sounds a bit too good to be true. 

• Out of curiousity, I also tried installing from a Dell OEM disk of Windows 7, but this was unsuccessful: halfway through, it complained that it couldn't see the DVD drive.  I wish I'd taken advantage of Dell's free Vista-to-Windows-7 upgrade offer before it expired!