Hello all!
Well, I went out and bought an Asus eeePC 901 on Friday.
This small notebook will be used for astrophotography, as well as for general use when travelling and for work.
The eeePC 901 comes in two flavours: with linux or with Windows XP Home pre-installed.
I bought the Windows XP version. The linux version is more expensive as it has a larger SSD drive than the windows version.
The Windows XP Version has two SSD drives:
- a 4 GB SSD (C: drive, on which the OS is installed)
- Plus an 8 GB SSD drive (D: drive)
Importantly, the eeePC 901 uses an Intel Atom n270 CPU, which includes Hyperthreading. Hyperthreading is treated as a multi-processor CPU.
This is an important point and is mentioned below.
Even though it came pre-installed with Windows XP Home I wanted to install Windows XP Pro as I will use this at work. Also, the pre-installed Windows XP system is "bloated", with lots of installed software that I did not need. Since the OS is installed on the 4GB I wanted to make this as lean as possible.
Note: You will need a licensed copy of Windows if you wish to install another version of Windows on the eeePC.
So, how to install a new OS on the eeePC.
There are a number of install guides on the net and the two I found most useful were:
1.
http://www.i64x.com/eeexp.php
2.
http://archive.atomicmpc.com.au/foru...=2&c=21&t=1979
This second guide gives instructions on how to install the new OS from a USB key instead of from a disk.
Note that the guides suggest using a program called "nLite" (
http://www.nliteos.com/) to strip unwanted drivers, software, etc. from the Windows OS install programs.
However, there are a few things to watch out for when installing a new Windows OS on the eeePC 901 and these are detailed below.
1. BIOS changes for the OS install.
The guides say to enter the BIOS and change the setting "OS Installation " (in the Advanced section) to "Start" before doing the install.
My Windows eeePC did not have this setting. Rather, I needed to go into the "Boot" section and change the settings:
- Boot Device Priority, change '1st Boot Device' to the USB DVD/CD ROM you have connected to the eeePC
- Boot Settings Configuration, change 'Quick Boot' and "Quiet Boot' to Disabled. Changing Quick Boot is important, whereas Quiet Boot is personal preference.
- After completing the install you can change the settings back for faster boot times.
2. nLite install, Multi-processor Support
The first guide above (
http://www.i64x.com/eeexp.php) provides screen shots of nLite screens, which suggest options to remove from the Windows install packages. It is suggested to remove 'Multi-processor Support' under the 'Hardware' section in nLite.
- do
NOT do this. Multi-processor Support is critical for the installtion of the Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) Driver.
If you remove this support then the ACPI install does not complte properly and error messages are displayed constantly.
3. nLite install, install options
As mentioned above, the install guides suggest options to remove from the Windows install package. You can choose to leave some in, depending upon the use to which you will put the eeePC.
- I removed ALL drivers
- I removed ALL langauges and keyboards, except Japanese language and keyboard.
- I left in other software, such as IIS, Performance monitoring, Bluetooth and a few other options, as I wanted to use the eeePC for work.
In the end, my Windows Install had a very small footprint on the eeePC.
Also, the language and keyboard I left in were installed cleanly once I added them in under Regional Settings in Windows.
Also, subsequent Windows updates worked well.
I mention this because it shows that nLite works well.
4. Asus eeePC driver install
Once you have installed Windows, either a full install or using an nLite install, you will need to install the eeePC drivers. You can download the drivers from Asus
(http://support.asus.com/download/download.aspx?SLanguage=en-us). The install guide (Number 1) lists which drivers are essential.
The eePC devices will be listed as Unknown Devices in Device Manager.
- The best order to install the drivers is "ACPI" then "Chipset". After that, you can install LAN, Audio, VGA, Wireless drivers.
- I installed ACPI and Chipset using the AsusSetup.exe files in the driver files I downloaded
- I installed LAN, Audio and VGA from Device Manager, rather than using the AsusSetup.exe programs, because those programs add software I did not need.
- I installed the Wireless drivers using the AsusSetup.exe file because I coudl not install the drivers via Device Manager. Note that before the driver install the wireless etheret device is listed as an unknown device "Network Controller".
I also installed:
- ASUS Instant Key Utility
- Skype Utility
- VGAP (under Utilities), which is fix for connecting the eeePC to a projector when Windows XP Pro is installed
-
I will probably install the Touchpad update (Version V7.0.3.7), as well, as I find the touchpad is a bit sensitive to multiple touches. i believe this update fixes that problem.
I will not install the 'AutoC2D' program, which modifies the default location of program installation from Drive C: to Drive D:, because this is irreversible without a complete reinstall of Windowss.
Note that these notes are based upon my own installation and your mileage might vary (YMMV). If something goes wrong with your own install I cannot be held responsibale. Having said that, the install went resoably smoothly once I overcame the above points.
Anyway, I hope this small guide helps others that buy an eeePC.
cheers, DJDD
