Oct 5, 2013 - You don't have a driver installed a driver for your Dell Wireless 1505. Windows 7 64 bit and Windows 7 32 bit drivers are available here, these should also work with Windows 8 (but don't. Insert the USB stick into your Inspiron 1420 and nstall in order. Windows Vista Service Pack 1: Service Pack 1.
Note: This review is part of our Back to School 2008 roundup, covering specific configurations of popular laptops that can be found in retail stores.
We were very fond of Dell's 14-inch Inspiron 1420 laptop when Dell launched it in the spring of 2007, as we find that 14-inch models offer the optimal balance between portability and usability for mainstream users. Since then, Dell has introduced new 15-inch systems, and a whole new line, the Studio series, but no new 14-inch models.
This $799 retail configuration, called the Inspiron 1420-123B, offers a reasonable mix of components, including 3GB of RAM, but lacks the updated features found on Dell's latest 15-inch Inspirons, including touch-sensitive media control buttons and an HDMI output, making it look and feel a little dated.
| Price as reviewed | $799 |
| Processor | 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750 |
| Memory | 3GB DDR2 SDRAM 667MHz |
| Hard drive | 250GB 5400rpm |
| Chipset | Intel GMA X3100 |
| Graphics | Mobile Intel 965GM Express |
| Operating System | Windows Vista Premium |
| Dimensions (WDH) | 13.1x10.3x1.5 inches |
| Screen size (diagonal) | 14.1 |
| System weight / Weight with AC adapter | 5.5 / 6.3 pounds |
| Category | Mainstream |
Because Dell has revised its 15-inch basic Inspiron chassis more recently than the 14-inch version, we end up with an unusual situation where the 1420 is actually a hair thicker than the larger Inspiron 1525. Still, it has a smaller footprint and is easier to tote around on a frequent basis than the bigger 15-inch version, which weighs 0.6 pound more.
The basic Dell laptop keyboard remains unchanged and is comfortable to type on, but the small square media control buttons look and feel dated compared with the touch-sensitive versions found on even the cheapest non-14-inch Dell laptops.
The 14.1-inch wide-screen LCD offers a 1,280x800-pixel native resolution, which is standard for budget-minded mainstream systems, but may not offer enough screen real estate for busy students who need to have multiple windows open simultaneously. The configurable version available on the Dell Web site offers an upgrade to a higher 1,440x900-pixel resolution.
| Dell Inspiron 1420-123B | Average for category [mainstream] | |
| Video | VGA-out, S-Video | VGA-out, S-Video |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks | Stereo speakers, headphone/microphone jacks |
| Data | 4 USB 2.0, mini FireWire, multiformat memory card reader | 4 USB 2.0, SD card reader |
| Expansion | ExpressCard/54 | ExpressCard/54 |
| Networking | Modem, Ethernet, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi | modem, Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, optional WWAN |
| Optical drive | DVD burner | DVD burner |
This fixed-configuration system lacks Bluetooth (and the HDMI jack found on similarly priced Dell 1525 models), but does include FireWire--a connection that's becoming something of a rarity in today's USB-powered world.
Our Inspiron 1420 featured a 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T5750, which is the standard CPU for a mainstream budget system these days. It's perfectly fine for basic multitasking, including Web surfing, working on office documents, and media playback--but with the upcoming release of new Centrino 2 CPUs from Intel, this is probably the last generation of systems we'll see with this processor. Among the other midsize laptops at Best Buy in the $730 to $800 price range, the Inspiron 1420 preformed admirably, trailing only the Gateway T-6836, which benefits from 64-bit Vista and an extra gigabyte of addressable RAM (32-bit Vista cannot use more than 3GB of RAM).
The 1420 ran for 3 hours and 15 minutes on our video playback battery drain test, using the included six-cell battery. That's an impressive score for a mainstream system and beat five similarly priced and sized laptops you'll find at Best Buy this summer. The next closest competitor, the Gateway T-6836, conked out 17 minutes sooner on our demanding battery drain test while the rest of the systems failed to make it past the 2.5-hour mark. With smart use of the sleep and hibernate options in Windows Vista, should get you through a full day of classes with the Inspiron 1420.
Dell includes an industry-standard one-year parts-and-labor warranty with the system, and the Dell Web site has a robust collection of support tools, including online chat, a Flash-based question widget, and 24-7 toll-free telephone support. Retail stores offer a variety of extended warranty plans with your laptop purchase, but they're generally expensive and hard to use, so we do not recommend them.
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)
by Dell, Inc.
Dell is one of the largest and most popular technology companies in existence today, manufacturing and seeling a wide variety of products including personal computers, servers, printers, network storage devices, switches and computer accessories. Some of Dell’s most popular products currently on the market include laptops such as the Dell Latitude 7480 and the XPS 13. They also have highly rated printers such as the Dell S5840cdn and the H625cdw.
Find Dell Device Drivers by Category
How to Update Device Drivers Quickly & Easily
Tech Tip: Updating drivers manually requires some computer skills and patience. A faster and easier option is to use the Driver Update Utility for Dell to scan your system for free. The utility tells you which specific drivers are out-of-date for all of your devices.
Dell 1420 Network Controller Driver Windows Vista 64 Windows 10
Step 1 - Download Your Driver
To get the latest driver, including Windows 10 drivers, you can choose from a list of most popular Dell downloads. Click the download button next to the matching model name. After you complete your download, move on to Step 2.
If your driver is not listed and you know the model name or number of your Dell device, you can use it to search our driver archive for your Dell device model. Simply type the model name and/or number into the search box and click the Search button. You may see different versions in the results. Choose the best match for your PC and operating system.
If you don’t know the model name or number, you can start to narrow your search down by choosing which category of Dell device you have (such as Printer, Scanner, Video, Network, etc.). Start by selecting the correct category from our list of Dell Device Drivers by Category.
Need more help finding the right driver? You can request a driver and we will find it for you. We employ a team from around the world. They add hundreds of new drivers to our site every day.
Tech Tip: If you are having trouble deciding which is the right driver, try the Driver Update Utility for Dell. It is a software utility that will find the right driver for you - automatically.
Dell updates their drivers regularly. To get the latest Windows 10 driver, you may need to go to Dell website to find the driver for to your specific Windows version and device model.
Step 2 - Install Your Driver
After you download your new driver, then you have to install it. To install a driver in Windows, you will need to use a built-in utility called Device Manager. It allows you to see all of the devices recognized by your system, and the drivers associated with them.
How to Open Device Manager
In Windows 8.1 & Windows 10, right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager
In Windows 8, swipe up from the bottom, or right-click anywhere on the desktop and choose 'All Apps' -> swipe or scroll right and choose 'Control Panel' (under Windows System section) -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager
In Windows 7, click Start -> Control Panel -> Hardware and Sound -> Device Manager
In Windows Vista, click Start -> Control Panel -> System and Maintenance -> Device Manager
In Windows XP, click Start -> Control Panel -> Performance and Maintenance -> System -> Hardware tab -> Device Manager button
How to Install drivers using Device Manager
Locate the device and model that is having the issue and double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
Select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button and follow the instructions.
In most cases, you will need to reboot your computer in order for the driver update to take effect.
Tech Tip: Driver downloads and updates come in a variety of file formats with different file extensions. For example, you may have downloaded an EXE, INF, ZIP, or SYS file. Each file type has a slighty different installation procedure to follow.
If you are having trouble installing your driver, you should use the Driver Update Utility for Dell. It is a software utility that automatically finds, downloads and installs the right driver for your system. You can even backup your drivers before making any changes, and revert back in case there were any problems.
Try it now to safely update all of your drivers in just a few clicks. Once you download and run the utiliy, it will scan for out-of-date or missing drivers:
Dell 1420 Network Controller Driver Windows Vista 64 Windows 7
When the scan is complete, the driver update utility will display a results page showing which drivers are missing or out-of-date. You can update individual drivers, or all of the necessary drivers with one click.
Network Controller Driver Windows 7
For more help, visit our Driver Support Page for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.