FYI I tried loading unbutu dual boot with xpmedia edition os on my XPS 200 / did similar... now back to restoring to origional state.... very big mess... And guess what my recovery discs are not not working.
That makes me want to accomplish this all the more by deleting the Media Direct partition, resizing the Vista partition, and installing Linux in the freed space. That should leave the recovery and diagnostic partition intact. I never intend on using Media Direct anyway; I have no problem performing a "normal boot" and running a media player to watch a movie.
If you have only one partition C which is an active partition( ie on which OS is installed) then you just cannot resize your HDD with Vista Partition utility or with any other Third party partition software. You have to reformat your C partition and again reinstall Vista in some smaller space viz 25GB and simultaneously create another partition where you can install Linux.
That's ok. My worry concerns the many stories I've googled where messing with (removing) the MediaDirect partition, followed by pressing the MediaDirect button while the laptop is suspended or off, results in trashing the data on the drive. That's what I'm trying to avoid. My intent is to be able to dual-boot Vista and Linux, or more likely, since I've reserved some upgrades to Windows 7, be able to dual-boot Windows 7 and Linux on the laptop.
There should be a way to remove MediaDirect from the laptop without messing anything else up. Reformatting and reinstalling is fine. Gparted should be able to shrink and move the partitions. I've done similar things just by booting a Ubuntu 9 live CD, using gparted off that, and then installing.
I have been dual booting a 1525 for over a year now. Vista with 8.04 and now 9.04. I left the MediaDirect partition alone. The MediaButton has never been pressed. When I install 9.10 I will redo my partitions and put the MediaDirect space with my /home.
Now that I now about the MediaDirect I will avoid it when buying future machines.
kkspokane
1 Rookie
•
7 Posts
0
August 2nd, 2009 22:00
FYI I tried loading unbutu dual boot with xpmedia edition os on my XPS 200 / did similar... now back to restoring to origional state.... very big mess... And guess what my recovery discs are not not working.
lko
3 Posts
0
August 4th, 2009 20:00
That makes me want to accomplish this all the more by deleting the Media Direct partition, resizing the Vista partition, and installing Linux in the freed space. That should leave the recovery and diagnostic partition intact. I never intend on using Media Direct anyway; I have no problem performing a "normal boot" and running a media player to watch a movie.
milip
2 Posts
0
August 6th, 2009 00:00
If you have only one partition C which is an active partition( ie on which OS is installed) then you just cannot resize your HDD with Vista Partition utility or with any other Third party partition software. You have to reformat your C partition and again reinstall Vista in some smaller space viz 25GB and simultaneously create another partition where you can install Linux.
lko
3 Posts
0
August 6th, 2009 18:00
That's ok. My worry concerns the many stories I've googled where messing with (removing) the MediaDirect partition, followed by pressing the MediaDirect button while the laptop is suspended or off, results in trashing the data on the drive. That's what I'm trying to avoid. My intent is to be able to dual-boot Vista and Linux, or more likely, since I've reserved some upgrades to Windows 7, be able to dual-boot Windows 7 and Linux on the laptop.
There should be a way to remove MediaDirect from the laptop without messing anything else up. Reformatting and reinstalling is fine. Gparted should be able to shrink and move the partitions. I've done similar things just by booting a Ubuntu 9 live CD, using gparted off that, and then installing.
irishbreakfast
5 Posts
0
October 27th, 2009 18:00
I have been dual booting a 1525 for over a year now. Vista with 8.04 and now 9.04. I left the MediaDirect partition alone. The MediaButton has never been pressed. When I install 9.10 I will redo my partitions and put the MediaDirect space with my /home.
Now that I now about the MediaDirect I will avoid it when buying future machines.