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July 9th, 2008 03:00
Reinstalling Dell Media Direct after complete OS installation.
I have searched the forums extensively and also looked online but quite confused by the variety of solutions.
I have just replaced my Dell XPS M1710 Hard Drive 100gb with a 200gb Hard Drive.
I have spent the better part of a day re-installing all necessary software and have discovered that I should have installed the 'Dell Media Direct' before I had started anything.
I would prefer not to go back to scratch and reformat all the drives and start again.
I partitioned my drives as:
C: 75gb for OS and main Operatiting Software
D: DvD
E: 75gb for Non-business software
F: 45gb for Files.
Both E & F drives are empty at the moment and I believe I could compromise either if necessary to accommodate the necessary room for the unpartitioned space required for Dell Media Direct. It is just I am not sure what I should do next.
I am running XP Pro and I have the original Dell installation CD.
I redid my partitioning to make 4gig free and unpartition and the installation CD still lets it hang at 10% and fail.
If anyone could advise a step by step proceedure for a non-computer proficient person it would be most appreciated.
Larry R
2 Intern
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1.7K Posts
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July 10th, 2008 14:00
Unfortunately, if you did a clean installation of Windows without first running the Media Direct installation setup then you will have to start over from scratch to get Media Direct installed. You can view the (re)installation steps for Media Direct 3.0 or 3.3 here.
Basically, it makes changes to the MBR and sets up the partition for Media Direct. Then you install Windows and once that is done you run the Media Direct setup, which corrects changes to the MBR made by Windows and does the actual installation process for Media Direct (configuration and file copying).
mikertiger
31 Posts
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August 4th, 2008 14:00
I have the same issue... I used the Media Direct disc to create the partition...C: for Vista, and D: for data...
Select Option 2 if you wish to designate a size for your operating system and have a data partition.
This will allow you to specify a size for the operating system partition, leaving the remainder of the hard drive configured as a “data” partition (D:).
However, when i try to install Media Direct, it says it was not done properly...
How do i install Media Direct?
thanks.
Larry R
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1.7K Posts
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August 4th, 2008 18:00
mikertiger
31 Posts
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August 4th, 2008 19:00
Again, I followed those directions:
when i got to here:
When the Media Direct Reinstallation menu appears, select the option to partition the hard drive.
This will allow you to specify a size for the operating system partition, leaving the remainder of the hard drive configured as a “data” partition (D:).
I selected Option 2.
When I got to here:
When installing Microsoft Windows Vista select the Primary Partition when prompted. If you have two hard drives, select the Primary Partition on the same disk where the MediaDirect partition resides.I selected Primary Partition..
When I got to here:
In the Dell MediaDirect Powered by Cyberlink window, press to reinstall Dell MediaDirect.
When the installation process is complete, a message will be displayed
It said the hard drive wasn't set up and I have to boot from the DirectMedia disc.
Larry R
2 Intern
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1.7K Posts
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August 4th, 2008 19:00
So, you booted from the Media Direct CD and had it configure the hard drive, then installed Vista, then (in Vista) ran the Media Direct CD to "install" it and at that point it complained the Media Direct partition was not set up, correct?
Assuming that, which partition did you tell Vista to install into (and how many where there listed) when you were in the setup process?
mikertiger
31 Posts
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August 5th, 2008 14:00
I've been trying this for awhile now...
So in summary, My Dell Inspiron 6400 HD failed. I bought a 160 gb WD and installed it. I run the Media Direct disc that came with the 6400 to set up the HD. i select option 1, use the C: drive.. then I run the Vista upgrade disc to run Vista. After Vista installs and runs ok, I try to install Media Direct with the disc.
at this point of the install, it tells me "The Hard drive has not been prepared for installation. Please reboot the system with the installation DVD in the Drive. Press F12 at teh BIOS screen and boot to the optical drive that contains your Reinstallation DVD."
Please help. can't install Media Direct 3.
mikertiger
31 Posts
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August 5th, 2008 15:00
Correct. I used the media direct disc, hit F12, booted from the optical drive... Right now, I am going through the steps here: support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/dsn/en/document?c=us&dl=false&l=en&s=gen&docid=39518C36B766A8C7E040A68F5B282107&doclang=en&cs=
Your Journal ID # is 082189KQRL
to try to see if i need to do something else... I know when I fix the partitions using the MEdia disc, it creates a J: drive, which i am assuming is where the Media direct set up is.
THough, when it does the Bios check, it shows 160Gb instead of the 160-2GB like that link says it should.
Larry R
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1.7K Posts
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August 5th, 2008 15:00
When you say you 'run the Media Direct disc that came with the 6400 to set up the HD' you had booted from that disk, correct (F12 at the Dell splash screen and told it to boot from CD/DVD/Optical Drive)? If you have, and followed the other instructions in the document I listed above then I have no idea why the install isn't working. I have gone through the steps myself a few computers (4 or 5) and have never had a problem with it.
The fact that Windows installs tells me that the hard drive isn't the problem. I suppose there is a chance the Media Direct CD is bad but that is unlikely without getting an error message.