fresh XP installation & media direct functionality

I bought E1505 and re-installed win xp. When I re-installed the win xp, I saw it was win xp pro, but actually it was win xp media Center Edition. The Media Direct button just worked as soon as I finished installation. Did you install win xp pro or win xp media center?

Hi czgu, thank you for your insterest in my question. Actually is a win XP pro.
The button did not work cos I have reformated the HD deleting all partitions (it seams like that media button will work after a reinstallation without reformatting the HD).
I spent much many hours with this issue, and I was able to solve it -I have my doubts-, but I'm not sure about the way it's worknig. Specially, I have left 5GB untoched at the end of the HD for a Linux installation, but I think if I use it I could lost mediadirect again.
If someone else has this problem, was very usefull to me this (very large) thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=40902&page=24
in that page, #234
Note: I have read the complete thread, and that solution doesn't apply to everyone. It worked to me. There are other approachs in that thread.

I think Dell should give us some documentation about the way they handle those HD partitions and the mediadirect functionality, in order to allow us to format the drive without loosing it, or in case of a HD change. Following Dell's indications in the "repair mediadirect utility" I lost my fresh win installation, and it's not clear how to clean that mess. I saw many people with the same problem (even in some threads in this forum). The people are solving that alone, with no help from Dell on that.

Cheers,
Aureliano

Is Dell QuickSet in startup? Media Direct will not work if Dell Quickset doesn't run.

The problem was related to the HD partitions. Now it is solved.
The docs sais QuickDell is a must to use MD, but the problem was with the startup (the MD button going to the windows startup, and running the MD repair disc produced a mess in the MBR and XP was not loading any more). I made a new reinstallation, following the steps described in the thread mentioned except for the reinstallation disc (wich I don't have).

I have corrected it without the MD installation disc. It seams MD resides on a "protected" HD partition, so I was able to rescue it without resintalling it.
Interesting info here:
http://www.notebookforums.com/showthread.php?t=144711
That would explain what the installation CD is usefull only if you change th HD (according to the Dell's manual).

Everything works now, the last thing I need to test is to make a linux installation in the free partition. I'm afraid ir could break the MD boot sequence (as it did XP in my first installation). That's because we don't know how MD is working, so we can no deal with it without "blind" tests. Dell should give us some documentation explaining how it works.

Regards,
Aureliano

That is very good experence for others too. You can make a backup before installing Linux. If anything goes wrong just retore the backup. I'm interesting in your Linux installation experence too. Are you going to use Fedora? Where do you get drivers for Linux?

My first step before the fresh installation was to make a ghost image of the Utility Partition, and another one of the Restore Partition. When the XP was broken I tried to restore but my ctrl-f11 shortcut to the restore utility was out of function. So I had to learn too much -for me- about MBR, and follow this instruction in order to start the restoration manually. This was veru helpfull:

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/index.htm

Restoring was not as clean as I expected, because the MD was having problems (it just restored the XP partition, but not solved MD problems). So again reading and trying complete new things to me.
I have left that partition as free space, now I have created an active partition there (almost 6GB only), and the machine is still working with all functions. I have a 40GB HD, that is about 38 really, and I have 36.75 GB available (I suspect a hidden partition of 1.2 for MD is still there).
I'm planning to install Debian, but I'm not sure about going with Ubuntu first. I don't have details about drivers, I supose I will finad and learn during installation.
I'm going to do that next days, but don't know when, as this issue was very long to me and I have many things to do right now :-P. I will make another entry in this thread when done, in case I have some info to share.

Cheers

Aureliano

pleeease help me!!!! i'm from romania and i have too a dell inspiron 6400 buyed.....the same problem whit the partition formated....and ca't get those cd with the software for media direct...please could you send to me...couse i can't even talk with the support from dell becouse my service tag in outside of ...worl:)))...this is it..:D...please can anyone send those cd to me?? pleease

hi, i take an image "dell restore " partition with norton ghost to DVD. i want to change my hard disk , can i use this image in new hard disk to restore my computer?