Skip to main content
Start a Conversation

Unsolved

This post is more than 5 years old

S

seserhat

9 Posts

18354

July 10th, 2006 13:00

Help for Dell Media Direct for inspiron e1505

I have inspiron e1505. I lost the dell media direct function. When i got the computer i looked up HDD partitions with PowerQuest Partition Magic, I have seen no last partitions like 1308 mb which has the media direct software embedded. For you knowledge, the partitions was like that in order:  1- delutility (fat) 39,2 mb (hidden),  2- C  (ntfs) 108234,8 mb ,  3- Free space 7,8 mb   4- Local Disk (CP/M-CTOS) 4753,6 mb (hidden) which is partition for System Restore has Norton Ghost32 files (i also imaged it)  5 - Free space 7,8 mb
 
For this reason i thought Media direct function was hardware embedded. I format the hard drive and installed new and clean XP pro operating system, and media direct is gone.
After Chatting with dell, first they linked me the file R95248.EXE, which is for inspiron 9400, it didn't work. Than, i requested Dell Media Direct Reinstalling CD. When install the CD, it creates about 1200 mb hidden partition last of the hdd. The file system of the partition is NTFS after installing. But after restarting computer with MediaDirect key it changes to Type D7 file system. My problem is that, it gives Windows Error with blue screen. I started that operating system with pressing F8 key, And i started it with safe mode,  it gives error after loading "pwrdrv.sys" driver.
I understand that, dell media direct reinstallation CD, install an operating system that is "microsoft XP embedded", but it didn't work on my machine.
 
If you consider my original partitions where was my media direct function?
Why i can't run reinstalled media direct partitions? I tried english and turkish XP operating system but it didn't work.
Dell chatt service doesn't have enough knowledge about this issue. Are there any version of MediaDirect Reinstalling CD?
 
And one more interesting thing,  when i trying to get restore my system from images and dell media direct repairing utilities, Media Direct worked once.  The interested thing was it couldn't enter the C drive. After that i saw, my C drive didn't boot. I started the computer with my BartPE CD, i saw that C is unformatted. I checked up with Powerquest partition magic and Windows disk manager, it was true.  I formatted C, and media direct is gone forewer again?  ..........
 
Any idea for this??????

dg1261

623 Posts

July 11th, 2006 19:00

"If you consider my original partitions where was my media direct function?"
 
Factory-installed MediaDirect is hidden in a Host-Protected Area (HPA) of the hard disk.  All the usual tools (including Partition Magic and XP's Disk Management) cannot see a HPA.  The only clue will be that Partition Magic will report the total size of your hard disk as something less than what it should be.
 
What size is your disk?  From your msg, it looks like 120GB?  Launch PM and what size does it say the disk is?
 
 

seserhat

9 Posts

July 12th, 2006 07:00

My harddisk size should be 120GB. System bios writes 118GB,  and I see my harddrive size 113035MB=110GB in partition magic. The size of before formatting. It means that, there is still area that I can not see, and untouched, doesn't it? 
What should I do? Do you know any tools that can see all of my disk?
If media direct still in there though I can't see, there must be a driver or program to repair media direct. Why dell does not say anything about it?

dg1261

623 Posts

July 12th, 2006 12:00

"If media direct still in there though I can't see, there must be a driver or program to repair media direct. Why dell does not say anything about it?"
 
From your first post, it sounds like you wiped all partitions.  Starting from there, you should recreate a small FAT partition at the front of the disk (around 47 MB is typical) to replace the DellUtility partition you deleted, then create a NTFS partition in the rest of the space for XP.  Make the NTFS partition active.  Then install XP in the NTFS partition.  Then go to support.dell.com, downloads for the E1505, and download Dell QuickSet and the MediaDirect Repair Utility.  Install QuickSet in XP, and run the MD Repair Util to fix your MBR and reactivate the HPA-based MediaDirect.
 
According to other reports, MediaDirect won't reactivate if XP is installed in the first partition, so that's why it's usually advised that you do not remove the DellUtility partition--or in your case, recreate a tiny blank partition so XP is not the first partition.
 
 
 

Message Edited by dg1261 on 07-12-200606:02 AM

seserhat

9 Posts

July 12th, 2006 19:00

Many times I tried it before and I dit it one more time. The result is nothing. Computer doesn't boot. Writes like "loading PBR descriptor ....1 done, No boot loader..."  or same something. My active partitions goes. First partition become active again and takes drive letter "C" again. I also create 3rd partitions after C to try. Samethings happen again.

I have created the first 47MB area with dell upc32 tools. After than,reappear blue dell diagnostic sign upside of screen. Dell media direct repair utility make it disappear again. I have 2 different version of media direct repairing utility, i tried both of them.

dg1261

623 Posts

July 12th, 2006 21:00

Well, it's not clear to me exactly what steps you did and in which order.  It sounds like you may have created the 47MB partition after the XP partition or ran the repair utility when partition-1 was the active partition.
 
You should be following this exact sequence:
 
(1) Delete all partitions from the disk.
 
(2) Create the 47MB FAT partition at the beginning of the disk.
 
(3) Create the second partition for XP, NTFS.
 
(4) Make the second partition ACTIVE.
 
(5) Install XP.  When you choose which partition to install into, it should show the C: partition is the large one, not the small one.
 
(6) Reboot and test XP to see that it boots and works properly.
 
(7) Finally, run the MediaDirect Repair Utility.
 
 
 

seserhat

9 Posts

July 13th, 2006 06:00

1. There is hidden UPC32 folder in the Dell Utilities CD. There is a tool in it to make up harddisk the way dell creates system diagnostic folder, and puts its files. Using the tool, makes harddisk free all of the partition, and creates 27 MB FAT partition, begininig of the disk. It clears everything on the disk.
2. I restarted laptop from BartPE CD, checked partiitions by Partition Magic, there was nothing but FAT partition. I resized it 47 MB, as you said. Created new NTFS partition Fully rest of the disk, and made it Active. It makes FAT partition hidden and free from drive letter.
3. Installed XP, dell drivers, dell quick set. I see everything works fine. (Even I tried with inserting ghost images,  which was on the disk when I got the laptop. That images starts computer the way first time I started. It is the image of Dells original system partition)
4. I see works fine everything, Restarted computer from the Media Direct Repair Utility CD. Runned repair.bat.
5. Than, Windows neither Dell Media Direct didn't started. Writes "No boot loader..."
6. Restarted from my BartPE CD and Partition Magic, I saw, FAT partitions became active, and took C drive letter.  NTFS partition took D drive letter. That's the reason why system didn't started.
7. Even, I created 4,7 GB partitions last of the disk, the way of original state. I put all partitions in order, the way it must be.
8. I saw my windows works fine.
9. Tried repair utility, result was the same.
10. Many times I tried the repair utility CD, I changed boot partitions order. If I instal XP the first partitions, Repair utility doesn't make change for the boot. Otherwise, computer doesn't boot.

dg1261

623 Posts

July 13th, 2006 18:00

"There is a tool in it to make up harddisk the way dell creates system diagnostic folder, and puts its files. Using the tool, makes harddisk free all of the partition, and creates 27 MB FAT partition, begininig of the disk. It clears everything on the disk."

Okay, we need to figure out if you still have the HPA or not.  I'm not familiar with the tool you're using, so there's a question just how completely it clears everything on the disk--whether it also cleared the HPA or not.  Normally, tools cannot see the HPA so they'll clear everything they can see on the disk and the hidden HPA will still be left there.  But since it's a Dell tool and a Dell HPA, perhaps it knows it's there and also clears the HPA.  We'll need to get more information to find out.

You'll need the following tools:

- a USB flash drive (so you have a place to store files).  Borrow one if you need to.

- visit www.goodells.net/dellrestore/fixes.htm and download dsrfix.zip.  Extract the dsrfixcd.iso file and use it to make a bootable CD.

- visit www.partitionsupport.com and download ident11.zip.  Extract the identify.exe file and copy it onto the flash drive.

- insert the flash drive in a USB port, and insert the dsrfix CD in the CD drive.

- reboot, press F12 at the POST screen (big Dell logo) to get to the bios startup menu.  Select to boot from CD.

- the laptop should boot from CD and leave you at the 'A:>' prompt.

- execute the commands "dir c:", "dir d:", "dir e:", etc., to see if you can determine which drive letter has been assigned to the USB flash drive.  (It should be the one that lists the identify.exe file.)  Use that drive letter for 'x' in the following two steps.

- execute the command "a:\dsrfix  /d  >  x:\dsrfix.txt"  (without quotes, of course)

- execute the command "x:\identify  x:\identify.txt"

- the flash drive should now hold two text files, dsrfix.txt and identify.txt, containing the results of the two tests.  Email those two files to me at dsrfix (at) goodells.net.

 

Dan Goodell
www.goodells.net/dellrestore

 

View More

View All

No Events found!

Top