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How to install Dell MediaDirect with multiple partitions
HOW TO CREATE MULTIPLE PARTITIONS WITH DELL MEDIADIRECT COMPUTERS
I have contacted Dell Technical Support for about 10 times, none of them could help me successfully install Dell MediaDirect Experience while creating multiple partitions. They could only, however, successfully help me create just one partition and install Dell MediaDirect Experience. So, after so many sleepless night experiment with my brand new Dell Inspiron 630m laptop, I have finally figured out the way to overcome this problem where many people are having hard times to find a how-to way. The most important CD’s you have to always have with you are: Windows XP, Dell Drivers & Utilities, Dell MediaDirect installation. Note: boot with Dell Drivers & Utilities help repair master boot record for Media Direct, reinstall Dell MediaDirect installation CD help your system recognize any changes in all folders location after they are moved to a new location/directory. Here’s the solution I wanna share with all of you.
- Put Windows XP CD in optical drive
- Press F12 to select Boot from CD
- Press any key to continue
- Press F8 when the next screen shows
- Press ESC (Escape) to install a fresh copy of windows
- Delete all old partitions
- Then create following partitions:
· First partition with only 8MB of space (this space is eventually used by your Dell computer as a RAM Drive for MediaDirect Master Boot Record, besides it has no other use at all)
· Second partition is the system partition where Windows XP Operating System will be installed, so choose however large you want it to be (for me personally, I create a 10000 MB of space for it since I have some programs to install besides Windows XP)
· Once the first and second partitions are created, remove Windows XP CD, put in Dell Drivers & Utilities CD
· Restart computer
- Press F12 to select boot from CD
- At the prompt, select Q, press Enter, and at the prompt again type cd /md2 then press Enter, then type Repair, when Done! shows, remove Dell Drivers & Utilities CD, put back in Windows XP CD
- Restart computer, press F12 to select boot from CD, press any key to continue
- When the next screen shows, press F8, Esc, go back to partitions screen
- Delete the second partition
- Recreate that second partition
- Select second partition to install Windows XP
- When Windows XP installation process finishes, remove Windows XP CD, put in Dell MediaDirect Experience installation CD
- CD will autorun, click Enter to install, when installation completes, click Enter again finish, remove CD
- Right click My Computer, click Manage, click Disk Management, right click the free space after the drive where Windows XP was just installed (usually it’s a C drive), click New Partition, click Primary Partition, click Format, select all available space, select Quick Format, give it name if you want to, when Done you have just successfully created a second drive for your computer
- Now repair Master Boot Record for Dell MediaDirect by putting back in Dell Drivers & Utilities CD, restart computer, Press F12 to select boot from CD
- At the prompt, select Q, press Enter, and at the prompt again type cd /md2 then press Enter, then type Repair, when Done! shows, remove Dell Drivers & Utilities CD , restart computer
- Then install all needed drivers and softwares using Dell Drivers & Utilities CD and other CD’s you have, when done, remove CD, shut down computer
- Now press Media Direct button on the front panel of your computer, follow instructions and configure setting to your likings
IMPORTANT: Any time there’s a change in location of My Music and My Pictures folders, or even with any moving of any folder in your system, you have to reinstall Dell MediaDirect using Dell MediaDirect installation CD by simply putting it in the CD/DVD ROM drive, click Enter to start, when done click Enter to finish, then shut down computer. Press Media Direct button on the front panel to reconfigure Dell MediaDirect.
Also, there’s a third party software called Partition Magic, if anyone of you have successfully created a single partition system along with 1308MB of space reserved for Dell MediaDirect, you can try creating additional partitions by using that software. I have not tried that with Partition Magic yet, so I don’t have a definite answer for it.
Good luck!
Nucomer
Hi,
To my understanding and through experiments, if I don't create a second partition then delete, and then recreate again, the whole point of having a second drive on the computer besides the main Windows OS drive, will never ever work. I've noticed of the reserved space of 1308 MB of space for Dell MediaDirect as instructed by Dell; however, this is not neccessary for whoever wants to have 2 drives (C and D) on their computers. For those who don't want to have multiple partitions (or multiple drives) like yourself, then reserving a space of 1308 MB for MediaDirect is required. The reason I did not mention this step in my instructions is because it was for those who want to create a multiple partitions/drives computer while successfully install Dell MediaDirect. As a matter of fact, I did re-install Windows XP (one partition/drive) and successfully install MediaDirect just like you did. The thing is my purpose is always to create an additional drive for my document storage so in case my computer is down or virus attacked or whatever reason, all my documents will always be safe with it; and because of that I only post instructions for people like me to try. Let me know if you have other questions. Good luck.
Nucomer
- "
Also, there’s a third party software called Partition Magic, if anyone of you have successfully created a single partition system along with 1308MB of space reserved for Dell MediaDirect, you can try creating additional partitions by using that software. I have not tried that with Partition Magic yet, so I don’t have a definite answer for it.
"Hi,I have a primary partition for XP and all my other apps, data, etc...When I created this partition I also reserved the 1308+MB space in anticipation of installing Dell MediaDirect2.0Is it simply a matter of creating a new partition for MediaDirect using the 1308MB space I reserved? And then making that new small partition the Primary partition? If so, could I just use XP's own Computer Management utility to select the unused space for creating the new partition and then also just making it the primary? Then install the media direct?Or would I need to purchase Partition Magix to do that? I'm not really sure what partition Magic would be buying me. But if all else fails I'll just reinstall using your instructions.Thanks,BenMessage Edited by ygohome on 02-19-2006 04:40 PM
- If you use Disk Managment Utility, it will never work for Dell MediaDirect. I've tried this method before you came up with the question. I've experimented with partitions and MediaDirect installation in many different ways, and it only will work as in my instructions. In regard Partition Magic, this software can help create as many partitions as you like; however, your Dell MediaDirect will ONLY work with maximum of 4 partitions as following: un-lettered EISA (Master Boot Record for MediaDirect), OS installed drive (C), an additional drive (D), and the last one un-lettered for MediaDirect. If you create more than 4 partition regardless of what software or which method you use, Dell MediaDirect will absolutely never work, period.
Chimp_Nabers
4 Posts
1574
0
Posted February 20th, 2006 12:00
HiI created an 8mb partition, a partiton for the OS less 1308Mb for MediaDirect and followed the instructions above.Windows worked OK and two drives were shown in Explorer = C: drive (with the operating system) and an E: drive (with about 600mb of OS files).MediaDirect also booted from the button but it never asked me to configure any settings. I could play DVDs but it didn't find any of my pictures or music files, even though they were in the default folders. The only option to search for more files was on the DVD drive.I re-installed MediaDirect from Windows using the reinstallation CD but now it won't boot from the button - the blue error screen appears. I'm reluctant to run the repair utility in case this trashes my Windows setup.Do you know what's happened and if there is a way to resolve it without having to start all over again?!Thanks :smileyhappy:- I’ve been following this thread in awhile as I am picking up my 630m from UPS today and eventually plan to reformat my hard drive to make it a dual boot machine with WinXP and Suse Linux (hence two partitions needed). With the above setup I would like to keep the MediaDirect, if possible.
I guess I wonder what’s different in Nucomer’s instructions that’s not already covered with Dell’s instructions addressing reinstallation of MediaDirect found here:
http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1093823&l=en&langid=1&c=us&cs=&s=gen.
According to the document: 1) one should leave 1308 MB of unpartitioned space when preparing hard drive in anticipation of MediaDirect reinstallation following WinXP reinstall; and 2) one can create a maximum of three partitions in addition to the unpartitioned space reserved for Dell MediaDirect. It would appear this is exactly what Nucomer wants to accomplish with his instructions. Are you saying Dell’s instructions do not work? Hi,
I know exactly what you mean by that. As a matter of fact, I tried to do exactly as Dell's instructions on how to install MediaDirect. According to Dell, you can only create a maximum of 3 partitions in addition to the one reserved (1308 MB) for MediaDirect. I did do as Dell's instructions, unfortunately, it would never ever work. If you create 3 partitions and leave one out as reserved for MediaDirect, you could only be able to install your Win XP but never ever MediaDirect. Because of this, I have contacted Dell Tech Support about 10 times to ask why it is so, and they came up with nothing. Therefore, I spent many nights experimenting with my computer trying to figure out how to make it work. Eventually, I did and I posted all the steps to make it work on this forum. Also, I sent a copy of my instructions on MediaDirect with multiple partitions to help them have an idea on how to so that they are able to help other Dell customers in case they run into problem with partitions and MediaDirect.
Nucomer
- Thanks for your response! I noticed, however, that in your response you stated that only up to 3 partitions, "in addition to the one reserved (1308 MB) for MediaDirect", can be created. What Dell is saying (or at least that’s how I understand it) is that the space for MediaDirect is NOT to be designated as a seperate partition, but rather left alone as free space. So, just as an example, with 100,000 MB hard drive and two planned partitions, I would specify partition “A” at 50,000 MB and partition “B” at 48,692 MB (or any combination of the two adding to 98,692 MB). This would leave the required 1308 MB of available, UNPARTITIONED space, which, according to Dell, would be utilized when reinstalling MediaDirect.
Yet, from what you’re saying, this does not do the trick, right? Well, I will be following your instructions instead! Thanks again!
rtbond
17 Posts
1576
0
Posted February 19th, 2006 13:00
I was trying to reinstall MediaDirect on my E1705. I was not interested in creating a second data partition. I created a Windows XP Pro partition that left 1308 MB of unparitioned disc space (per the Dell Media Direct Reinstallation instructions). Next I installed the OS, then ran the MediaDirect reinstallation per the Dell instructions. The MediaDirect button would only bring up the MediaDirect splash screen when activated with the PC powered off. Consequently I ran the Dell MediaDirect Repair utility. This corrected the MediaDirect problem, and I was happy. Unfortunately the repair utility corrupted the Master Boot Record and Windows XP would not boot.
I followed your instructions (minus the creation of the additional partition from within Windows XP, as I didn't need this), and much to my suprise MediaDirect worked and Windows XP was not damaged by the MediaDirect repair utility.
I was wondering if you could clarify some of the steps in your procedure, as frankly I really did not understand what some of the steps were accomplishing (creating and then deleting partitions, etc.). Also, I see no mention of the 1308 MB partition required for MediaDirect. Did you explictly create this, or leave that much of the hard disk unpartitioned?
Thanks!
--Rob