I fixed my MediaDirect 2.0 button.....herre's how. - Page 9

Same here preston, just get into windows all the time.

First some questions:

1. What laptop do you have?
2. Are you using an original Dell HD from a MediaDirect laptop?
3. Are you using Dell's XP MCE DVD to reinstall Windows?
4. Did you see the 30 min flashing banner and did you let it complete?
5. Did you attempt to install MediaDirect using the reinstall CD?
6. Did you DL R113024.exe from Dell?
7. When you boot from the MD repair CD, do you get an F: prompt?
8. Do you get a prompt after typing in Repair?

Yes, No or Comments, no Blanks!!!

Hermit

1. E1705
2. Original Dell HD that had MediaDirect2.0 Before I used DBAN
3. I am using XP Pro for windows. OEM CD
4. I have no idea about this flashing banner thing
5. I successfully reinstalled MediaDirect when I created a 1450mb partition for it.
That worked, but then I reformatted again, realizing there is still 1428mb missing from the total sectors on my HD
6. YES
7. YES
8. YES

preston,

I may not be able to help, several differences:

I have a E1505, unlikely that matters. You have XP Pro CD [Microsoft?], I have a Dell XP MCE DVD. After XP is done installing, Dell throws up a flashing red banner, behind the banner are XP DOS install dialogs. Not sure what's happening but have a hunch it has to do with MediaDirect. The banner/install last 20-30 minutes.

I'd suggest a trip to chat hell, see if you can find out why? what? the banner does.

Hopefully there is a clue in the above.

Hermit

Interesting....

This XP Pro CD is original from DELL. Never saw the DOS Dialogs. Anyway, I really don't even think MediaDirect is even worth it!

Its all working now, made a 1400mb partition and installed mediadirect (from the download in the thread) rebooted pressed the media direct button and it works, first time since i got this from dell. i dont think it was installed on my drive in the first place. And my windows drive management can see the ntfs partition media direct is installed on.

Is the MediaDirect button supposed to do anything while booted into windows? When I hit the button quickset says "unable to launch dell media experience". Is this a function of Windows XP Media Center edition that I have lost by installing professional?

Mine opens up Windows Media Center...Opens Media Direct when pc is off though...wierd...

From what I've been able to gather that is the 'normal' operation...

wrt

Makes sense... The MediaDirect button will try to launch XP Media Center and can't find it. From what I understand Dell Media Experience isn't installed anymore on the 'newer' systems...

Mark

Easy way to get Media Direct 2.0 now..

http://aibal.fileburst.com/MediaDirect20.zip

Click to Download

Hi Mark,

Welcome to NBF's

Did a little research on this at Dell, what a concept.

From what I could tell, Media Experience came up everytime with the TV remote control. To me that means Media Experience is the application devoted to the optional TV tuner card. Hence there's no need for Media Experience unless you have the tuner.

I would imagine that if you purchased the TV tuner later from Dell, then a CD with Media Experience would be included. Its possible Media Experience functionality is now included in some other application and would not be needed on the Core laptops.

Well, that's my theory, and I'm sticking to it. That is until you prove me wrong again.

Hermit

On further investigation "Dell Media Experience" is a program that mimics the windows media center for people who aren't useing windows media center edition. The install files are supposedly on the "Tools" cd that I guess dell doesn't send out anymore. Looking through Dell's knowledge base I found a link to an upgrade for it http://service.dell.com/dell/kb/tech_support/view_article/1,,856+6053+6055+14563,00.html On the website it says it's a free download but when I try to install it, it says that it requires the retail version of Dell Media Experience to be installed.

Anyone have a tools cd with the setup files on it that wouldn't mind sharing?

Thanks man! Downloading now.

Just got my first M140 done, worked like a charm. Thanks guys!

I fixed my mediadirect, there are some misconceptions in the forums, and here is what I found. kinda FAQ:

(1) Where is MediaDirect located (E1705)?
- It is not in any 'visible' partitions
eg, the default HD layout is:
partition 1 - DOS utilities
8MB gap
partition 2 - Winxp mce
8MB gap
partition 3 - data for system restore.
The Mediadirect is in none of these partitions. I used PartitionMagic 8 to check the content of partition 1, and by deleting partition 3. Mediacenter still working.
- It is not in 'some memory chip'. That doesn't make sense because of the size. (Dell MediaDirect reinstall CD is at least 300MB)
- So, it must be in some strange reserved area of the SATA HD (called HPA)

(2) Use MediaDirect repair CD or MediaDirect reinstall CD?
- Since MediaDirect is in reserved area of HD (HPA), it is NEVER deleted, no matter how you re-partition, re-format. So, don't need the MediaDirect reinstall CD.
- Where is the repair CD?
Either burn the small ISO provided by DELL, or use your 'DELL driver and utilities' CD came with the laptop or ordered from Dell.

(3) I used repair CD, but still doesn't work.
- The key is, must leave a gap (I only tried 8MB, not sure if other size will also work) in front of the Windows XP partition. (not after xp)
- Someone mentioned the xp installer will automatically leave a 8MB gap when creating a new partition. This doesn't happen to me. My XP partition is right next to the first partition (48MB dos). I have to use PartitionMagic to move the xp partitoin after installed XP.

(4) This is what I found about mediadirect reinstall CD: I install it on the 14xxMB freespace after winxp. Use partitionmagic I can see a new partition after XP is created, and I can browse it's file system using partionmagic. Shut down, press Mediadirect button and mediadirect is loading..., but after 10sec it will lead to BSOD of HDD error. boot to XP and use partitionmagic to check again, the filesystem on that partition is totally messed up. Maybe this is due to there are 2 copies of mediadirect on my HD (one in HPA, one just installed on normal partitoin)

(5) How to update this invisible mediadirect (if new version from dell comes), or how to recover the 1.2G space used by it?
check section ATA Hardware/Host Protected Areas (HPA) of:
http://www.techpathways.com/webhelp/...and_tricks.htm
several tools can remove the HPA.

You switched here from MediaDirect [the button on the upper left of a E1505/E1705] to Mediacenter [a totally different Dell application, no button] creating more confusion.

While I applaud your goals here, I was left confused if you ever got MediaDirect to work? Did you? Clearly the goal here [at least my desire] is to retain MediaDirect on Dell's HPA, while at the same time deleting all of Dell's bloatware and ghost partitions. A clear set of steps to that end would be most helpful.

Your off tangent discussion into removing the HPA just middies the discussion. That is not to say a thread about removing Dell's HPA isn't valuable, just keep this one to the repairing of MediaDirect. Perhaps in this thread or a new thread entitled "Removing Dell's MediaDirect HPA" or some such.

You're "guilty" of mixing a how-to steps with a technical explanation of why, which makes a poor case for either. I believe you knowledge could greatly benefit this forum and this thread has so many misinformed statements that a case could be made for a new thread(s) which clearly and simply explains what Dell has done and the steps to remedy the situation.

Hermit

FYI, I figured out how to get rid of the 0xCA error (a few posts ago). It turns out that when we "repaired" MediaDirect, it somehow created a duplicate partition in the same part of the hard drive. I found it by booting a Linux LiveCD. I think my sysadmin fixed it with a DOS utility. Anyway, fdisk -l listed two partitions in the same part of the hard drive. Delete one, and now everything works fine, including the MediaDirect button.

Typo, I mean mediadirect.

Yes I got MediaDirect to work.

Install Media Direct 2.0

I just wanted to verify the install process for Media Direct 2.0. I downloaded the software from here (thanks to all that made that happen!), and believe that I successfully created the CD from the iso file.

Little background here, when I got my new computer (Dell E1705), I re-partitioned the drive and did a install of WinXP Media Center on one partition. Got that up and running and thought I'd be smart and repair Media Center a week or so after. BAD idea as I found out later, lost everything.

So, after much searching and reading, I have the computer formatted and re-install of WinXP on one partition, and I left 1450MB of unpartitioned space on the drive.

So, now, should I run the Media Direct CD in WinXP, or do I boot to the Media Center CD to install.

Reason I ask is I had a panic attack today, I ran the Media Direct CD that I made in WinXP and it started to work, and got to the Formatting @ 15% and it seemed to stop....or at least pause for some time (6-7 minutes). No hard drive light blinking etc.....so I control+alt+delete stopped the program, and rebooted totally expecting to loose everything again....but WinXP booted normally.

I am a little hesitant to do this as I do not want to format the HD AGAIN.

Sorry so long a post..............any suggestions? How long should it take, approx, for Media Center to install??

Thanks
Adam

Adam

Why would you want 2 copies of MD on your HD? The reinstall CD is for new HD's only. Dell puts MediaDirect on a HPA which you can't see or delete. Simply boot from the repair CD and reset/repair the pointer to MD on the HPA and MD should be working.

Hermit