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Installing Media Direct 3 without partitioning with MediaDirect DVD

post #1 of 22
2/19/07 at 6:43pm
Thread Starter 
Hey Champs,

Do anyone of you know how to install Media Direct v3 without creating partitions using the Media Direct DVD on clean harddisks.

I have 3 primary partitions on my harddisk and I resized the last partition so that I have 2055 MB left unallocated at the end and then tried to Install Media Direct 3 from Windows XP but it gave an error saying I haven't partitioned my harddrive using their DVD. This is ridiculous. I am able to install Media Direct v2 using the same technique (which I did later) then why not Media Direct v3. Grrrr...

Anyone tried this yet? Help me too.

Cheers
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post #2 of 22
2/21/07 at 11:02am
Media Direct 3 is totally different than 2 it requires an eisa partition to install the only way you could save everything is backup partitions into images with ghost and then use option 2 on media direct and create a c and d drive then restore backup images of c and d then install m/d 3 from within windows
jim
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post #3 of 22
2/21/07 at 12:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim6172
Media Direct 3 is totally different than 2 it requires an eisa partition to install the only way you could save everything is backup partitions into images with ghost and then use option 2 on media direct and create a c and d drive then restore backup images of c and d then install m/d 3 from within windows jim
Hey Dear, Thanks for replying. I know that I can have a maximum of 4 primary partitions on my harddrive so I want 3 to have drives C:, D: and E: and the rest as unallocated space to install Media Direct v3 (and that will automatically create a primary partition making the total as 4). I just don't want anything else in my system. Is this possible while partitioning with the Media Direct 3 DVD? I have listened that while installing with the media direct dvd one can have a maximum of 2 primary partitions (C: and D). Then how to do this. Cheers
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post #4 of 22
2/21/07 at 1:14pm
i amnot sure if it will work but you could try using a partitioning too such as partition magic to create new partitions after you install windows and media direct 3 but i am not sure how media direct will react with more than the normal 2 partitions but it may be worth a try
jim
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post #5 of 22
2/22/07 at 3:37am
On media direct 3 it requires the partition to boot with booting the os. The only way I know of configuring it is to run the cd before installing the os. It writes files to the fat partition be forinstalling the os.
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post #6 of 22
2/24/07 at 1:42am
So there is no way I can install it without trashing all my data.
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post #7 of 22
2/24/07 at 9:31am
yep probably at this point
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post #8 of 22
2/24/07 at 9:40am
Thread Starter 
Can anyone who has installed Media Direct v3 by using the Media Direct DVD give some details of what kind of partitions does it create. I would like to know the exact size and types of partitions that it makes. Details like number of Primary partions created, the Active partition set by the DVD, their sizes and any other detail that can be identified.

Cheers
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post #9 of 22
2/24/07 at 10:36am

screen shot

maybe if the attachment works
LL
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post #10 of 22
2/24/07 at 10:39am
47 mb is dell utility (installed by m/d 3) c and d are data
ordinarally there is only c but i also wanted 2 partitions so i used option 2
jim
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post #11 of 22
2/24/07 at 12:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim6172
maybe if the attachment works
Hey Jim, Thanks for this. I think you captured this from Windows "Computer Management". Could you also send me the picture of the graphic image of partitions that is shown by windows just below the portion that you sent above. Cheers
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post #12 of 22
2/24/07 at 1:08pm

screenshot

here ya go
LL
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post #13 of 22
2/24/07 at 1:43pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim6172
here ya go
Thanks again dear. What I am wondering now is although the 1st and second partitions being Navy Blue are primary partitions, the 3rd and 4th partitions are Blue in color and I am unsure what kind of partitions are these. Any ideas. I am just trying to figure out a way to have one more partitions and then I shall tell everybody about the method to have C:,D;,E: and Media direct partitions only.
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post #14 of 22
2/24/07 at 6:05pm

3 partitions

there ya go every thing is functional
i just split my d drive in 2 parts with partition magic you can find an evaluation copy with a googlw search

the easiest way to save all your files on your partitions is do a total disk backup using ghost (eval found on the web )back them up to either a network or external drive or dvd create the partitions with m/d 3 then use ghost to copy your c partition only then install m/d through windows shutdown your machine fire up media direct configure it then exit,
reboot fire up windows then format d and e partitions then restore the d and e partitions with ghost that is the easiest way to save your data ive found and keep all your partitions
jimedit my partitions are markrd d and g because my cd rom is e this can be fixed by assigning drive letters
LL
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post #15 of 22
2/25/07 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim6172
there ya go every thing is functional i just split my d drive in 2 parts with partition magic you can find an evaluation copy with a googlw search the easiest way to save all your files on your partitions is do a total disk backup using ghost (eval found on the web )back them up to either a network or external drive or dvd create the partitions with m/d 3 then use ghost to copy your c partition only then install m/d through windows shutdown your machine fire up media direct configure it then exit, reboot fire up windows then format d and e partitions then restore the d and e partitions with ghost that is the easiest way to save your data ive found and keep all your partitions jimedit my partitions are markrd d and g because my cd rom is e this can be fixed by assigning drive letters
Hmmm, so you have 3 partitions. Good. But their is a problem in having such partitions. You actually have only 1 primary partition so cannot have a dual boot machine.Your other primary partition is Dell Diagnostic partition which I do not require. The other two partitions you have are logical partitions in an Extended Partition and an OS cannot be installed in a Logical Partition. I need 3 partitions in order to have a dual boot machine i.e two OS in two primary partitions, 1 backup partition and 1 partition which will have media direct 3. Thanks
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post #16 of 22
3/15/07 at 2:06am
Quote:
Originally Posted by navverma
Hmmm, so you have 3 partitions. Good. But their is a problem in having such partitions. You actually have only 1 primary partition so cannot have a dual boot machine.Your other primary partition is Dell Diagnostic partition which I do not require. The other two partitions you have are logical partitions in an Extended Partition and an OS cannot be installed in a Logical Partition. I need 3 partitions in order to have a dual boot machine i.e two OS in two primary partitions, 1 backup partition and 1 partition which will have media direct 3. Thanks
Any luck so far? I'm in the same situation as you (without the backup partition). I want to have a dual boot with Vista on C: and a XP in other drive letter, keeping Media Direct 3 along the way.
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post #17 of 22
3/16/07 at 10:08am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by addiction
Any luck so far? I'm in the same situation as you (without the backup partition). I want to have a dual boot with Vista on C: and a XP in other drive letter, keeping Media Direct 3 along the way.
No Dear, until I get a way of doing this I cannot Install MD3 on my Harddisk. I am still running MD2. If you read about a way of doing this, please do inform here. I am also searching for this, hoping some genius would find a solution someday. Cheers
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post #18 of 22
3/16/07 at 11:53am
Quote:
Originally Posted by navverma
No Dear, until I get a way of doing this I cannot Install MD3 on my Harddisk. I am still running MD2. If you read about a way of doing this, please do inform here. I am also searching for this, hoping some genius would find a solution someday. Cheers
Unfortunatelly, my Inspiron already came with Media Direct 3 (I have no Media Direct 2 to install). If I can find one (maybe from Dell directly, haven't gone there yet), is it easy to do it? What are the differences from 2 and 3 afterall? Thanks!
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post #19 of 22
3/16/07 at 1:30pm
Thread Starter 
As far as I know version 2 does not have some Office Presentation capabilities or things like that. But it is sufficient for other purposes like movies and songs. You should be able to get a link somewhere in this forum to download the MD2 CD, which you can write and then use to install Media Direct 2.
When you have that CD, ask me and I should be able to help you in installing it the way you want. :-)

Cheers
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post #20 of 22
3/18/07 at 12:10am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jim6172
there ya go every thing is functional i just split my d drive in 2 parts with partition magic you can find an evaluation copy with a googlw search the easiest way to save all your files on your partitions is do a total disk backup using ghost (eval found on the web )back them up to either a network or external drive or dvd create the partitions with m/d 3 then use ghost to copy your c partition only then install m/d through windows shutdown your machine fire up media direct configure it then exit, reboot fire up windows then format d and e partitions then restore the d and e partitions with ghost that is the easiest way to save your data ive found and keep all your partitions jimedit my partitions are markrd d and g because my cd rom is e this can be fixed by assigning drive letters
I reallly have no idea what u said above. But the pic u showed, having ur drive into 5 parts, i wanted that and tried before and failed. Im getting a new system in few days. So I dont want to touch the md3 partitions. I just want to split c,d into c,d,e. I guess that should be simple with partition magic right?
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