Re-installing XP?

Leave anything other than C: alone. It's for media direct crap (personally I just deleted it.) If you delete other partitions, you won't be able to reinstall media direct again after windows install.

I mean you will be able to install again, after ANOTHER formatting, and assigning splace for media direct.

I guess it's possible, but I think it might be tricky and I wouldn't know how to do it.

If you dont use MediaDirect which many of us do not then go ahead and delete all partitions and make your single partition the size of your HDD. Thats what I did and many of us do.

You will have to format again. (I think)

I have personally never put Media direct back on so I don't know the first thing about doing it. I know that my last two systems have came with a booklet and a CD that says "For reinstalling MediaDirect 3". Because of this I imagine you can put it back on but I cant answer you when you ask how difficult it will be.

Also, theoretically you should not have to reinstall because you can make new partitions by splitting up your current partition in Windows. You just split up on used space. Will this work for MediaDirect re-instillation? I have no clue.

My current set up has two partitions. It has C: and D:. C is about 12 GB and D is everything else. C has my OS on it and thats it. On D I have all of my programs and I have all of my documents and Music and such. This makes the boot up a lot faster because Windows doesn't have to sort through all of my crap to find its files. It also makes general browsing around quicker. Its a little extra work setting up your "my documents" on D and getting everything on the second partition though. You also have to always remember to set all your installations for program to install on D: and not C:.

If I were you I would just simply install you OS on one partition though since it seems (and I assume) you are a beginner.

Tricky part is you have to leave 15mb UNPARTITIONED for the software to install. The CD that comes from Dell basically leaves that unpartioned section for you in DOS if you don't have that space. The waring it will give you next is something like "this will completely destroy partition C:" install operating CD when you are done".

I tried both XP restore and Vista, and as far as I know, you have to reinstall OS when you use Dell CD in DOS.

The only difference I noticed between Dell's XP and Vista factory partition was Vista version came with 2GB of Dell media crap which I couldn't even delete.

Yeah just get rid of both partitions

Dumped media direct on all 3 of my dells and never missed it. If you like to play dvd's or other media without booting up, it might be nice.

I prefer the extra bit of room.

Not really sure, I never thought to try it. You may want to make the partition and then see if you can select D: to install the OS on. If not its really not a big deal to tell programs go to D: you will get used to it.