PTedit.exe needs to run from DOS. Or you can run PTEdit32.exe from Windows....

Here's info on the Windows version....

Try that

Mark

Thanks a lot for the info.

Here's the result of ptedit

You need to run the rmbr DELL 1 3 command - please see earlier in the thread for details.

So now I have a new question about MediaDirect...

It only detects 2 albums, both by the same artist. The rest it doesn't see. I have Media Player working fine, MCE sees them all, I've checked their tags, they're all the same, I've checked their folder types, they're all the same. Anyone have any ideas as to why?

Oh, and it also seems to have detected my Windows sounds. I turned the setting to ignore all files smaller than 1000KB, but it still sees two of them, and one is only 13 seconds long. Too bad you can't seem to delete songs from the library.

Thanks to all who have replied with valuable info. Been away for work and havent been able to do this. Hopefully I'll get to it this weekend. I'll let you know how it works...

Wll, I decided to do the manual install outlined some pages back.

I converted my extended partition /D into a primary partition. After that I created another primary partiton meant for MD, formatted it and extracted there the contents of XPEI (that's the only one I have on my cd).

I then booted onto XP recovery console and was presented with both 1./C: and 2./E: options. I chosed 2.

Just to make sure I was doing things right, I ran dir, and I realized that I was reading the contents of C drive actually. I changed to the C drive, and I was reading the contents of E. Makes no sense to me, the drive letters seem to be switched.

At this point I was scared of doing anything else. Any advice on how to proceed?

The drive letters may be switched because of the layout of your partition table. Can you post a ptedit32 screenshot? If you do it to the wrong drive, it doesn't matter. So just do it to the one that appears to have the Media Direct installation and see what happens.

Ok, here it is:

<a href="http://img196.imageshack.us/my.php?image=capture0004gu.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9731/capture0004gu.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>

I was forgetting that there would be no D7 partition...but, based on the number of sectors, it looks like the Media Direct partition is the third partition, so I would not have thought it would be C. Anyway, just try the fixboot command (on both, if necessary). As I said before, it doesn't do any harm to run it on an existing Windows XP installation.

Yes, the third partiton is the one destined for MD

<a href="http://img199.imageshack.us/my.php?image=capture0011jz.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img199.imageshack.us/img199/4704/capture0011jz.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>

I'm going to go ahead with the fixboot sequence now.

What model laptop are you working with??? Having only a single file is an indication that this may be for 'older' models/chipsets. Reason I say that is a version of MediaDirect Reinstallation that I tried which had only one file [DH371 part number] did not work on my E1505. Had to use RJ262 in order for the install to work....

Just so you know

Mark

Bad news. Logged on to the E/ installation of Windows. As expected, it contained the XP files. I did a fixboot c: since that partiton is the one with the MD files. Exited.

Now the system does not boot anymore, just a blinking cursor on the top lefp corner of the screen. Arrgh. Trying not to despair....

I have an XPS m140. The CD I am doing the reinstallation from is the one that I requested from Dell when ordering the system.

For Reinstalling Dell MediaDirect P/N YG694 Rev. 00

Do a fixboot e: as well. Perhaps this should be in the guide...I wasn't sure if that problem might occur. I mean, I think that, after doing a fixboot on your Media Direct partition, you will need a fixboot on the other as well (or else set the Windows XP partition back to boot type 80 using ptedit).

I ran thru all possible 4 fixboot combinations. Logged on to installation:

2./E > fixboot C
2./E > fixboot E
1./C > fixboot E
1./C > fixboot C

No comnination got my system to boot again.

Weird things:

2./E is not password protected, but when I log on and do dir, the contents of
the original XP installation (on C) are shown.

1./C Has administrator password. When I log on and ask for dir, I get the MD files.

Looks like something got swapped.

I booted with Winternls ERD Comander. Disk Commander shows that I have three volumes:

C:\Local Drive (0 MB RAW)
D:\ data (34405 MB NTFS)
E:\ Local Drive (1389 MB NTFS)

If I select the C\ drive, I get an error message telling me "the selected volume cannot be mounted".

Taking in consideration this swapping thing, could it be that it is not mounted because it became invisible like the MD partiton is. Or another tpye?

I'm just thinking out loud...