Dell Media Direct

[FunkyELF]

Hi,

 

I just got my Dell XPS m1530 on Monday.

I have re-insalled Vista about 20 time, and Linux a few times trying to make this thing tripple boot with Vista, Linux and Dell MediaDirect.

Has anyone here got a system working with Vista, Dell MediaDirect, and OSX (with or without Linux)?

 

The problem is that if you want MediaDirect installed you need to boot off of it and let it partition your hard drive. You only get 2 choices, Vista gets the entire hard drive, or it gets a portion of it which you can choose. I chose 30gb for Vista.

 

This creates 2 primary partitions, and 2 logical partitions inside of an extended partition. The first primary is some Dell Utility, second is for Vista. The first logical partition is nothing but takes up the all of the extended partion except for the second whic is for MediaDirect.

 

OSX needs a primary partition but if you re-partition the hard drive now (before installing Vista and once in Vista installing MediaDirect), then you won't be able to install MediaDirect once you boot into Vista.

I have tried many different sequences and I'm pretty sure that you must

1. boot the MediaDirect cd and let it partition your HDD.

2. boot the Vista install disk and let it install

3. In Vista, install MediaDirect

 

If you re-partition to create yourself an OSX primary partition between steps 1 and 2 or steps 2 and 3 you will either not be able to install MediaDirect or when you do install it and boot into it, it'll delete all of your partitions.

 

Anyway, like I said...I have installed Vista about 20 times now and it is starting to get real annoying.

 

After those 3 steps I have done the following a couple of times.

 

4. boot a Linux live cd and use gparted.

4a. delete first logical partiton

4b. resize extended partition by 30gb to make room for a new primary partition for OSX

4c. create new 30gb primary partition (OSX)

4d. create 3 logical partitions for Linux in the extended partition (256mb boot, 4gb swap, 30gb root) leaving the rest unallocated for future endeavours.

 

The weird thing is, I have done the stuff above several times the exact same way. Sometimes after repartitioning I can boot into both MediaDirect and Vista, other times booting into MediaDirect will wipe me clean. Once I booted into MediaDirect and it loaded up graphically only to tell me that it couldn't access my hard drive and said to disable bitlocker (which I never enabled).

It is very inconsistent. I think I did the same exact thing a couple of times getting different results.

 

Please, if anyone has got MediaDirect working after adding a new primary partition for OSX please let me know.

 

I could care less about MediaDirect except for if you don't have it installed I heard that the button to boot it (right next to the power button) turns into a "self destruct" button.

 

Thanks,

~Eric

[DarwinX]

I did not have the Media Direct partitioning at all, just the MD installation in my own, non DELL Vista Ultimate. So, I just have 3 partitions, 1 - 40GB - Vista, 2 - 170GB - OSX, 3 - 20GB - OSX (expendable). So, there are no Dell partitions on my HD as apparently they aren't really needed for the button trick. Other than that, the MD has no value to me at all. The MD does however run from the Vista desktop via that same very button that boots the OSX.

 

If you don't mind me asking, did you get your XPS from the recent Slickdeals.net Dell promo? If so, then I did as well, I was using the company's notebook and it was so perfect for hackintoshes, I just had to get one of my own, couldn't pass up on that deal, for the configuration in my signature, I paid a total of under $1,000 shipped, 2 year warranty, extra WLAN card.....

 

 

Hi,

 

I just got my Dell XPS m1530 on Monday.

I have re-insalled Vista about 20 time, and Linux a few times trying to make this thing tripple boot with Vista, Linux and Dell MediaDirect.

Has anyone here got a system working with Vista, Dell MediaDirect, and OSX (with or without Linux)?

 

The problem is that if you want MediaDirect installed you need to boot off of it and let it partition your hard drive. You only get 2 choices, Vista gets the entire hard drive, or it gets a portion of it which you can choose. I chose 30gb for Vista.

 

This creates 2 primary partitions, and 2 logical partitions inside of an extended partition. The first primary is some Dell Utility, second is for Vista. The first logical partition is nothing but takes up the all of the extended partion except for the second whic is for MediaDirect.

 

OSX needs a primary partition but if you re-partition the hard drive now (before installing Vista and once in Vista installing MediaDirect), then you won't be able to install MediaDirect once you boot into Vista.

I have tried many different sequences and I'm pretty sure that you must

1. boot the MediaDirect cd and let it partition your HDD.

2. boot the Vista install disk and let it install

3. In Vista, install MediaDirect

 

If you re-partition to create yourself an OSX primary partition between steps 1 and 2 or steps 2 and 3 you will either not be able to install MediaDirect or when you do install it and boot into it, it'll delete all of your partitions.

 

Anyway, like I said...I have installed Vista about 20 times now and it is starting to get real annoying.

 

After those 3 steps I have done the following a couple of times.

 

4. boot a Linux live cd and use gparted.

4a. delete first logical partiton

4b. resize extended partition by 30gb to make room for a new primary partition for OSX

4c. create new 30gb primary partition (OSX)

4d. create 3 logical partitions for Linux in the extended partition (256mb boot, 4gb swap, 30gb root) leaving the rest unallocated for future endeavours.

 

The weird thing is, I have done the stuff above several times the exact same way. Sometimes after repartitioning I can boot into both MediaDirect and Vista, other times booting into MediaDirect will wipe me clean. Once I booted into MediaDirect and it loaded up graphically only to tell me that it couldn't access my hard drive and said to disable bitlocker (which I never enabled).

It is very inconsistent. I think I did the same exact thing a couple of times getting different results.

 

Please, if anyone has got MediaDirect working after adding a new primary partition for OSX please let me know.

 

I could care less about MediaDirect except for if you don't have it installed I heard that the button to boot it (right next to the power button) turns into a "self destruct" button.

 

Thanks,

~Eric

[FunkyELF]

I did not have the Media Direct partitioning at all, just the MD installation in my own, non DELL Vista Ultimate. So, I just have 3 partitions, 1 - 40GB - Vista, 2 - 170GB - OSX, 3 - 20GB - OSX (expendable). So, there are no Dell partitions on my HD as apparently they aren't really needed for the button trick. Other than that, the MD has no value to me at all. The MD does however run from the Vista desktop via that same very button that boots the OSX.

 

If I can't get this setup working soon I'll try ditching MediaDirect, but like I said...I heard of horrible things happening when you boot by pressing that button without it installed.

It'll be worth a test if this setup doesn't work.

What version of MediaDirect did you install. Mine is 3.5 which is apparently different from the 2 series. I don't think mine runs from the desktop at all, I think its only something you can boot into.

Do you plan on running OSX on your new m1530?

 

 

If you don't mind me asking, did you get your XPS from the recent Slickdeals.net Dell promo? If so, then I did as well, I was using the company's notebook and it was so perfect for hackintoshes, I just had to get one of my own, couldn't pass up on that deal, for the configuration in my signature, I paid a total of under $1,000 shipped, 2 year warranty, extra WLAN card.....

 

 

I got mine from my company's discount page. I got $599 off of the one when you configure it as "best". From there I got a 12% EPP from my employer and I was able to use a 10% e-coupon on top of it.

It cost about $2500 - $599 - 12% - 10% = about $1,500

 

Every component of mine is either the same or upgraded from your's, except only have one Intel Next Gen N card.

If it is not mentioned it is the same

Display I got the WUXGA (1920x1200) $100 option

HDD is the 320 5400rpm (already came with 'best' configuration)

Audio is Creative Labs HD (already came with 'best' configuration)

Bluetooth mouse $25 option

9 cell battery $169 option

3 year warranty, whatever their best one is where they'll come out to your house. (already came with 'best' configuration)

 

So it looks like I have 6 things that are better than your's. Whether they were worth the extra $500, I dunno. I think we're both happy. I'm real happy with my resolution ;-)

[thefinalprophecy]

I got an XPS m1330 from that slickdeals.net deal. 320 gig hard drive too, so plenty of room for dual booting. I'm going to wait until there is wifi support for the Intel 4965agn though (if ever).

[FunkyELF]

I got an XPS m1330 from that slickdeals.net deal. 320 gig hard drive too, so plenty of room for dual booting. I'm going to wait until there is wifi support for the Intel 4965agn though (if ever).

 

I could have got the wifi that works outa the box with OSX86 but I chose to go with Intel for the better Linux support where I suspect I will spend most of my time. I think OSX86 will be more of a toy, or a 'hey, look what I can do' kinda thing for me. I can always buy a $20 USB wifi card for when I wanna use OSX86.

 

The 1330 seemed nice too I was between that and the 1530. Both of them met my pixels per inch requirement. My benchmark was 1280x800 on a 12.1 that someone I know had. So 1440x900 on a 13.3 or 1680x1050 on a 15.4 was about the same, but 1920x1200 on the 15.4 creamed it. So, that along with the better graphics card made me go for the 1530

[DarwinX]

I formated the HD immediately after receiving the laptop, didn't even load the Dell bloated Vista once, wish I could've gotten the computer without any OS's at all! All of the MD problems are from previous versions, not 3.5, like I said though, as far as can humanly fathom, there is no MD 3.5 on my computer at all. It still boots, perhaps a BIOS modification of some kind is involved. When I am in Vista, that button brings up some kind of a useless Windows Media Center knock off. At this point, I refuse to even use the Vista Ultimate on my first partition, it looks outdated and quite pathetic compared to Leo. I was NEVER a Mac fan/user prior to this, mind you. Frankly, at this point, I am more than sure that the Micro$hit would NEVER spawn anything closely as functional as the OS X, M$ would always be at least a full generation behind anything Apple produces, think XP vs. Tiger, no comparison. I was a fool to defy this FACT, not anymore.

 

I wanted the full res matrice, as it would've been only $50 more for me, but the delivery date would've been extended by over 3 weeks with that component! Hell, this resolution that I have now is blinding me. Also, I was on the company's budget, everything over $1,000 would've been had to be paid by myself, their intention was to provide a mediocre work notebook, what I actually got was no worse than the $3,100 Mac Book Pro with Vista and cheap and flexible component upgrades. I've recently had an opportunity to bench my system against a mouthy coworker's Mac Book Pro, with SUPERIOR! results, GeekBench around 3,500!, which is better than most modern Mac Book Pros, I did not expect that. It most certainly shut that {censored} up, he was going on and on about the superiority of his $3,000 waste of money! HAH! (I win).

 

PS: The USB dongle was just extraordinarily aggravating to me, I've broken it off twice as I like to lounge with my laptop on my bed, thank gods for American stores return policies!

 

If I can't get this setup working soon I'll try ditching MediaDirect, but like I said...I heard of horrible things happening when you boot by pressing that button without it installed.

It'll be worth a test if this setup doesn't work.

What version of MediaDirect did you install. Mine is 3.5 which is apparently different from the 2 series. I don't think mine runs from the desktop at all, I think its only something you can boot into.

Do you plan on running OSX on your new m1530?

 

I got mine from my company's discount page. I got $599 off of the one when you configure it as "best". From there I got a 12% EPP from my employer and I was able to use a 10% e-coupon on top of it.

It cost about $2500 - $599 - 12% - 10% = about $1,500

 

Every component of mine is either the same or upgraded from your's, except only have one Intel Next Gen N card.

If it is not mentioned it is the same

Display I got the WUXGA (1920x1200) $100 option

HDD is the 320 5400rpm (already came with 'best' configuration)

Audio is Creative Labs HD (already came with 'best' configuration)

Bluetooth mouse $25 option

9 cell battery $169 option

3 year warranty, whatever their best one is where they'll come out to your house. (already came with 'best' configuration)

 

So it looks like I have 6 things that are better than your's. Whether they were worth the extra $500, I dunno. I think we're both happy. I'm real happy with my resolution ;-)

[The Fort]

Sometimes after repartitioning I can boot into both MediaDirect and Vista, other times booting into MediaDirect will wipe me clean. Once I booted into MediaDirect and it loaded up graphically only to tell me that it couldn't access my hard drive and said to disable bitlocker (which I never enabled).

It is very inconsistent. I think I did the same exact thing a couple of times getting different results.

 

Thanks,

~Eric

 

Just a quick question. When you were trying to partion and you got it booting into vista and mediadirect what happened when you tried to install osx or linux.