Dell Vista Laptop Reformat and Bloatware Removal Guide

Yes...my guide advises right off to create a complete backup because you will use everything. Trust me there is nothing to panic about here in any case. So lets move forward.

The recovery partition is dead and does nothing but waste space. The only way to revert back would have been through a separate backup disk set which I believe wasn't made.

Start the installation over...exactly as detailed. Once you are done with that, use the tweaking thread....you will be ecstatic when you see the difference in performance in any case.

 

Hi

[Issue regarding non-Dell OEM Vista Ultimate and MediaDirect installation]

Did you get anywhere with this, Les? I am looking to do a clean install of Ultimate (or 2008 Server), and it would be nice to be able to complete the MD install. Also, I am thinking that correspondingly, Dell QuickKey utility might have the same problem?

Regards
James

 

I am hoping to get an E4300 from work when they come out. My IT person says we will not be getting any computers with Vista, and will stick with XP until Windows 7 comes out.

Will there likely be any issues installing XP on an E4300? Sorry if this has been covered already, I did a quick search but don't have the time/patience to read through 180+ pages of posts!

I'm dying lugging my 5 year old D800 around on trips, not to mention the failing keyboard, etc. , and the E4300 sounds perfect for my needs.

 

Hello!
Before I begin, let me say that this will be the first non-apple computer I have used in about 5 years, so please forgive any mistakes. I was going to buy a macbook to continue my relatively positive experiences with OS X, but when I saw dell offered a more powerful machine with an extended warranty at a price still lower than the macbook i was considering, I just couldn't say no. It looks like my OS X days are over, at least until Apple gets fairer pricing. I have two questions, if someone wouldn't mind answering. I'd greatly appreciate some help in my introduction to the world of windows.

First, I'm interested in doing a fresh install of just Vista removing all other partitions on my studio 15 [bought it based on the pretty positive reviews on this site, actually], which hopefully will arrive soon. Am I to understand that it would be the same basic process others have outlined, just removing all steps pertaining to the MediaDirect stuff?

My second question is regarding the almost infamous AHCI drivers. After reading 90 pages (sorry if I missed the answer to this question, I just couldn't stomach any more!), am I correct in understanding this is the same thing as the Matrix Storage Manager? If so, there are two seemingly very similar drivers present on dell's website for this purpose. Which should I use? When I download the right one, could I just drag it from my desktop to a flashdrive, or do I actually have to run the attached .exe? (In OS X right now, so I can't see what the .exe actually does). Here is a picture of the two driver downloads in question:
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/553/satadrivedj3.jpg

Thank for a great thread, sorry if any of these questions are really dumb, but I'd rather look dumb now and do something right the first time, than look really dumb later after messing up. The longevity of this thread makes this process seem very scary; I've partitioned and installed XP on macs countless times, is this really that fundamentally different than that?

Again, thank you for your time!

 

Hey, I was wondering if anyone remembers the total amount of drivers that need to be installed for the XPSM1530. Or atleast, which drivers are NOT on the dell resources disc.

I just don`t want to miss something important

 

smoot, yes it's the same basic process. But you just stick in the Vista disk and partition with that.

As for the driver, yes the AHCI driver is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager. you need to download the second one because that's the actual driver. Whereas the first one is an application which you install after the re-install. So you download the .exe then run it and when it asks for a destination you need to point it to your USB drive. Just copying the .exe won't work because you need the files contained inside.

btw this is a really easy thing to do. the only thing different to win xp installations is the involvement of MediaDirect but since you're not installing it you dont have to worry. But even with the MD it's really easy.

ktulu, here's a link which lists all the drivers you need for your 1530

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3106106&postcount=866

 

mannydog, windows xp installs ok with steps on the first page. but for xp the only trouble I can see is that some drivers might not work for XP. For example for the inspiron 1720 there isn't an xp bluetooth driver so Vista it is.

Did anybody else think windows 98 was great? lol

 

ok...........so i have a 1530.

if i follow those steps what will i be losing? system restore? what.....im confused

 

Hello sabliminel. Technically, you wouldn't HAVE to lose anything you didn't want to. If you follow the procedure step-by-step, while maintaining mediadirect and not touching the recovery partition, you will not lose any of these features. System restore is a built-in feature of Windows. The recovery partition is a feature built into Dell laptops that allows you to restore the laptop to factory state entirely.

It is up to you what you wish to keep during the process. You can do the reformat with just getting rid of bloatware and keeping the 3GB mediadirect and 10GB recovery partition, or you can do the reformat with getting rid of bloatware, mediadirect, and recovery partition.

 

That is true, although if you do re-install Windows. You won't be able to use the recovery partition because certain path and files will be deleted. So it will just sit there so I would just wipe everything and do a completely fresh install.

 

Does this still apply if I use the Vista installation dvd supplied with my Dell XPS M1530?

I read somewhere that this (Dell) installation dvd already has the SATA drivers on it. How come it doesn't ask for the AHCI drivers when you don't point to them yourself?

 

You still need the drivers for the AHCI, most hardware dont ask drivers automatically. and i don't know if the drivers are included in the disk.

 

this may sound like a stupid question- but say I follow the steps- if I had a program installed from the factory such as photoshop, would the disk contain my pre-installed program? (or would I need to go search for a registration number and go through the program's website online)

 

The disk won't have any of the programs that were installed as factory default. Dell might have included them on additional discs (like the burning software), but it won't be installed if you follow the steps in this thread since that will only install Vista with the drivers for your machine.

 

you guys are awesome. It worked perfectly- and both the words and visual guide were great. Thanks everyone

 

Gd to hear westcoast.

Eastside lol

 

If I follow your steps from the first post will I end up with:

- Fully functioning Media Direct
- Two partitions - One with Media Direct (2-3GB) and one for Vista (rest of space)

What I will "lose" is:

- 10GB Recovery partition, which I should gain back in space

Just want to check this to ensure that the guide does what I think it does. I won't need the recovery partition because i'll just use this method each time to re-install right?!?

Also is everything I need included with my new Dell laptop when it arrives in 2 weeks? (Apart from the Vista Disc which I have myself)

 

Also I am getting the Intel Wireless N card with mine. Can anybody link me to where I can download the driver?

Are there ANY drivers I need to download before I do a clean install that aren't on the CD that comes with the laptop? Apart from the AHCI one?

 

I have the N card as well and the driver I needed was on dells support driver site listed in communication i think.

moved questions to Dell XPS branch of Dell Forum

 

I also have the Intel chip, and when you install and insert your driver cd, it will usually have a check mark next to it and say intel wireless drivers...its the full set. Its on your disk but if not

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...emID=XPS_M1530&hidos=WLH&hidlang=en&TabIndex=

 

well i went ahead and followed the steps. so i'll still be able to use system backup and restore? i just can't restore it to the factory state since i deleted that partition?

i just want the ability to backup all my files and the system and put it on an external drive. so hopefully i didn't mess that up

 

Yes you can... When you use the system backup, it should have backed up yr entire hd. Simply restore the backup and then restore to its new state.

 

So the recovery disc 100% definitely should have all the required drivers?!?

Also an important question....

My Dell laptop with come with Vista Home Premium w/ SP1 installed. My Vista discs for 32-bit and 64-bit that I got through Uni do NOT come with SP1 integrated on the discs.

Is this going to cause me a problem when using my Dell Licence for Vista that comes with it? Do I need to get a Vista w/ SP1 disc or should it work even without the SP1 being on the disc?

I can get SP1 later as I have it on a seperate disc from Uni or could download it, but will it say my Key is not valid for Vista pre-SP1 and is only valid for a disc including SP1 in the installation?

If this doesn't make sense let me know lol.

 

if i'm reading this correctly, you want to know if your OEM disk for vista will except SP1? yes it will, SP1 is an update from Microsoft, and as long as you have a vaild Vista with a valid key, you can download it right from microsoft's update page. I will not show up as an automatic update, you'll have to ask the updater to search for any available updates, then install. I would back up the system or create a restore, b/c I have the install of SP1 crash my system 2 times...nice huh, an update from MS killed my sys.

Also, the drivers disk will not have 100% all drivers, but it will have 85%, which is enough to get you back on the web to get to Dell support and download the rest, if you so desire to have them on your sys, also MS auto update will find most updates and drivers for you sys, if you use the 32-bit vista. Good luck, hit me up if you need some help.

Also, before you reinstall, check your driver disk against the link i have provided below, and see if all the drives you desire, are also on your disk...if so then your good. If not, then download to a jumpdrive, and you'll have everything ready.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3106106&postcount=866

 

Hmm thats kind of right. In a more simple way:

My Serial number that will come with my XPS will be for Vista with SP1 pre-installed

Will this serial number work even though the disc I have here is just Vista without SP1 pre-installed.

I understand that service packs are free updates from Microsoft and everybody is entitled to them..but the reason I am asking is that if you bought a laptop with XP SP2 pre-installed and tried to use an XP SP1 disc to do a clean install it would cause problems...or so I am told!

 

I dont think the SP1 being pre-installed or not will make any difference to the installation of Vista.

 

Excellent. Looking forward to getting my laptop! Going to use it for a day with the default Dell install and try some games and test RAM and HDD etc. Then if all is fine do a fresh installation. This would hopefully then speed it up too!

 

I just got my Studio 15 yesterday. I am looking to blow it away and install Vista x64 fresh.

I have a disc for Media Direct 4.0... which I can't seem to boot off of. (I can boot off my Vista x64 disc fine)

Would I be fine just booting straight to the Vista disc and installing? What is the advantage to using the Media Direct disc to reformat?

 

The only adv to media direct is this:

It helps set up the partitions automatically for you, but over that....

Media direct is a vehicle for viewing movies, wma, pics, etc, but doesnt require windows to boot up, which saves on processing time and majorly saves on battery life. Its not necessary but a great function if use will utalize it alot, if not, pitch it and just install vista. Media Direcet is totally at the users discretion and a nonnecessary program, but you will also loose the function of the media button when its gone, but you can map another function to that button if you so desire and there is a whole thread about doing that somewhere in here.

As far as booting it up, can you insert the disk and reset the comp, hit F12 and go into onetime start menu, or it doesnt even give you the option. If you really wanna load it badly enough, go into bios and change how the system boots...meaning, have it read from the disk at startup instead of booting to the HD.

 

I did some research, the preinstalled disk with sp1 is no different than downloading sp1 from micrsoft.com. Just install your vista, activate, do all updates required before you can install sp1, and then just download sp1 directly from microsoft ( I would, had the install crash my sys a few times from auto update, got interrupted and crashed the windows exe files.) Then your set....sp1 preinstalled is just a convinece from Dell.

 

Ahh thats great. Really appreciate you finding that out for me! Rep+

 

@monk

MD4 is not bootable ...its a standalone app on windows vista as far as i think

 

Took me awhile to realize that. There's no seperate partition for MD4 on my studio.

So there is no reason not to just use Vista to repartition my HDD. Problem is, I'm having a problem getting the driver loaded at install time to recognize the hard drive. I've downloaded drivers off Dell support, but haven't found one that will load and allow the install to see my HDD.

Anyone else been able to install Vista x64 on a studio yet?

 

omg.... this is scary... gonna try it though.. for the sake of knowledge, experience and speed .... hopefully everything goes well.... here we go...

 

are you extracting the drivers once you've downloaded them? because if you are just trying to use the .exe files it won't work.

 

Yeah, I just realized it just now, made multiple errors (especially the ACHI part lol), my heart beated so fast when the consequences of my actions were not the same as in the instructions... but.. i succeeded!! typing these from my new laptop now, hehe

 

Will my XPS M1530 that is arriving on Monday come with MD 3.3 or MD 4? If it comes with 4 is there any different steps to take?

 

Yup, I extracted the files before I tried the install.

It gives me a list of drivers when I browse to my flash drive to load the drivers.... I have tried several different drivers, including the ACHI drivers, and it keeps asking for a different driver.

 

I just recieved a Dell XPS M1530 yesterday, and I decided that I should reformat using this guide. I was doing fine untill I got to the ahci driver step. I have searched online and cant find a driver for the XPS M1530, and I would like some help. Can someone point me in the right direction here? It would be most appreciated. I couldn't find a search function to find out if other people have had this problem, I really would like/need some help!

 

The reason you cant find it, is b/c nowhere on their website does it call it AHCI. From dell its call the Intel Matrix Storage Manager. Follow link below...

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=224400

 

your wrong, it is bootable. I had similar problem with 3.3, changed bios and booted direclty to it. Follow first few steps, it says to install disk, reset and it should boot the cd right up..that means its bootable by all means of the spectrum.

Place MediaDirect 3.3 in drive;
Restart/Hit F12 at initial screen/One time boot/Boot Dvd;
Follow instructions to change your partitions. This will delete everything. (Note, I got my system to accept two partitions which are the 3Gb MediaDirect partition and the main partition but sometimes you will have no choice but to go with 3;
When it says, remove MD3 disk and replace with your Vista disk;


If i was you, download media direct 3.3 we all know that works with this, then insall vista, and upgrade your media direct to 4.0.

 

So in the instructions for the clean vista install, we just install only AHCI right?

And when vista is done installing we just put in the dell drivers cd and install all the stuff in that + the drivers on here http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3106106&postcount=866? Thanks.

 

Yes. During the actual vista installation phase, only the AHCI driver is installed.

 

Anyone else have benchmarks? I'm debating whether or not I should do this. Is this a considerable improvement?

 

Well, I have a Dell XPS M1330 with wndows vista installed it. When, i bought the laptop, it was not to my knowledge that Recovery D: was used for system restore. So, I used to backup my personal files in d:. I also deleted some other files which i thought were being backed up like some applications and others(may be even the restore files). Its been 15 days, I started having problem with my computer. I did system restore but it did not help. I had no other knowledge of troubleshooting, and later on my laptop started giving me blue screen error as soon as i boot to windows. I just could log into safe mode. So, I reinstalled the vista with the os dvd and the dell media direct. While installing the media direct i had the option to partion the hard disk. Since, my laptop had c: and D: earlier, I supposed I should be partioning the hardware and allocated spaces to c: and d:, allocated more than 10gb space to d than wat it had while new) And while i was installing vista, I installed it on c: and formatted it. I did not format the d:. After I finished installing vista, I tried to go back to the d: recovery drive, but it doesnt open and asks me to format it. I also tried to restore the files using backup and resotre, but it doesnt have any files to restore. What i was thinking was I can restore my files from the D: after the reinstallation. I have no idea wat is goin on. May b coz of my poor knowledge about the matter. I just need some help and information regarding it. Would really appreciate it...



Thanks...

 

ok so after i reformat, and put in the dell drivers disk, does it come with the graphics card driver? if it does should i not install it because it most likely isnt the most up to date driver for the 8600M GT? also how old is the 8600M GT driver that comes with a M1530 and even if i dont reformat should i update the driver right away, and what is a good driver wipe so i can do a clean install of the new graphics driver?

 

OneHit...u can go to device manager in control panel....then uninstall the graphics driver...then install ur new driver.

 

For thos of you installing the AHCI drivers, that dont have the Dell Disk and find yourself getting nowhere. Its a little more tricky than just inserting a USB drive and hitting ok...HOPE THIS HELPS.



* 5. INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE
************************************************************

5.1 General Installation Notes

1. If you are installing the operating system on a system
configured for RAID or AHCI mode, you must pre-install
the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager driver using the
F6 installation method described in section 5.3.

2. The 'Intel(R) Chipset Software Installation Utility'
must be installed on the system after a supported
Microsoft* Windows* operating system has been installed.

3. To install the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager,
double-click on the self-extracting and self-installing
setup file and answer all prompts presented.

4. By default, all installed files (readme.txt, help, etc.)
are copied to the following path:

<bootdrive>\Program Files\Intel\Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager


5.2 Windows Automated Installer* Installation from Hard
Drive or CD-ROM

Note: This method is applicable to systems configured for
RAID or AHCI mode.

1. Download the Intel(R) Matrix Storage Manager setup file
and double-click to self-extract and to begin the setup
process.

2. The 'Welcome' window appears. Click Next to continue.

3. The 'Uninstallation Warning' window appears. Click Next
to continue.

4. The 'Software License Agreement' window appears. If you
agree to these terms, click Yes to continue.

5. The 'Readme File Information' window appears. Click Next
to continue.

6. The 'Choose Destination Location' window appears.
Click Next to continue.

7. The 'Select Program Folder' window appears. Click Next
to continue installing the driver.

8. If the Windows Automated Installer* Wizard Complete window
is shown without a prompt to restart the system, click
Finish and proceed to step 8. If it is shown with a
prompt to restart the system, click Yes, I want to
restart my computer now. (the default selection) and
click Finish. Once the system has restarted,
proceed to step 8.

9. To verify that the driver was loaded correctly, refer
to section 6.


5.3 Pre-Installation Using the F6 Method.

Note: The Steps 1 and 2 can be skipped if you use the F6 Floppy
disk utility provided by Intel. This utility can also be
downloaded from the following website. These methods
are applicable to systems configured for RAID or
AHCI mode.

http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df/Product_Filter.asp?
ProductID=2101

1. Extract all driver files from the installation package.
See section 7.2 for instructions on extracting the
files.

2. Create a floppy* containing the following files in the root
directory:
iaAhci.inf, iaAhci.cat,
iaStor.inf, iaStor.cat,
iaStor.sys, and
TxtSetup.oem.

* Note: For Windows Vista you can use a floppy, CD/DVD or USB.

3. For Windows XP or later operating systems:

- At the beginning of the operating system installation,
press F6 to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver.

- When prompted, select 'S' to Specify Additional Device.

- Continue to step 5.

4. For Windows Vista:

- During the operating system installation, after selecting the
location to install Vista, click Load Driver to
install a third
party SCSI or RAID driver.

- Continue to step 5.

5. When prompted, insert the media (floppy, CD/DVD
or USB) you
created in step 2 and press Enter.

6. At this point you should be presented with a selection
for one of the following depending on your hardware
version and configuration:

- Intel(R) 82801IR/IO SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH9R)
- Intel(R) 82801IR/IO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH9R)
- Intel(R) 82801HEM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)
- Intel(R) 82801HEM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M-E)
- Intel(R) 82801HBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH8M)
- Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH8R)
- Intel(R) 82801HR/HH/HO SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH8R)
- Intel(R) 631xESB/632xESB SATA RAID Controller (Workstation ESB2)
- Intel(R) 82801GHM SATA RAID Controller (Mobile ICH7RM)
- Intel(R) 82801GBM SATA AHCI Controller (Mobile ICH7M)
- Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA RAID Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)
- Intel(R) 82801GR/GH SATA AHCI Controller (Desktop ICH7R/DH)

7. Highlight the selection that is appropriate for the
hardware in your system and press Enter.

8. Press Enter again to continue. Leave the floppy disk in
the system until the next reboot as the software will
need to be copied from the floppy disk again when setup
is copying files.

 

"# Follow the instructions/select complete install and, in the select partition screen, click bottom left to install the AHCI driver, insert the driver medium and direct it to the file which will say AHCI. There may be two files identified, ensure you select the AHCI driver. Once you have completed installing the driver, select correct partition to install Vista on;"

Can someone just explain to me what the AHCI driver is and what you mean when you say "insert the driver medium". Does medium mean CD?

And what exactly is a "partition"?

 

the AHCI driver is the Intel Matrix Storage Manager (driver) which allows the hard-drive to work 15% faster. AHCI itself is just mode in BIOS which allows the performance boost.

When you download the driver and run it and extract it to a 'medium'. that's anything from a USB drive, CD/DVD, extarnal hard-drive or even a floppy disk. lol

A partition is when you split your hard-drive in separate bits. and there are completely independant, it's like having another hard-drive. So you can do anything you want on 1 partition reformat as much as you like and the other partition wont be touched at all. This is useful because if you store all your personal data like pictures, music on 1 and have windows and programs it makes windows reinstalling easier because you dont have to back up everytime. Plus it makes your system work faster.