Dell Vista Laptop Reformat and Bloatware Removal Guide

Could you please provide a link to this driver for a Studio XPS 16? I tried looking for one, but could not locate it. Thanks!

 

Hello all,
Great thread thanks to everyone for the info. Just a question if anyone can help, I recently bought a Studio 1537 with vista 32bit, after following the instructions, I have done a clean install, everything went OK, except the ATI Mobility Radeon HD install failed in one particular process but seems to be working?? also in other devices there is missing drivers for the ethernet, sm bus and unknown device. Anyone have any idea if I need these and where I can find them? thanks first laptop and slightly confused..

 

Am I able to undergo this fresh install the first time I turn on my computer? My computer is being delivered tuesday and I was wondering I had to turn on my computer, and set-up all the settings, THEN i have to reboot and undergo a fresh install. Can I just turn on my computer for the first time and pop in the media direct cd and go through with the bloatware removal process?

AND

I am scheduled to undergo a fresh install of Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit on Tuesday evening 04/28/09. I am a little worried I might screw up some drivers by picking the wrong ones or losing some. Could you guys please provide me with all the needed drivers (I would be extremely grateful if links were provided) I will need during my computer's re-installation process? Also, I have no idea what the AHCI driver is/or where it is located...

My Specs:

* XPS 1640, Intel Core 2 Duo P8700(2.53GHz/1066Mhz FSB/3M L2 Cache)
* 4GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm forXPS 1640
* 16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 720p HD WLED LCD, W/2.0 MP, XPS 1640
* ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 - 512MB
* 500GB 7200RPM Free Fall SensorSeagate Hard Drive
* Microsoft Windows Vista with SP1 Home Premium Edition 64-bit Edition English
* Integrated 10/100 Network Card
* 8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive for XPS1640
* Integrated High Definition Audio 2.0
* Intel WiFi Link 5300 802.11AGN Half Mini Card
* 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS 1640


Thanks to you all in advance.

 

I've ordered a Dell Studio 1555, and had some questions about this.

So Media Direct will come with the laptop, but I hear new versions aren't booting during the Vista installation? Has that been resolved? And do I need to install Media Direct, or can I ignore it?

And so I need to re-format, then after installing Vista 64bit, I install the AHCI?

 

I don't know if I got a Media Direct CD to perform the re-install? What does it look like?

I only got:
Device CD
OS CD

 

I couldn't locate it on Dell's site either. I don't know why they don't provide it Anyways, you can always download it directly from Intel instead: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Detail_Desc.aspx?agr=Y&DwnldID=17412

Try uninstalling and then re-installing the graphics driver to ensure that it installs correctly.

Here is the link to the ethernet driver: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=5&fileid=272005

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "SM Bus"... Does it say anything else in the Device Manager? Also, where in the Device Manager do you find the "Unknown Device"?

FYI, here are all the drivers for your machine: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...stemID=STUDIO1537&os=WLH&osl=en&catid=&impid=

I suppose you could do a clean install immediately, but I have never tried that. I recommend just going through the initial set-up, then doing the clean install. It will only take a few minutes to go through the initial set-up. Besides, then you know what to expect when you do your clean install

Well, here are all the Vista 64-bit drivers for your machine: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...ID=STUDIOXPS16&hidos=WLH&hidlang=en&TabIndex=

It should be fairly clear which ones you need and which ones you don't. If not, a CD should come with your computer will all the drivers on it. You can install them from the CD also/instead.

And I linked to the AHCI driver above...

Glad to hear it worked

I heard the new versions of MediaDirect install separate to the Vista install. I don't have a new version so I can't confirm this, but that is what I have heard.

You do not need to install MediaDirect. I don't have it installed on my computer. I've never needed or wanted to use it.

You don't need to install the AHCI driver during the Vista install, but you can. To do so, you'll need to extract it to a folder on a USB driver and install it during the partition set-up of the Vista install.

From what I've heard, newer versions of MediaDirect don't require a full OS reinstall, they install separately whenever you want. You can do the OS re-install without installing/setting-up MediaDirect first. Go to support.dell.com to see if MediaDirect is offered as a download for your computer. It may also be on the Device CD.

 

Ahhh...interesting. I probably won't install Media Direct. Thank you for your help.

 

Hi, I can not find the AHCI drivers for my m1730. Help please.

Also, when i try to finish installing media direct. I get "installation errors," please help.

specs
XPS M1730, Intel Core 2 Duo T9500(2.6GHz, 800Mhz, 6M L2 Cache)
4GB, DDR2, 667MHz 2 Dimm for XPS M1730
1GB Nvidia Dual GeForce 9800M GT
128GB Solid State Drive and 250GB SATA HDD (7200RPM) Free Fall Sensor
Microsoft Windows Vista with SP1 Home Premium Edition 64-bit Edition English

I really need someone to walk me through this. I think I really messed up. please.

 

You're welcome Feel free to post again if you have issues with re-installing or more questions.

Here is the AHCI driver for the 1730: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=205611
It's called the "Intel Matrix Storage Manager".

What do you mean "when I finish installing MediaDirect"? Did Vista install fine? Do you have the older version of MediaDirect that needs to be set-up before the Vista install, then finished later?

 

I encounter the error at step 9 "Run "DellKit" and press enter to complete installation of MediaDirect."

I am also having problems getting my wifi to work, I'm not sure what driver I need to install. This is my wireless card - Intel 4965 WLAN (802.11a/g/n) Mini Card.

EDIT: I have successfully reformatted now, from what i can tell atleast. everything seems to be working, except the left speaker. Could this be a hardware problem or am I missing something?

 

Hi,
I'm just about to do this, and thought that a quick question before I start it was better than one during or after!
I have Media Direct 3.5 on a disc from Dell.
I have downloaded the achi driver from the Internet (found under 'Intel matrix storage manager driver')
I have unzipped, and have two things labelled iaahci -- one is called a 'Security catalog' and is 12 kB, the other is labelled 'setup information' and is 7 kB. I also have another seven items in the folder (including README text documents etc). When prompted, do I specifically locate the 'setup information' file, or do I just point to the whole folder with all nine items? Basic question I know, but I'm a bit nervous, and it's better to be as prepared as possible before I start...

 

From Crash ''I'm not exactly sure what you mean by "SM Bus"... Does it say anything else in the Device Manager? Also, where in the Device Manager do you find the "Unknown Device"?''

Cheers, did another clean install and everything loaded fine except again for the SM Bus controller and Unkown device? these are located in the device manager under other devices, I've tried updating their drivers with no success. I've got no idea what these are for?

 

Okay, I've been reading quite a few pages of this thread and if I'm correct I don't need to:

• Install the AHCI driver during installation
• Install MediaDirect during installation or at all (which is good because it doesn't appear to come with the package anyway).

So if the above is correct, how does that affect the 13 point approach to doing a clean install in the OP?

 

If you plug headphones in to your laptop, does sound come out of both earbuds? If so, then it sounds like you have a hardware issue with your speaker.

It will tell you what it needs during the install, but I believe you will need to point it to the setup .inf file.

For the SM Bus Controller, try this: http://www.intel.com/support/chipsets/sb/cs-013541.htm

I don't know what the "Unknown Device" is Let me think of some way to figure out what it is.

Correct to both. Basically, the re-format boils down to

• Put Vista disk in, follow prompts to re-install
• Once installed and booted up, stick in the Dell Drivers Disk and install the drivers from there (or go online and download all the applicable drivers)

 

Sweet! I just ordered a Studio 16, too. Gunna get rid of all the bloatware as soon as it comes in. Love these XPS laptops!

 

Can't seem to find my Media Direct CD for my E1505. Where can I get a copy of this, or can I DL it and burn to a cd?

Also, does the Studio 16 come with this Media Direct bloatware?

 

thanks Crash!!!

 

May I ask why you do not have to install the AHCI (intel matrix?) driver during install? I thought that was very recommended? I ask because my new 1640 will be arriving here shortly, and I plan to do a clean install, thanks.

 

As far as I know, the version of MediaDirect that comes with your laptop cannot be downloaded and burned to a CD. The only thing I could find on the Also, does the Studio 16 come with this Media Direct bloatware?[/QUOTE]

Yes, I believe it does. The newer version of MediaDirect installs separately from the OS install, so presumably it's easier to remove.

I believe the Intel Chipset Driver includes the AHCI driver, but it's not too much of a pain to do it during the Vista install, so you might as well do it to be safe.

 

No I don't use Media Direct. So in order to just get rid of it on both my laptops I would just reinstall windows clean?

 

Yup, no need to install MediaDirect at all. I don't have it installed on my Dell since I never used it. Just use the OS reinstall disk to install Vista.

 

What is the purpose of media direct? Does that have anything to do with the multi media buttons at the top of the keyboard? Also, will that interfere with blu-ray playability if it is not installed?

Thank you.

 

So, I plan to do a clean install on my 1640, upon its arrival. I hope you guys will critique me incase i am doing anything wrong! Thanks!!

Couple questions I have are-
I must install the AHCI intel matrix driver when I re-install windows vista right? Anyone know where I can find the link? I'm having a hard time finding it.

Will mostly all the drivers be located on the driver disk?

To keep my Anti virus, lo-jack, and online back up I must register all products prior to reinstalling the Os correct?

I've read a lot of people have had trouble finding PowerDVDX after the reinstall, is it that hard to reinstall?

Is there anything I am missing? Please let me know! Never done this before, thank you!!

Full system Specs:
1 224-5213 XPS 1640, Intel Core 2 Duo T9800(2.93GHz/1066Mhz FSB/6M L2 Cache)
1 320-7330 Obsidian Black High Gloss Finish with Leather XPS 1640
1 311-9487 4GB, DDR3, 1067 MHz 2 Dimm forXPS 1640
1 320-7329 16.0 inch Wide Screen 16:9 1080p FullHD RGBLED LCD W/2.0 MP, XPS 1640
1 320-7337 ATI Mobility RADEON HD 3670 - 512MB
1 341-8982 256GB Dell High Performance Solid State Hard Drive, 2.5MM
1 420-9319 Microsoft Windows Vista with SP1 Home Premium Edition 64-bit Edition English
1 330-1917 DELL RESOURCE DVD,BACK-UP XPS 1640
1 420-6576 DELL WELCOME,Software Dimension/Inspiron
1 420-9100 Dell Dock Consumer
1 463-2282 Dell Owners Manual installed on your system,click on icon after system set-up to access
1 420-6436 Vista, PC-Restore, Dim/Insp
1 420-7938 Dell Connect 2.1
1 421-0092 DELL-DOWNLOAD-FLAG
1 421-0323 Windows Live Search,Multiple User Interface
1 421-0187 Dell Support Center Software 64 Bit 2.0
1 420-9691 DataSafe Local BackUp 2.0 Basic
1 430-2600 Integrated 10/100 Network Card
1 410-1883 ADOBE READER 9.0 MULTI- LANGUAGE
1 313-7056 BluRay Combo Drive
1 420-9850 Roxio 10.2 DE
1 420-9681 PowerDVD DX 8.1 Bluray Playback, True Theatre High Definition
1 421-0170 Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB(Panzer) Application 1.0
1 430-3478 Intel 5100 Wireless-N (1x2) Half Mini-Card
1 410-2089 McAfee Sapphire MUI, 24-Month
1 312-0811 56 WHr 6-cell Lithium Ion P Primary Battery, for XPS 1640
1 412-0148 No ISP requested
1 420-8051 Microsoft Works 9.0, English For Inspiron
1 993-3488 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Extended Year(s)
1 993-3487 Dell Hardware Warranty PlusOnsite Service, Initial Year
1 986-0561 Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, 1 Year Extended
1 992-4500 Third Party At HomeService, 24x7 TechnicalSupport, Initial Year
1 950-3338 2 Year Limited Warranty
1 900-3981 CompleteCare Accidental DamageProtection, Inspiron, 2 Year
1 412-0358 Soft Contracts - Consumer Complete Care
1 412-0360 Soft Contracts - Banctec
1 991-1149 Bund. LoJack Theft Recovery - 2 Year DHS
1 467-7772 Thanks for choosing Dell!
1 420-8652 LoJack Theft Recovery Softwarefor Laptops, 2 Year
1 902-0941 Warranty Support,1 Year Extended
1 960-8710 Warranty Support,Initial Year
1 991-9799 50GB DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 FOR SDO/DIM/INS/XPS
1 988-0099 To activate your online backupaccount, go to Start, Programs, DataSafe Online
1 420-9328 DATASAFE ONLINE 1.1 50GB FOR DIM/INS/XPS
1 330-0171 S and P Drop-in-Box Marcom forDHS Notebooks
1 430-3206 Dell Wireless 370 Bluetooth Internal (2.0+Enhanced Data Rate)
1 320-7618 Premium HD WLED Display Obsidian Black, Leather 2.0 MP Webcam
1 420-8223 Dell Video Chat
1 420-9330 Dell WebCam Central 1.0 XPS 1640
1 420-9699 Facial Recognition Sensible Vision
1 330-1757 Intel Centrino 2 Label
1 310-8628 You have chosen a Windows Vista Premium System

 

Media Direct--at least as it is used on my M1330--allows you to use the secondary power button to boot into a this OS shell (WinPE?) very quickly and it can be used to play DVDs, media files, etc. without having to boot all the way into the main OS to do so.

Not really sure if there is any portable power savings to this, though it could be the case since its not running a bunch of other garbage whilst you are just trying to play a DVD/media file.

I actually chose to reinstall Media direct when I did my clean vista install. I like having the quick and easy DVD playing ability for when I'm sitting about at the airport.

 

Can anyone confirm my method? Thanks.

 

MediaDirect is a program that allows you to play media (music, movies, look at photos) without completely booting your OS. The goal is to increase battery life and simplify the viewing process. I don't use it because I never just want to watch a movie without doing anything else on my laptop.

MediaDirect does not affect your media buttons on the top; they will still work even if MediaDirect is not installed. It will, however, render the MediaDirect startup button (looks like a home on my computer) useless.

For your computer, I believe it is integrated with the Intel Chipset driver. However, you can always download it directly from Intel if you wish: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...OSs=150&OSFullName=Windows Vista* 64&lang=eng

Yes, all the drivers for your computer should be there. Since your computer is new, they should be all the updated drivers. Otherwise, you could always download them individually from Dell's site: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...temID=STUDIOXPS16&os=WLH&osl=en&catid=&impid=

Yes.

Don't know, sorry.

Nice little summary of MediaDirect. I'm glad somebody has a use for it

 

Thank Crash, and everyone else who has helped clarify for me.

One question, when you say that the AHCI is integrated with the driver, does that mean i am not required to install anything during my vista reinstall? Is there anyway I could verify this, so I dont end up screwing something up?

Thanks.

 

If you don't install the AHCI driver during the Vista install, it won't mess anything up. After you install Vista and all the drivers, restart your computer and go into the BIOS. There you can check to see if your computer is running in AHCI mode. If so, the driver is installed. If not, you can install it then.

 

Okay, thank you. How does one get into Bios mode? And from Bios mode how do I check to see if it is enabled?

So in reality there is no gain to installing the AHCI driver during the vista reinstall?

Thanks!

 

Also, I cant seem to find the intel matrix driver off of the dell support downloads, after i entered my computers service tag.

 

Finished a clean install. Only ran into one error with the drivers , but i think that is because i downloaded all of them? Some that might not have pertained to me.. How do I check to see if everything is running correctly?

 

I just recieved my Studio XPS 1640 today. There are 4 disks included. Vista, Dell Drivers and Utilities, Mcafee something trial and MS works. There is NO Media Direct disk and nothing indicating the MD has now been condensed onto the Dell Drivers disk.

It seems concluded that Media Direct isn't necessary for a fully functioning system (what exactly is it, anyway?) so for those of us who now seemingly get no MD to deal with, do we just start the clean install with the Vista disk inserted and reboot & F12 at the initial screen?

 

At the end of the day, you do NOT need Media Direct. You can do a clean install without it.

 

To enter the BIOS, you need to push F8 (or something like that) when you see the Dell screen when your computer first boots up. From there, there should be some kind of Hardware or Hard Drive section where you can check if your computer is running in AHCI mode or not.

(I mentioned this earlier) It's not on the Dell download page for your computer. You can download it directly from Intel though: http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Det...OSs=150&OSFullName=Windows Vista* 64&lang=eng

Open up the Start menu and type in "Device Manager". Open it up and check to make sure there are no exclamation marks next to any of the devices.

See this post for what MediaDirect is: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=157838&page=223&p=4868215

MediaDirect is not necessary at all for a clean install. I believe the new version of MediaDirect installs after Vista is all installed, not before/during like in this guide. To do the clean install without the MediaDirect disk, you do exactly as you said, put the Vista disk in, press F12 and so on.

 

Yeah I got thinking about it and just decided that made the most sense. Everything seems to work well, down to 46 processes running but I wasn't able to repartition the hd as I like. Apparently Vista is very different from XP in that respect so I still have the factory spec giant C drive and tiny D. I'd like to totally wipe out the recovery section and divide the C into 3 partitions total. From what I read Vista can 'expand' a preexisting partition into other drives.

I'll read more about it tomorrow though. Thanks for the help.

 

No problem. You should be able to use Vista's partition manager (open "Computer Management" from Start menu) to delete your recovery partition, expand your C drive, then split it up. If that doesn't work, you can either re-format again and adjust the partitions during the Vista install (kinda sucks because you just re-formatted) or use GParted.

 

Thank you Crash.
Got two questions for you,
Is there a considerable difference just deleting the bloat manually rather than a clean install?

Also, is there a way to figure out what drivers you actually need to download from the dell website? From what I have seen there are many different drivers that depend on what component is in your computer. Just dont want to download drivers i dont need.

Thanks in advance

 

Thank you for the comprehensive guide.

Is there a customised version of such a guide for people who want to install the Windows 7 RC? I'm just going to receive my Studio 1555 laptop in a couple of days and would like to install Windows 7 RC on it because I hear its much better than Vista.

 

There isn't a considerable difference, but there will be some increase in performance if you do a clean install vs just deleting the bloatware.

I don't think there is any way to do it automatically - you need to go through all of them and see which ones apply to your system based on your hardware.

If you use the disk though, the drivers you need should be checked when you go through them.

The process is virtually the same:

• Download the Windows 7 ISO from Microsoft and write it to a disk using ImgBurn (or a similar program)
• Restart your computer, use F12 to select "Boot from disk", then boot from the W7 disk you made
• Go through the W7 install prompts (it's similar to the Vista install)
• Download the Vista drivers from Dell (Vista drivers work on W7)
• That's basically it. If you want to install MediaDirect, do it when necessary (either before W7 install or after depending on what version you have)

 

Hello everyone, I really really hope people still check this thread because i seriously need some help.

I just got the SXPS 13 from Bestbuy. Being from bestbuy, I thought it absolutely necessary to do the clean reinstall. I inserted the Vista HP disc, restarted, f12 and proceeded to to the installation stuff. Nowhere was i prompted to install drivers. So i get to vista and it's incredibly crippled. I have no wireless, I can't use my Nvidia card (and consequently I can't even use Vista Aero effects). I CAN'T DO ANYTHING!!

I inserted the Drivers and Utilities disc, and can open up a resource program and it lists drivers and stuff. I've installed some and not really sure if it works or not. Moreover I can't get the wireless (or ethernet) to work, once i do I just want to go online and have it download everything automatically. I just want it to all be done for me!!!!

Any help would be sincerely appreciated. Thanks.

 

First off, drivers are installed after Vista is installed, so don't worry about that. All the drivers you need should be on the Drivers and Utilities disk. Open up the disk and install all the drivers that have a checkmark beside them. Make sure to restart your computer for the drivers to take effect.

Aero is controlled by your graphics driver.. you will need to install that before Aero will work.

There is no online utility that will download all the drivers applicable to your system for you - you will need to do that yourself. Here are the drivers for your computer: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...temID=STUDIOXPS13&os=WLH&osl=en&catid=&impid=

Specifically here is the Nvidia driver: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...-1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=6&fileid=311213

You will need to choose the wireless driver (under "Network") based on what wireless card you have.

Let me know what you still have issues with.

 

Thank you so much for your quick and helpful response. My SXPS is running smooth as hell and I have you to thank.

Two things I've encountered:
I no longer have the Facial recongition software, nor the webcam software. I can use the cam on AIM or skype etc no problem, but don't have any software to use the cam standalone. Similarly, I can't use the facial recognition as a lock/unlock feature of the computer.

Second, I understand that XPS laptops get bundled with ObjectDock Plus for free. After the reinstall, I lost it. Is there anyway to gain it back?

Thanks a million

 

Hi there.

I've read the guide several times, and even memorized the steps, but I've encountered a problem which seems to have no solution.

After all the steps, and driver installation, my computer is slow. Even pre-driver installation is slow, really slow, and it shouldn't be. She used to be so fast.

Any ideas on what it might be happening?, I tried calling Dell Support, but they replaced my hardDrive thinking that was the problem, and guess what, it wasn't!.

My Specs.

Dell XPS M1730
4Gb of RAM
Nvidia 8700 SLi (2x256)
AGEIA Physic
200GB RAM ATA AHCI
Intel Core 2 Duo [email protected]

ANy help, or even Ideas, would be greatly appreciated

 

Glad to hear things are going well!

For the Dell Dock, here you go: http://www.delldock.com/

As for the other software, there should be a disk with it that came with your computer. If not, I'll try looking for it online for you. I don't see it immediately on the Hi there.

I've read the guide several times, and even memorized the steps, but I've encountered a problem which seems to have no solution.

After all the steps, and driver installation, my computer is slow. Even pre-driver installation is slow, really slow, and it shouldn't be. She used to be so fast.

Any ideas on what it might be happening?, I tried calling Dell Support, but they replaced my hardDrive thinking that was the problem, and guess what, it wasn't!.

My Specs.

Dell XPS M1730
4Gb of RAM
Nvidia 8700 SLi (2x256)
AGEIA Physic
200GB RAM ATA AHCI
Intel Core 2 Duo [email protected]

ANy help, or even Ideas, would be greatly appreciated[/QUOTE]

Quite frankly, it could be any number of things. First off I would check to make sure your computer is running in "High Performance" mode. Click the battery icon in the lower right and select "High Performance".

Also, check the Device Manager (Start>"Device Manager") to make sure all your drivers are installed correctly (no exclamation points anywhere).

 

After a few weeks of playing around with the tweak guide, settings, etc., I'm quite happy.

From off to (fully loaded and useable) desktop boot time is down from 68 seconds to 29 seconds consistantly. Using the 'reboot timer' VB script from 'restart' to desktop is down to 47 seconds. Very, very fast. (on the M1330 in my sig) Finally getting around to shutting off the floppy seek really cut down on the boot time (about 5 seconds worth).

I plan on applying the same tweaks I did to the M1330 to the Vostro 1720 once it arrives (along with a fresh install, of course!).

 

Glad to hear this worked so well for you

 

Fantastic guide, just slapped on x64 Vista on my new Vostro, then followed this guide. Will stick with Vista until 7 is RTM or Retail. Much speedier now.

 

Glad to hear it worked well! Welcome to NBR

 

plz help me coz i reformating my dell laptop,i change the windows vista basic to home premium then when finish installing my laptop not automaticaally restart, im waiting a long time but still nothing happen then i decide to unflug my charger & battery to restart when i open got message windows error,recovery:windows failed to start.a recent hardware or software change might be the cause.to fix the problem:1.insert your windows installation disc ang restart your computer.2, choose your language settings,and then click"next".3,click "repair your computer"..other options:if power was interrrupted during startup,choose start windows normally.(use the arrow keys to highlight your choice.)..safe mode..safe mode with networking..last known good configuration (advanced)..start windows normally. my laptop 3GB RAM,320GB HARDESK,please help me! i`m sorry about my english.tnx