Formatting your new Dell

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Very easy video tutorial on how to format. took about 1.5 hours to completely re-install/format windows vista and get my drivers setup

please rate it if you like, thanks.

 

Looks like a great vid. I watched about 2 minutes of it now; I will be watching it when it comes time to do it myself.

 

THANK YOU SOOO MUCH

 

I watched it, it is very straight forward to format and reinstall o/s, thanks

 

Great video liquidplasma. I appreciate you taking the time to make this and posting it. I will undoubtedly use it when I receive my laptop. Rep'd.

So to get rid of the restore partition, you just click the delete button on the partitions window during windows installation?

And also, will all the drivers on the Dell resource CD that you used that we need to install already be checked by default when we pop the disc open?

 

DO we need restore parition and what is it for>?

 

very cool thanks

 

just wondering, but what did you end up keeping that was pre-installed?

 

It is used to bring the system back to the way you got it complete with all the pre-installed stuff. I actually did use that once when my sound drivers decided to do a nose dive. Please note that I opted to just uninstall the extra stuff rather than do a clean install so that the restore partition was left intact. I just ignore the media direct bit. The 5 to 10 GB I would recover isn't going to be missed that much for me since I have a 120GB external.

 

Excellent video!

 

Thanks
and you got pretty high benchmarks on that e17xx

 

I kept that in tact in case of any future mishaps, since this is the first time I'm using Vista. Thanks for the comments guys, I appreciate it.

Remix: I don't know If i understood your question, when formatting you're going to remove EVERYTHING on that particular drive. The other drives (or partitions) will remain unaffected. So I kept the Recovery OS partition.

 

If you want to remove the partition: Right click on the "Computer" icon in the start menu, and select "Manage".
Then go to "Disk Management" in the tree-menu on the lefthand side.

You should be able to see both partitions there. Do what you want from there, I was able to format the recovery partition but not able to destroy it and reallocate those 10gb to the OS partition.

 

Now, there's a partition with Dell MediaDirect, right? If you remove that, those media buttons won't do anything, right?

 

Wrong. The Media Direct button will still turn on your laptop and the media control buttons will still function in windows as normal. The MD button however will still attempt to load Media Direct and will probably fail or boot you into windows. I had a 6 hour of episode which is one more reason why I left the system as is when I got my second one. Didn't feel like going through that again.

 

Your Welcome...

Please note that the benchmarks are on Windows XP and it was with my first system when I did my clean install. Not on the stock setup. Regardless it is about where it should be.

 

I never understand one thing about Windows [Insert Version] reinstallation discs... I always thought that all the data for installing windows was actually on the disc itself, but now I'm getting the impression it's not because of the "recovery partition". If I completely format the recovery partition and merge it into the main partition/drive, will I be able to reinstall Windows Vista from the DVD dell provides?

To go even further regarding that question, what partitions can I format and merge to the main one without permanently losing some programs? I hear that Dell MediaDirect must be kept in its own partition. So that means Dell does not send you installation disc for MediaDirect?

 

Whats the main difference between a complete reinstall and just unloading (uninstalling) some of the bloatware? Will I see a significant memory or processing advantage with the former over the latter?

 

You can see a big difference depending on what's installed on your system when you get it. I opted to not do a full reinstall because I only had a couple things on the laptop that I didn't need or want: norton antivirus (replaced with AGV Free) and google desktop. Other than those 2, I didn't uninstall anything else because bloatware was minimal.

If your computer is loaded with AOL and tons of other crap, a reinstall is best.

 

I purchased a dell m1330 and after uninstalling a few programs like the ones you listed above, my processes were at ~55.

The m1330 and dell in general come with pretty minimal bloatware right?

 

Yes, since its XPS it has less bloatware. The advantage of formatting/reinstalling is a fresh registry. Uninstalling bloatware leaves tidbits of registry keys in the registry, which may or may not corrupt future processes which use the same address. Specifically anti-virus, like Norton.

 

If you want to keep Media Direct you have to install that BEFORE Vista, so format, restart, media direct, then vista.

 

hey.. i gotta a question... what does this help ( formating )?

 

If you need a guide with media direct see my article below...

 

liquidplasma6,

So you upgraded your Vista basic to Premium like this with a complete wipe of the OS partition?
Are there any programs that you think you could not get that orginally came are were lost with complete fromat? What about Windows works. adobe etc. anyothers like that?

I plan to do the same luckily I already have a 40GB partition for OS that I plan to keep for all programs and then rest for Data. Like you did I do not plan to touch the Media direct or revovery partition.

 

So format as you show in the video using the OS disk? and when it reboots instead of the OS DVD install the MD DVD?
Is that the right approach?

 

i cant view the video from work is there a link to see it?

 

I just got my Inspiron 1720 today, but I figure it's the same installation..mine is Vista Premium..

When I get to the "Complete Installation..." part it seems stuck there..how long should that part take? What should I do..restart and try again?

 

so question. vista basic comes with my laptop. BUt i have a full legit version of vista business from msdn. Can i just upgrade from within vista with my serial? or would i have to perform a full format?

 

install media direct from within windows vista, just like a normal program

the vista installation should be quick and easy, it shouldn't hang anywhere. if it does wait it out for an hour or so, if it still hangs try holding the power button and start all over again. If it keeps doing that I don't know what you can do.

if you want to upgrade from basic to ultimate you might have to format, i'm not sure about that. go to system config and click on "upgrade vista"

i did a fresh install of vista premium, not an upgrade. i did it just to remove the crap dell puts on it

sorry the video is only on YouTUbe

 

I have not tried to install yet like you I want to all get rid of any crap that may be present. I will format the HD and remove Vista basic then do a fresh install of Vista Premium.

I am not sure what you mean by "install media direct from within windows vista"

I already have MD but when I formay like you show I asume MD will be also wiped out? If it does then I should install it before the Vista Premium starts, correct? or there is a choice within the install.
thx!

 

See my thread below to assist if you like!!

 

is there no sound on this video or is it just me?

 

No sound, had to make it smaller so youtube doesn't ruin the video quality. Which they did anyways. Use FLAMENKO's clean format thread also to help you install MediaDirect so the button works INSIDE vista. I installed Media Direct after i got into Windows Vista and it works fine when the computer is off. But if you want to access MD from inside Vista, use FLAMENKO's clean format thread.

I like it my way since i was able to AutoHotKey the media direct button into iTunes

 

Thx liquidplasma6.

 

Iafzal...answered in the other post. Its against site rules to double post issues...maybe delete one of the two pls.