Problem with Dell Media Direct

RE: Dell Inspiron 1505 with Window XP Media Edition.

After using MD half a dozen times, the system froze on MD splash page. PC Restore and MD Repair did not fix problem. I reinstalled OS and Drivers, having first installed the MD reinstallation 3 DVD (which I understand automatically partitions the HD to leave space for MD application. After reinstalling the MD software, the MD button boots up Windows, in effect, functioning no differenctly than the Power on/off switch. What's going on here?

I appreciate any help or suggests about solving the problem. Thanks.

 

install the m/d 3 from within windows

 

jim6172:

Thanks for your suggestion.
I had already tried that, but I tried it again.
Still doesn't make things work correctly.

Thanks again.

 

you also have to have quickset installed in windows you can download it at dell support
jim

 

Jim:

Yes, I downloaded that, but still no go.

I have spent about 10 - 12 hours on the phone with various Dell Tech People and downloaded a whole bunch of different files at their request, but they can't seem to get it back to operating the way it should.

I have only had it about 2 months and I think I am going to put it in the box and ship it back to them. They can either make it work properly or keep it and refund my money.

I'm really not interested in becoming a computer tech person just so I can use my notebook.

Guess I should have bought a Toshiba. I've had three (3) of them before this Dell and never had a problem.

I really appreciate your attemps to resolve my problem.

Thank You

 

I think Media direct doesn’t work with more than 2 primary partitions or logical drives. How many partitions do you have ? If you have 2 or more then remove the second partition and any other partitions after that , leave only the primary partition with Windows XP. Then reinstall media direct from Windows. It should work.

Then again Toshiba doesn’t have something like Media direct, has it? Sending your DELL back and getting a Toshiba is not the solution here. If I were you I’d just forget about Media Direct and use some multimedia application inside Windows. There are many Media center applications that work inside windows like DELL Media experience, InterVideo Hometheater, Cyberlink PowerCinema etc..

 

PhoenixFx:

Thanks for your reply and suggestions.

I have tried about everything from a complete re-format or the HD and then installing XP and then Media Direct to just a reinstall of Media Direct and using the Media Direct Repair CD. 4-5 techs have walked me through the complete process 4-5 times, plus I have done it on my own a couple of times. Nothing seems to work.

I have Media Direct working, it just doesn't work the way it should. When you press the Media Direct button, MD is suppose to pop up and work without going through Windows. That is the way it worked when I first got the computer.

Then, for no apparent reason, it started going through Windows every time I pushed the MD button.

The only reason it is an issue is because it is not working the way it should work. There is also quite a difference in the power consumption when it boots up Windows and runs instead of just running MD without booting Windows. This can present a problem for me since I often give video presentations where I do not have access to a power source.

Yes, I know, just buy a second battery. Well, I did that when I bought the computer.

Bottom line is that I bought a product that was suppose to perform in a certain manner and now it won't. And, the most annoying part is that none of the Dell Techs can tell me how to fix it.

Perhaps it is issues such as this that have contributed in some manner to Dell slipping from the number 1 sales position to number 2.

Oh well, Toshiba here I come.

Thanks again.

 

wow, I fired up media direct one time on a previous notebook, never used it since, its useless and worthless in my opinion, I dont even bother installing it , and I dont see the logic at all for getting a toshiba over your dell because of media direct, as far as I know toshiba doesnt have a feature like MD, so what would be the point in it?

 

Iceman0124:

Thanks for your response.

Well, quite possibly your average workday doesn't require that you give 4 - 6 hours of video presentations each day. Unfortunately, mine does.

I guess I am rather inclined to agree with you at this point, but that is not the issue.

When I was looking for a new notebook, I did quite a bit of online research and I had pretty much decided to buy another Toshiba since I have had 3 of them previously and have never had any problems. However, when I spoke with the Dell Rep on the phone and was explaining my needs to her, she mentioned this wonderful feature "Media Direct" and also stated that it increased battery life by 30% - 50%.
I considered this to be an important feature for my needs since I am often unable to be near a power outlet.
I inquired if there had been a lot of problems with the "Media Direct" feature and was assured by her that it was a feature they have offered for several years and that she was not aware of any problems.
Everything else being about equal between a Toshiba and a Dell (from my point of view) this factor tipped the scale in favor of the Dell.
Unfortunately, it wasn't until after I received the unit and experienced problems that I went online and discovered quite a few other people have had a similar experience.

You are absolutely right, Toshiba does not have a feature like "Media Direct" and they are not telling me that they do have such a feature.
And that brings us to the real issue, at least for me.
At worst, I was intentionally lied to, or at best, misled by her representations that the feature was trouble free. But even overlooking that, none of their tech people can tell me what has to be done to make it work correctly.

If this is the kind of service I am getting concerning a "worthless" issue, what is likely to happen if I encounter a "real" problem? I didn't want to wait and find out, so I sent it back.

My new Toshiba should be here in a couple of days.

Thanks again.

 

I can understand your frustration, and I?m sorry to hear that your first DELL experience turned out this way. Since you have already sent it back there is nothing much to be done anymore. But if you really needed MD then you could have asked DELL staff to fix it by sending it back (even though it might take some time).

I have so far formatted and installed Windows + MediaDirect on 3 DELL notebooks (M1210, E1505, 630m) none of them gave any problems as long as I sticked with the original 2 partition scheme. The moment I tried something different, like have more primary partitions or extended partitions it started giving all sorts of trouble; like getting stuck at MD splash screen, refusing to even boot Widnows XP etc. I wouldn?t exactly say that DELL staff intentionally lied or that Media Direct doesn?t work, cos even though it has it?s problems you can install it one way or another. However they should definitely improve Media Direct to be more compatible and easier to install.

Anyways ... Enjoy your new Toshiba.

 

hope things work out for you, I still personally dont see why you would send it back because of media direct, unless there were some other major issues with the system, at least if you kept it, you would have a chance of gaining a feature that could be useful to you, now from the sounds of it, you have a system that is pretty much the same as the one you had, with no chance of getting the feature that made you buy the first machine from the get go, good luck with toshiba, they crank out some really good machines, my little boy(8) still uses an ancient toshiba 120mhz pentium laptop I got thouroughly used well before he was born, its still good for internet and documents, the battery is well past dead, but its good enough for him as his own room machine, I'm getting him an m1710 for his birthday just dont tell him that

 

Toshiba do in fact have a similar "Media Direct" called Toshiba Express Media Player. However, this is only for CDs & DVDs, just like the HP QuickPlay.

 

I don?t know how much battery you can save off by running Media Direct, not much is my guess. Cos after all it is windows XP underneath, except wireless and network interfaces what else can be turned off to save power?

In my opinion if we run a slimmed down version of XP (customized using a tool like XPlite) or run a very light Linux distro under an aggressive powersaving scheme with network adapters turned off we should be able to do a better job than Media Direct.

I did a bit of digging up on Toshiba?s Express Media Player and HP?s QuickPlay and found out that both are using Intervideo?s Instant-ON technology which is based on a specialized multimedia Linux distribution.

Who knows? maybe those two are more efficient than Media Direct since they are on linux

 

Thanks again to Jim, Speed, Iceman, Phoenix and all that tried to resolve my problem.

Does anyone know if there is a way to mark a thread "Resolved"?

I broused around a little and can't seem to find what to do.

Thanks Again.

 

I had this problem too with my XPSm1210. I even used used the restore function to start from scratch. I almost got to the point of re-formatting the HD and then I figured out how to fix it.

Repair function will not fix it nor will re-installing the program - believe me I tried 50X

The MD program is on a hidden partition.

The fix is really easy. All you have to do is tap F8 when the MD splash page comes up and it will give you go to a new page that says:

"System restart has been paused."

It will give you the option of "delete restoration data and proceed to system boot menu"

Choose this option and hit enter.

Once this is done - Dell Media will work again fine.

This stupid problem took me the better part of three weeks to figure out.

Dell Support was of no help - but I actually phoned them back to tell them about the problem so the fix would appear on their database.

I think the problem for me started when I tried to use Media Direct while Windows was in hibernate mode. I got the blue screen of death and then chkdisk process started.

After than MD did not work at all - I would get the splash page but could access any files or start movies.

I can't remember where I found out about the fix - but it worked for me where no other solutions would.

 

Hello,
First-time poster, although long time lurker,

On a related note,
I have a 2 week old 640m core-duo with MD.
After cleaning out some bloatware (but keeping Dell QuickSet) I decided to use Acronis Disc Director to change the unique C partition to 2 partitons: One 30GB partition to contain Windows and Programs and the remaining partition to store data, backups, pics etc.
This was not a re-format, it was simply changing from one big 120GB "C" partiton (including the FAT32 files for MD, Dell Restore etc.) to two partitions, 30 GB (still containg those FAT32 hidden files/partitions) and approx. 90 GB for data.

Now, MD will not work from outside of Windows (will come up with a blue screen freeze). It does work within Windows, but that sort of defeats it's purpose right?
Dell tech said it was a complicated problem, therefore authorized to an exchange for a new laptop.

Questions:
-Will using Acronis Disc Director to create an extra data only partition on a Dell laptop with MD, always result in the above, due to the hidden FAT32s?

-Is there a work-around (besides having to reformat and always use only one big "C" partition?)

-If I want to install Nero and I remove all of Roxio & Cyberlink (via ADD/Remove, no re-formatting) to avoid conflict between the two, will I then also interfere with MD?... (because it specifies "Powered by Cyberlink" on the Dell MD start page.

 

Hello, Anyone?

 

Hello, Anyone?

(Btw, It is MediaDirect 3)
thanks,

 

yes. this is a problem. i believe that it is a partition problem. i too reinstalled my comp and changed the partitions. this must have affected the way dell media direct works. its annoying that the partitions have to be a certain way so for dell media direct works from boot.