Questions about Vista Reinstallation DVD

Hi,
i got a Vista Reinstallation DVD with my Studio 1735.

1. Do i need to format c before i can install a clean vista with this DVD? If that is correct, how can i format c without a floppydrive?
2. Or does using the Reinstallation DVD automatically format the HDD? Will i loose the recovery partition this way? And perhaps some more important hidden partions? Because i would like to keep the recovery partition.
3. i have heard about problems with mediabuttons, when reinstalling Vista. Will they not work anymore or crash my pc, after using the Reinstallation DVD?


PS: sorry for my bad english.

 

The Disk will reformat the HDD for you, you will usually just have to Click Ok when it asks you if you are sure.

Not sure about the recovery Partition... If its a Dell Restore disk im guesing it will make it again.

There a probably media button drivers on dells website

EDIT: i did not actually see the media button drivers on thier website...

But here is the web link to get all of your drivers you will need if they arent on the disks, not sure: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...stemID=STUDIO1735&os=WLH&osl=en&catid=&impid=

 

I got driver and application dvds too, to reinstall the stuff. But i dont wanna loose my recovery partition.

 

If you want to format the hard drive and be able to use your media button out side vista you'll have to use the media cd to create a partition for it first then insert the vista dvd when promoted to do so and then install MD inside windows.

I cant see a reason to keep the dell recovery partion if you remove it you''ll gain about 10 gig of space.

 

Right, if your willing to pop the dvd in already, theres no sense in keeping the recovery partition.

 

You can cancel and then format the partition you want, just use killdisk for that.( you download freeversion, put the image on cd/dvd and boot from it)
you will need to reinstall dell media direct before the Os or if you do not want it you can remap the media direct button assigning to it another function

 

Thank you for the responses.
I think of installing vista in the future with this Vista-DVD, but i am afraid that sth goes wrong, and vista is not working correct anymore. That is why i would like to have the recovery Parition to rescue my system in this case (i dont need that much GB space, that is okay for me).

Is there a way to copy the recovery parition on a DVD? Or wont it be able to recover Vista from such a selfmade recovery-dvd?

I got those paritions:
C: OS
D: Recovery
E: DVD/CD
Is there really a Media Direct Parition? Is it invisible? Then how can i see it?

Do i need special drivers to get my HDD to work with the Vista-DVD? Or will the Vista-dvd have already the drivers for the Studio 17 HDD? I heard ppl talking about problems with HDDs and reinstalling vista or sth like that.

 

The recovery partition is on a separate drive, D:. So just format your C drive and D will remain intact.

 

hm, okay, but i read in this bloatware guide, that i have to insert mediadirect first, which would format HDD and partition it and after that i can install Vista. But on the other hand i read, that the media direct 4, doesnt need an own partition.
So do i not need to use MediaDirect CD before installing a clean Vista?
Can i install MediaDirect 4 like another normal Programm?

 

The bloatware guide is written for the previous Media Direct version. MD4 doesn't have its own partition like those versions, it sits on your computer like a regular program. The downside is that you aren't able to boot directly to Media Direct. In my opinion it really isn't useful.

Just format your C drive and reinstall there. Your partition on D will be left alone.

 

Hm, i just tested it... i hit the media direct button a few times, when the PC was shut down. It booted Vista and started MediaDirect 4.0 in Vista on my Studio 17. The booting screen had a MediaDirect-Logo instead of the big Dell logo.

 

The previous versions just booted into Media Direct which acted like a separate OS. That's what caused a lot of problems when people messed around with the settings.

 

Hm, does that mean, i dont need to install MediaDirect 4.0 anymore? Or is it important for the Mediabuttons to work?

 

My media buttons work and I don't have Media Direct on it.

 

The media buttons work through the BIOS. There are no Windows drivers for them. There is a application called Dell QuickSet, which basically gives you stuff like a volume bar when you +/- the volume.

 

Okay, thank you very much guys! I was asking this, because i read, that using the MediaDirect button without having it installed, kills/destroys the OS Vista.

Btw. I found a free tool called "DiscWizard" for Seagate and Maxtor HDD's. It is
"Acronis TrueImage 10.0" with some feature missing. But, hey, better than a 15 day trial version, i think ;o). And fortunately i have a Seagate in my Studio 17 (got one with Hitachi, too, but was too loud)

I gonna image the partition or the whole HDD with it. And perhaps i will make use off the recovery partiton and use the tool after that again to get a "clean" image of factory settings. Thereafter i would try a clean Vista install (sooner or later..).
On this way i should be on the safe side.

 

It's quite easy, just boot from your vista DVD, and when you have to choose the partition to install in, you can click on your vista partition and then on format. After that's done, just reinstall Vista.

 

Hm, i just tried out "Seagate DiscWizard". Nice tool. Very Userfriendly and very good and clear Help-Function.

I could create:
a boot CD (opens DiscWizard without needing Operating System),
5 DVDs with complete Image of my HDD (needs boot cd to use, because i missed activating the bootable-option),
1 bootable Image DVD with Recovery and EISA partition.
Bootable USB-Stick didnt work for me. Dunno why.. "Operatingsystem is missing" or sth like that happens.

It can compress data to lower than 50%.
It can make a sector-to-sector Image, including the whole HDD with used AND empty sectors.. but this one needs as much space as the HDD has got.
Has quite much options like resizing partitions, when using the Image etc.

 

Does the "C:\Drivers"-Folder contain the current Drivers of my Studio 17? Could i transfer this folder to get the drivers for a clean install?