Uninstall/Remove Media Direct - Possible?

I would like to uninstall Media Direct from my laptop. I don't want Media Direct anymore since mine hangs at this screen.



So, I would like to remove it to prevent anyone from accidently booting into a "hung"/Spoilt Media Direct.

Is there anyway to remove Media Direct? Thanks to all.

 

delete the partition

 

Is it that simple?

Here's the layout of my partitions.



So, I should delete the 1.39GB partition? Would it corrupt or ruin windows?

I am afraid of not being able to boot up to windows.

 

Removing the partition will not affect Windows.

 

Which partition is it?

I read somewhere about HPA.

What is that?

 

Check out this nifty resource:

http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/mediadirect.htm

 

It should be an HPA, but in your case it might not be. Did you edit your partitons in any way? or is this how they were set up from Dell?

 

here's my latest setup after running the Seagate tool.



So, should I just partition that 1.41Gb space? Would that remove media direct?

However, I dont want a drive with just 1Gb space in it. How to make sure it doesn't show up in "My Computer"?

 

Did you ever do the "reinstall" option on MediaDirect? It looks to me like both of those 1.4G partitions might be MediaDirect.

In any case, I recommend downloading the GPartEd live CD. It will let you nondestructively extend your E: partition so you don't waste any space. And it's free.

By the way-- if all you care about is preventing the machine from booting into MediaDirect, and you don't want to mess with the partitions, just boot the Windows install CD into the recovery console and run 'FIXMBR'. That will overwrite the MBR with a standard one that doesn't know anything about MediaDirect, so it will always boot straight into Windows.

 

I'm not really sure. The 1.39 and 1.41 look like MD, but I don't know why you would have 2 Media Directs, unless you formatted it and something happened when you repaired it.

If you delete those partitons, you might be able to merge them with your spare partition (partition E). To do this, transfer anything you have your E partition to your XP partition. Then you can delete all three of those partitions in Disk Management (at least you should be able to) and merge them together. The only one you won't be able to delete would be the HPA (the 1.41gb), so you'll have to use another utility to delete it. I think Seagate will delete it, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

I thought the MD partition will only show up if you run a hardisk utility to set your hardisk to maximum size?

The last partition only appeared after i set my disk size to maximum.

I reformated that last partition with 1443MB of disk space using NTFS. However, when I shut down my laptop, and tried the MD button again. MD still launches, and sill hangs at the screen I posted above. I decided to delete that partition. I tried running MD again when off, it still launches into the "hung" screen.

Is it possible that the 1.39Gb of space belongs to MD also? I have removed all my partitions when I did a fresh install of windows xp.

I only made a partition for C drive during xp installation. After that, I installed MD. Lastly, I created my E partition using windows disk management.

What should I do now?

 

Guys, latest discovery.

I installed Paragon Partition Manager.

I managed to browse the contents of the 1.39GB of the unknown partition.



This is what showed up



So guys, is that a MD directory? or it has something to do with my windows?

I almost thought of formatting it. Luckily still haven't, came to seek advice from you all first.

Thank you.

 

Seems like you are looking at your XP partition and not the spare partition. For one, it says primary partition, plus it has all of the standard XP directories.

 

That is from the 1.39GB partition.

What could this partition possibly be for?

 

If you do the MediaDirect "reinstall", it installs in a normal partition. It looks like that's what the extra 1.4G partition is. Did you ever do the "reinstall"?

Anyway, if I were you I would:

(1) Boot the Windows installation CD, go into the recovery console, and type 'FIXMBR'. Now the machine will always boot into Windows, and never MediaDirect (even if you press the MediaDirect button).

(2) Using GPartEd, remove the remaining 1.4G partition and extend your data partition (E to use the unallocated 2.8G of space.

EDIT: Just noticed you said you "installed" MD. Sounds like you used the "reinstall" option, not the "repair" option. That's why it created another (regular) partition, in addition to the hidden HPA area. Now you have the partition from the reinstall, plus you've exposed the HPA, so that's why you're seeing the two 1.4G areas. If you don't want MediaDirect at all, you might as well get rid of both of them.

The "reinstall" is designed for people who don't have the HPA area (e.g., they installed a third-party hard drive), or who erased it. It creates an additional, normal partition, even if the HPA is already there. So really you should have used the "repair" option. But no matter, since you're getting rid of it entirely anyway.

 

calvin_gsc,

I'm intrigued by your partition layout--it's missing the small DellUtility partition at the front. Is that the way it came from Dell? Other than using the Seagate tool, did you do anything to change the partitioning?

Would you mind sending me a dsrfix dumpfile to evaluate?

Visit my website, download dsrfix.zip, and follow the instructions to use the iso file and make yourself a bootable CD. Then borrow a USB thumb drive and insert it in a USB port, insert the CD in the CD drive, and boot from the CD (press F12 at Dell startup logo, and select to boot from CD drive).

The CD will boot and leave you at the 'A:>' prompt. Type the command: "dsrfix /d > c:\dsrfix.txt", and it should write the dsrfix.txt file on the thumb drive. Email me that file, and I may be able to give you better advice.

Dan Goodell

 

thank you for your input.



I have formatted both the extra partitions and still MD boots up when I press the MD button. Why so weird?

Anyway, if not mistaken, last time i tried to enter FIXMBR and it corrupted my windows. I think i entered FIXMBR -something.

Is the method of FIXMBR definately safe?

 

Has anyone tried the fixmbr method?

 

See www.goodells.net/dellrestore/comments.htm.

I'm looking for a dumpfile report to see how your partitions are configured. Dsrfix makes no changes to your system just getting a report.

Dan Goodell

 

I finally resorted to formatting my laptop all over again. I even deleted the HPA partition.