Major overhaul...need advice.

I'll be installing Ubuntu too and will trying to do the same, using the Media Direct button to boot into Ubuntu. As far as the Dell diagnostics utility, you really don't need that, if you have the Dell drivers and utilities CD, since it's on that. Also, as far as I know, the diagnostics partition has to be 1st in order to work.

I'm new at this too but I'm not sure where you heard the partitions needs to be 1-4 unless it can be part of my extended partition with D:data

My current partitions are, Dell diagnostics, C:XP and programs, D:data in an extended partition.

I hope I can also add Ubuntu, swap and home in the extended partition.

Here's a post in the Ubuntu forum of a guy that got it to work.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=3113451&postcount=8

 

Thanks a million. That's good to know. I was guessing it probably had to be first in order to work, but I was figuring I could move it around if I had trouble, and Dell wanted me to run it.

Yeah, I decided I like the GRUB bootloader, and I use the MD button to turn off my screen in Windows, so it's cool. Where I heard that it only works for partitions 1-4 was from this post.

But it's nice to know I can toast the Dell Util partition.

 

I could be wrong about diagnostics being in the 1st position but I'm pretty sure I read it some where. Regardless, it's on the ultilities CD.

I don't know how many threads I read on partitioning and the MD button but it's driving me batty. Hopefully when I finally make the plunge it will go smoothly.

 

Wish you the best. Check this thread out, if you haven't already.