After formatting Inspiron 9400....several issues

Hey everyone.

I recently bought an Inspiron 9400 (as you can see from the model name, I 'm not from the US. Mexico here). Of course, knowing that the laptop would come with a lot of bloatware I previously decided I would erase it and start over. I also wanted to have a dual boot into win XP and Ubuntu. I didn't know I'd have the following issues. I've been searching the forums, and I'm thoroughly confused so I thought I'd start a new thread so someone could help me with my situation.

I didn't do my homework and read that one shouldn't wipe the hard disk clean because media direct would then become a problem to reinstall. I deleted all partitions and formatted, which basically should erase everything. I installed WinXP MCE 2005 and the drivers. When the computer is off and I press the media direct button, it does try to boot into the program and even starts trying to configure my preferences. Then, I get a blue screen saying that the process stop in order to avoid damaging my computer and that one of the devices isn't working properly. This must be true because Media Center refuses to configure video playback because of encoder error. Of course Sonic Media got wiped along with everything else. I have a Power DVD 5.0 cd which I used to install some decoder, yet this doesn't seem to help at all, so I just uninstalled it again. However, in the add/remove menu I see an item called "Sonic encoders". Why isn't this working?

Also, I don't think my DVD drive is working properly. I've tried several things: I installed a game that came on CD-ROM, which installed properly yet took forever to do so. I tried to install another game that came on DVD and that just gets stuck during install and the audio that plays during install stutters dramatically. Stuttering is also seen during playback of Region 1 DVD's (while I still had Power DVD installed). Shipping slip says I got a NEC drive, but Windows autodetects a TSST L632D drive, which doesn't have donwloadable drivers from the Inspiron 9400 menu. Also, I tried to use Nero Express to burn de Media Direct Repair Utility CD image, and I got a CD that can't be accesed. Maybe I burned it the wrong way. I haven't tried DVD burning since I don't have the Sonic software OR the installation CD.

Also, although I think this is unrelated, but if I'm on the laptop for more than say, 20 minutes, when I try to shutdown it takes almost 2 min for the shutdown options to display and another 2 minutes to close windows. What's that about? It started happening after the IT guys from my institute configured my laptop so it could use the institute's wired and wireless internet (it's a unix server, i think, so the removal of windows domain capabilites of MCE seems unlikely).

All my info is backed up, so reformatting and reinstalling everything isn't an issue, but I want to know what I have to do if I want to have dual boot into winodws and ubuntu AND have media direct function (partitioning and order of installation), and somehow work out what's going with the other problems. Any info at all would be useful. I'm wary of contacting Dell support since I mostly read horror stories about that.

Oh, by the way, the only CD's that came with the laptop where Works (won't use, I have Office installation CD), McAffe (won't use either, devil software), win XP MCE DVD, and the drivers CD (completely useless, since it's for another system model entirely).

Cheers.

EDIT: just to make this a bit more informative, my specs:

Core 2 Duo 2.16 Ghz
2 GB RAM, 667 Mhz
100 Gb HDD 7200 RPM
NVidia GeForce Go 7900 GS
Intel 3945 Wireless Card
No bluetooth
DVD RW TSST Corp L632D (apparently)
17" WUXGA display
Windows XP MCE 2005 Roll Up 2

what else is necessary?

 

Hello and welcome to the forum. I have the same problems when shutting down as well on my new E1705 which is the same as the 9400. Lots of programs not responding. I deleted and merged the extra partitions to C. My direct button doesn't work now and I don't care however I will re-install XP MCE but may not put MediaDirect 3 software back on. Request the disks from Dell for the software you are missing. They shouldn't charge you for it. See if you can get Dell to exchange your DVD drive for an NEC. I've read about issues with your DVD burner. Download this from dell and execute this. It sets the secondary contraller to DMA mode. or you can try doing it manually in XP.

Dell link http://support.dell.com/support/dow...gen&releaseid=r53986&formatcnt=1&fileid=63977

MediaDirect thread:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=40902&page=31

 

Just to be curious, what does that download actually do?

Also, you said you have the same shutdown problem. Did you find a way to solve it or is it still going on?

As for partitions, if all I've read is correct everywhere, when I repartition my HDD it should be:

Windows XP (and everything I'll generate will using it)- 60 Gb
Media Direct- 1 Gb
Ubuntu- 15 Gb
swap- 4 gb

I think the media direct needed more? I don't know. I repeat, I'm terribly confused.

One final question, if Dell ships me another DVD drive what do I do with the old one and do I have to install the new one myself?

 

The download is supposed to change your dvd drive controller to dma mode. That may resolve the poor performance.

I haven't resolved the shutdown issues and I'm re-installing the os. I doubt that I will install Media Direct as I want 3 data partitions (for now).

Dell will send a shipping label for you to send the old drive back. Do it right away, They will send a notice that you'll have to pay for it unless they get it back in within 30 days.

The MediaDirect thread sould have the disk layout somewhere...

 

It depends on what MediaDirect version you have. If you ordered your laptop before October, then you most likely have version 2.0. With 2.0, you have to repair MediaDirect using the repair utility which can be downloaded from support.dell.com

If you ordered from October till now, then you probably have 3.0. 3.0 has it's own partition which you should have seen when you were formatting. It would have been labelled MediaDirect. If this is the case, you have to reinstall MediaDirect 3.0. You need to request the disc from Dell, and you'll have to format again.

I recommend that you keep Cyberlink PowerDVD. It installs software and decoder so you can watch DVDs and is the most compatible with MediaDirect.

Have you installed your driver? Also, make sure that your laptop is set for DMA mode and not PIO mode. Follow the directions on this site (under For Windows XP section)
http://www.real-knowledge.com/dma.htm

Hard to tell. It might be some software causing problems or possibly a driver conflict. If your IT messed with it, no telling what they changed. There is a registry fix which will shut down applications faster. Here are the directions:
http://www.theeldergeek.com/close_applications_not_responding_at_shutdown.htm

 

Hey there,

Thanks! The PIO to DMA thing cleared up the performance issue. I installed Power DVD 5.5 again and it worked perfectly. However, Media Center still gives a decoder error when trying to playback DVD or trying to configure the speakers. I really do not understand.

There's this thing now, though. I'm using Nero Express that came with the drive I bought when I was building my desktop PC. It can recognize the L632D drive, check its speed, give me info, etc. Yet, when trying to burn anything I only get the option to use image burner, not the drive. It used to show up before. Does the PIO to DMA do anything to this?

On the Media Direct front. Yeah, I order my laptop November 1st, so I guess it would be Media Direct 3.0, though I have no way of checking it. I do remember the Media Direct partition. I'll have to call Dell to have them send my reinstallation CD for 3.0.

I've been reading that the online chats are much more helpful than the phone calls. which one should I try for these issues?

 

In my experience, Media Center Edition takes a lot longer than Win XP to shut down. Like minutes. It's ridiculous.

I'd put XP Pro on this thing, if only installing my software did not take ALL DAY.

 

Well, thing is I only have the installation for XP MCE that came with the laptop, I don't an XP Pro installation CD, so I'm kind of stuck with it. If I put XP Pro on it, don't I need some other programs to get the media direct button to work? I remember reading about the Media Experience and other applications.

 

Yeah, XP Pro would not support the Media Center features, but, after messing with Media Center for a few minutes, I did not think it was something I'd ever use.

For instance, all my music is on an external drive, which can't be accessed from Media Center.

I'd just rather boot the computer to edit Office documents. And watching a movie, same thing, not that big a deal to boot the computer.