Dell Vista Laptop Reformat and Bloatware Removal Guide

Now the title of the thread is "25% off Dell Inspiron Laptop Coupon Code". What's going on?

 

No, the recovery partition is not recreated when you reinstall the OS which is why I recommend an initial system disk backup set be created with Vista Ultimate (if you have it) or Acronis 15 Day Trial Program.

Secondly, the drivers disk has everything you are looking for including the AHCI and FPR software for 32 bit.

Folks...we have a ghost in the machine!!!

 

thanks for the quick response - can you tell me why the recovery partition is there & what it does? This will help me to know if I care if it's gone.

 

If you screw up your system some how, Dell will instruct you on following a procedure to recover your original system settings. It will appear as if you just turned on the system for the first time. It is found within the dell Repair menu and used to be Alt-F11 I believe.

 

Did you find any information for this?
I tried to search on the web, but no matched information for setting up xp, vista and MD? Someone is worried about messing up MD after installing xp on a machine already having vista.
Could anyone provide a link?

Thanks!

 

it seems as if i'm stuck on step three. how long does it take to delete everything and tell you to put in the vista disk?

 

For me it only took a minute or two.

 

thx, crash.

 

You're welcome

 

Are the disk created from the complete PC backup from Vista Ultimate bootable? Let say after the clean install and then I do the complete backup, am I able to boot to the disk created and install the whole complete, clean install?

 

The recovery partition is used for restoring the Dell computer the way you received it. I did away with mine. I rather make my own restore disks with my settings. Plus, it takes up 10 gigs of HD space. YOu could use that to save your own Drive image. I would update your drivers from the Dell website. The Cd contains old drivers.

 

NO, these disks are used with the Vista OS Disk Recovery menu, one of the options which is simply to restore the backup set. This is very advantageous as it reduces the size of the recovery disk set because the OS is restored from the OS disk.

I have done this on several occasions already and it is simple and works great.

 

Thanks for the immediate reply Les...

Just to clarify, after doing a backup (using Vista Ultimate) from a clean install I can basically restore on this point again after installing let say a bunch of utilities, software, etc. right?

 

Yes and in fact, you can reinstall to that point which will also restore the restore partition and then reboot and boot into the Repair utility again and reboot it back to the first time you turned it on.

 

my m1330 just arrived this afternoon and after reading your instructions, i thought i'd do it before anything else. man, i must be missing a lot cuz things did not go according to plan. after installing the CD (mediadirect 3.5), i got a screen that asked if i wanted to open the files to view them. okay, so the folder's open; now what. i see a folder that says WindowsMD3 (and DellKit, WindowsBDPack, XPS M1330, MXG071, XPS M1530 and a file that reads Autorun). which folder/file should i open/use?

in my DellKit folder, there are 4 apps: DellKit, MD3Utils, RemoveDriveLetter, and rmbr.

also, when i hit f12, the laptop didn't restart. guess i'll just use my mouse to go through the steps.

anyway, the key thing i need to know to follow your instructions is, "what is the name of the app that i should run?"

also, in step 2, you wrote, "One time boot/Boot Dvd": how do i do that? is it automatic or do i press a specific key when it's restarting?

sorry for the newbie questions and i look forward to your reply.

thank you.

 

Most of what you just wrote isn't 'you following the guide'...

Please start from the beginning and follow each step carefully...to the word. You cannot reinsert you MD disk and start Dellkit until you have completed the MD and OS reinstallation as instructed to do in the guide.

My advise, quite honestly, is if your not comfortable with this...DON'T DO IT!

 

flamenko...

Well, I must have done something wrong. I did the clean install as instructed. Everything went smooth. Then I did the majority of your " Top Vista Tips and Tweaks Guide" and then rebooted and ran PCMarks & 3DMarks and my scores dropped in both compared to when I ran them right after I got the notebook two weeks ago.
That was a LOT of work to do and get a lower score. To say the least, I'm VERY disappointed.

PCMark05 score:
Two weeks ago: 5880
Tonight: 5099

3DMark06 score:
Two weeks ago: 4380
Tonight: 4061

 

You might want to check things such as your video drivers and whatnot. I cannot answer as to why you have a lower score as, quite honestly, it doesn't make sense.

Just sit back for a bit and try and figure it out...there is something that is not set properly most obviously.

 

hi flamenko, fortunately for me, i looked at the stuff that came with my new m1330 and there's a manual entitled "Reinstalling Dell MediaDirect". (even tho it has that title, it also covers wiping out the drive, setting up partitions, etc) it covers the steps in two pages so it has a bit more info and so with those two documents, i was able to figure out what i was doing wrong and everything went smoothly. it's late where i am so i'll have to look at the tweaks guide later but thanks again for a very useful post.

 

One of the first things I did after the clean install was to upgrade my video drivers.

At least I gained back my 10mb HD space from that restoration partition I deleted.

I think I will restore my notebook to before I did the "Tweaks" as I did about 7 of those. I may have done something wrong there. What I'll do is one tweak at a tiime and then do a test and see what happens.

What drivers do you think I may have missed?

Cheers...

 

Havent a clue but, following the Guides with the latest drivers should have your system screaming. Your PCMark05 score surprised the heck out of me as my M1330 results in 6224.

 

Well, I found that the "updated" drivers for the Video card dated
(11/28/2007) is causing a lower score than the driver that came on the CD which was dated in September?
Why would that be?

That was the ONLY change I made between running PCMARKS.

 

When I extract the intel matrix storage manager driver it doesn't install right away. NVM... this is only needed if you use intel turbo memory right?

 

this link to a dell support page describes the steps discussed in this thread and found in a little manual that shipped with my new m1330:

http://supportapj.dell.com/support/...28376C&docid=3082DAC1D7384CD5E040A68F5B2814A2

late edit: just wanted to make sure my intention for posting that link was clear: it's only cuz as a newbie, i think i needed both to help me along and it may clarify something for other newbies who read this thread later. one thing in particular that i appreciated about your instructions was the part where it said something like "hit ________" immediately after you see "hit any key to continue..." cuz i didn't do it fast enough and then i was stuck! reading your comment about that helped me to understand why i was stuck and i knew what i had to do the next time. thanks again flamenko.

 

Worx,

The Intel Storage manager has to do with recognition and utilization of yur HD in AHCI mode. if you are not getting BSODS presently, don't worry about it because AHCI is most likely functioning fine.

nouser...

Yes that manual has been around for a bit. Unfortunately, many don't find it as simple as this guide for some reason. Thanks for the reference though.

 

Just had my M1330 a couple of days so having a good play with it before blasting the drive and I've a couple of questions...

When you set the partitions with MediaDirect, is the D:\ partition primary or extended? Perhaps the best thing to do is create one big partition and then split it up during the Vista install.

If you use the Dell Vista Disk does it auto activate with a Dell factory key cooked into the disk or do you have to enter your own key from the bottom of your laptop and reactivate?

Finally do you need to install Notebook System and Chipset etc? I was just planning to down load the current device drivers from Dell for webcam, video, sound etc to fix up any that were missing.

Thanks in advance.

Beech

 

I loaded AHCI before installing the Vista. I did both in 32 and 64 bit versions. It seems to work flawlessly. I had tried turining HD setting in the BIOS before installing Vista. It also works but when I turned HD setting AHCI in the BIOS back. Vista is not stable and occasionally I got BSOD.

 

I performed a clean reinstall and Flamenko, your steps ran flawless for me I also did some not serious Tweaks from the list. As for the start up process. It will go through the bios and then the microsoft startup and then it will cut to about 15 sec of black then vista will start. Is this the video card maybe, cause I know that before i did the fresh install i did not do 15 sec of black.

Just wonderin if anyone has seen this problem thanks!

 

take out hte battery for 10 seconds. Reboot, then install the SATA drivers. THe intel matrix stuff and what not(it's late dont feel like thinking for exact names)

 

Beech:

1. D: would be your final primary pertition;
2. The number of the Dell OS disk is not required after installation because it is within the program, or at least that is how it used to be; and
3. You can use the updated Dell drivers except you will still have to use the Webcam disk even with the updates.

imzomnia and AGonzalez:

You will BSOD because the AHCO driver is not properly installed. You need to extract it onto an external medium such as a USB flash drive and install it during the initial process as described.

You can do same now by inserting the installation disk in, repairing and installing the AHCI driver during the repair menu appearance I believe.

 

Thanks

I'll just go wth one big partition and split it in Vista.

Am I right in thinking that the webcam driver is on the web and the disk is just for the software?

Also what does Notebook System Software and Chipset update actually do? I'm a bit reluctant to load something for no benefit if Vista can do the same job.

Beech

 

Flamenko, I'm sure I saw an answer to this question somewhere amongst the 74 pages of this thread, but for the life of me can't find it again!
I'm now getting around to doing this, but wanted to run a question by you first. The only Windows disk I've got is the Dell branded one.
If I reinstall with this disk, will it not just reinstall the bloatware with it?
Cheers.

EDIT: Actually, can anybody answer this question who has done it with the Dell disk?

 

No. The Dell OS Disk only reinstalls Vista and not the whole system with bloatware. You then have to follow up by reinstalling the proper drivrs from the drivers disk and Dell.com/support.

Oh and EXCELLENT SIG!

 

flamenko is right... I just did the clean install last weekend. No bloatware.

 

Hello, my first post but been reading this forum for a few weeks now. I reinstalled media direct and vista today(only had laptop one day and already had enough of the junk it came with) and got rid of the bloatware that all went fine everything works just I don't have the option to hibernate now when i press FN and the F1 key. couldn't see anything in the bios so was wondering if any1 here has had the same problem or knows what it is i've overlooked ><
thanks in advance

p.s repped for the guide i prob wouldn't have thought to re install otherwise

 

RossC, have you reinstalled Dell Quickset after the reformat?

 

yes the remote and evrything works fine. its just that the hibernation setting isnt there anymore. even says in the quickset hotkey settings that FN+F1 is hibernate but its says its "unable to enable hibernate" when i press those keys. I can't select it under the power plan part where you choose what shutting the lid etc does either

 

My guess is that you deLEted your hibernate file from the disk cleanup. It can be fixed and you will have to search out because I am not sure exactly how.

 

Great guide, but that font you have for the instructions is unnecessarily difficult to read. I suggest using a more standard, readable font.

 

yep your right Flamenko, just found the knowledge base article on it, was about to post i'd found the answer but you beat me to it lol. thanks anyway

heres the link for how to fix if anyone else needs it http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;928897

 

im having issues w/ a install on my 1720 (new)

i had no success installing w/ my official MS ultimate disk
(it would do most of the steps until the first restart and just try to run windows and tell me i have to repair it)

now im trying the reinstall w/ the media direct and dell OS cd and it hangs up at "completing installation"

any advice?

 

Yup...sounds like you never installed the AHCI driver at the stage that you chose what partition to install to, this being a common occurrence with Ultimate.

Did you???

 

never even heard of that before

can you please explain? thanks

 

vitog123, to get past that stage of installation, I think you have to do the following:

First, save the Intel Matrix Storage Manager Driver to a USB drive. After that, begin the reformatting steps.

1. Boot with vista ultimate disk.
2. Format the drive desired.
3. After it formats the drive, there will be a button that says "Load Driver". Click it and install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager driver from the USB drive to that newly formatted drive.
4. Start the vista installation.

It should complete the installation correctly.

 

Les.... I seem to be left with three unchecked items in Device Manager, all marked as Base System Device... any clues as to what you reckon these may be?

Edit:

ah, graphics score of 1 leads me to think 8600 drivers perchance...

 

Yup....other common ones are the fingerprint reader, Ricox sd drivers and many people forget to do the original installation of the webcam from disk thinking the updates will suffice. They won't.

 

Hey all

I had an interesting thing happen last night... anyone else encounter it?

I'd reinstalled using the MediaDirect disc method detailed in this post almost two weeks ago and everything seemed to go smoothly.

I tried last night to run media direct (i.e. notebook was off, I pressed the media direct button). Media direct promptly started up and started trying to scan for media. It then reported an error saying it couldn't access my windows partition and suggested that Bitlocker was in use?

So I went to restart the notebook into Windows to do some investigation. Unfortunately, the machine started Media Direct again, and again, and again!

Basically, I couldn't get the notebook to boot into Vista! I tried a Windows repair and it reported that a boot file had been corrupted but even after it repairing that, the machine would only boot into Media Direct!

So I ended up reinstalling. This time though, I had all my data on my second partition so there was no way I was letting the Media Direct disc wipe the drive! So now I have Vista installed with no Media Direct functionality (although it's partition is still there).

So, my questions are:
- Is there a way to repair/reinstall Media Direct that won't try and kill my partitions?
- Has anyone else encountered this before?

 

Whew. I've finally finished this!

Now, would you say this is a good procedure to follow next?

I was thinking of keeping the OS and programs on about an 8 GB partition, getting my 'core' list of goodies on there before making a backup.

Sound about right? I take it I'd then be able to restore to that partition, leaving the rest of my hdd safe?

 

NBR Member Vista Tips and Tweaks Guide

 

Oh yeah, I've seen that. But I was wondering if getting a partition and a restore would be the best step before embarking on tweakage?