Dell Vista Laptop Reformat and Bloatware Removal Guide

How do scale back aero score back to where it was... out of the box mine was 4.5 and now after re-install it is 1

Thanks!!

 

Yeah, I have an XPS M1530, I have 200 GB, after reformat I has 183 (170 something counting Vista) but I have that 3GB of what appears to be unusable space, or maybe Media Direct is using it and I just don't know. During set up it was notated as 3gb Media Direct. I am tempted to try again with the second option, give Vista 20gb, and I think the 3rd Media Direct partition actually wouldn't show up as a separate partition.

 

This may point out that you have not installed nVidia drivers, or you have not updated your Vista Experience scores after installing the video drivers.

 

Sorry, I am new to Vista... its been only 3 days since I started looking/working on vista... I did update the nVidia drivers after re-install ... however I am not sure what you mean by Vista Experience scores.. How do I do that?

One more question for all:
After clean install, I updated the BIOS to A05 (the latest), installed nVidia and other drivers. Opened windows and there were 49 window updates waiting to be installed (have auto update option ON). I said OK to install, took a while and then I was caught in INFINTE loop while trying to boot... Vista kept looping itself saying windows did not recognize certain drivers....

I had to click the "login with safe mode with previous good configuration (something like this)" and restore vista to early point basically removing all the 49 updates. Did I do anything wrong? Again, I am new to Vista (3 days experience only).

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!!

 

When you see the Performance Information and Tools item in the Control Panel, that contains your windows experience score. In your other post, you remarked that your graphics score was now a 1. Try clicking the "Update my score" text on the right side of the window.

 

darthsat, Thanks!! I will do that tonight.
Any idea on why vista keep re-booting after installing the 49 vista updates? (mentioned in my previous post).

-Sam

 

You can thank the hard drive manufacturers for only actually having 183 GB.

Your 200GB drive can actually only hold 186GB, subtract the 3GB for Media Direct, and you have 183 GB available.

Hard drive manufacturers get their capacity by using the 1000 bytes = 1 kilobyte, 1000 kilobytes = 1 megabyte, etc. scheme, while in reality, 1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte, 1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte, etc. So the number on the box is actually more than what you actually get.

 

Thank you darthsat for assistaing with this trhead. I am presently on a duty where I can only come to check thisonce or twice a week.

 

Well, I followed most of the tweaks guide, after the clean install. But since i clean installed, the laptop seems the same speed, if not slower than it was out of the box. Why!? :/

 

Most of the success of the tweaks and reformat are from the fact that background processes and startup processes are drastically reduced. The BlackViper site in the tweaks thread does a good job of showing you processes you can safely remove. Also, Vista's superfetch feature takes a few days of computer use to "learn" and help speed up the actions performed on the system. So see if it seems to run better after a few days as well.

Finally, have you tried the Boot files defrag from the tweak thread?

 

Les, we have success! Finally, I did the reformat and clean install and I'm in my desktop w/in 50s...I'm sure it could be a little faster, but for now I'm not complaining.

Thanks for all of your goodness.

 

Finally....took awhile but Im glad we got there.

Maybe now you can change the Avatar!!! lol

 

I'm getting a quick BSOD "flash" on startup and then it tries to restart, again and again and again, fun fun.

XPS1330
Reformatted partions down to just 1
Install Vista Home Prem.
Run Update for the 4-5 critical updates
Run Update for the 30 or so optional updates
System doesn't like to boot-up from restart, have to power down and do 'last good boot' or whatever.

So something is up in one of those 30 or so optional updates... grumble. Good thing I had a restore point.

-edit, F ME!!! It wasn't the Nvidia driver from Windows like I thought it'd be. Grumble, back to restoring and now I'm going to install ANY Hardware updates from Dell itself, NOT Windows.

 

Don't forget to install the AHCI driver from Intel downloads at the point when you select which partition to install to.

I just reinstalled a system today and the old AHCI driver from the original drivers disk would not work. Download the Intel matrix Storage Manager from Intel onto USB or a disk and then install it. It is the main cause of BSODS.

Out to do the driveway again... SNOW!!!!

 

Ha, that confounded "reading" thing is just too hard... awesomeness.. thanks for the heads up.

-edit, how the heck do I know which model to chose from? there's like 8?

 

You can find the Intel driver at Intel or www.x-drivers.com.

Simply go through the installation and when you get to the screen where you select the partition to install Vista on, click the button to install drivers bottom left I believe. Prior, you should have installed/expanded the AHCI file to a USB or dvd. Put the USB/DVD in and direct the computer to that.

It can be a tricky process...

 

Ah, I was trying to cheat and just do it "post os install"

Grumble.

3rd time reinstalling... weeee

 

That has worked post install but only if you allow it to do a cold reboot. Shut it off and let it sit for a few seconds. I have been able, at times, to then install the driver.

Not always though..

 

ok, i have a question. I ordered a XPS M1530. It is not here yet but I hate all the stuff dell puts on their computers so i was looking at this. I have never used vista or anything and am only 15 years old so mybe i misunderstand some things.

Can I

1) Put in media direct CD or whatever
2) Follow your steps and partition the hard drive into two virtual drives (wording might be a bit off)
3) Install Vista on the C: drive and boot up install all drivers etc...

Then I should have another drive (not really another drive but since it is partitioned it should act as another drive)

Can I install windows XP on this partition and use vista on the other and still be able to use Media Direct and everything?

Also i could use XP only if thats what I wanted eventually right? Is there any way to get the biometric finger print reader to work with xp? Or I could just run xp of an external drive right?


Sorry if this sounds stupid. Im only 15 years old I hope someone can answer this.

 

Man, I wish I had a lappy like that when I was 15!!!

 

lol. I'm happy that i'm getting it. It should be pretty sweet. Estimated date of the 25th can not come soon enough! I just hope i don't get s $#!TY screen. That would suck! If i do though i will just call them up and get them to send me the parts. I can put it in myself easy enough. Then i don't have to worry about someone there scratching my brand new laptop. lol. and it won't take quite as long.

 

how much improvement/ram are we talking here? i just got my xps today and already they are coming to replace my grainy screen, also the hdd is always scrathing(making noise) even when i am not doing anything!

 

In your case, call and get a replacement and then consider the Clean Install and Tweaking Thread once the new one comes in.

 

i dont know if anyone saw, but can someone reply to my post please on the page before this. Sorry if i sound like an ass. i just don't want to post it again and no one will see it now probably that we are on a new page.

 

Yes you can partition and install Vista on one partition but....

you need to find a specific guide that will assist you in making a dual boot system. There are several.

 

Ok, Thanks. The dual boot system is not complicated. I just wanted to make sure it would work with essentially the steps you provided and still leave media direct functional.

 

Yes...when you partition initially in mediaDirect, just make sure to select option 2 and divide the partitions equally, or for what you want their size to be with each OS

 

ok, sounds easy enough. Ill frig around onece i get it anyway. And if i screw it up ill take the hard drive out, put it in a little enclosure i have, plug it into my desktop and format it from there....i've done that wiht my old laptop a few times. lol

 

Not necessary as all you will have to do is just start fm scratch and decide your partitions when following initial MD steps...

 

ok, that sounds easy enough. thanks

 

should i re-install the intel drivers under the SATA drives section on the dell driver page?

 

Intek driver from Intel Downloads

 

i dont see that one. hey on a different subjectwhen the hard drive is working should it sound like something scrathing, i have never heard a hdd like this before, granted i dont think i have ever seen a 7200 rpm drive before either

 

No...shouldnt be any scratching and here:

http://downloadcenter.intel.com/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=1809

 

i am trying to install the sound blaster audigy software but it says i need an activation code, i have no idea what it is and tech support says they dont either!

 

Les,

Re-installed and everything looks good on my Dell Vostro 1500. I also made all the tips and tweaks from your user guide. It truly helps this Vista move fast. Thank You.
However, now when I restart my machine, the system configuration tray pops up saying
"System Configuration is currently in Diagnostic or selective startup mode. To start windows normally do blah blah..."

Do I need to select normal startup mode from system configuration or just ignore this message and click not to show this popup again?

Thanks again,
-Sam

 

Click not to show the popup again...

And Congrats!

And re: Audigy...the code is on the outside of the disk envelope that the Audigy disk came in.

 

Okay I was following the first step of this process about deleting the paraition however; I regretted doing this since I have no idea what I am doing. Now I get a black screen when I boot up my laptop . Can someone help me or tell me how to restore back to my default setting like it would of been on the first day I got my Dell laptop. I'm a noob in computers and I thought I could do this but I cant and need help on what to do to restore to my original setting because I think I lost everything . Please help.

 

I dont know why you would get just a black screen? is there any words? a command prompt? (can you type and issue a command?) try inserting each of your discs does one of them bring anything up? I had this happen to an old laptop of mine.

I went to reformat it, it was an old acer tablet (travel mate c100) and it had an external cd drive. in the middle of the restore, my cat knocked over the cd drive and fu***d it all up. To fix it i took out the hard drive, put it in a mobile 2.5" hard drive enclosure that has a usb cable so i then plugged it into my desktop, the drive showed up under my computer then i right clicked, pressed format then put it back in my laptop and installed windows and all drivers everything worked fine.

Im only 15 and i figured it out. read up on some forums, search google for your exact question and chances are you'll find what you're looking for.

 

Rocky_123, I suppose you didn't make a backup of your data? Did your laptop come with a system recovery disc? How about a Windows vista disc.

I would start with these items. Try to insert the vista or recovery disc into the cd drive, and then power on the computer and press F12 and see if it tries to boot from the disc.

 

K, got the new 1530, did an Acronis backup. (Both a full one, then an extra one of just the recovery partition. I'm a little paranoid about scramming laptops, even though I've been building desktops for the better part of a decade!) Got some baseline PCMark/3dMark scores for reference, and I think I'm ready to jump in.
Question: Do I need an internet connection before the point where I head to the Dell website to get updated drivers? I'd like to do this while at work, but there's no way for me to get a personal machine on the work net and I don't want to hit a point where I have to power down to activate or get the "Windoze Genuine Advantage" or any nonsense. :rolleyes2: How far can I go without being online?

And thanks to the OP and regular contributors for being such dependable sources of info... one of the most consistently helpful, responsive threads like this I've seen on the boards.

 

Thanks for writing this awesome guide Les!!
I followed it on my M1530 and it worked flawlessly.

 

Dont worry guys I got it fixed but took several hours lol :? In the end I got everything working again and somehow got rid of dell ware and enjoying the nice tweaks and space increase Thanks for help all

 

That's nice to hear Rocky.

 

I've been reading these threads and it sounds confusing. I have no idea what partitions are or really anything about what is being said, not completely computer illiterate but compared to the people on here I guess I would be. Should I even attempt to do this?

 

If your drive has 2 partitions it acts as 2 drives
3 partitions acts as 3

You still only have one hard drive but diffeent partitions labeled for example
C:
D:
E:

and you can have different operating syestems etc on them

 

New M1530 owner here. I've read the guide and just wanted some clarification on the Drivers and Utilities' Disk bit. The disc I got only says "DRIVERS AND UTITLIES For reinstalling Dell Webcam Manager". I'm presuming that when it autoruns to install it is the 'Dell Resource Application' that the guide mentions or am I completely wrong?

 

You should have gotten another dell disk that is labed "Drivers and Utilities already installed on your system". You should have the discs: 1 - OS Disc, 2 - Drivers, and 3 - Drivers and Utilities for reinstalling Dell Webcam.

 

I got the webcam manager drivers, OS but not a plain drivers disc. The electronic package slip that I ordered said Not Included Resource CD, maybe that is it?

If that's the case would I b able to just download all the necessary drivers from dell website?

 

Yes, on the Dell support page for your laptop model, you will find updated drivers for everything you need.