Dell Vista Laptop Reformat and Bloatware Removal Guide

Hey Les

I received MediaDirect 3.5 not 3.3 with my inspiron 1525 will that make a difference

 

No, it won't make a difference.

I also received 3.5 with my Inspiron 1525 and Les' guide worked without a hitch!

 

Could someone please explain the benefit of AHCI to me please, i did a fresh install yesterday but had no way of expanding the media from the driver i downloaded off of the intel website. So i skipped that part , is it really important to use it ?

I only use the machine for gaming , so not sure if it has any effect on what i use the machine for , thanks !

 

For many systems now it is a required driver. Newer Dells are not stable without it and will continue to BSOD. It is a 10-15% boost in harddrive/system performance once installed.

 

Hey guys I'm about to start this project and somewhat confused about the AHCI part, I downloaded the driver, Les provided in the first page and put it in a flash drive. Below is where I got confused, if someone could walk me through step by step on this I'd really appreciated it. Also the file I downloaded off Intel site is iata78_enu.exe do I just leave it like that on the flash drive boefore I stick it in my laptop?

I also want to make 2 seperate partitions, I have a 320 GB HDD I'd like to give C drive about 80-100 GB and the rest for D(data) for all my files. Will it prompt me during the re-install and give me an option to do so? Thanks folks!

 

You can make the partitions when you first insert the MD Disk. It will walk you through option 2.

As for the file, click on it to execute or expand it on that media. Later you will direct the drivers search in the installation process to that and it will immediately recognize the driver.

 

Les, thank you for your reply sorry I'm a complete newbie when it comes to this. I still don't quite understand how to expand the AHCI. I have the driver saved on my flash drive as "iata78_enu.exe". How exactly do I expand this? I tried double click it and it made an attempt to do an install then failed with an error message saying "system doesn't meet requirement." the flash drive is connected to my desktop by the way not my M1530.

 

Les, Perhaps it would be better to have people download this Dell Intel Matrix Storage driver for use during the driver load prior to vista installation phase.

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=205611

This is the version that allows you to expand the actual driver files that can be loaded onto a flash drive. The .exe file in the Original post does a straight installation of the driver(which can be found in program files/intel).

 

Darth, thank you I was waiting for a reply lol. I just dl'd the one from dell although 1530 isn't on the list it should be compatiable right? I extracted the file to my flash drive, but I don't see any file named AHCI as mentioned in the first post. Did I do it right? Is iaachi.cat the one I need to use?

 

Funny, I will have to check as I was sure I posted the file on the first post that expands right on that disk. Many have used that with good results...or so I thought.

 

Hi guys,

I´m a bit confused as to which AHCI Driver I should use after Ive installed Media Direct.

http://support.dell.com/support/dow...1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=205611


http://support.dell.com/support/dow...1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=224400

Are these two the same, one being a newer release, or are they two different things.
Also, I´m getting the 200Gb 7200 rpm HDD. What partition arrangement is recommended. I have music, videos, download large files, and also use Photoshop/ProEngineer/Autocad.

I´m getting ready for my first de-bloating. My 1530s arriving tomorrow morning!

cheers,

ben

 

I have the same question 1530 isn't listed in the first driver.

 

Hi Ben. In practicality, they both should be about the same, but use the one that is provided for your specific machine. So use the 2nd one for the m1530.

1. Download the R154200.exe(for m1330) or the R166200.EXE(for m1530) file.
2. Double-click it and it will ask you where you want to extract the files to. Tell it to extract to your flash drive.
3. It will then attempt to install itself, so cancel it (STOP the installation of the driver).
4. The extracted AHCI files should be in the R166200 folder in your flash drive now. So when you click load driver during the vista re-installation, point to that folder in your flash drive and it will install the drivers within.

So:
m1330 AHCI driver: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=205611

m1530 AHCI driver: http://support.dell.com/support/dow...1&impid=-1&formatcnt=1&libid=41&fileid=224400

 

I just checked the Intel file and it is as I had stated, probably the most compatible. Many people have had problems with the different versions yet this one is the most up to date and works for all. When you execute it it expands the required files on your media, even if you cannot see them. When you look for them while directing the driver search in the install process, all is fine.

I went with this because it is the only one that is compatible with all and does not execute a program like the older dell executables did.

 

I think the confusion with the current intel exe file is that users see it installing the driver onto their machine as soon as they double-click on it. The actual driver files actually get placed in the C:\Program Files\Intel folder, whereas with the older dell AHCI driver exe files, it first asks you where you want to extract the driver files to, so it is convenient to just extract them straight to the flash drive.

 

Everything is going smoothly the guide is pretty much straight forward except the AHCI part, I downloaded the .17 version which is the one for 1530 and extracted it to flash drive. Thanks for helping guys. For those that haven't done this before like myself it's much easier once you start the process.


Edit: Just finished installing my dell resource CD and only 2 drivers that are checked were intel wireless and ethernet card?? Is there a way to check what else is missing?

 

I get get the error Code 8000FFFF when I try to update Vista. Can anybody help me solve this?

 

There we go...You are right Darthsat and wrong. My description tells users to download to their media and extract...not the hard drive. It needs to be on the dvd or usb to extract and keep it there. If they are downloading it to the HD and then startinhg it, bam...misreading the directions again.

Think we solved this caper...unfortunately much to the confusion of a few Im sure.

 

I now have the same error failed to install update on vista Let me know if you get this fixed.

 

There is a fix on the internet as I had the same problem; I just cannot remember it though. It consisted of removing 2-3 registry entries and restarting.

Search the internet for this under things such as "vista wil not update" and see if you can find it.

 

Found easier solution for those who encounter this problem follow instruction below:

1: Open up "Control Panel" and navigate your way to "Programs and Features".

2: Click "View installed updates" on the left hand side.

3: Find the update KB929777 and uninstall it.

4: Attempt to install the update again in Windows Update

5: Once successful, restart your PC.

This did the trick for me. Thanks for such a great guide, Les. It took me a few hours to complete. Now my M1530 is nice, clean, and fast plus 10GB more space.

 

Hi,

I´m just about to remove bloatware. I have a 200Gb 7200rpm HDD.

How much space should I specify for the C: partition?

Was thinking 40Gb. Is that enough?

Any help appreciated!

 

First of all, thanks to Les for the effort!
I accidently delete (f*-up) my hard drive. So I had to reinstall my VISTA.
VISTA Installer was not able to recognize my 'expanded' AHCI (Intel) driver in USB drive. I proceeded without it. I also was not able to extract drivers from DELL Resouce CD. I downloaded drivers from DELL Support website instead.

Thanks again for everyone's help...

 

Hello all ! I followed this guide when I first got my m1330. Now I am a little confused. Can someone explain how to verify if I have the AHCI driver installed or not ? Thanks !

 

With the XPS, if you arent getting reboots or BSODS...its working. If you go into you bios on boot, you will be able to confirm there that your system is in AHCI and not SATA mode.

 

Thanks for replying ! BIOS is set to AHCI and I don’t have BSODs. However, I don’t remember ever installing anything from an usb stick or anything like that. Is it obvious from the device manager if these drivers are installed ? thanks !

 

Thx for interesting thread I'd like to ask some quastions... In computer (DELL M1530) were installed win Vista, but without MD (and without AHCI). But two days ago, when I was booting up my windows, I've got the request to install MD, and I could't to boot win. After few computer restarts it's work fine again. So:
1. could I install MD without reinstalling windows?
2. If I don't want that MD, can I use my win without problems? or in future I will get that request again? Maybe I could turn that future down?

P.S. sorry for long post

 

1. NO not if you did a reinstall of just Vista. MD needs to initially create a partition to so it may be accessed as its own environment.

2. Yes... however I would consider installing and using AHCI since it is a performance increase.

 

"Yes" - I can use without problem or "Yes" - I can disable?

 

Yes I would use the AHCI! You can disable it which would drop your hd speed about 10-15%

 

okey! I'll do it I will reinstall my DELL... thank you very much

 

I just redid this guide, and the tweaks guide on an Inspiron 1521. The audio was working fine, but for some reason now, the Windows Audio service will not start. When I go to services.msc and try to start the Windows Audio, I get an error 1608: dependency service or group failed to start. I downloaded the Sigmatel drivers from Dells site, but still no luck. Has anyone ran into this before, or have any idea's of what I might try?

**Nevermind, figured it out: for some reason the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder was disabled. After enabling that, I was able to start Windows Audio, and now sound is working fine. Weird...**

 

Right, well I'v done the process up to inserting the drivers and utilities disk, where I come into a little problem - there isn't one - just a disk for the webcam manager. I just got my XPS 1530 yesterday but they didn't ship that disk with it. Have they stopped sending them or is it just a mistake? So what can be done? Can I download the disk or do I have to go through and manually find and download all the drivers.

 

You should have received a drivers and utilities disc with your machine. Regardless, it would probably be better at this point to just download the drivers. I made a post a few weeks ago including links to working drivers for the m1530. Here is the link. You can go through and download each one of them.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=3106106&postcount=866

 

This seems sort of confusing. Is it something that can be done by someone not all too familiar with computer ins and outs? I ordered my m1530 and the etd is 5/14. I'm not sure if I should do it or if it will really mess up the system.

 

Hello, wdrmhbs. Honestly, if you don't feel comfortable with the procedure by looking over the steps, I wouldn't recommend it. We will gladly assist you should you have any questions during the process, but if you don't feel comfortable with doing this, it is not necessary. The safer bet for someone who is not comfortable with really tampering with their system would be to just uninstall bloatware programs that come installed with the machine. The result will not be AS clean as it would be with a full reformat, but you may not notice the difference with day-to-day activity.

 

I agree with darthsat. I'm pretty good with computers and recently, with my XPS 1710, I had to resort to doing a new Vista install after stupidly installing the SP1 patch (when I'm not supposed to, due to conflicts with Sigmatel audio driver)...

The fresh install actually lead to a noticeable increase in performance...I've always though the laptop was a little sluggish out of the box (e.g. takes time for icons to load in control panel, slower boot/shutdown times, etc.) but the downside was that there were several devices missing appropriate drivers. I am a lazy bastard and although the laptop was working fine, it peeves me to know that there's several hardware items not working and I have no clue what they're supposed to be. Additionally, it seems that Vista by default selects certain drivers they deem to be best for things like the 5-1 card reader and USB controllers.

It was such a headache for me I just decided to re-mount the recovery image Dell has, and then, as darthsat clearly suggested, I just uninstalled programs I felt to be 'bloatware'.

Speaking of bloatware, you guys think Google Desktop is any more of a resource hog than just plain Windows Sidebar (despite both being eerily similar)?

 

Hi,
i have a 1530 with a hd 200GB 7200 rpm.
I resized the two partitions: C: is now 40 GB adn D:140GB
I'm not interested in Dell Media Direct but i would like to install the AHCI sw. with Vista 64.
I have a separeted Vista DVD.
What should i do, please?

Thank you.


p.s.
Which file should i download?
http://downloadcenter.intel.com/fil...dows+Vista*+64&lang=eng&strOSs=150&submit=Go!

 

Hello RickyIt. When installing the 64bit AHCI driver, both of the first two items in your link would work. When I did the installation, I had and issue with the first one as couldn't expand the drivers within the .exe to a FLASH drive, so I used the 2nd item(Floppy driver). I had to expand the driver files out of the floppy ahci driver version using an iso program. But ultimately, both of them have the necessary driver files packaged within.

 

I did a clean install and did the speed tweaks.

I only wished that I had a slightly higher resolution monitor and I didn't expect the 1530 to weigh so much. On the Dell site it says 6lbs. It feels more like 8lbs.

1. How can I tell if AHCI is running?

2. Which of the wireless network drivers should I install from the resource CD? Or should I use one from the dell site? I do not always connect to my wireless router.

Thanks!

 

Hi,
sorry for butting in...
I am slowly wading my way through this thread -- page 20 so far!
I'm very nervous about doing this as it something completely new to me, and wondered whether people felt it was worth doing on a brand new vostro 1700. As it is from Dell business, does it have much less bloatware than than the more consumer end of the market, and if so would a complete reformat still be worth my while?
I have Vista ultimate, so would do a complete backup to DVD first. Does anyone have any idea how many DVDs this would take? All I've done so far is uninstall the McAfee anti-virus trial... haven't added any software of my own yet.
I would be quite happy if everybody said 'don't bother, it's a lot of hassle, with not much gain in the case of a vostro'!!!
Thanks

 

Hello Sophie. If you haven't yet installed any software or multimedia on your computer, it should require 2 or 3 DVDs to do a complete PC backup. A clean vista Ultimate install with Office and Photoshop installed takes 2 DVDs for me to backup.

 

I don't really get what the difference would be, if I'd hook up the vista CD and just format the PC the usual way, or at least the way I am used to do it, simply booting from the vista CD, reformatting and then installing drivers...
the dell (1420) comes with a vista CD that can do this, right???

if I guess right, then, when I do it the way I mentioned above, I won't have MedaDirect, correct??? what does it actually do and is it worth having???

thanks!

 

Flip, there is no difference. This procedure is to show people how to do a reformat in the first place. With this guide, they can do a reformat while choosing to keep or get rid of mediadirect.

 

Media Direct allows you to listen to music or watch Videos/dvd's without fulling powering on your system. I realized about a 25% battery saving watching a DVD while in Vista VS the Media Direct Boot. Meaning the Media Direct Boot used less power.

If you have no use for that dont install it and save about 3.5GB

 

so what if I want to reformat my new laptop... and do it over the (for me) usual method: insert vista cd, boot from itm, follow the steps and have a new system installed... (the laptop comes with a vista cd, right?)
but what if I want to do it this way AND keep MEDIADIRECT???

btw is there like a newver version of Mediadirect on the web or something than the one that will come with my new inspiron 1420 ??

is there anything else I should be aware of while doing it this way?

 

You will have problems in your method.

When reinstalling your system, Mediadirect can only work if you start with the mediadirect disk to create appropriate partitions and then finsh FROM WITHIN VISTA by running the setup from the same MD disk. It places the files there.

 

I followed this guide when I first got my m1330. I ordered 4 GB of RAM to upgrade my existing 2 GB setup and I am thinking of going to 64bit. Will I need to start from scratch using the media direct CD or can I just format the windows partition and then add the windows part of the software (media direct)? Thanks!

 

You need to start from scratch to go to 64 Bit.

 

how does this work? I don't really see this explained further in the instructions...thanks!

btw your guide is great Les!