Dell media direct and Vista install

[steelio]

Ok what I am wanting to do is buy a XPS m1210 and then wipe it clean and install vista on it. will the media direct still work after I do this?
Do I need to do something different? How does this work on the computer and get contacts?
I have not really worked with it that much, but hope that someone out there has upgraded their m1210 to vista.
Thanks,

 

[Tarrant64]

Last I looked these come with Vista installed. Have you actually gone to Dell's site and checked to see what your options are?

 

[steelio]

Yeah I was going to get a refurb. I already have Vista Business. And was going to do a clean install with that from a system that has media center.

 

[Brainonska511]

If you mean by "Media Direct" the playing of CDs without turning the machine on, then I think that is based in the BIOS and not actually something on the hard drive. If you mean the hotkeys on the computer, then you can download the compatible ones from Dell's website (provided the model is actually offered for sale with Vista).

 

[postmortemIA]

Originally posted by: Brainonska511
If you mean by "Media Direct" the playing of CDs without turning the machine on, then I think that is based in the BIOS and not actually something on the hard drive. If you mean the hotkeys on the computer, then you can download the compatible ones from Dell's website (provided the model is actually offered for sale with Vista).

UH sorry but it is using hard drive, one partition on start and one on the end of drive, and it has its own boot loader.

 

[steelio]

ok that is kind of what I was hoping for.
HP's is on its own partition too if I remember correctly.
Now how does Dell's connect to all the programs like office etc.?

 

[Ding98]

I have an XPS 1210 and Mediadirect does NOT work on this model. It looks like everything installs correctly but when you try and use it, it hoses the boot record and makes the machine non-functional. Also trying to repair from the Vista cd does not work. I ma still waiting on Dell to issue the updated version.

Even though MediaDirect does install on its own partion it still has software that needs to be installed on the OS itself.

if someone has gotten this to work please let me know.

Thanks.


I answered my own question. Here is some information I found.

The Dell MediaDirect buttons, the webcam button and Vista

The Dell MediaDirect button in Dell XPS M1210 is one of the killer function in a Dell notebook. It is so cool that you don?t have to load Windows XP, just to listen to music, watch a movie or a slideshow or any presentation. However, this cool function will not work anymore after you upgrade from XP to Vista or after you?ve clean-install Vista in Dell XPS M1210. It is because of Vista?s bootloader. The Vista bootloader will damage the Dell MBR. When Dell MBR is altered in anyway, it will affect the Dell MediaDirect button and the Dell PC Restore.

There is a quick fix. You will simply run the ?Dell MediaDirect Repair Utility?. If you don?t have that CD, you can request from Dell or you download it from Dell website. After repairing the the MediaDirect, the Dell MediaDirect button will work again like it used to.

BTW, when you clean-install Vista and wish to use Dell Media Experience softare: The Dell Media Experience software will work only if you will install .NET Framework 1.1.

The webcamera button in Dell XPS M1210 notebook will no longer work if you will clean-install Vista. This webcamera button will work if you install Vista as an upgrade from XP.

 

[RobOuz]

I had the same problem after installing a clean Windows Vista on Windows Xp on a Dell Laptop Inspiron 9400. I download the Fix patch R113024.EXE and create a CD bootable , run the patch successfully but after restarting the computer I got an error that the winload was damage.

Need to run a repair from the Windows Vista CD , I install too the .NET Framework 1.1.


Did I miss something ?????

Help will be appreciate

Regards
Rob