[firestormer]

Its very simple really. (For Inspiron 6400 but may work on others)

Some Dell laptops have a button on them labled Media Direct. If you computers off it will launch a special mini OS just for pictures, music and the like. If its on it will load a media program that does much the same call Dell Media Direct.

Now what if we want to change this button to say WMP or Media Center? Dell have set things up so there is no obvious way.

So here is what i have done (For media center):

NOTE: DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. AFTER DOING THE FOLLOWING DELL MEDIA DIRECT WILL NO LONGER WORK.

1. Download autoit v3 and install.
2. Open notepad insert this text:

RUN("C:\windows\ehome\ehshell.exe")

3. Save the file as

MDirect.au3

4. Right click on the saved file and click complie. You will now have a new file called MDirect.exe
5. Go to C:\Program Files\Dell\MediaDirect and move the program located in there called MDdirct.exe to a new folder say "MDirect in here!"
6. In its place paste your new file MDirect.exe so that it occupies the same directory as the old.

Now as long as you have the program Dell Quick Set running (It is a startup program as default) When you press the Media Direct button Windows Media Center will open.

This will work for any program WMP iTunes ect. just replace the directory in step 2 with the appropriote directory for your program.


Know a better way to do this? I'd love to know

[ferrija1]

AutoIt v3

Sounds cool.

[firestormer]

Here is a list of the functions avaliable.

Autoit is brilliant for writing nice little programs without much effort.

http://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3/docs/functions.htm

[ferrija1]

Yeah, I'm going to check it out.

[reefskin]

Could you potentially use this so that the Media Direct button became a Linux OS startup button instead?

[firestormer]

I suppose it is possible. I dont know much about duel booting, but as the dell laptops include a media direct OS launched by this button i think you could do it. My best guess is that it would involve first installing Linux in a partition and then altering the boot files replacing the dell media direct references with the linux.

By the way i have now placed a post with a more efficiant way of changing the media dircect buttons funciton. You will need to disable Dell Quick Set from startup and then follow the instructions here: http://forums.techguy.org/tech-tips-...uts-using.html

[firestormer]

This might be of some help.
http://www.goodells.net/dellrestore/mediadirect.htm
Im going to do some more digging, but if you achive your goal let me know. I currently run ubuntu linux on MS VP 2007 as i cant be bothered to mes about with partions.

[firestormer]

http://caffeinbar.com/wp/2007/03/08/.../#comment-2500

[firestormer]

I have started a thread on this here http://forums.techguy.org/unix-linux...ml#post4695934

I plan to resize my vista partition making it smaller, and make the Media Direct Partition bigger. I will the delete everything on the MD partion. I will insert my linux CD and boot using the MD button. Hopefully i will then be able to install Ubuntu onto that partition.

[c_g_f]

Hi everybody and hi Firestormer.. I was looking for a tip to change that button function for a long time and finally I found this thread..

I have to say that it's not working for me.. because I actually did a clean reinstallation of windows on my Dell laptop (630m for european market, same as 6400 but with a 14,1" screen) and somehow I couldn't find the program I used to have "Dell Media Experience".. but I didn't want it anyways..

I tried the tip with a few changes, I had to create the MediaDirect folder and then I just put the exe file there but when I tried pushing the button I got the same quickset message as always "Dell Media Experience won't run, reinstall the program".. or something like that..

Now my question is.. it is not working because..

1. Need to restart the computer?

2. The clean reinstallation (without dell secret partition at all)

3. The program I used to have "Dell Media Experience" is not the same Firestormer is talking about and my folder and exe file has to be rename so quickset will recognise them?

4. A registry entry missing? (as I dont have the program the button is supposed to launch)


I'm willing to try the other option with autohotkey.. but you say that I need to disable quickset from startup.. and I was wondering if I can enable again without having problems..

thanks in advance for your answers..

[firestormer]

Hi c_g_f and Welcome

Since starting this thread I have found a much better and more efficiant way of replacing the function of this button.
Please see the thread here: http://forums.techguy.org/tech-tips-...uts-using.html

Basicly i completely get rid of DellQuickSet and replaced it with a custom program.

In the attatched zip file you will find:

keyhook.ahk - Requires AutoHotkey (See above link), will help you identify the code relating to a hotkey
Media Center.ahk - Requires AutoHotkey. Script that when runningwill open media center when the Dell Media Direct Button is pressed
MCHK.exe - The compiled version of Media Center.ahk. This is stand alone. You just need to add it to your startup and then the Dell Media Direct button opens media center. (Ensure dell quick set is not running)

[firestormer]

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Due to a new Anti-Virus definition update, anti-virus software such as AVG may produce a false negative to the program in the previously posted zip file.

The zip below contains a replacement.

[tempguy]

hello friends,

just thought I'd bump my two cents in here.

I found this thread with similar thoughts in mind to have the "MediaDirect" button start up my Winamp program (something useful, in other words.

I just copied all of my winamp files into the media direct file folder (I imagine a cleaner way to do this would be to install to this folder), stuck all the mdirect files inside a temporary holding folder, and changed the name of the winamp.exe file to mdirect.exe. Bingo. seems to work with no problem so far.

peace

[psoohoo]

I created a single self extracting RAR file and named it MDIRECT.EXE to confifure the MediaDirect button on the Dell laptops.

i created a RAR archive and name the RAR file MDIRECT.RAR
The contents of this archive is the shortcut to the program i want to launch, say FIREFOX.EXE
i decide to rename it "mdirect.lnk" but you can use to original shortcut name

create an SFX with the following ADVANCD options.
Under General
in Setup Programs, put the shortcut name in the field for Run after extraction
Under Mode,
check Unpack to temporary folder
select Hide All and Overwrite All

It will name the EXE the same as the RAR, copy the MDIRECT.EXE into mediadirect folder
C:\Program Files\Dell\MediaDirect

The only drawback might be the it may litter your TEMP folder with temp RAR files. It should delete them when you QUIT the program.

If someone can refine this, by all means.

[desaroo22]

So I have had my Dell Inspiron 1521 for about a month. I pressed this button beside my power button thinking it would bring me to my home page on my internet. It did not. It brought me to this thing called Dell MediaDirect. It loads everytime I turn on my computer when I dont want it too. It also says there is an error because I have Microsoft BitLoader on my laptop. I just want it to go away so I can go on my computer. Any ideas for help? Please and thank you.