Computer Hardware Forum

The subject says it all.  I have a Dell system with a hosed up drive, so whe
n I
install the new drive I want to create the diagnostic partition and load it 
up
with the diagnostics for the model of Dell machine.  All that the web site h
as
is software to UPDATE the diagnostic partition.  Maybe I oughta try that?  N
o
harm if the drive is clean and has no partitions yet.. Ben Myers

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On my system.2400.
There are multiple downloads (HD and floppy)
for the diags.  They are not updates.
Hope this helps..what system do you have.
Dave

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The system I am working on now is a Latitude C810 notebook with a new hard
drive.  I'll also be getting a Latitude C840 notebook into shape as well as
Precision 330, 340, 350, and 360 systems.. Ben Myers

On 11 Mar 2005 19:47:58 -0800, "David" <davids1165@gmail.com> wrote:

>On my system.2400.
>There are multiple downloads (HD and floppy)
>for the diags.  They are not updates.
>Hope this helps..what system do you have.
>Dave
>

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The software that updates a diagnostic partition refuses to run if it does n
ot
find the partition.  So the real problem is how to create the Dell diagnosti
c
partition?  .. Ben Myers

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 03:06:16 GMT, ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben
Myers) wrote:

>The subject says it all.  I have a Dell system with a hosed up drive, so wh
en I
>install the new drive I want to create the diagnostic partition and load it
 up
>with the diagnostics for the model of Dell machine.  All that the web site 
has
>is software to UPDATE the diagnostic partition.  Maybe I oughta try that?  
No
>harm if the drive is clean and has no partitions yet.. Ben Myers

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In five years of being on this list, no one has posted the solution to this.
It is generally accepted that it cannot be done with what Dell provides and
that in this situation, you just boot the Resource CD to get access to the
exact same utilities.

Tom
<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:42325b10.36472117@nntp.charter.net..
> The subject says it all.  I have a Dell system with a hosed up drive, so
> when I
> install the new drive I want to create the diagnostic partition and load
> it up
> with the diagnostics for the model of Dell machine.  All that the web site
> has
> is software to UPDATE the diagnostic partition.  Maybe I oughta try that?
> No
> harm if the drive is clean and has no partitions yet.. Ben Myers

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"Tom Scales" <tomtoo@softhome.net> wrote in message
news:iYzYd.134524$qB6.17525@tornado.tampabay.rr.com..
> In five years of being on this list, no one has posted the solution to
> this. It is generally accepted that it cannot be done with what Dell
> provides and that in this situation, you just boot the Resource CD to get
> access to the exact same utilities.
>
> Tom


That's pretty much my understanding as well. Recently and in the future
there may be a problem with that.

Since Dell is no longer including the Resource CD with new systems (the last
3 I've seen did not have it), then the diags would have to be downloaded
most likely.  And as noted in the thread, the diag partition update download
simply updates an existing diags partition.

So I'm thinking that limits a user to attempting to run an older version of
the Resource CD (if the user has one, and IF it supports the newer system).
Or trying to download an older version of the ddiags from the website to
create the floppies or a bootable CD/USB key - which again might be too
dated to recognize some newer systems.

I have (3) versions of the CD here.  They have different part numbers,
version numbers, and are dated from 1998 to 2001.

The last possible option is this: the new systems have an option (in the
original image) to create an image restore CD from the start/programs menu.
I've made these CD's, but I have never used them.  I don't know what, if
any, effect that disc would have concerning the original partitions on the
drive as configured from the factory. I also do not know if that "restore
CD" is dependent on the original partitions being intact.


Stew

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Stay tuned, Tom.  I may yet have a solution.  I set up a Latitude C810
yesterday, but got things a little out of order.  I don't want to blow away 
the
hard disk contents and start over to get it right.  Most Dell models have
software to update the diagnostics, available for download on the Dell web s
ite.
But the update software needs the diagnostics partition present to begin wit
h.

My next victim will be a Latitude C840 when the warranty replacement hard dr
ive
arrives here from Dell on Monday.  I also have a few Dell Precisions loaded 
with
Linux, and they need setting up with either XP or 2000.  I do not know wheth
er
their previous owner blew away the diagnostic partition on the Precisions.

My goal in refurbing these boxes is to set them up to operate the way they w
ork
when they leave the factory, with F10 activating the diagnostics.  40MB or s
o is
a drop in the bucket on today's 20GB and larger drives, so it's not like the
diagnostics "waste" much disk space.. Ben Myers

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 10:59:26 GMT, "Tom Scales" <tomtoo@softhome.net> wrote:

>In five years of being on this list, no one has posted the solution to this
.
>It is generally accepted that it cannot be done with what Dell provides and
>that in this situation, you just boot the Resource CD to get access to the
>exact same utilities.
>
>Tom
><ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
>news:42325b10.36472117@nntp.charter.net.. 
>
>

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My goal is to set up a Dell exactly the way it was when it left the factory.
The diagnostic partition is more than simple.  It is FAT16 and hidden with a
partition type of 222 decimal, or 0xDE.. Ben Myers

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 08:32:13 GMT, Nicholas Andrade <sdnick484@nospam.yahoo.c
om>
wrote:

>Ben Myers wrote:
> 
>Well for what it's worth, the partition is simply a ~70MB FAT partition
>placed and is the first primary partition of the drive.  If you have one
>machine running linux with a working partition, it'd be fairly simple to
>scp it over.  In fact, you don't even need a machine running Linux, you
>just need a machine that already has the partition; then you can use a
>couple live Linux distro's like knoppix to do what you want.

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This is a very interesting thread. I'm taking notes.

I had no idea it would be so difficult to reinstate the diagnostic
partition. I have no problem with running the diags from the CD - not that I
ever need to; I run 'em once a year just for fun - but if the diags are no
longer shipped with systems that means they're gone if a user ever has to do
a clean install.

My idea sounds too simple to be correct: Image the diagnostic partition as
soon as the machine is set up. Of course, that won't do any good for Ben.

Ted Zieglar

<ben_myers_spam_me_not @ charter.net (Ben Myers)> wrote in message
news:4233032c.3853497@nntp.charter.net..
> Stay tuned, Tom.  I may yet have a solution.  I set up a Latitude C810
> yesterday, but got things a little out of order.  I don't want to blow
> away the
> hard disk contents and start over to get it right.  Most Dell models have
> software to update the diagnostics, available for download on the Dell web
> site.
> But the update software needs the diagnostics partition present to begin
> with.
>
> My next victim will be a Latitude C840 when the warranty replacement hard
> drive
> arrives here from Dell on Monday.  I also have a few Dell Precisions
> loaded with
> Linux, and they need setting up with either XP or 2000.  I do not know
> whether
> their previous owner blew away the diagnostic partition on the Precisions.
>
> My goal in refurbing these boxes is to set them up to operate the way they
> work
> when they leave the factory, with F10 activating the diagnostics.  40MB or
> so is
> a drop in the bucket on today's 20GB and larger drives, so it's not like
> the
> diagnostics "waste" much disk space.. Ben Myers
>
> On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 10:59:26 GMT, "Tom Scales" <tomtoo@softhome.net>
> wrote:
> 
>

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Of course, the imaging software needs to be able to create an image of a ver
y
non-standard partition type, and one needs to have a way to restore that ima
ge
back again in the event of a hard drive replacement.  But, as I said earlier
,
stay tuned.  I'll crack this problem yet.

It's snowing like mad here and I'm not going out again until it is over.  It
took me 45 min just to shovel out enough space to half-park my car in the
driveway.  I'd be crazy or life-threatening desperate to have to venture out
again.

If I get really motivated or bored by the reading and TV material at my
disposal, I'll grab one of the Dell Precisions with Linux on it, see whether
 or
not it still has its diagnostic partition and use it as a guinea pig if its 
diag
partition was blown away by the previous owner company.  Otherwise, I'll wai
t
until Monday and start fresh with a Latitude C840 and Dell replacement hard
drive.. Ben Myers

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 12:47:43 -0500, "Ted Zieglar" <teddyz@notmail.com> wrote
:

>This is a very interesting thread. I'm taking notes.
>
>I had no idea it would be so difficult to reinstate the diagnostic
>partition. I have no problem with running the diags from the CD - not that 
I
>ever need to; I run 'em once a year just for fun - but if the diags are no
>longer shipped with systems that means they're gone if a user ever has to d
o
>a clean install.
>
>My idea sounds too simple to be correct: Image the diagnostic partition as
>soon as the machine is set up. Of course, that won't do any good for Ben.
>
>Ted Zieglar
>

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