Weird Dell issue

[Rosco]

I have a dell e1505 that came in. Customer said it was a virus. Booted it up and it went straight to "dell media direct". There wasn't the usual dell splash screen. Couldn't load bios or choose one time boot. Took the hard drive out and ran gsmart control short test and long test both passed without error. Loaded the hard drive in and read about pressing the media direct and power button. Loads to regular dell slash screen but then goes to media direct. I shut it down get it back up to the regular splash screen. load herins and load pro boot manager the right partition is selected but i switch it around and then bring it back the the right settings. Reboot and it loads windows. Great. i restart and run memtest 86. passed for 6 runs no errors. restart and remove viruses. i then turn it off. The next morning i turn it on back the dell media direct bs. I have been doing some research some say but to just remove the partation with the dell media direct and others say it will screw everything up. I searched here on technibble and there was only one thread about from a few years ago. nothing that was definite.

any ideas would be helpful. thanks in advance everyone.

 

[Rob_NNCC]

Well then, try a full backup of the HDD, then remove the partition. Worst case restore and you are back where you where.
Also, I know this sounds dumb, but are you sure you are hitting the power button?

 

[Rosco]

Also, I know this sounds dumb, but are you sure you are hitting the power button?

yea i am hitting the power button. the media direct button is about 1 or 2 inches away

 

[BillMoney]

Load gparted, remove mediadirect ??? Profit

Also make image of hdd before hand just in case

 

[EvolutionElectronics]

i had this problem with a rootkit infecting the MBR of the hdd

 

[phaZed]

i had this problem with a rootkit infecting the MBR of the hdd

I vote for this. Check for a 35-36MB partition that may be a rootkit.

 

[ljtechservices]

last time I had this problem I solved it this way:

powered off the laptop
pressed the media direct button.
let it do it's thing then shut it down properly.