Advice for Clean installation of Windows Vista onto HP/Compaq Bloatware Laptop please!

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ahmad

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#18468 11-Jan-2008 12:09

I have just purchased a Compaq V3412TX complete with pre-installed HP Bloatware Ultimate Edition 2007. I have a genuine Windows Vista Home Premium license according to the sticker on the base of my laptop.

I am aware that a system restoration using the pre-configured partition on my hdd or using the "system restore" DVD media that I created will not allow me to cleanly re-install Windows Vista onto my machine.

A friend of mine has the full retail (non-upgrade, non-OEM) Windows Vista Home Premium, and I would like to use his install CD after reformatting my c: to perform a clean installation of Windows (I don't believe that there is anything in my OEM license that says I can only install the HP flavour of Windows?).

I won't be doing this right now, but am wanting to be best prepared. Some questions:

1. Would you agree that post-SP1 release would be a good time to do this? Am I correct that SP1 will contain all the previous updates required for my system and therefore save me re-downloading these one by one from Windows Update?

2. Will there be any problems using my friend's Vista DVD to install onto my formatted laptop? When I am asked for a product key/license, is this the code that is on my license sticker or will I need to extract a different code from within the Windows software for this purpose? Will there be a requirement that I activate the software with MS, or will it do it automatically such as if I used the HP system restore?

3. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2093&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3450278 lists all the available drivers from HP/Compaq - am I correct in saying that I should download these to a CD/USB drive and then install them as required? Will Vista automatically try to load "generic" drivers for my hardware first, and would this affect the "cleanliness" of my install? Or is there some way to force Vista to load the proper drivers first time during the installation process?

4. Are there any "Drive Imaging" kinds of software that you would recommend? Free > paid - or is there anything within Windows itself that would allow me to create a backup image of my drive once I've performed the clean install to save me having to go through the entire process again?

5. Any other general advice for me in trying to perform this clean install?

Thanks! :D

P.S. Any reason why that "create a link" doesn't work? I've tried both IE and FF on this computer.

AllNightNerding

411 posts

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#104199 11-Jan-2008 12:25

What you have thought of sounds allright to me, is the version of your friends Vista cd a retail copy or an OEM copy as this may effect it. As your laptop will have an OEM license.

The cds onto a cd or removable media is a very good idea, as often the vista install wont install drivers for your computer, and when you dont have an ethernet driver, and no way of getting an ethernet driver, youc an run into problems.

With the imaging of your hdd idea, I have heard the paragone drive back-up (or something along those lines) is good for that kind of thing.

The create a link should work, i just used it the other day.... Maybe it wasnt highlighted correctly or something....

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#104208 11-Jan-2008 12:35

Create a link works automatically on IE - just write a URL and after you enter a space the editor will add the link for you. If you want to do it manually make sure you highlight the word(s) you want to create the link on...

As for an image software, I use and recommend Acronis.

ahmad

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#104218 11-Jan-2008 13:13

My friend's Vista is a full retail, non-upgrade, non-OEM version. Obviously I have an OEM license for the laptop. I don't think it actually matters but they are both the same "version" of Vista.

I used both FF and IE and the "create link" button in the formatting toolbar is "ghosted".

Acronis Home version is $102 on pricespy - ouch! :D

chakkaradeep

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#104260 11-Jan-2008 16:40

ahmad:

1. Would you agree that post-SP1 release would be a good time to do this? Am I correct that SP1 will contain all the previous updates required for my system and therefore save me re-downloading these one by one from Windows Update?

Yes, SP1 will have all the previous "important" updates (some may be left out, but your WU will pick it) in it. Even this week's Microsoft Update released some of the pre SP1 requisites via WU so that it becomes less pain in installing SP1 when it is out. And moreoever, the SP1 will also be available via WU (which we testers have found the best way to install SP1), so I don't see any problem of you doing it even now, but I wouldn't stop you from doing it when SP1 is out

ahmad:
2. Will there be any problems using my friend's Vista DVD to install onto my formatted laptop? When I am asked for a product key/license, is this the code that is on my license sticker or will I need to extract a different code from within the Windows software for this purpose? Will there be a requirement that I activate the software with MS, or will it do it automatically such as if I used the HP system restore?

I am not sure of the Key, but it should work. You could try it out. (This is where I like Dell. They give a Vista DVD along with the laptop which is very useful for doing clean installations. However that DVD would be specific to your system)

ahmad:
3. http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?os=2093&lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=3450278 lists all the available drivers from HP/Compaq - am I correct in saying that I should download these to a CD/USB drive and then install them as required? Will Vista automatically try to load "generic" drivers for my hardware first, and would this affect the "cleanliness" of my install? Or is there some way to force Vista to load the proper drivers first time during the installation process?

Always have a copy of drivers because they are useful when you do reinstallation. Vista may detect some, for example - Video drivers, but there are certain things which are OEM specific and thus you may need those drivers. (Again I like Dell here because they give the drivers in a CD

)

ahmad:
4. Are there any "Drive Imaging" kinds of software that you would recommend? Free > paid - or is there anything within Windows itself that would allow me to create a backup image of my drive once I've performed the clean install to save me having to go through the entire process again?

I always have DVD Re-writables and take backup of my important files in them before reinstallilng stuffs. I haven't used any drive imagine softwares though.

Regards,
Chaks

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ahmad

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#104264 11-Jan-2008 16:49

chakkaradeep:
SP1...

Installation process would be the following, right?

Step 1. "Clean install" Windows
Step 2. Install SP1
Step 3. Use Windows Update and complete updates

Grrrrrr. MS services just told me that the OEM product key won't work if I install using a retail Vista package - is this really correct?? Or are they just discouraging this?

Edit: Yes I told them the exact scenario: Laptop with HP/Compaq flavour of Vista. Legal license (I paid for MICROSOFT Windows Vista, and that's what I want). Want a CLEAN install. Friend has a retail full version of Vista.

corksta

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#104296 11-Jan-2008 20:14

Yes they are right, you will not be able to use your friend's version of Vista to do a clean install on your laptop using your product key.

When I get a new laptop the first thing I do is a clean install to remove all the crap on there. I bought a HP laptop in the US early last year, and used the Windows Anytime Upgrade disc to do a clean install, thinking I could simply use the product key on the bottom of the laptop.

What you'll find is that you'll be able to install it no problems, and it will accept your product key, but when you try to activate it you won't be able to, telling you that you have the wrong product key for activation.

From reading about this it appears that you can only install/activate a copy of Vista when the product key matches the type of installation you have done. For example, you can't use an OEM key to activate a retail copy of Windows.

I could be wrong but from what I understand the product keys on laptops are now pretty much useless because they are preactivated by the manufacturer, meaning that the key has been preprogrammed to be used only for the recovery discs specific to that laptop, meaning you can do only do "clean" installs using the recovery discs, not your own copy of Vista.

Hope that helps! After days and days of frustration and confusion I just ended up buying an OEM copy of Vista which was just as easy.

ahmad

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#104301 11-Jan-2008 21:09

corksta:
I just ended up buying an OEM copy of Vista which was just as easy.

ie. In order to have the clean installation that you should by right be able to have, you were forced to RE-buy your license.

The MS rep told me that if I supplied photographs of my license certificate, laptop, receipts, my passport number, my fingerprints, a DNA sample, and $50 cash, that they would be able to supply me with "clean" media and a new license (ie. once again, RE-buying a license I already have purchased.

corksta: I could be wrong but from what I understand the product keys on laptops are now pretty much useless because they are preactivated by the manufacturer, meaning that the key has been preprogrammed to be used only for the recovery discs specific to that laptop, meaning you can do only do "clean" installs using the recovery discs, not your own copy of Vista.

Class action?? Does the EULA state that OEMs purchased from big bad manufacturers must be installed in the desired flavour of the manufacturer?

I made it clear to the MS rep that I was having a go at him, but expressed my extreme annoyance at not being able to have a copy of MICROSOFT Windows Vista on my computer, given that that is what I had purchased, albiet via a big bad manufacturer...

It's the kind of stuff that would drive law abiding citizens to do things that these measures are supposed to be trying to reduce!!

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chakkaradeep

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#104303 11-Jan-2008 21:18

ahmad:
Installation process would be the following, right?

Step 1. "Clean install" Windows
Step 2. Install SP1
Step 3. Use Windows Update and complete updates

I would change to,

1) Clean install of Windows Vista
2) Use WU to install SP1 which will eventually install all the needed updates and update your system

ahmad

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#104304 11-Jan-2008 21:28

Hey Chaks, thanks for your advice. People here are so helpful!! Are you someone MS affiliated? I don't exactly understand your title/slogan.

I have been manually downloading updates since my experience with the Lenovo laptop last week that I reinstalled Windows about 4 times on.

When I was studying at the University of Otago, their helpdesk used to have CDs with all post-SP2 updates on them and they ran as a lovely batch file, so it was so useful when making initial installs.

Last week when I had to download 80Mb worth of updates for the *second* time, I decided that in future I would download all my updates manually and keep them in a folder that I could burn to CD. Tedious and time-consuming to manually install each update (I don't know how to make a batch file :p) but saves me having to download all the updates every single time I reinstall.

I tend to reinstall my OS every year at least - why can't "uninstallers" truly uninstall, and why do OS's feel sluggish after months of use??

I honestly think that many computer users that are not "geeks" think their computer is slow after 2-4 years because it's "obsolete" and feel they have to upgrade, when in fact all they need is a clean reinstall of everything to get them back to websurfing and word processing.

chakkaradeep

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#104305 11-Jan-2008 21:34

ahmad: Hey Chaks, thanks for your advice. People here are so helpful!! Are you someone MS affiliated? I don't exactly understand your title/slogan.

Wish I could

Currently am Microsoft Student Partner for University of Otago (as in my sig) doing my Masters in Computer Science. To know more about Microsoft Student Partner program, have a look here

Geekzone is always helpful

ahmad

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#104306 11-Jan-2008 21:46

chakkaradeep: have a look here

Hey cool! Congratulations!

Is it part of the terms and conditions that you are not allowed to diss Vista?

*Edit: actually that's a serious matter! I read today that a gaming writer was annoyed at not being able to transfer his Xbox 360 account from the UK to the US (where he moved to) and getting the run around from MS, including (allegedly) being told that one of his possible solutions was to "move back to the UK" LOL. He wrote something about his experience, and (allegedly) someone at MS contacted his editor and tried to get him fired!

http://www.gamepartisan.com/editorials/made-in-england-the-little-man-v-xbox-live/

chakkaradeep

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#104308 11-Jan-2008 21:53

ahmad:
Is it part of the terms and conditions that you are not allowed to diss Vista?

lol, I also run Ubuntu in my laptop along with Vista Ultimate

chiefie

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#104312 11-Jan-2008 22:11

Give a try with PC Decrapifier.

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