Reformatting my HP laptop

[Tommy Boy]

So I just got this HP laptop probably 2 or 3 weeks ago and I have a question about reformatting it.

If I reformat it with the recovery dvd's that I made from the recovery program that is on the pc, will I still get all the software that was installed on it when I got it? Like the trials of microsoft office and dvd burning software and stuff? Was this installed after Vista was installed or will it be included on the recovery discs? Obviously by reformatting I am wanting to get rid of all this trial stuff and use my own software, and to slim down Vista a little bit.

Advice would be much appreciated.

 

[jasonbourne]

So I just got this HP laptop probably 2 or 3 weeks ago and I have a question about reformatting it.

If I reformat it with the recovery dvd's that I made from the recovery program that is on the pc, will I still get all the software that was installed on it when I got it? Like the trials of microsoft office and dvd burning software and stuff? Was this installed after Vista was installed or will it be included on the recovery discs? Obviously by reformatting I am wanting to get rid of all this trial stuff and use my own software, and to slim down Vista a little bit.

Advice would be much appreciated.

Yes. Basically the recovery DVDs restores your computer to factory settings (When you first bought the laptop). All softwares, trials and drivers are installed.

Your best bet to slim it down is to either download all of the drivers pertaining to your laptop and do a reformat and install a seperate copy of Windows Vista. Then whatever drivers that Windows Vista did not load install them using the ones you downloaded from the HP website. Or instead of doing that you could just go through and uninstall the softwares you don't want. That will slim it down for you.

 

[CompMan]

Yeah I agree.

Get a regular Vista disk, and format it.

Then obtain the drivers from the HP website.

Best way to do it IMO, because you don't get all the bloatware that HP gives to you.

It will run alot better also, alot! It will run a ton faster.

 

[Tommy Boy]

So I could obtain a copy of windows vista and use the cd key that came with the original install?

Also, it came with Vista home premium, could I install Vista Ultimate and still use the cd key?

 

[sccrbrandon47881]

Also, it came with Vista home premium, could I install Vista Ultimate and still use the cd key?

no because the key is what tells the software what is being installed. vista disk is just software, the key tells it whether or not its home, ultimate, business...

 

[Tommy Boy]

no because the key is what tells the software what is being installed. vista disk is just software, the key tells it whether or not its home, ultimate, business...

So all the Vista discs are the same?? That sucks....so if I want Vista Ultimate, I'm going to have to pay for a new cd key.

 

[freestyler105]

Actually, the recovery disks for my Gateway don't install the Gateway crap software or any drivers. It's just a clean install of XP.

 

[jasonbourne]

Actually, the recovery disks for my Gateway don't install the Gateway crap software or any drivers. It's just a clean install of XP.

HP and Compaq always have other garbage installed on their systems. I had a Compaq Presario and I ended up upgrading the onboard graphics with a Nvidia 7600 GT PCI-e card. I tried playing Medievel 2 Total War and the gameplay was choppy as hell. I tried playing Flight simulator 2004 and it was doing the samething. So I got this genius idea of downloading all of the drivers for that computer, I went Walmart and bought me Windows XP Home, reformated, installed the operating system, the drivers and the games that I would play and bam!! Gameplay was smooth for both games. Why oh I don't know but it worked.

 

[Tommy Boy]

I was reading on the hp site and it appears it has all the software and stuff. That sucks because I wanted to get rid of all that stuff. Then get my own, better software to use.