Clean Vista install WITH NO ACTIVATION

I have a dv6000t and replaced my Toshiba hard drive with a 200GB Seagate and did a clean install.
I now have. I would like to install from the HP bloatware the Roxio software.

I cannot figure how to get it.

 

F11 recovery only works with the stock Vista install, you'll loose that feature when you do a clean install.

I hope you backed up the C:\SWSetup folder from the stock Vista install. The installation files for the roxio software should be located in there.

 

I did. I just cannot recognize the files. Can you help?

 

Can u post a screenshot of the SWSetup folder? But usually it should be located either under DVD or RoxioDMP etc..

 

I think the dv6000t came with Sonic DigitalMedia Plus that was either purchased by Roxio or vis-versa. Just a long shot but you might want to look in SWSETUP for "Sonic...".

 

I found a way to solve the "can't use recovery partition after clean install"-problem. I have been spending hours seraching for the solution and found nothing so I thought I would write it here so anyone with the same problem could get help as well.

I followed Orev's very nice guide to backup activiation file. The problem is that when you clean install windows you remove the thing that makes you able press F11 and recover from the recovery partition. To be more specific it is messing up the master boot record. So to prevent this you can backup your MBR. I found a VERY small (35KB) and simple program to do this: HDHacker (freeware, just search on google)

To backup MBR open the program
-Drive to operate: Physical Drive MBR "0"
-Select sector: First sector (MBR)
-Number of continuous sectors to read "1" (dont know what it does. Just kept it default)
-Press "Read sector from Disk"
-Press "Save sector to File" and save it somewhere fx. on USB-drive

You can now use Orev's guide to clean install Vista and restore activation file.
If you now try to press F11 on startup nothing happens. To solve this use HDHacker again to restore MBR:

To restore MBR open the program
-Drive to operate: Physical Drive MBR "0"
-Select sector: First sector (MBR)
-Number of continuous sectors to read "1" (dont know what it does. Just kept it default)
-Press "Load sector from file" and choose the file you saved when you backed up
-Press "Write sector on disk"

Voila - Now F11 Recovery from partition are possible!

I have tested it fully. I backed up MBR, clean installed Vista, found out F11 no longer works, restored MBR and F11 works again and also tried full recovery which still works fine.

If someone already messed up MBR and has no backup I have uploaded mine.
Its is from a HP DV6000-series (DV6545) with a normal vista partition c: and HP_RECOVERY partition D:
This is the link: kortlink.dk/5ybb

/XireuZ

 

So long as you have burnt off the recovery disks there is really no reason you would need the f11 recovery option on boot anyway. I guess the speed of recovery would be faster though.

 

We all prefer different things. I prefer recovering from the harddrive if it is nesseccary to recover. Its faster, easier (the partition is always there) and more silent. And I stumbled upon many people with the problem seeking a solution, while I was searching for the same.
To write down how you fix a problem instead of just doing it not telling anyone how, is what makes forums (like this) great, when searching for help. Thats why I did it. To help other people searching.

 

ALL VISTA DISCS CONTAIN ALL VERSIONS OF VISTA.

I have an Anytime Upgrade 32 bit Disc. Will it work for 64bit application?

 

No.. There is a 32bit disc and a 64bit disc. Each with all the different versions of windows (Home, Ultimate, Business...)

 

That's what I thought. Thanks for the reply.

 

so is the store.digitalriver.com still not working? i think it has been a week =/

 

hey cartman~

i just got a dv5t also. i might need some help doing this clean install. care to help? if so shoot me an email: [email protected]

thanks O

 

I used this guide when I first bought my laptop to do a clean install of Home Premium, and it went very smoothly, thanks for that! However, I'll be ordering a copy of Ultimate x64 (getting it for a very cheap price). I'll also be ordering a new hard drive. I have two questions now:

1) If I install Ultimate x64, could I choose to go back to the original OEM Home Premium x32 at some point? Right now I only have one computer (and the OEM version of Home Premium), so let's say I replace it with Ultimate. If I buy a new computer, could I reinstall the original Home Premium on my original computer and then install my version of Ultimate on the new computer? I'd be using the OEM license on the original system and the Ultimate license on only one system, so I'm pretty sure I'm not violating anything, I just want to make sure.

2) If I installed the new hard drive as well, and wished to reinstall the original Home Premium at some point in the future (like in the situation above), all I would need for this would be the backed up activation and key on a flash drive and SwSetup on a DVD, correct? There's nothing on the original hard drive I'd need that I wasn't copying during the normal procedure already, is there?

Thanks.

 

Yes, you can always go back to the original Home Premium. Just make sure you either have the recovery discs or use ABR to save the activation so you can reinstall it later with no hassles. However, according to the OEM license, you could only install Home Premium on the original computer, not the new one. The same would go for the Ultimate version... if you buy an OEM version (which is typically cheaper), you can only install it on the first computer you install it on... you cannot move it to a new computer later.

You would need the activation backup and the Vista DVD. You don't strictly need the SwSetup folder, but it is helpful to get drivers and the other software. However by that time, there will probably be more updated drivers, and it would be better to download them.

 

I'm buying the Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade directly from Microsoft, so it wouldn't be an OEM version. I understand that it can only be installed on one computer at a time, but I thought I'd be able to uninstall it and move it to a new computer in the future. I'm still only using the license (from a retail version) for a single computer, is that not allowed?

And thanks for your help.

 

I'm not sure the status of doing an upgrade from OEM to "Upgrade" version... if that makes it an upgraded OEM version or an upgraded Retail version. I suspect it's probably still considered an OEM version.

Even though any license can only be installed on one computer at a time, the OEM version has the additional restriction that it can only be installed on one computer and then never moved to another one.

 

Do I really need to have a Vista disc with SP1 integrated in it or can I just install Vista pre-SP1 then restore it with ABR -or- install SP1 then restore with ABR? I lost my backup of my integrated Vista SP1 that's why, and my computer right now would take ages to integrate SP1 into Vista. Jw, thanks.

 

Members,
Just bought a new laptop today, I am pretty stoked! Spec's are as follows:

HP dv5-1183cl Bronze
Intel Core 2 Duo P7350 2.0GHz
15.4" WXGA HD BrightView Widescreen
320 GB HD 5400RPM
4096MB DDR2 SDRAM 2DIMM
Intel WIFI 5100
Blu Ray W/ DVD+-R/RW
6 Cell Batt
HP QuickPlay
HP Remote Control
5 in 1 Digital Media Reader
nVidia GeForce 9600GT W/ 512MB DDR2 dedicated
Vista Home Premium 64 Bit W/ SP1
Web Cam

Cost $1199.99 (exactly)


This is my second HP laptop, first one (dv6324us) has a wireless card that doesnt work. I posted a thread about it but it wont let me post it here due to my post count. So I purchased a second one due to the time it would take to mail in and get it repaired and get it back. Now on to the questions, you knew there was questions coming...lol.

The new HP is still sitting in the box unopened (Yes it takes discipline for that) and the old one is in my room. I want to do the clean install on the old one as a tester before doing it on the new one, if still possible? Should I waste my time on the old one or just do it to the new one or do it to both? The old one is going to be mailed to the person who got it for me as a gift, so no rush on getting that done. Is there anything that has changed since this write up was done or any "out of the box" tips and or pointers that I should be aware of? Anything you suggest or can provide will be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time and assistance.

-mojo

 

If you have the computer running Vista with SP1 in place already, you can run the ABR trick to copy your information needed for reinstallation.

Format, reinstall Windows (slipstream a disc with SP1 already included), run the ABR trick and you're done.

 

This method should work fine on the dv5t as long as you are installing the same version of Windows as the key was meant for(Home Prem to Home Prem, 32bit or 64bit doesnt matter). Also, do burn those backup DVD's before trying to do the clean install because thats the only way you'll be able to put the system back to factory state in case you need to.

But if it makes you feel better then it's fine to practice on the old one.

 

Miner,
So your saying I can take it out of the box now...lol
As always thanks for the information. If it all goes right, everything I need is either on the laptop or available from the HP website correct?


-mojo

 

Yeah...you should be fine. The installation files for the software and drivers should be located in the C:\SWSetup\ folder and if you backed this folder up, you should be able to install the drivers and any software you want without the need to download anything. Ofcourse, the drivers are available online as well but the other software(Quickplay, DVD burner etc) are not.

 

The ABR tool is amazing. I have a STICK reserved for that . Oh, I have an MSDN Vista SP1 slipped disk and I installed norton before using ABR. I plugged in my stick and guess what? NORTON deleted ABR from the stick .

Learn from idiots like me and don't install any spyware/av before you use the tool .

 

+1 orev! also referenced daves tips. worked for this noob will work for anyone!

 

Doing this tutorial as we speak.
Are there any drivers I need to download and install after Vista is done installing ? And is there a list somewhere what driver to install ?

Or are all the drivers on the recovery disc ?

 

I was able to do a clean install with no problems and the system is running great except for one problem. I'm having some serious audio distortion problems. It seems whenever the CPU is under medium or heavy load the audio slows to crawl and becomes distorted. This is the case when using windows media player, itunes or just sound thru internet explorer. When there is little or no load on the CPU there is no problems. This wasn't happening when I had all the HP junk installed and had twice as many processes going under task manager.

I am using the Realtek audio driver from the HP support site 6.0.1.5548 A dated 3-2008. Has anyone else had this problem, could this be a vista audio issues as I have searched around the forums with little luck. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Orev your guide works perfectly. I simply downloaded all the vista drivers from hp, I borrowed a friends retail vista home premium disk and used that disk and vlite to slipstream my own vista disk with SP1 giving me my own clean install disk to use anytime. Being fully legitimate with my HP activation is great.

Vista is a lot better without the massive amount of HP bloat. I'm thinking first time vista users on an hp laptop aren't put off vista by vista itself so much as all HP bloat and trial software that they have to deal with. From HP total care to Muvee trial software - it's all gone. Great stuff.

ABR is a fantastic piece of software. Being able to back up activation does wonders for peace of mind. I've had to ring Microsoft a couple of times for activations in the past and really hate doing that.

 

So I successfully burned the vista86.iso on a DVD, only to find out my dvd-rom drive is not working properly and won't read the disc. I have a dv9000 that doesn't have its recovery disks anymore. Is there any other way I can make it boot from a usb flash drive or a portable usb drive? If so, what steps do I have to take?

 

Hi guys,

This thread is great.

And I have one question, I just got an HP dv4-1028us with Vista Home Premium 64 with SP1 installed.

Will this method to clean install work just fine or should I do differently since it's already had SP1?

I notice on the FAQ on first few pages of this thread that in order to do this clean install to Vista with SP1, we have to have special CD.
Where can I find that CD? or can I make one from my new HP laptop?

Thanks,

 

Two weeks ago I bought a HP Compaq desktop PC Presario (SR5631) with Vista Home Premium pre-installed.

There was bloatware on it; lots of it I already de-installed, using the 'Programs' Menu in Windows Vista. But as you all know, you can delete it, but there will still be remains of it, all over your computer. That's why I was so happy, when I fount this thread

After I had my HP Compaq just a few days, I already contacted HP to pick it up again, because there came a lot of noise from the back of the computer (must be the cooler/fan I think). UPS picked it up last Thursday, brought it to Germany to repair it (I hope ),and today they phoned me, bringing me the good news, that they'll bring it back tomorrow.

When I have it back, I definitively want to do a clean install. I read the first 40 pages of this thread, and am quite confident I can do it.

The only thing I am a little concerned about, is making partitions while doing the clean install. With Windows XP I had to do a clean install, on my old computer, more than once, but I always managed my partitions with the program Partition Magic, that isn't Vista-ready yet. So I have zero experience with creating partitions when doing a clean install.

On the HP Compaq I got a HD of 500 GB; approximately 470 GB is for partion C with Vista on it, and the rest is for the recovery partition D.

I want to make 4 partitions of 125 GB each. Partition C for Vista and programs, D for Files, E for pictures and F for games/rest.

Can somebody tell me which steps I have to follow, doing the clean install, to get it like described above?

Ronald

 

Got my computer back yesterday, without disturbing noise this time (graphical card is replaced by another one)

Immediately started working with it yesterday evening.
- tested the recovery disks I made earlier --> they worked.
- did the trick with ABR --> also worked excellent.
- burned a DVD from a Vista SP1 retail image --> seemed to work.

The only thing that didn't work, was copying the folder C:\SWSetup. I did not find this folder on the pc. Or do you only have this folder, when you bought a HP laptop? Or is it a hidden folder (didn't check that yet)?
But I did copy all drivers for my pc, that I fount on the site of HP.

So I think I am gonna give it a try this weekend, even if I don't have a copy of C:\SWSetup. If things go wrong, I can always go back, with my recovery disks.

Ronald

 

The folder might be hidden, but I'm not sure for a desktop. I developed this procedure on a laptop, so it could be a little different. The main thing to worry about are the drivers, but you might also want to try to find the installer software, if possible, if you want to reinstall one of the apps that came with it.

 

after doing a clean vista install my hp system information and hp battery check dont seems to detect any information at all.. could it be i left out anything during my drivers installation?

 

Hi Orev,

I fount something on C:\hp\drivers so I made a copy of this folder.
The other software that was on my pre installed pc, I am not really interested in. I am gonna do the clean install right now, and will post the result later on, in this great thread.

 

Thanks again for the perfect guide Orev.

I finished it, and everything seem to work fine! The hardest part, was installing the drivers, but in the past with XP, this always costed most of my time, as well.

But I fount every needed driver, on the site of HP, that you mentioned in the thread. Only did not really knew, if I had to install them all, or just a few of them. But I got it solved and working!

I won 17,21 GB of free space on my harddisk, and I got a clean Vista now.

Thanks again!

Ronald

 

Hey!
I'm just here asking, I know it said go away if I'm asking about installing it on another system than the one I have purchased but just hear me out on this theoretical situation.

I've been told by HP that since my computer has been in for repairs 3 times at the moment I will get either a compensation and keep my computer OR a new computer (might even be a different model). I bought my computer with Vista Ultimate x64. Now suppose the new computer I get doesn't come with Ultimate x64, am I allowed to by means of the ABR backup I have to activate Ultimate on this new computer or do I have to talk to HP about some sort of downgrade compensation.

Obviously I hope that IF I get a new computer it will have Ultimate x64, but as I said I'm asking to get an answer for this theoretically possible situation.

Thanks in advance

 

If they are giving you a new computer to compensate you for a lemon, do not accept it unless it has the same options or better than what you originally had, period. Your last system came with Ultimate x64, so the new one must also. This is not up to them. It's not your place to hope that they will give you the same or better, it is up to you to demand that they do.

However, if that fails, ABR will probably work, but I can't guarantee that it will.

 

Allright thanks!
I am hoping that they actually will do that right if it comes to me getting a new computer. I will obviously demand it with ultimate x64 but tomorrow I'm sending the computer in yet again to try and fix the original problem while they are reviewing my "case".

 

Thank you mate!

 

Well for starters great guide! Kudos for the work that you put in.

I am getting my hdx16t on Friday. Since i am fairly a pc-noob i am contemplating if i should go with the clean install or just try the easy way out and use a utility that can remove as much as possible. I will definitely take the first step of making the recovery discs first of all and depending on my confidence i might go on with it. It's also the fact that i am not very familiar with vista (xp up to today) and with hp's (first one after sony's) so i am not very sure what to keep from the software etc etc. I hope at least hp ships me a vista-cd to make my life easier.

Again, good work!!

I will come back with results and/or problems.

 

Hey guys I'm getting my new laptop hp dv7z tomorrow and I'm planning on doing a reformat on the laptop. Its coming in with Vista 64-bit Home premium. So I was a little confused I borrowed a friends OEM disc and on the disc is says "This disc contains 32-bit software only." So now I'm thinking this OEM cd won't work during my reformat because I want a Vista. Is there 2 types of OEM discs one with 32-bit Vista and one with 64-bit Vista. If not then this disc claiming is have only 32-but Vista should work if I want my 64-bit Vista reformatted?

 

The 32-bit disc only contains 32-bit software, as it says. If you want to install 64-bit Vista, you need a 64-bit disc.

If you use the 32-bit disc, the process will still work, but in the end it will be 32-bit.

 

Excellent guide man, really thorough. Got a couple of questions for you if you don't mind. Just purchased a new HP dv4-1028us and I'd like to do a clean install. First, would you happen to know if this notebook will come with a Vista install/recovery disc or perhaps a recovery partition? If not, could I use my Sager OEM Vista Home 64-bit install disc? I see in your guide that you said this is possible but you only have info listed for Dell so I'm not certain.

Also, I don't think I understand the point of going the ABR route. Why not just input the key from the bottom of your laptop when prompted to do so?

Thanks for the help.

 

The Sager disc MAY work, but it's hard to say. Some OEMs will customize the disc they give to you, and it's not possible to be able to tell what every OEM did. Usually they will set up the disc so it installs mostly automatically, which bypasses some of the areas that you would need to enter information.

The key on the bottom is not what activates the installation. Normally, after you do the install, you will need to call Microsoft and tell them a bunch of numbers, and they will tell you a bunch of numbers. You then need to type those numbers in to the computer for it to be activated. Using ABR skips this step completely.

Microsoft does this because if you install too many times, they start to wonder why (like if your illegally installing it) and then you need to justify to them why you re-installed and hope they believe you. If you don't want Microsoft tracking you, use ABR.

Also using ABR is faster because it's annoying to type in the product key.

 

Awesome, thanks for the response.

I will be trying the Sager disc next week. You're right, when I did a clean install with my Sager disc I didn't have to input anything, it just installed on its own. Does this mean I can't use it for the HP?

 

Ohh I see then I gotta buy a 64-bit OEM darn it

 

You might be able to but you'll have to figure it out on your own. Take a look at the instructions for the Dell disc, and it might be similar.

 

Thanks man, I appreciate the help.

I'll let you know what happens in a week.

 

Well laptop arrived today; since obviously HP didnt ship any cds with it i am dumbstruck as to where to get the vista64 cd's. If i am not able to is there a "next best method" of removing bloatware?

I ' really though want to do a clean installation dammit.