Installing Vista after dead HD

Hi, I looked around on the forum for a similar topic but couldn't find one. I have an HP dv5t which I purchased new last October. A couple of weeks ago, my HD got fried (think it overheated). HP sent me a new HD, and I had a technician install it for me. I never made recovery disks as instructed by HP (was gonna get around to it; who knew the HD would die in 9 mos?). The tech ended up installing Vista Ultimate Lite instead, which I thought was okay b/c there's no bloatware that way. However, I miss a lot of the elements of the Aero environment, particularly Windows DVD Maker. I have two questions:
1. Can I get backup CDs from HP to reinstall Vista Home Premium (which is what my lappie was shipped with)? Would doing so reinstall the bloatware?
2. Is there a way to tweak Vista Ultimate Lite so I can have the standard GUI w/o putting bloatware back in my system? The environment in Ultimate Lite reminds me too much of XP (clunky-looking windows, fonts are too large, etc).

Thanks in advance

 

Yes the backup discs would reinstall all of HP's bloatware. And as far as my knowledge goes it's easier to strip parts of an OS rather than add them... Besides it was done at the disc level, so you'll have to reinstall regardless.

Hmm. Didn't know HP techs use pirated versions of Windows.

 

As said above, the HP supplied recovery disks will recovery your system to the original delivery configuration including a Recovery Partition and all HP added software. If you’re happy with that, then using HP supplied Recovery Disks is certainly your easiest option. Just so you’re not confused though, this is not considered an install. What you are doing is re-imaging your hard drive with an HP supplied “image”.

The configuration of the Vista “Lite” install that your installer used was probably made in-house using Vlite and registered using your original software key. There are a lot of options available when making a Vista Lite install disk with Vlite and therefore it would be nearly impossible to guess what parts of Vista the “builder” selected when configuring the program for burn. Also, just FYI, but there have been a couple of problems with Vlite installations and Windows Service Pack updates that, depending on your level of experience, could cause you problems when installing future Microsoft supplied service packs (i.e. Vista SP2 or Vista SP3). An example is/was Vlite and Vista SP2. SP2 will/would not install to a Vlite installation of windows without removing a couple of Vlite lines in the system registry. Not a big problem, but a problem none-the-less, if you didn’t know how to fix it. Therefore to answer your question, you may or may not be able to restore the normal Aero configuration to your Vista install dependent on what options were used in making Vista… “lite”. Tinker with the “Theme” and Personalization settings and see if you can restore Aero.

Another option is, if you have access to a Vista install disk (OEM or Retail from a friend or wherever), you can use it to do a “fresh” OS install and use the Windows Key on the underside of your unit to re-register windows. The only caveat is that the installed version of windows must be the same as the installation that came with the unit (i.e. if your unit came with Vista HP you need to reinstall Vista HP…. not business or ultimate). If it is not, the key will not work. After the OS install you can then do the windows updates, install drivers, and your software and you’ll have a very clean installation, which I believe in the long run, is always your best option.

HP DV5t Drivers Page
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/pfinder?lc=en&dlc=en&cc=us&lang=en&os=2093&tool=&query=DV5t

NBR DV5t Drivers page:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=338874

All the best…..