Is It HP Bloatware or Is It Okay?

I've run into some questions about reinstalling things from the SWSetup folder after doing the clean Vista install. I've been looking at the .CVA files and deciding what should go back on.

I've run into some programs that aren't necessarily essentials but I'm not real sure about. Some seem like programs that I might use but I'm not sure if they're filled with garbage that's going to defeat the purpose of the clean install.

Can you help?

CyberDVD folder
This is Cyberlink DVD Suite. I wasn't able to find any other pre-installed DVD burning software that was any good. I actually used this to burn my SWSetup folder and it seemed okay. I just want to make sure this and other programs don't have nasty stuff inside them if that makes sense.

HPASL
HP Active Support Library

HP folders like hpImgEngh and HPUpdate
Not necessary? I know the HP Update folder checks to see if there are updated drivers but I don't think I need this. Correct me if I'm wrong.

sp37021
Also Active Support Library

SFTD and SPFS
Slingbox. Looked at the Web site. Not sure if I really need this. Any thoughts?

support folder
leads to tools folder with gbunicnv that says it's a gb and unicode converter. Not real sure what that is.

sw_ver
Says it's an OCA marker file for Vista. Don't know what that means.

UG0088
HP user guides

WHNS
Wireless home network setup. I do have a home network but I haven't set it up yet. I'm able to get on the Internet through my WAP but haven't tried to network the laptop or rename the workgroup. Is this folder needed or is it just a troubleshooter type of program?


Thanks so much for any help you can give me.

 

Slingbox is like an Apple TV type of thing. Unless you plan on spending a couple hundred bucks on a sling player, you don't need it.

CyberDvd is the usual Dvd player/burner that goes out preinstalled with computers. It also has a label maker to use lightscribe, but the lightscribe website has a better one. I kept CyberDvd - it's not harmful.

The other stuff I'm not so sure about - saw that as well, but it doesn't seem to be a problem. Obviously, you'll want to use uninstall for removing this stuff. If these folders are left AFTER uninstalling, then delete them.

 

jong, did yuo do a clean install using Orev's guide? Just curious if you kept any or some of those other folders I mentioned.

Thanks for your help!

 

Everything you posted above is actually useless and considered bloatware except for DVD thing. Anything with the letters H and P is bloatware. Out of the 40+ folders in the SWsetup. You only need to install about 15-20 and still have full functionality of your laptop.

Heres what im gonna install when i do a clean install soon:


Of course thats not all that i am installing. Those are just the hardware drivers. Lightscribe, quickplay, java, acrobat reader and verisoft softwares i on a different folder.

So YES pretty much half the stuff that came with your laptop is bloatware. All the HP stuff like (active support & help, updates, wireless assistant) are really just there to help you but in reality its useless because Vista can do these anyway.

 

I never did a clean install, but I never removed those other folders you mentioned either.

 

Keep the folders just dont install them. Check the .CVA file on each folder using notepad to see what driver it is. Not all folders will have .cva file though

 

Oh - I'm an idiot - I didn't realize you were talking about "installing" them after a clean install. I thought you were talking about uninstalling stuff. My bad. Same thing though. Yeah - I wouldn't bother with installing those folders either.

 

You don't even need Cyberlink DVD player...IMHO that is bloatware too. You should install VLC Media Player ( http://www.videolan.org/vlc/ ) and get rid of that Cyberlink crap. VLC plays just about every format you can throw at it, including DVDs. Unless you have a Bluray or HD DVD drive (in which case you would want to install AnyDVD HD, as VLC only has built in decryption capabilities for regular DVDs at this point), you would never need Cyberlink.

 

Thanks everyone.

Flipfire -very useful screen. Thank you so much!

srunni - does VLC have a burning program built in or is it a player? I couldn't find any info about it burning from its features list and just wanted to double check.

 

No, it doesn't burn. I'd suggest CDBurnerXP for burning ( http://cdburnerxp.se/ ).

 

I have the only user account on the laptop and it's set as administrator but I've just run into a problem trying to install the LightScribe driver. I've got an LSHSI folder from SWSetup that says it's got the LightScribe driver in it but any time I try to install it, I get the error:

"You do not have suffcient privileges to complete this installation for all users of the machine. Log on as an administrator and then retry this installation."

So what am I doing wrong? I've read about the hidden admin account but I don't know how to get into it or what to do now.


srunni - Thanks for the DVD links! Those look good to me.

 

Dont bother with the Lightscribe folder in the SWsetup. This driver is way outdated anyway. Download it straight from the lightscribe website.

 

I had the same problem. I dled the setup file from the Lightscribe website and that worked just fine. Not sure what the deal is of the SWSetup version.

 

I'm curious as to why you consider the Cyberlink Suite bloatware? I wasn't sure whether or not to reinstall it and I ultimately decided to go ahead and put it in there. I don't notice a hit on performance and it looks like the software has some decent features and works with LightScribe. That said, I don't have extensive experience with DVD burning software so I don't know how to rate it. Why is the combination of the 2 software packages you mentioned superior to the Cyberlink stuff?

 

Install it if you want. Its really up to you to consider it as bloatware or useful.

Some people find better programs (eg. VLC can play nearly every video format). As for lightscribe i use the Nero 7 program or Surething 4SE

 

VLC is the best video player I've found for Windows, and after using it, I would never go back to any other player. AnyDVD HD is currently necessary for HD DVDs and Bluray Discs because there is no support in VLC at the moment for decrypting those two formats (development should be faster now, as they can focus on Bluray). You can also use AnyDVD for copying DVDs, so I keep it on my system anyway. It runs as a driver in the background, and is barely noticeable.

Most people don't notice a hit on performance because they're used to their computer being slow. I try to optimize my computers as much as possible, and after that, it's very annoying to have to deal with commercial bloatware like Cyberlink. For example, you would never find programs like iTunes, AIM Triton, Yahoo Messenger, Windows Live Messenger, Quicktime, or Real Player on one of my Windows installs. These programs like to create background processes and services that use up processor cycles and RAM and make your computer take minutes to start up. And I'd never use an OEM install of Windows - I did a clean install of XP Pro SP2 on my new laptop ASAP. Because of this, it takes 30 seconds from the GRUB menu to the XP login screen, and another 8 seconds from there to a ready desktop (depending on specs, YMMV - my laptop's specs are in my sig).

That said, if you're interested in speeding up your computer, try this: Start -> Run -> msconfig -> startup tab. And disable stuff there that's for things like iTunes, or "msmsgs", for Windows messenger. Also try using Trillian or Pidgin for instant messaging, foobar2000 or Winamp for music, and VLC for video. Getting rid of those other programs will really speed up your computer. However, I also don't have any antivirus software installed, so that could make a difference as well.

 

Can VLC play everything that Quicktime can? I've just installed VLC and would like to get rid of Quicktime, I assume it can but i'm not 100% sure, Thanks!

 

Yes it should.