Purchasing HP dv6500 T (Bloatware Questions)

I've been reading quite a bit about these programs pre-loaded on the system, referred to as "Bloatware". My question to everyone is, how necessary is it to REINSTALL your OS, shouldn't removing the programs be quick and easy. Why would I want to go through steps of re-intalling windows, when I could go to "Add / Remove Programs" and clean most of it up? Will I not be able to remove everything?

 

You can't remove all of the bloatware from Add/Remove programs. Just about every program they install that starts up with Vista can be found in msconfig though. You can stop the HP stuff that you don't want from starting up so you don't have to wade through 80 processes in Task Manager everytime you restart. Just make sure you don't kill important stuff like the HP Quick Launch Buttons process. Have fun.

-J.B.

 

There are probably about 200 bloat/crap-ware related entries hidden deep in your registry for every file that you can visibly delete, so you will NEVER be able to clean a system of installed bloatware, esp. the degree to which manufctrs are putting on their new systems. basically, the modern OS (esp. Vista) is SOOO complicated and complex that user-servicability is limited.

i.e. you can tune a Ford Model-T using some basic tools and your hands, but can you program a Ford Mustang's ECU with your fingers?

 

Basically you are looking at 4 hrs to truly remove all remnants of bloatware manually (files, registry, app data folders, etc) or 45 minutes to do a clean install and install the drivers.

I've done it one time each way in the last 2 weeks. Both on HP's. I prefer the clean install.

Your call!

 

Have you ever seen the Mac/PC commerical with PC as huge with all the bloatware? Its so true.....

http://movies.apple.com/movies/us/apple/getmac/apple-getamac-fat_480x376.mov

 

Welcome aboard Camaren. You start over from scratch for a few reasons.
1. XP is better.
2. No bloatware.
3. You remove the recovery partition and get 11 gigs of space back.
4. The system boots in seconds with a clean install.

The good news, is that I've made a guide with step by step instructions.
http://www.nogodforme.com/HPDV6500T.htm

For now, make your recovery DVDs. You've got nothing to lose by trying to remove the bloatware yourself. If something messes up, you can restore with your recovery disks, or press F11 when booting.

If you have a copy of XP, follow the guide to slipstream sata drivers and make a bootable disk. If all that stuff I talk about is too complicated, then stay with Vista.

 

If you do the ADD/REMOVE instead of a full reinstall you will still have parts of the bloatware in the registry.