So I payed extra for the vista CDs

Im guessing I can use these to do a clean install? Theres no way that will do anything to void my warranty correct? Just making sure

 

Nope, those are just regular restore DVD's not clean install discs. HP doesnt provide any clean Vista discs with their consumer systems. The DVD's they sell are the same as the ones you could have burnt yourself.

 

So they would just restore it with all the bloatware? Great..

 

Thats why you can try this.
Need the Vista DVD's though.

 

...or this:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=304154

 

LOL! I ordered the disks for my 3 laptops, tested them, and found that only one actually worked!

I spent the better part of a year having HP send replacements, testing each as they arrived. I think I went though something like a dozen before getting 2 good ones.

I also read about the problem right here on these forums.

Case in point: HP was made aware that they where shipping faulty recovery media by many customers, and continued to do so (and they probably are still doing it).

Lots of people order the disks, mainly so they have them when its time to sell the machine, yet few people actually test them out until years later.

I highly recommend that folks make a reliable backup disk image, and test the recovery media they have (purchased or created). Some day, you may be very glad you did!

Joe

 

hhmm a quick noob question....are we suppose to do a format and test the CD if it is ok? or is there a simple way to check it?

 

If you used a good credit card, you could file a complaint and see if HP would take those CDs back...you can easily create the same things from your machine

 

+1 this would be a great way to reinstall.

 

Yup/Nope.

You could also use a spare hard drive to check it

Joe

 

Point is, I want to have the (working) branded recovery media for when I sell the machines.

I did write HP's executive offices, and HP legal, suggesting that they are breaking laws in many states (and possibly federal laws), buy knowingly selling defective products, and demanded that they contact all purchasers, and make them aware of the problem, and send each of them replacement media. I also suggested that this might make a great start for a class action. As expected, they shrugged it off.

Actually, I still have the original hard drives that came with the machine that have never been used. I bought the machines with small drives (to same money), pulled the drives upon delivery, installed bigger drives (that I purchased for a whole lot less that HP sells them), imaged the contents of the original drives to the bigger drives, then booted the copies, burned the recovery media (the contents of the recovery media that you burn are different what comes on the branded disks that you buy). I then installed non OEM copies of Vista, added the need drivers, and came out with zero boatware, zero extra HP driver crap, and a guaranteed MS only image.

It works well for me, since I already get all the copies and keys for all versions of Windows that i want (no, not bootlegs - I get them from MS), so no, I do not actually need the recovery media, nor do I use it.

Joe

 

very nice information mr.joe ^^ thanks alot for it .. when i got my notebook i just used drivermax to backup the needed drivers then installed a non oem vista and activated it with my legal license and that worked great for me ..

my question is : isn't the hp software important in anyway ? like the health check and such ??

 

Thanks so much!

Personally, I not only think the HP stuff is not important, I think it is a liability. Not too long ago, HP got a bit of bad press when some of those utilities opened some security holes.

I believe they put that stuff on there so the "tech support" folks in India can mess with ya.

Again, its just a personal opinion.

Joe

 

just wondering, how much did you pay for those disks?