The HP Laptop Out-Of-The-Box Guide 2.0 for Windows 7

Yep, you can skip the part in the installer where it asks for the key and then just restore it with the app

Let windows install the drivers it wants, and then go to hp's website and get anything that you want to install in addition, but mostly Win7 does a good job

 

you can just upgrade

 

Hey v3loc1ty2.0,

I think the first post will need to be updated -- orev had created a version of ABR that now has Windows 7 support. You might want to use this program instead of the one originally linked.

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-compaq-voodoo-pc/120228-clean-vista-install-no-activation.html

ABR (Activation Backup and Restore) | directedge.us

 

I had a quick question for doing a clean install.

-First you should create Recovery Discs right?
- Second, shouldn't you copy your drivers from [xxxxxxx] (sorry don't remember the folder name)?

I just remember reading somewhere that you should always copy your drivers just as a precaution...sadly I can't remember where from.

 

The drivers you're looking for should be located in the swsetup folder, which is found in the root directory of C:.

 

yes! ahah! thanks

But I see the OP didn't mention it in the guide...is it a necessary step? or just precautionary?

 

Thanks ill definitely update the guide in a few min

EDIT:Updated

 

I have limited resources currently and next to no cash. So I have a couple questions that I want to ask regarding my situation.

I will be receiving a new HP ENVY 15 this Monday, and of course I'll want to re-install W7 on it. Unfortunately I cannot purchase any materials, I have no CD's- just a 500 GB HDD.

I was wondering if it is possible to upload W7 to an external HDD and install it from there.

Secondly, the ENVY 15 supposedly comes with a recovery partition already. So would that mean I do not need to create the recovery discs? If that is possible, I would be extremely glad as I really do not have much funds to purchase CD's. If the recovery partition doesn't mean anything I'll probably forgo the recovery discs and just install W7 anyways. My risk right?

EDIT:

After reading over carefully, I found out that the partition itself is enough for lazy people like me, as I can just boot from it upon booting, right?

Secondly, after reading the thread that supplies the Windows 7 links, it appears I can just run it as an ISO, removing the need for CD's, if I'm correct?

 

It is mentioned in the guide... see the end of step 1

 

You should DEFINITELY 100% make the recovery discs - it is very easy to mess up the recovery partition, and you may even want to get rid of it to gain space.

As for the lack of discs, you cannot run the ISO, but you can use the microsoft USB tool (listed in the Windows 7 Download Guide) to install the iso to a hard drive and then boot from that hard drive to install windows to the laptop's internal hdd

 

Ugh. Is it possible to create recovery "discs" with an HDD?

 

No, unfortunately not

 

after doing this (clean install of w7) ... installing the software in swsetup is there anywhere i can find the product keys for special software, such as the corel suite ?

 

you may download clonezilla and use it to backup the partition as an image. when you want it back on the system, just restore it.

 

Is it asking for a key? I don't think it is supposed to. If the computer came with a full version, it should just install...

 

don't know yet. if it's low-end software, then i'd assume so as well. but just want to be sure if i do a clean install.

 

btw, what is the HP TOOLS partition for ? it's only 100 MB ...

 

You can just test it out on your current install to make sure.

It is either the hp diagnostic tools (the restore part of a windows disc) or the software for the recovery partition.

Either way, you can delete it if you made recovery discs

 

i just did a clean install last nite and reinstalled all the drivers using the swsetup folder.

the trackpad always goes back to enabled when i restart windows. i keep disabling it in synaptic, but no dice. i think before i did the reinstall, the light on the trackpad lit white (for on), now it's on and there's no light. when i disable it, the light comes on orange.

i use an external wireless usb, after putting the laptop to sleep, if i move the external mouse, the machine wakes up ... this is annoying, how do you turn it off ?

 

I downloaded the ABR program, but it gives an error when running.

"... not a valid Win32 application."

..... what???

 

Try reinstalling the drivers for the touchpad from hp's website or windows update.

To prevent your mouse from waking the computer, follow this guide:
Stop Your Mouse From Waking Up Your Computer

 

try downloading it again - I just tested the program by re-downloading and it works fine

 

Just got my HP Pavilion dv6t today. Am I missing something, I don't see the Recovery Disc Creator option in the Recovery Manager or anywhere else. I see gate1975mlm is using ShadowProtect to create a backup image. Is that the only opiton or can we still create the Recovery Disc's and I'm just missing something. Any clairification would be great.

 

After using revo-uninstaller to uninstall HP Setup, I find that some functions such as mouse-clicks do not register with the computer... is this normal?

 

thanks for that ...

i thought the mouse wake feature had to do with something in the bios, but couldn't find it there....

as for the drivers, i installed the latest from HP, set the touchpad to turn off when external mouse is connected, so far it's working fine.

i thought the light on the trackpad also illuminates white, am i mistaken ?
when the trackpad is on, there is no light, when it's off, the light is amber.

 

i set the mouse to not wake the computer. the external mouse wouldn't wake it up, but the trackpad still did .... strange

edit: the setting change was only for the external mouse. just set it for the trackpad as well. i thought the setting was global ...

 

so since an ssd is very fast already, what difference would it make if i were to clean install versus uninstalling selected bloatware?

 

questions ... aside from the drivers i reinstalled after a clean install, what folders in swsetup contain the software needed to playback blu-ray discs ?

any other specific software i should install to get lost functionality back ?

my goal was to remove all the hp bloatware ....

 

Make sure you are in the HP recovery area and not the Windows 7 backup disc creator - it should definitely be there (you should have gotten a piece of paper in the box that tells you how to make the discs)

 

That is definitely not normal... if it persists, try reinstalling the synaptics touchpad driver

 

if you want absolutely the best performance, do a clean install - its still gonna make a mess of files when you uninstall (you'll probably get a small gain this way)

 

To playback blu-ray discs, im fairly certain that all you need to reinstall is HP Mediasmart

EDIT: sorry for all the posts guys, like half of your posts showed up after I hit refresh

 

thats wat i was dreading ... ill buy my own suite ....

 

Can someone please help me, I did a clean reinstall, but i forgot to back up
the sw files and i deleted the windows.old. I don't have the drivers and i don't know how to get my recovery disk working.

 

Just download the drivers from HP's website or on the Driver sub-forum here.

 

Do what Celibate said above, but for some reason if you can't find them, then you have to boot the recovery discs, reinstall windows with them, and back up the swsetup folder, then redo the clean install (you will lose files this way, so try celibate's method first)

 

Hey. My Elitebook 8540w just arrived and i've got some questions about a clean install. I received my notebook with 3 Operating System DVDs (XP, 7 32bit, 7 64 bit), and 2 Application and Driver Recovery DVD (for XP and 7, respectively). Now, here are my questions:

1. I know about the trick to back up my activation and then restore it, but that's only for the 7 64 bit that my Elitebook came with preinstalled. If I want to install any of the other two, where do I find the activation keys? There's something on the back of each CD's envelope, but that doesn't look like a product key. There's something like " 123456 - B12 "

2. Is the Application and Driver Recovery DVD the same as the Recovery DVD that you have to burn yourself when you receive your laptop? Or just some DVDs containing drivers? If not, do I have to burn it or I'm assured with the Operating system dvds? (but then again, i don't have the keys)

3. Just for curiosity, I went on to install XP SP3 just to reach the point where it asks you where you want to install XP. I saw all my partitions there, so it recognized my hard-drive. If I go on, are there any chances I'll run into the Sata problem and need to set the Sata Mode from AHCI to IDE in Bios?

4. I saw a small 100 MB partition there, that i can't see when I open my Computer. What's that?

 

1. The Win7 32 bit key should be the same as the 64 key, but I'm not sure about XP... did it come installed on the laptop? EDIT: ok I read the product page for your notebook and with the xp disc you have, you need to install windows 7, and then downgrade - it appears that you will get the key that way and will no longer be able to use win7

2. You should be fine with what you have

3. If you can see them in the partitioner, then you're fine

4. Its the partition with the win7 recovery tools (not the recovery content)

 

2. I should be fine for a clean install, but If i want to restore to factory settings, I still need to burn a recovery DVD? Or, If I want to use the Recovery partition, what do I need to press at startup?

4. But why in My Computer the main Partition of 280 GB is named C and on that screen it was D , C being the 100 MB partition. ?


Can you or anyone post the steps of downgrading to XP? I've got the CD, which key do I use? After downgrading to XP, i will no longer be able to use 7, even though I'll use the backup and restore activation method?

 

2. If you have the ability to make the recovery discs, then make them
At the bios screen, press esc and then you should get a menu, one of the options being recovery or something similar (its F11 on mine)

4. the 100mb partition is hidden to windows

This is the best thing i can find to explain it:
Understanding Downgrade Rights

It looks like you have to ask HP for a key and then you technically can no longer use 7

 

i was having trouble lately burning to double layer disc. i used the 3 file method to make a win7 disc and install. as far as i could tell, i installed all the drivers needed....but i thought id try to factory reset and see if i can burn a disc sucessfully. it worked.

are there any essential drivers or functionality in the extra software installed that i should not uninstall ?

also got an ssd..does the factory restore have an issue with the size of the drive or will any sufficiently sized drive work for the restore ?

 

Thanks for your answers. I think I'll stick to Windows 7. Just two more things:

1. When doing a clean install, do I delete that 100 MB system partition too if I want to keep the HP Tools and HP recovery partitions in case I want to restore to factory settings? (I'm missing the HP Recovery manager to create the disks)

2. Can you confirm that if I'll install 7 32 bit (It came preinstalled with 64bit) I won't be having any problems using the ABR backup and restore activation?

 

1. Don't delete the 100MB partition

2. the 64 bit key will work for 32, and for some reason if it doesn't, you can 100% use the key on the bottom of your laptop by calling microsofts activation line

 

so how many blank dvd disc will i need for this process? and if i want to do a clean install (i will be receiving my envy 14 in 3 days) do i have to go through all these steps like removing bloatware? wont the clean install remove everything anyways?

 

mine asked for 5 4.7GB discs.

i did a restore recently to do an experiment, dam time consuming ....
i recommend using one of the methods in the first post. takes much less time ...

 

Hey i've been getting rid of a lot of bloatware and i got rid of the hp wireless assitant, but i cant for the life of me figure out how to manually enable and disable the bluetooth connection now.. i probbaly wont ever use it, but its just bugging me. any help?

 

thanks for the guide! i just finished doing a clean install on my elitebook 8440p, and everything worked well! just have a few questions about some of the software that i can download from the hp website:
i see a bunch of stuff like HP protect tools and 3D driveguard, are these useful?
there's also a bunch of stuff like hp powerdata, power assistant, connection manager, wireless assistant, and so on. should i install them?

 

maybe hp's support downloads would have this driver seperate from the hp assistant. otherwise u'll have to go into the swsetup folder and look for HPWA, use the setup file in that to get back hp wireless assistant ...

 

There's no way to control it without Wireless Assistant, unless you use other drivers like Bluesoleil, which costs money

 

Definitely reinstall 3D drive guard (it is for hdd shock protection) and protecttools if you use any of its features (smartcards, etc.)

You should also install wireless assistant if you have bluetooth and want to configure it separately. The other ones are pretty much unnecessary.