dv9000t Clean Install

I am trying to develop a clean install procedure for a dv9000t. I think that I am close, but need some assistance. If anyone out there has a relatively new one (not a lot of software heaped on it already), could you please post a screen capture of the c: drive from Windows Explorer. Under folder options please "show hidden files and folders" and uncheck "Hide extentions . . ." and "Hide protected operating system files".
(Yes, I could do this myself but it would cost me another 3 hours with this abominable Recovery DVD) Thank You!

 

I'm going to keep this thread open, but please DO NOT DISCUSS PIRATED VERSIONS OF SOFTWARE. I would greatly appreciate it.

Just a warning that we don't want to see piracy promoting discussions on these forums. We have had to delete a fair amount of posts related to that topic and would appreciate your help by NOT posting to promote piracy or otherwise give instructions on how to pirate software.

Thank you!

EDIT: I have spoken to the OP, and he/she did NOT intend to imply a method to pirate XP was being developed. Just want to keep it legal folks!

 

I don't know if it will help you or not, but when I recently got my dv6000, I decided to try all of the recovery options because I wanted to be SURE they all worked. There is a TREMENDOUS difference in the time it takes between the 3 options: The factory recovery discs (that you pay for) take the longest. I used these first and they went over 5 hours. I don't know they exact time because I got tired of waiting and went to bed. My guess is 8+ hours! The "homemade" discs were the next longest; but not too bad...approx 3 hours. Finally, the recovery partition... the clear winner here: start to finish about 2.5 hours. This was on a system that had no new software added yet and picking the "total reformat hard-drive" option....

 

Thank you for your response. I believe the time differences relate to the type of disk one is using. The HP System Recovery DVDs are not image disks, but an automated install procedure. I think that the "Homemade" disks and recovery partition are a disk "image" that is restored if needed--thus the time difference.

 

Last week, after talking to about 5 tech support agents at HP, I was told that "yes, we do have separate operating system /application & drivers DVDs that will enable you to do an install without all of the bloatware" Yippee!! When I got the DVDs, I excitedly started the format/install. Although my screen looked suspiciously like it did with the PC Recovery Disk I made, I was still hopeful. About 4 hours later what did I have? Wasted time. All of the bloatware was there.

As noted above the System Recovery DVD that was sent was different than the homemade PC Recovery Disk. It is an automated install of every application, which is why it takes so long. At one point I thought that I did have a clean install of Windows because for a few moments (maybe 20 seconds), I had a very clean windows desktop. Then the automated install continued on it's merry way leaving me with what was sent from the factory.

I thought that perhaps I could stop the automation process at the point that I had seen the clean windows desktop, identify the automation commands, and delete them. After about 3 or 4 tries I thought I had it. Also, it seemed that all of the drivers except for the sound and modem drivers were loaded. Cool. Well, when I tried installing my sound and modem drivers something was very wrong. I went back to the SWSETUP backup DVD I had made, and copied the files from there. Still just hung there. Figuring that perhaps Windows itself was not right (after all, this is like trying to stop your bike by throwing a tire iron in the spokes), I've resigned myself to uninstalling the bloatware and cleaning the registry.

This whole bloatware business seems to me to be bordering on the illegal. Here is an interesting article about spyware pre-installed on Dell machines:

http://www.michaelrighi.com/2005/07/21/dell-spyware-my-way/

Of course none of this will stop until an OEM is faced with a class-action suit.