T400s clean install windows 7 OS only, no preloaded software

I've tried looking for any guides, but can't find any readily. Most guides (on this forum and elseware) assume I have a windows 7 bootable media.

My recent T400s came with windows 7 professional preloaded. The rescue and recovery partition allows one to make 2 discs: 1 bootable media and 2 data discs. However the rescue and recover only allow me to restore back to original factory settings, which unfortunately includes all sorts of preloaded software that I do not want (Norton, MS office). There is no option just to install the OS. Also I want to be able to do a custom install of only the Lenovo softwares that I need.

I know I can always uninstall softwares manually. But I'd rather do a clean install and work my way up. Also it is not as easy with norton as it doesn't even come with an uninstall utility that allows me to get rid of it right of the bat (MS office thankfully does).

My question is: can I install Windows 7 OS only without installing any of the preloaded software. I called tech support and they say I have to use the recovery discs and they will not support a clean install of OS.
This is a bit of a bother, considering that I technically own a legit copy of Win 7 but kinda feel like a second class citizen for not being able to install the OS only.

Any help would be appreciated and apologies if the thread is redundant.

 

Yes you can do clean install. Might want to consider installing updated drivers from lenovo. Or you could simply use system update 4.0. I did clean install with my T400s and loving it.

 

Thanks for the quick reply. I did download most of the drivers from lenovo website...also backed up the drivers folder in SWTools. Did you use the recovery media to do the clean install? As I said, my recovery discs restores everything back to factory settings....with all the bloatware. Any specifics you could give would be appreciated.

 

To do a clean install you'll need a Windows disc. The recovery discs are not a Windows disc.

 

There are links to legal downloads from Digital River in the Win7 subforum.

 

Thanks for the input...just got a copy from Digital River. Will give it a try. I find it strange lenovo (or any other manufacturer) would make it 'not so easy' for one to obtain a clean copy of an OS that you legally own. Anyway...hope the install goes smoothly. Thanks again for the input.

 

I'm pretty sure that's more a Microsoft thing.

 

The incentive to force you to install included bloatware is that the OEM gets paid by the software makers to include it. In a sense, the bloatware is subsidizing a portion of the cost. This helps to explain why many of the cheapest laptops come with the most bloatware - trial virus scanners, office suites, spyware removers and much, much more.

Brett

 

It seems more likely a cost issue. If they got to hand out discs with every machine, it adds up. It's the same reason you don't get manuals much any more these days.

 

Almost all manufacturer’s do this.

It’s less of cost issue with regard to media and more of a Microsoft thing. Microsoft sells OEMs Windows somewhat cheaply—and unlike a copy of Windows you pickup in the store, this OEM version is ONLY licensed for the machine it was installed on. Per the license, you are NOT allowed to install the OS on another machine—hence, part of the reason you do not have the ability to create recovery media in the form of one generic OS disc and one drivers plus crapware disk. Your Windows license is irrevocably lost when the machine is retired (expires with the machine).

 

I can't argue with anything you've said, but I don't think it answers the question of why we don't get a Windows disc these days. I think my point remains valid. It costs them more money to give you a disc. In this era where everyone tries to wring out every dollar, the extra cost adds up. It's cheaper for them to write a program to burn the recovery discs and have you supply the discs than to give everyone a Windows discs. They used to do it, but PC/Notebooks cost a lot more back then. You also used to get several think manuals with a new machine, which you do not any longer.

 

I actually prefer the recovery CDs. The people who want plain jane copies of Windows know how to obtain them. On the other hand, I can't ever find the tools to rebuilding the recovery partition to factory state.......

 

Lenovo has their Windows 7 EE ("Enhanced Experience") advertised, that they say is only available w/ factory preloads. It's basically BIOS and registry tweaks from what I gather.

Not sure if that will carry over if you do a fresh install.

Visit the Lenovoblogs.com site for more explanation.

 

Can anyone confirm if Windows 7 Professional 64-bit is shipped on a new T400 (recently purchased, awaiting delivery), will it come with an individual Windows 7 serial number? If so, will it be obvious to find (ex, rear laptop Win7 serial sticker) or must I search the restore disc?

I would like to utilize the DigitalRiver copy of windows 7 64 Pro to perform fresh install minus the bloat. It requires a serial.

Thanks.

 

The product key will be on the bottom.

 

Thanks for quick response surfasb.

I've done dozens of WinXP fresh installs/builds and a few Win7 fresh installs on retail desktops, is there anything special proceeding with a Lenovo T400 fresh install? From what I've read on these informative forums, nothing stands out as particularly odd.

Thanks again.

 

make it 'not so easy' for one to obtain a clean copy of an OS that you legally own.

"The incentive to force you to install included bloatware is that the OEM gets paid by the software makers to include it. In a sense, the bloatware is subsidizing a portion of the cost. This helps to explain why many of the cheapest laptops come with the most bloatware - trial virus scanners, office suites, spyware removers and much, much more."

It's not a monolithic issue at all. There are incentives for example but the incentives are different for different people. Let's look at the the first issue. How do I know who the legal owner of a piece of software is if I am Microsoft? I care about the OS, I don't care what someone else puts on my system.

Renee

 

I'm not saying it's a good system, I'm just saying that's how it works. I mean, it makes sense: if an OEM is paid 5¢ per instance of installed software, and they install just a few pieces of bloatware on 5,000,000 machines, the money starts to really add up. Allowing users to bypass this source of revenue just doesn't make good business sense, even when the users themselves don't want the software. Those who care enough will uninstall it, and those that care even more will take the route the OP is going for...

Brett

 

@PwAG: I used a digital river copy of windows 64bit and used the key/serial that came with my T400s. Interestingly at first I could not find the key at the bottom. I downloaded a key finder, which detects and displays the key/serial for your system. Using that key and the digital river copy of windows 7 64 bit I was able to get a clean install with no problems that I can think of. Though certain driver issues remain, most of the drivers were easily installed with windows 7.

As far as not providing the OS disk is concerned, it might both be cost and microsoft issue (though this is pure speculation). I understand if they want to cut cost by not providing physical DVDs...but I don't a have a problem with providing my own DVD. And I like the option of making a recovery disc which restores things to factory settings...that's all cool, but I just don't like not having the option for doing a OS disc only. And if bloatware providers are subsidizing the cost of the machine, its fair if they have their software pre-installed for people to try. But if users don't like it, or dont' want it, it should be just as easy to uninstall. As I said, with the case of Norton...that wasn't the case.

I'm happy now that I have factory setting recovery disc and a OS only disc. But I don't know what I would have done if it weren't for the digital river copy.

 

Just received my T400 yesterday and it came preloaded with all kinds of crap, including SQL Server! What?!?

Anyways, if I'm reading all these comments correctly, I can download, install, and activate a fresh install of Windows 7 from Digital River using my existing product key from the bottom of my laptop; so long as I install the same version I got from Lenovo?

I'll make a recovery disc, but afterwords should I keep my recovery partition or delete that as well?

Does anyone know if this would fix the weird piezoelectric buzzing noise on the T400s?

 

My feelings exactly!

Correct. It has to be the same version you got from Lenovo, since the key will only work for that version. For links to legit downloads of windows 7 see post#5 in this thread. To find the key for your copy of windows you will need the keyfinder. Either I'm stupider than I think I am or I just can't find the windows sticker with the key for my copy of windows under my T400s. So I had to use the keyfinder to record my key/serial. Did you find yours?

I found, once i burn the recovery discs, the partition is of no use. Even if I clicked on it, it would say something to the effect of "...you are only able to make one copy of the R&R discs...". So I reclaimed that partition once I had all three recovery discs made. however restoring the machine to factory settings would restore that partition again (though you still won't be able to burn more discs....at least that's what I found.)

For me, the clean install did not get rid of the buzzing noise you are referring to. I don't see how the clean install would get rid of it. As I understand, its a hardware thing, found in other types of computers too.

 

You mean the SQL stuff that's part of the MS Office preload?

 

I found my product key on the bottom of my laptop, but when I went to activate, it did not work.

Now what?

 

But it took it during installation? That shouldn't happen unless you've already activated a number of times, or the key has been flagged. Try giving them a call and just be honest that you're reinstalling on the original computer, and it won't be a problem.

 

I have installed microsoft office from scratch (my own copy)..there is no mention of SQL stuff in the programs under control panel at all...it was there with the preload though.

@sonrounin...try the keyfinder i referred to, 4 posts ago...see if that gives you a different key and try using that...the guide for clean install for thinkpads I referred to on these forums suggested that the keyfinder would give me the correct key for the OS I have installed.

 

It's on all of the preloads we get in, I think it's a dependency of the small business contact finder. Unless we remove it we have problems with our Office 2003 install.

 

I left the key blank during installation. I'm going to give them a call.

UPDATE - I called Microsoft and they activated my copy; no questions asked.

 

I too was wondering that if one was to get a new SSD and do a fresh Windows 7 install if they would also get this "Enhanced Experience" or do only pre-loaded ones get it?

 

No, it was a running an actual instance of SQL Server (Compact or Express editions, I forget). Strange.

 

Curiously in the process of getting ready for the clean install for my T400, the sticker on the back shows win7 home premium key is very different from what keyfinder shows....

Anybody understand that!?

Certainly calling microsoft works the problem, but the sticker key being different from keyfinder is very weird. Further, the key identified by keyfinder for MSOffice is the same as my MSOffice disks.

 

I still haven't solved that one either. The thread I referred to merely said that the one on the bottom is not the right one (but that guide was originally aimed for vista clean install).
Maybe someone else here has an answer to why the keys on the bottom of the machine are different (or absent all together as in my cae) than the one that the keyfinder reports.

 

I had that same problem when I went to reinstall a fresh copy of Win7 Pro x64. Infact, not only did the sticker product key not match what SIW found, but there was an additional "default product key" and an "eCRM" product key.

In total I had 4 different product keys and none would activate. I ended up calling MS.

 

The key on the bottom of your laptop is an OEM key. When Lenovo images their systems and ships them they use a preactivated license key that ties in with your systems BIOS. You cannot use Lenovo's preactivated key to reinstall windows yourself but you can with the OEM key on bottom.

 

How do I do this (make bootable media)? and how do I acquire a copy of windows 7... my computer (T410s) didn't ship with any disks

I went to thinkvantage rescue and recovery and made a startup disc on 1 DVD, is it the same thing?

Thank