Should I get "fresh start?"

Will getting fresh start reduce the amount of bloatware from sony? If I do get it, will I regret it? What is everyone's thoughts?

 

Fresh start is a scam and I really can't believe anyone would consider paying 50 bucks to have the crapware they install removed. Just reload yourself or use PC Decrapifier.

 

I wouldn't do it ... but in large part because you can only do it if you go with Windows Vista Business, not Home Premium or Ultimate (I want one of those two).

I was also informed that a fresh Vista install helps more than anything else, and personally I love a fresh install on a new computer anyway. There is a guide someone did that even shows you step by step, and it gets you around having to call Microsoft which is an added bonus in my book.

If you really aren't comfortable doing a reinstall of Vista ... and you aren't so confident in using a program like mentioned above (PC Decrapifier, never tried it myself) ... then maybe it'd be worth it, provided you want Vista Business and not another version.

 

i did fresh start, and i am glad i did it, saved me time.. and fresh start is free with vista business.. so... why not (if you're getting business)

 

StrongerThanAll, how many process did you have running/do you have running due to FreshStart? With several HOURS of tweaking, I've gotten my machine down to 69 processes...which im told is still alot.

So, if someone doesn't want to spend hour tweaking vista, fresh start MAY be worth it, depending on how good the results are.. but the best thing to do is clean install vista. That will provide you an optimal vista experience. Although, mine is perfect...very quick and responsive with 69 processes running plus some stuff i disabled/Removed via CC Cleaner

 

hm.. i didnt check that when i got it.. im sorry
right now im down to 78 processes, with steam, skype, coretempo, msn messenger, windows sidebar, rainlendar open

 

just follow my clean installation guide:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=293880

and you'll be down to 52 process on bootup

Why pay Sony extra $$$ and not get home premium features if you can do it yourself for free?

 

o dont like the premium versions, from my experience when i used xp, they were to complicated to connect to devices and etc..
plus, i cant do a fresh install cause i bought my student copy of office which i can only use it twice, and im not wasting the second install just to clean install it, only if it is for the 64-bit

 

good thing I got Ultimate then huh? LOL, I get the best of both worlds!

 

yeah, i wish i had ultimate, but i just couldnt bother doing fresh install

it was first week of class and i had just moved in..

 

If you're planning on getting the Vista Business upgrade, which should include "fresh start" at no additional cost, then definitely. Otherwise, if you feel you can handle a clean install using one of the guides without any problems - and have time for such a procedure, then save yourself $50.

I ordered my CTO TZ with the "fresh start" option, and selected "no software" for the photo, video, and office categories. It arrived without any trialware installed, not even Works, the MS Office demo, or antivirus was included. Just MS Streets & Trips, Intervideo WinDVD, TPM/Fingerprint software and a few Sony utilities (Click-to-disc & Power Management) were included.

Running processes are around 70 with firewall, antivirus, and UPEK fingerprint software installed. The only "tweaking" I've done was with Vista itself, which I would've had to do after a clean install as well.

Could've easily done a clean install, but was planning on getting Vista Biz anyways. Just my 2-cents.

 

70 processes??
I tidied my SZ up myself...
(removed junk)
Right now I'm running 70 processes, open programms:
SonicStage (playing music ), QIP, Outlook 2007 and Firefox... using Kaspersky Internet Security 7 which is I think 2 processes.

 

Yeah, 70 processes is still way too many in my opinion. Also have 4 sidebar processes, 3 for Intel IGP, 1 for Bluetooth, and another for a bandwith monitoring app, but most of the others are Vista related. My nLited XP install, on the other hand, only runs around 20.

 

Well, I'm not using the sidebar.
Useless for me and needs space.
20 on XP...

My mothers laptop (now with my grandfather) had around 35 to 40.

I was pushed hard to get my laptop below 60 on XP... and that was a clean instal.. getting rid of auto updates and other things I couldn't possibly use...

In comparison, having about 10 processes more on Vista sounds good to me.

 

How does one go about reducing the number of processes running on Vista?

 

Check your Autostart processes.
either run "msconfig" or safer:
download ccleaner, go into the bit with the autostart objects and disable anything you can identify and know you don't need.

Then go into Windows services and have a good luck through some of the automatic ones - you may want to set them to manual or deactivate them.
If you've got a full security software you can switch off Windows Defender too.

About the Autostart - for example, itunes, quicktime and Acrobat Reader load modules at start up to allow them to load faster later on. Now whether Adobe takes 10 or 30 seconds to load isn't important to me. If it slows down my computer by 20 seconds booing up I'm annoyed (figures are just random representative picks, I didn't time it))

Thus I got rid of them. Roxio peer to peer - diabled that through services - disabled Roxio tray watch... (Roxio due to my BlackBerry)

Basically Autostart and Services.

 

Black Viper has a comprehensive list on which services to turn off.

http://www.blackviper.com/WinVista/servicecfg.htm

BTW, quick tip: Do not use "msconfig" to disable services, type "services.msc" in the Run box instead!

 

For services I go via "start" and then in German "Verwaltung" which has a "sub-point" services.