windows 7 on hp dv5t and dv6t

just bought a DV5se laptop and dv6t. Both have windows vista on it with the usual bloatware.(also as u know there is a system recovery partition which i wont touch)

I would like to install win7 rtm which is coming on monday.

Two reasons for doing this:

-Heard that 7 is faster than vista and
-to get rid of the bloatware.


I will do a clean install i.e Format c and install win7.

The question is when I turn on the computer(and when the hp logo comes) it says press esc for startup options. if u press esc there are a number of options like system information and system recovery. If i format c will these options be still there? specially the system recovery option.

Secondly is there any disadvantage in formating the preinstalled vista and clean installing Windows 7 RTM as vista was preinstalled by HP itself(in terms of being optimized etc, is there such a thing??)...


Thanks.

 

no u will not mess with the recovery partition , as the recovery partition is the D: drive i think , the only problem u MAY face is not being able to boot the recovery partition if windows 7 didn't detect it , and there is no problem with that as u will just enter the recovery DVDs and they will automatically detect ur recovery drive and ask u Do u want to perform restore from hard drive or DVD,
pm me for more questions as subscribe to this thread is not working for me

 

I dont have the recovery disks. Just the Recovery partition. Will I be able to use this system recovery option from boot if i format c: ?

 

. Do you have the option to create recovery disks? If yes, do it now.

. HP does offer some start up keys to access direct to the recovery area from BIOS. Cnnsult your manual for it.

cheers ...

 

That is just a rumor windows 7 RTM AFAIK is scheduled for late July, Microsoft hasn't given a firm date as yet. But you are welcome to try any of the recent builds of windows 7.

If I were you before I go messing with your current factory windows installation I would make the recovery DVDs, so that in the event something goes really wrong you atleast have something physical to restore your hard drive from.

 

You can safely format C: and install Windows 7, you will not use the ability to access the start up recovery options during start up as the recovery partition is a seperate hidden drive, neither C: nor D: you can only delete the recovery partition via a partitioning program like Acronis Disk Director.

that said, I can always format, install any OS I like, then if I face a problem, I can just press F11 I think (or maybe F6) during start up and vista recovery will laungh from the back up recovery partition.

I am a DV5 owner so we have a very similar setup.


PS: I personally have deleted the recovery partition recently as I will never touch the Pre-installed OS that HP gives me! ALWAYS go for a clean install / backup with Acronis True Image for the bad times! Works much better, and saves you alot of space dude.

 

Expanding from an image is also a lot quicker than restoring to factory defaults. You could also try programs like Rollback Rx, First Defense ISR, and Shadow Protect.