with my new HP, what should i uninstall first?

i'm getting a new DV4000 in a week or so. would like to know how to handle all the bloatware and what to do about it? should i install straight from the OS and unclick anything extra formatting the drive? should i just start maching and uninstall practically anything i don't use? How to handle? thanks.

 

I prefer a clean install, but that can be a pain. For the easy way out, just use the add/remove tool and get rid of everything you don't want or need.

 

Be sure to follow the uninstall with a good registry cleaning with RegCleaner, CrapCleaner and/or others.

 

HP gives you an OEM windows disc. Doing a fresh install would be my first choice as well.

 

that's a good thing for HP they still give you an OEM disc of the OS unlike others that only offer "Servce Partitions"

also, HP provides a driver / utility disc so setup from scratch is not that a pain in the @ss.

also, my first choice would be a fresh install with your custom partitioning of the HD of course.

i have done this with my IBM T30 and R50e (i burned the service partition as recovery discs in case i want to restore the lappy to its factory state)

ThinkPad Now, Thinkpad Always!
:buyIBM: :centrino:

 

that's another question. should i definately partition my 80GB hd? i'll probably partition the drive at like 20-60, but the problem with my current desktop is all those stupid updates required me to run out of space when i did a 10-30 on my first 40GB HD, which has become quite annoying. Does everyone just install OS on disk 1, and then all other software on other drive? or all software on drive 1 and all files on drive 2? what to do?

 

If you do 20-60, 20GB should be more than enough for windwos.

 

thanks. and even though i'm a graphic artist, should i be placing photoshop, premiere, flash, etc. on my 20GB partition and put my artwork on the 60GB?

 

i've never understood the point of partitioning a hard drive, especially smaller hard drives. but that may be because i'm a storage freak and hate the thought of wasting space. if you keep your computer files relatively organized i dont really see a point to do it. if u plan on reformatting just back everything u wanna keep to an external hard drive and reformat away. if there was a way to partition a drive so that the sizes werent static i'd be all over it.

 

well i thought partitioning was strictly for cleaning up since there's a lot of file movement on one drive, it's best to keep software optimal since there aren't files moving around and causing defrag issues with your OS HD. i do have a external, which i'll use to backup, but i just wanted the best of both worlds to maintain file structure. i guess the only heavy stuff i'd place on my notebook is 1. music, 2. some graphic files, not all web stuff, since it's not my primary machine. therefore partitioning might not be necessary.

 

I wouldnt partition anything leave it big and create "good" habits of defragmenting... i would flash the BIOS and then get a nice diskedit.exe from a floppy boot, fill with 00 the first 300 blocks of your hardrive, reboot and pop in a nice (freshly burnt) windows XP cd and install.

word of advice: before all that go the manufacter's website of your components (ethernet, frimware, Modem, VideoCard, soundcard..etc...etc) and download the latest driver for each and burn it on another CD or you might find yourself without internet (ethernet or firmware for usb).

 

wait, not as techy as you nyboy, so flash the bios to update the firmware on the motherboard yes? then use diskedit.exe from floppy boot? i don't have floppy drive. and what is filling 00 the first 300 blocks do? much to complicated for me. oh and regarding getting drivers, definately agree to that. i already hve cds with my basic software i need.

 

a boot cd with windows98se will suffice since i dont have a floppy drive either. then also make a cd with the diskedit.exe and this access at low-level you hardrive (once already on diskedit program, Alt+D and switch to Phsyical Hard-drive0) and select and fill up the first 300 blocks with 00 you are erasing "hardcorely" the MBR (MasterBootRecord), Partition tables, directory, etc... i hate to use any FDISK, or Windows based application to delete and rearrange partitions... fill up with 00 and the installation of any OS it will take it as a hardrive that just came out of the factory and hasn't been touch...(sort of speaking)

 

sounds like a good idea, but a bit too technical for me. what is the advantage of pursing this option than just the typical partition when reformating and reinstalling OS?

 

Some computer arquitecture classes will answer your questions... but it will take me forever now to explain... this link might help

http://www.datadoctor.biz/Data_Recovery_Programming_Book_Chapter3-Page6.html

and this

http://www.digit-life.com/articles/ntfs/

 

thanks NYBOY but it doesn't seem to answer my question of how it improves that much more performance compared to the standard format and reinstall of OS. it's ok though, i think i'll just take this route when i get my notebook next week.

 

it isnt about proving performance but instead about resting assure you are installing in a (sort of speak) "virgin" hard-drive.