Removing crapware on new Sony VAIO laptop

Since you're eager for a clean reinstall, I would save externally a Win7 backup image and make your Recovery disks so you have two paths back to the original install.

Sometimes an important piece of software from the manufacturer's Support Downloads webpage like webcam features (not the cam itself) will not work correctly with the clean reinstall so it might take some detective work with google to get it all smoothed out once you get the superior clean reinstall.

When you're ready here is the latest official Win7 installer iSO download with SP1: Win7 Home Premium x64 SP1 English Official ISO download

Burn to DVD or write to flash stick using Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool

Then follow these steps based on thousands of clean reinstalls we've helped with here: Clean Reinstall Windows 7 Factory OEM.

If your Factory Recovery is run from boot via F10 then it may still run after clean reinstall. If you prefer to keep it as another backup method you can test cueing it up after reinstall to see if it works then delete it and recover the space then if it doesn't.

CCleaner is perhaps the most highly respected little genius app in the entire tech field, used by everyone from grandma to programmers. Some experts here worry about its Registry cleaner but in hundreds of installs representing thousands of uses I've never had a single complaint nor have I seen a documented case of it causing problems. That said, when offered back up the Registry choices before cleanup.

native lightweight instantaneous state

You could do well as an advertising copywriter

lightweight instantaneous

It's cumbersome but allows me to describe in two words what to expect from Win7.

Settle for no less.

Si: off to MVP Global Summit in Seattle Monday with Win7 backup imaging at the top of my list for MS. Adds?

Thanks guys for all your advice, I need it! I'm just creating 4 recovery disks using VAIO care, then I'm going to look into this further. So a clean installation disks requires on 3.1GB but I need 4 DVDs to create a recovery, what's that all about?

Anyway I uninstalled a few things first, BING and something else. Will proceeed with caution before uninstalling anything else, and might just settle for blocking programs from starting up.

STU9000 said:

So a clean installation disks requires on 3.1GB but I need 4 DVDs to create a recovery, what's that all about?

It's about a lot of bloatware and useless factory utilities which have much better versions built into Win7.

gregrocker said:

STU9000 said:

So a clean installation disks requires on 3.1GB but I need 4 DVDs to create a recovery, what's that all about?

It's about a lot of bloatware and useless factory utilities which have much better versions built into Win7.

there's some nice features that come with this machine, such as a light sensor that detects ambient light and adjusts your screen brightness accordingly. Do I risk losing some of these features if I do a clean install? I'm trying to decide what the best course of action is here, ultimately I just want my machine to run optimally, I could tell you a story or two about Vista and letting mum's lose on computers..

Look for the software for the features you like on the Vaio Support Downloads webpage for your model. If it's there then you can try it, if not you may not want to Clean Reinstall Windows 7 Factory OEM but instead try running it for awhile while Cleaning up factory bloatware.

You can also find out the name of the features you like and google everything you can read about them to find out how others have fared with a clean reinstall. The ones which have problems like the webcam and touchpad software features on some Samsung laptops often have been thoroughly hashed out in various forums including ours.

gregrocker said:

Look for the software for the features you like on the Vaio Support Downloads webpage for your model. If it's there then you can try it, if not you may not want to Clean Reinstall Windows 7 Factory OEM but instead try running it for awhile while Cleaning up factory bloatware.

You can also find out the name of the features you like and google everything you can read about them to find out how others have fared with a clean reinstall. The ones which have problems like the webcam and touchpad software features on some Samsung laptops often have been thoroughly hashed out in various forums including ours.

I think I'm going to stick with the factory settings and familiarise myself with all the features, zap bloatware before going for a clean install. I've downloaded that Win7 and noted all your advice so might go for that in the future when (and fingers crossed it wont end up that way) my computer grinds to a halt and I feel like throwing it out the window etc..

Once you start installing third party software though usually something stops working properly.

It just starting chundering there while I was burning a recovery disk, playing an mp3 and removing some unwanted items from the inverted dock at the top of the screen, the one that keeps making me open explorer to read some news article. 'Work smart from home' it's just telling me now.. Going to get on that and get it zapped ASAP

Thanks for the time taken to give me some advice everyone, I guess I'll probably be back with more question though.

Actually I think I quite like this drop down dock feature, it reminds me of mac os. Is it a windows 7 feature or sony though?

Just turned off the RSS feed which is where the random news bulletins were coming from, that feature might come in handy though if I can configure it right.

A dock would be as Sony feature. You should be able to find it in All Programs.

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