Pre-HDD Wipe, Need a tad bit of advice.

If this is the wrong section, I am terribly sorry, can a Mod or admin move it to the proper location if it does not all in this forum category?

Before I stop, let me say I love Toshibas and swear by it because they are resilient in the engineering department in my opinion, mainly cause I never have any issues with mine nor any customers I work with, this is not a who is best topic.. But I am sure you know, nowadays these computers are fluffy with unwanted stuff..the promo icons and stuff when you first start it up for the first time or do a Factory restore. And worst than that fluff...they put in the phallus block, Norton... For me a gamer its crappy, bad, evil!

Now...I don't know why this didn't dawn on me, but I use Hiren's ALOT in my Freelance PC Repair business. I was sitting there realizing I have a disk I made, Windows 7 ALL, it contains 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows Home Premium and I believe 64 Bit pro as well, all legal copies since you need a respective key to activate it. I could just use Hirens to completely Zero my drive and use my Windows All disk to install Windows 7 Home Premium 32 and 64 bit. Think it has Ultimate as well, will check later.

Here is where my quandary comes in, cause when I say wipe, I mean EVERYTHING including the recovery partition.

I want to install Windows and what not, but my problem is..I am completely wiping my drivers. Mind you I have been working with computers since I was 16.. I am not genius or Guru but I know enough to do my job and work effectively and get alot of problems fixed, but this is new territory for me, since all I've ever worked on were the Dell Inspirion 2400's back then..And Most computers now I didn't have to wipe..

For a reference, my laptop model is a Toshiba p755-s5198.

Please try to answer my questions in the same order as I ask em, its 2 am, my brain is on GTFalseep mode.

1. I have my Bios used in it updated to the one most recent in 2012, if I wipe the drive will I need to reupdate or add the Bios?

2. The CPU processor drivers, the hm65 Chipset, will I need to back that up for me to be able to reinstall 7? Or can I install 7 and get the chipset software from Toshibas site later?

3. Same with the Intel HD Integrated graphics, I am assuming the Mobo has a 16bit graphics thing built in for basic installation until graphical drivers can be installed? ((Note I am used to working on old computer that were all integrated, I am not sure if it applies today as well. As I have sadly worked on only a handful of 7s... Ive worked on mostly Vistas and XPs))

4. I am assuming the CD Rom drive has a Generic driver built into? Im trying to be safe rather than sorry x.x

5. Does the Mobo has built in Generic USB drivers until I can bet my Root USB drivers from Renases?

6.Is it possible to set up a Recovery partition that functions just like the one that comes from factory? Well Im sure its possible, but how difficult is it. I mean, I checked the forums and I saw a thread on it but I was not sure if it is still a valid method and I didnt want to bump a dead thread.

~~~~
I know I could easily solve that by using Double Driver from Hirens to back up my drivers, but I am wanting to start completely fresh if at all possible, but if I should backup a few, I will do it.

After that is done, I want to know how to set up a actual Recovery partition on the HDD, that I can initialize like I do a factory restore 1 time every month or so.

But I want to wipe my hard drive, install 7 get ALL my updated drivers put in updates installed, the Net Framework packs in, and my programs in that I use.. I want to make a mirror of it or something and place it in a Partition that is completely dedicated to being Recovery for when I do restores. My OS and programs together maybe hits at max maybe 160 gigs and thats if I have 3ds Max, Maya, Zbrush, Sculptris, Dreamweaver CS5, PS Cs6e , and GW2 and Firestorm, WindowBlinds and my music and pictures.. In the 2 years I owned this computer. I never once even got this harddrive past even 45% full..

The core inclusions I want to put part of the recovery partition is:
1. Photoshop CS6e
2. WindowBlinds
3. CursorFX
4. xwDock
5. 7zip
6. Obviously Windows to be completely updated from WUpdate..
7. Toshiba HD/SSD Protection
8. Eset Smart Security 5 with its configured settings ((If feasible))
9. All drivers up todate.
10. Service pruning/System Optimization
11. <<Any suggestions on what else , I should add to it?>>

The plus side is,
No fluffiness, No WIld Tangent.. No bloating. NO NORTON!

I can restore my computer to that point and not have to reconfigure it or only have to configure very little!

Please give me your advice and opinion on this little venture, cause if it seems feasible and sane, I will do it..

Thank you all for listening to my plight!

~And a Yeeehaaaw to you!!~
Corm

Hi,

I can see you are a little new to Windows 7. Windows 7 is unlike Vista and especially XP : it is largely driver-complete. That is, it will detect the hardware, and install the most appropriate drivers to get your PC up and running. After installation, you can install specific drivers if you wish, but by and large all the components will already have a driver to make them work. Windows updates will also update to the latest signed Microsoft drivers for you.

A tip for you : read this to get a completely bloat free installation:

Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

Forget everything you know/did in terms of tuning and optimization under XP : Windows 7 just doesn't need it. In fact, we have shown here through 1,000's of successful BSOD analysis, that these tune-up utilities cause more harm than good. Ditch them as soon as you can.

In terms of a recovery partition, I build my own using FREE Macrium Reflect:

Imaging with free Macrium

If you don't want to install it to your PC, run it as a live application by writing this ISO to a bootable DVD/USB. ISO link below:

https://drive.google.com/#folders/0B...1VvWWd6b0dLSE0

The computer BIOS is completely unaffected by what you do to the Windows installation, so don't worry about it.

Enjoy Windows 7.

Regards,
Golden

Well as you said it, it is 2 am and those of us on Pacific time are in GTFsleep mode, but here browsing the forum anyway. There are already answers and tutorials to all of your questions here on the forum. Just search each question and take note or CTRL+D(favorite) the page. Your BIOS is independent of any operating system, hence you can use the same hardware for multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux, ChromeOS...).
As for the partition that you want to create to restore all your programs, I would recommend that you buy an external drive and create a System Image. This will save(copy) everything that is on your current drive exactly as it is today(or when you create it). It is very simple to do and the process is built in to Windows 7.

As Golden said: Windows 7 is very easy to work with and will do a lot of the grunt work for you.

As for wiping your disk, well if you need to feel secure about it then there are numerous tools out there to completely overwrite all data, but if I am not mistaken performing a fresh install of Windows should overwrite all existing data residing on your drive. So save what is important before performing a fresh install. If you are going from a previous Windows version to 7 then you should be presented with the option to keep your existing programs and personal folders.
Do a little digging and you will find that any question you have has an answer readily available.

I hope that this helped a little...but it is 2am and who knows I will probably come back and read this later and find that it was no bueno.

77--out

Yup, partitions are not reliable. External backups are the way to go. Also don't forget to make a bootable USB recovery drive (or DVD if you still swing that way), then lock it away where you won't lose it and don't use it for anything. I have 2 recovery thumb drives that I picked up for $7.00.

If you are really security and data integrity concious then also don't store your backups in the same place as your computer. I.E. somewhere else in the house. In the off chance that you have your computer stolen, or flooding....[insert casualty here] your recovery image would be still available to you once your get a new computer... but that is the worst case scenario...what if game. Or like me and in the Military where everything is a what if game LoL

Not going to lie, yes I am still new to Windows 7 somewhat, I don't know it innards and outards to say Im a genius at it.

I already planned on making a System Image on a external source as well as a USB bootable, that's second nature for me. I want to make a Recovery partition on the Laptops hard drive itself just for the convenience of Restoring my laptop without having to worry about my External source, I am prone to forget where crap is sometimes.

I will double check myself on all that has been said.

Also..I am a lazy tard... When I do a factory resrtore on this thing I have to download two years worth of updates, ((Probably only a year ) since some updates have to be downloaded for mor updates to appear, yada yada, then their are driver updates..Then there is removing the fluff plus system optimizations I do((I do not use a 3rd Party program, I google search what is safe to change and what not then hand modify it.)).

If I can get my system set the way I want, I will bloody be happy!

Ok, to the forums, search time.

Thank you all for your input!

FOr those wondering..

It takes me a good 10 hours at most to restore my laptop to factory, completely de crap it, optimize system and prune services, install my stuff and get it set up the way I want it, then updates drivers, and Windows Updates.

WIth a net speed that is steady at 90KBps it takes a goodlong while to update hence my reason for just wanting to wipe so I wont have to deal with the bloat.. I can get mysystem, clean set up the way I want it,.. Make a recovery image of that so I wont have to spend ages on updating agaian.. Well for a another year or 2 :P

I can sympathise with your forgetfulness and not wanting to have to remember where you put your back up HD. A way to aviod losing it is to install it in the computer case as if you were adding a second HD and leave the cables diconnected from the MoBo until you need to access the image. This way its 2 minutes of opening the case, plug in 2 wires and reboot. Perhaps beating a dead horse but options are pretty much limitless for how you decide to go about things.

Well thats what I get for not paying close attention LoL Well there is always Velcro!