Windows 7: New Lenovo X230 Laptop! Help trim default windows install down please.

As it explains in tutorial, you can keep your lenovo Recovery partition if you think it might still run after install, then later cue it up to see. If not you can delete it and Extend C into its space along with the small unneeded partition at end of HD.

If your model uses F8 to trigger Recovery then it will NOT work after reinstall since it wipes out Advanced Boot Tools menu during reinstall.



If you'd prefer to run Lenovo Recovery to see how that works for your you can also try that first.

when creating a backup image of the current setup for "oh shit" purposes, is it best to create the image directly on an external drive or can i save it to the desktop and move it over later?

edit:
if I would just read.......... Windows 7 cannot include the partition or drive that you are saving the backup image to in the image.

ok so I have the laptop current setup with the lenovo recovery backup image stored on my external drive after following the tutorial...

now i have a 4gb flash drive, but that is the advertised size... do i need a larger flash drive to make my boot disc from? im currently downloading the Windows 7 professional x64 iso from the link

4gb is okay for writing the installer to stick. There's even room to put your wireless driver if it's missing after Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 so you can get online quickly to do all Important and Optional Updates after enabling Automatically deliver drivers via Windows Update (Step 3)

so after I create the install disc on the usb drive, i just throw the wireless driver on there as well? LAN or WAN?

Whichever you use to connect. You can put it on the stick or with your backup.

The chances are about 70% it will start up already installed but if not install it to get Updates first.

More tips to get a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7

I'm guessing WAN is for 3g/4g type connections? I need the LAN wireless, which will allow me to connect to my router.

You can see the actual Network wireless device make/model in your Device manager, even copy driver from it's installed location given in Driver tab>Driver Details. Most are in System 32>Drivers which can be backed up to have all of them in case any are needed after reinstall and all Updates are done. But you'll need to save that folder to your backup.

i wont need the drivers until the install of windows is complete, correct? I dont need them during the install? ive ran the belarc advisor, not sure what im supposed to do with that file, or what it does for me... but i backed it up. ready to boot to the thumb drive with windows bootable image i think.

clean install from USB disc went well, installed the wifi driver and am now running windows update

after that ill load all of the lenovo drivers i need and then the apps with that nifty ninite app!

seems to be smooth sailing so far