Can I overwrite the OEM Win7-HP crapware with clean new Win 7 install?

Hello folks,
My HP Pavilion dm3 with Win 7 64 bits is 2 years old and slow. I want to get rid of the HP crapware. Is it safe to carry out a hard installation of Win 7 64 over the existing EOM Win7/HP crapware installation? (I plan on backing up everything of course)
Or is the HP layer of software critical to the laptop well functioning?

Thanks for your insights everyone.

Fred

Actually that is a preferred method for getting rid of all that bloatware, so yes you can and we have a great tutorial on how to do just that,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/219487-clean-reinstall-factory-oem-windows-7-a.html

Thank you so much for the speedy help and useful link!

You're welcome, any other questions feel free to ask.