Do I need Windows Live?

Ambimom · 14 Feb 2011

Here's another approach. Open Control Panel. Click on Programs and Features. To the left of the screen is a panel showing "Turn Windows Features on or off" Click on that. Scroll down and uncheck the stuff you don't want.

As for the stuff HP installed, PC Decrapifier is a great tool. It doesn't seem to remove much stuff from Windows 7, 64 bit however. I ended up removing stuff myself with Revo Uninstaller.

I may be wrong, but pre-installed systems no longer come with disks to reinstall. Instead they insist on your making recovery disks when you register the software. Of course, should you need to recover from these disks, you end up having to remove all the crap all over again.

linda661 · 14 Feb 2011

Gee...I was hoping you would volunteer to send me one.

ie9 · 14 Feb 2011

Not always legal

DeaconFrost · 14 Feb 2011

ie9 said:

Not always legal

Sure it is. The disc is not what determines legality, it is the license key.

linda661 · 14 Feb 2011

I wouldn't want to register it, just use the software. It's ok

DeaconFrost · 14 Feb 2011

I don't know anyone who actually registers with Microsoft, but the software would activate and be perfectly legal. I use the same disc with any and every key I need to install with. The key is what determines the legality.

whs · 14 Feb 2011

I would use the following approach:

1. I would not delte or uninstall any programs. They just use a little bit of space on your disk of which you probably have plenty. And you never know when you might need one of those programs.

2. I would rigorously delete all programs from the startups - except the AV program and those you want explicitely to start at boot. msconfig is one tool but I prefer to use free Winpatrol which is a lot more convenient to use. Just disable them, you can always reenable any one if you think it should be running all the time.

3. Regarding Windows Live - there are a few programs that are useful. I use the Live Movie Maker a lot to edit videos. It does a pretty decent job (although saving the result takes a while - even with a very muscular PC). I also use the live Photo Gallery to edit pictures.
In any case, if you do not want all the Live programs, you can selectively uninstall them - when you uninstall Windows Live, they give you the option to pick and choose.

marsmimar · 14 Feb 2011

It's also possible to create a universal installation disk that contains all editions of Windows 7.

Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc - Create

You can select your version of Windows 7 from the disk and use your legal product key when it comes time to activate the clean install. You can also be the go-to person when your friends/relatives have to do a clean install but don't have their own media.

ie9 · 14 Feb 2011

DeaconFrost said:

I don't know anyone who actually registers with Microsoft, but the software would activate and be perfectly legal. I use the same disc with any and every key I need to install with. The key is what determines the legality.

Sure you can use the same disk, and yes the key determines the legality of it, but you don't see MS handing out ISO images for free, and neither can we. That's the reason I said it wasn't legal

kado897 · 14 Feb 2011

Windows Live Mail is a dog. You don't need it even if you have more than one Webmail account. Chose the one you like and route messages from the others to it. Most of them have this facility.