If you decide to do a clean install,
it has to be the same version as the factory installation.
I would suggest that you download that version with SP1 integrated from here and use it. Reason obvious. Does away with the pre-SP1 updates after a clean install and you start with a clean Windows 7 SP1 install.
Last edited by Brink; 11 Apr 2012 at 15:31. Reason: removed content not allowed
i have an HP (DV6000 series i believe) from NOV 2006 that i bought brand new right after joining the military, had several problems with it, dealt with them for years, then bought a Toshiba, and after i got the Toshiba i started experimenting with the HP a lil bit, i am now running on a 5+ year old laptop, windows seven ultimate 64 bit, it came with factory installed XP, i have yet to have any problems with it after installing seven, i liked XP, but to me seven runs a whole better, it also found all the drivers for the built in webcam, card reader, and wireless card, without me having to do anything to it, i.e hunting down the right drivers on the HP website...the only downside to my story is i dont back things up like most people i have seen here, i completely start from scratch, just save whatever documents, pics, vids to an external HDD and then format, clean install, every time i install seven (ive done it a few times now on my home computer and my Toshiba, cuz i like to keep things fresh, and being deployed gives you a lot of time to do stuff like that when your bored).
so i guess the moral to my story is that you "should not" have any problems doing a clean install of whatever you want, if and and if you are willing to give up ALL of the HP preinstalled bloatware. i know some of it can be had on the HP site, but i never cared to look into getting any of it back since i dont like nor use the stuff...my .02, clean install seven, done and done...
If ever a clean install is called for, it's on an HP which has the worst load of factory bloatware of any make, throttling Win7 from being it's native instantaneous self. The ghastly Wireless Manager crapware alone adds 30 seconds to boot time.
What is said in those steps that would make you think you cannot do a clean reinstall on HP?
I only appended some additional info in Reinstalling Windows 7 about HP's new minimal Recovery which is very close to a clean reinstall, how Recov partition will still run after clean reinstalling to C if you want to keep it and how you can extract needed HP apps from the Recov disks.
Use this: Win7 Home Premium x64 SP1 English Official ISO download
Write to flash stick or burn to DVD using Windows 7 USB-DVD Download Tool
Please read my post #11 above on how to backup and restore the OEM activation without any necessity for Activation by Phone which process you may have to go through if you enter the COA key and activate.
My Dell activation Backup:
Last edited by Brink; 11 Jul 2012 at 21:43. Reason: removed link
I read the links you provided as well, and just need to confirm something. I noticed that the key both utilities extracted was different from the one on the sticker on my laptop. Am I correct in assuming that one extracted is the Microsoft key, and the one on the laptop is a HP key, and the one I should use is the extracted one?
Thanks..
Last edited by Brink; 11 Jul 2012 at 21:45. Reason: removed content not allowed
The key which was extracted is the OEM-SLP key which is used to mass activate offline at the factory. You can use the procedure you were given to back it up to reactivate if you use a retail Win7 installer, or it may be simpler to use the Product Key on COA sticker which switches activation to OEM-COA method but may require a quick robocall during activation to record the hardware signature in MS Activation servers - since activation then becomes managed online by MS.
Reinstalling Windows 7
Quote