No clean install possible on new Dell?

gregrocker- will do. Burning an ISO image will backup everything for me, right, since it copies everything on the drive? I need a program like imgburn to create then ISO and then I can use w7's burn program, right?

No, use Windows 7 backup imaging to image all partitions on the HD.

Type Backup in Start Search box, click on Create System Image, attach external HD or save to secondary internal HD. It will save an image which can be reimaged to the HD (or a replacement) using the DVD Repair console/Repair CD>"Recover Using A System Image."

gregrocker- So do you think I should wait for the OS disc to come before setting up the new pc? Is there a big enough difference that I would really notice?

Yeah...I know I should wait too. But it's tempting to start loading stuff onto it, though! ha. Should I go through and uninstall the bloatware, update drivers (video etc), download microsoft updates, and all that stuff so that the backup is a little bit better than the factory setting?

Agreed, you have plenty to do while waiting for the OS disk: make the Recov disks, uninstall bloatware with Revo in Advanced mode, install your programs, finish with the CCleaner "Run Cleaner" and Registry tabs, then Auslogics Disk and Registry Defraggers.

After you've got it cleaned up and ordered, run "sfc /scannow" to see if System Files were damaged beyond repair. If not, make a Win7 backup image of your optimized Win7, which can supercede your Recov disks - which then become a secondary backup.

By the time your DVD gets there, you should know if you want to move sooner or later on the clean reinstall.

Clean Install Windows 7

Thanks guys, I made the recovery cd's (took two DVD-Rs), uninstalled the video driver and installed the latest ATI drivers, installed the windows updates, uninstalled what I thought I could easily get rid of, ran ccleaner and defragged using auslogics.

I figured I shouldn't touch the Dell Datasafe or Roxio programs because I need to make another backup before the OS disk arrives. Am I missing anything else? I didn't bother with the Bios because I think A15 is the latest one? I know there's probably a program or two still on there (Microsoft Silverlight, Dell Support Center, etc) that I could uninstall, but I didn't want to mess up the system if I didn't know I could definitely be fine without it.

If you don't want or use the Dell utilities, you can uncheck them in msconfig>Startup to speed your startup and eliminate any drag on performance.

The only thing I allow in my Startup list is AV, gadgets and stikynotes, resulting in a 20 second startup and instantaneous performance.

I'd also check your Event Viewer>Admin View to google repeat errors to solve them. And run sfc /scannow to make sure your System FIles aren't damaged.

Check your WEI score at Computer>Properties to get an idea of how your hardware stacks up to WIn7, click through that score link to Advanced Sys Tools to Generate a SYstem Health Report, and check Performance log for any drivers or apps affecting startup/shutdown.

Thanks for the tips gregrocker and pparks1. I didn't know about the system health report feature.

Two questions on reinstalling 7- Will I need to update the BIOS first before doing anything else, or might it be the current version already? And I don't have a separate sound card so do I need to worry about updating the sound drivers (realtek) since they are on the board already?

gregrocker- what AV program do you use? I had AVG on my XP system, but I've read Microsoft Security Essentials isn't too bad of a program.