Solved New HP laptop loaded with bloatware - keep/discard what?

[linnemeyerhere]

So I just purchased this wicked basic HP laptop. I'm floored with it's performance for a sub $400.00 purchase. I've attached some pictures (sorry about the focus) the thing is I've ordered free system discs to do a clean install but there are tons of HP programs for all sorts of things. Does anyone out there have knowledge on which are worth leaving and which must go......look at the size they take up on the C drive.....crazy !

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I'm thinking just to wait till disc arrives and then clean install and choose what to install and what not to then? Leave it to manufacturers to screw up and bloat out a good little machine. They must figure all this stuff validates there jobs but in the end it takes space and wastes resources.

 

[gregrocker]

Here are some tips to Clean up factory bloatware.

Best however to Clean Reinstall following these tips: Reinstalling Windows 7

With HP's you can leave the Recovery Partition and it will still run from boot even if you reinstall to C. There is a minimal Recover option on new HP's which is very close to a Clean Reinstall - you'll just need to discard the useless Wireless Manager which adds 30 seconds to boot time in favor of Win7's superior one.

You can also extract favorite apps from the Recovery Disks so you don't have to have them all: Extract HP 3rd Party Software from RecovCD

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Greg as always you are the SF voice of experience. Cheers my friend and as soon as the disk comes I will clean install to my ssd double check everything then format the spinner for placement into it's usb enclosure. I wonder if I can leave the recovery partition on it?

 

[jimbo45]

Hi there
Most computers come with a load of of pre-installed bloatware and a stupid hidden partition.

What I would do is

1) Backup your running image using acronis or any stand alone backup program --save to external USB disk for example. Note any serial numbers such as possibly pre-installed ms office.

2) Install the RETAIL version of W7 you want --whether Professional, home premium or ultimate

3) Re-install any apps such as Ms office. Activate with the key you got from the initial install.

Now you should be good to go.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[gregrocker]

Having the Recovery Disks and suggested backup image should be enough, although if you have the space and feel better about having the Recovery partition as another backup on the HD, you can keep it there until later when you reevaluate perhaps because you need the space.

Of course, Recovery from that partition would need to be done to the same HD, while the Recov Disks and Installation DVD can be used on the SSD or any other HD.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

OK so the OS and driver disks showed up today. Clean install on my SSD and the laptop is taking software and responding like a champ. It blazes through tasks like the hot blade through butta. Man I'm glad I scored this badboy when I did as the price jumped up almost 120.00 since I did.

 

[gregrocker]

Good to hear back. Enjoy it!

Let us know if any issues come up.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Check this improvement out !

Not bad for under 4 bills delivered !

 

[lhorwinkle]

I would leave the "bloatware" alone.

• Instead, I'd simply find out if any of it auto-runs at startup (and disable that).
• I'd see if any of it runs as background services (and disable them).
• Then I'd find their shortcuts in the Start Menu and either delete them or move them to a Junk folder.

Result: No junkware for now, but it's entirely there if you should have any future, unforeseen need. And you're not damaging anything. The only "bloat" is a few GB of storage. But on a 250 GB drive that's rather trivial.

 

[gregrocker]

I agree that the first step is to get a clean boot, then as suggested in Clean up factory bloatware
over time decide what programs you don't want and uninstall them.

To get a clean boot, uncheck everything in msconfig>Startup except AV, then in msconfig>Services "Hide all MS Services" and do the same. After several restarts make sure nothing turns itself back on or turn it off in its Program Preferences or Uninstall it. YOu now have a clean boot.

With HP's the Wireless Manager bloatware must have it's Preferences set to allow Independent Managers before you can turn it off or it will block Win7's superior network connection. Then I'd uninstall it and bury it in the backyard.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Well the problem that I was having and still have to some degree is that with a 64gb ssd you don't have unlimited space and with my Office, Nero, Adobe, Act, Database, AV and Malware, MediaMonkey, Quicken, MapPoint and other needed software space becomes a premium. Also at the rate MS is sending out large important updates having any un-needed bloatware just wasn't an option.

 

[gregrocker]

You need a clean reinstall more than most. Even if you remove all the HP bloatware -worst in the industry - your Registry is clogged with abandoned keys that not even CCleaner can root all of them out. Performance is always affected to some degree.

A clean install of only the Win7 OS is always a superior install.

With HP you don't even need to lose any favorite apps included, since with the tutorial I posted early on you can extract any apps from the Recovery Disks.

Do you have access to a Win7 DVD or ISO for your version?

The steps are all here to get it perfect: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Greg this is what I was referring to in link #7. So like you said with these vital and not supplied without a special call and wait OS disks, always best to clean install and that's just what I wanted to do. But then with the drivers and software disk I could pick and choose things to install back in programs like the face and finger print recognition program and such.

 

[gregrocker]

Yes I thought you had an OS DVD and not the REcovery disks with bloatware that it sounds like now.

Do you have access to a Win7 installation DVD for your version to clean reinstall with Product Key on COA sticker?

I'd use the drivers given by the installer and then quickly updated via optional Windows Updates. Any missing in Device Manager can be found on HP Support DOwnloads webpage for your model where some software should also be posted.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Greg I only have my copy of my W7 Ultimate which is on my desktop. Are you saying I could have used that and then put in the Product Key from the OEM W7 Home Premium? I just used the OS disk HP sent and it clean installed very well.

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, as stated in my first post above:

Best however to Clean Reinstall following these tips: Reinstalling Windows 7

With HP's you can leave the Recovery Partition and it will still run from boot even if you reinstall to C. There is a minimal Recover option on new HP's which is very close to a Clean Reinstall - you'll just need to discard the useless Wireless Manager which adds 30 seconds to boot time in favor of Win7's superior one.

You can also extract favorite apps from the Recovery Disks so you don't have to have them all: Extract HP 3rd Party Software from RecovCD

The disks HP sent are hardly a clean reinstall but the factory image loaded with the worst load of bloatware in the industry. Always best to go clean, especially trying to preserve space on that new SSD.

What I would do is extract the Ultimate ISO using ImgBurn, then run the eicfg removal tool
on the ISO to unlock all versions, burn another DVD using ImgBurn at 4x speed, boot to install your licensed version with Product Key on COA sticker. The steps to get a perfect install are here: Reinstalling Windows 7

 

[linnemeyerhere]

Excellent as always Greg, I will look into this.

 

[seavixen32]

If you don't mind me adding to Greg's excellent support you can also copy the swsetup folder, which houses HP's drivers, third-party applications such as Cyberlink software and the Vision Diagnostics ISO.

Obviously, you would need to copy the folder before you wipe the hard drive when you clean install Windows.

 

[gregrocker]

Great idea, Seavixen!

Your drivers are also all backed up in Windows/System32/Drivers which you can back up and browse to from Device Manager for any missing after install and optional Updates.