Solved Requesting directions for a clean re-install using Dell disk

[spike999]

Last March I purchased a Dell M5040 Inspiron for use while stuck in a motel between home sale/purchase. Everything is fine, but now that I'm past my warranty I thought I would investigate a clean install as I've read many posts here about how bloated the factory install is. My main question is whether the green Dell re-installation dvd is what I want or is this a copy of the OS including the Dell (unwanted) extras? My other question is...to save a bit of (not really starved for) HD space, would you guys delete the recovery partition? And if you would delete it, would you bother to clone the fresh install to a second partition on same drive (as virus/malware protection-obviously not hardware failure protection)Thanks in advance, Bill

 

[gregrocker]

Dell is one of the few that provides a clean reinstallation DVD with only the OS and self-activation plus a Dell Logo. Just make sure it includes SP1. If not you can use the installation media for your licensed version provided in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 which also compiles everything needed to get and keep a perfect install.

Be sure to read the Special Note for Dell Owners at the end as the Dell Diagnostics listing when booting from F12 and the fuller suite of diagnostics often available under F12's Utility partition are valuable and worth keeping if they will still boot before and after reinstall. You'd want to keep the Dell Utility partition if so, while deleting all others and creating and formatting New during the booted install.

Ask back any questions you have before beginning.

You will get and keep a perfect install of WIn7 based on how closely you stick with the steps, tools and methods in that tutorial, for as long as you do.

 

[spike999]

Gregrocker: Thank you for the quick reply, I shall read your link and hopefully tackle this project in the upcoming week. If you get a moment, could you please also respond to the second question in my original post?

 

[gregrocker]

Yes, Bill, I thought I had confirmed that you should delete all partitions except Utility Partition if Diagnostics will boot and run. In no case will the Recovery partition still run after a Clean Reinstall so it should be deleted.

As it also explains in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 once you have set up a perfect install then you should save a backup image of it externally to use in place of reinstall or recovery if Win7 should ever become irreparable. If you follow the tutorial then it won't be necessary to use it for performance degradation since you'll be using only the tools and methods that avoid problems and assure perfect performance. So the image is mainly for disaster recovery.

 

[spike999]

Ahhh...gotcha, Sorry,I didn't read thoroughly enough after your part about the diagnostics. I knew it was a few days away and just wanted to thank you before you signed off or moved on. My mistake. Thanks again.

 

[gregrocker]

No prob, ask back all the questions you need. Then keep us posted on how it goes.

 

[spike999]

Doing updates now
Excellent advice on obtaining network driver too, it's the only one I needed.

 

[spike999]

All went well without a hitch. Thank You

 

[gregrocker]

Glad to hear it as I fly out of US airspace to Germany about to lose connec