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#610
We have a tutorial for that. Clean Install Windows 7
If you install with your original OEM disc, you may get a lot of crap on it. If you have a retail disc, that is not the case.
For the OEM case, I recommend to download a clean .iso from here: Dell Community
Dell use to be good, the OEM OS disk was clean, no bloatware. Not sure if they are still that way.
Once I get the new drive installed and up and running with Win7, would you recommend taking an image before loading any programs? Perhaps this isn't worthwhile? Perhaps it is?
I do a lot of design and development worth and have around 40 programs that i use regularly!
Just wondering if you experienced imagers have any advice
It may be worth taking an image after all updates have been applied. The last time I applied updates to a new system took longer than the install.
I was thinking more of Windows updates than programs, but if you have a core set of programs it makes sense to install those also.
When you install a program, a system restore point is automatically created (if you enabled system restore). You can always fall back to that - if it does not mysteriously disappear.
I would just make an image twice per week or so.