Vista Clean Install:

I'll disagree with you on the statement on who decided what was needed...but that's a debate for another time.

I've just read that Vista will run much smoother after a clean install. If that's the case...I'll either purchase Vista on my own, or I'll save my $ and let it lag a little.

The persons who did that spend about 4 weeks hunting down drivers for their laptop prior to the install. They also had to pay for yet another license for Vista.

And it ran no faster.

Maybe you just want to use this tool -> http://pcdecrapifier.com/

Bob

....and recommened if you have a look at the link below..
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=120228

I have not done this yet, but my HP laptop id due to me in a few days and I am strongly considering. I do have concerns about a driver hunt nightmare, but the article seems to have it covered.

I will update here if I do go for the clean install..

I'm pegging the odds the owners I encounter on this topic at 1 in 20,000 success rates.

Most would be happy that the dang thing just works. More are happy with just the de-crapped effort. Less than 1 in 20,000 will consider the time to do the clean install.

Bob

reading the requirements in that link, it does not seem to be much of a big deal to do a clean install ..espeically if you do it with a new machine and have no risk of deleting any save files and applications.

I imagine that with the help of HP drivers DL page, you should be up and running with your DVD/fingerprint/audio/bluetooth features immediately, and later fixing driver issues as they arise.

..or do you think I'm being too optimistic?

What's your opinon on the effort itself Bob? Would it be enough just to emiminate the obvious bloatware upon firing up your new machine for the first time?

Thanks,

Will

Boot up, let it do it's prep work, toss out Norton, install Free AVG, run the Decrapper, install Zone Alarm. Done.

Yes I did set up my own account, one for wife, the kid and for me turned off Aero and the nasty sidebar. That was all of 15 minutes and I was on to better things like checking the Cnet news.com site.

Bob

Yeah, saw this link before as well. I considered it, but after speaking with a friend at the FBI (he doesn't work in this area, but his advice was helpful), the legality of performing a clean install by going this route was quite questionable.

Therefore, I've done a clean install by other means, all legal.

As for tracking down drivers -- it wasn't necessary. Vista found all needed drivers pretty easily, at least for me. As for speed, it definitely boots up much faster, and runs better. I was running 38-40% of my 2 GB's RAM while idling with Zero programs open, and that's down to about 28-30%. Other tasks seem to be being performed better as well, though I'm sure when the SP1 is officially released, it may increase some file copying performing even a little more.

Thank you both, gents--

I didnt realize the legal questions in the linked process until I read into it...but i'm glad that it worked. May I ask how you did your 'full legal' clean install-by authorizing from Microsoft or just a new disk?

Bob, thanks for your insite--I may just elect to go your route and decrap the whole thing. Decrapper is the bloatware remover utility I presume..?

I purchased a legal copy on my own. Whether it was 100% necessary or not was still questionable, which I why I erred on the side of complete legality. I now own a copy I can use forever. If / when I purchase a new computer in a couple of years, I'll do another clean install then as well.

yes the full version separate from an install version has its benefits...and without the legal worries.

I've been using Vista for a few weeks now on another machine and all seems fine, outside of some slowness that I hope SP1 will fix.

Luckily, I havent seen what the fury is all about...

If you don't think it's decrapped enough in the ten minutes it takes then you have "the bomb" to really clean the place up.

Bob