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Stupid question time, "Any way to *prevent* crapware loading on new box?"

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barney:
The box initialization just completed.  There's actually a lot less junk that I expected, but there is some.

MS Office 2010 is installed, but it'll be a trial-ware install, since I didn't specifically order it.  A bunch of MS Live junk is there, as well, of which I might use only the Writer blog posting app.  There's also some CD/DVD authoring software that installed by default.  Oh, yeah, the box asked by to authorize a Trend Micro install - don't know if just AV or a full suite - and when I declined, it stated that it would be uninstalled.

No Google stuff that I can see on the menu.  I really hope the discs don't have the <shudder /> Vostro wallpaper - what I got was urgly with a capital urgh.  First thing I did was lose that  ;D.

barney:
If you don't check any of the boxes, you don't get the crapware.
--- End quote ---
That is patently untrue according to my definitions.  Anything other than the OS and necessary hardware drivers qualifies as trash.  I specifically said no to any security software, but it was installed anyway.  Several MS products were installed, products which were not mentioned during the order process, so there was no option to select or not select.

I was pleasantly surprised at the minimal amount of non-OS, non-hardware-related software installed, but it was installed w/o concern for my preferences.  Kinda points to why IT folk create their own disk image for new boxes, ya know?

The real concern here is not the installation of unrequested software, but the detritus remaining after a supposed uninstall.  I've had critical applications crash because of some software installation overwriting support files that were not replaced during the uninstall.  In a corporate environment, that can be near-fatal at the very least.  In a home environment, or in a small business environment, it really can be fatal insofar as a person's reliance upon a particular piece of software.

No offense intended, app103, but your premise simply does not hold up in the face of existing evidence.

OK, it's kinda, sorta understood that no hardware vendor is going to distribute schtuff that would crater their systems, but what they distribute could very well incapacitate an application upon which someone relies - or installation of such an application could crater the system.  In either case, they'd not be able to use - real life example - software that was previously relied upon for significant health issues.  (Not my health problem, but a consulting call not too long ago.)

The more junk that gets installed, the greater the possibility of crippled functionality in other areas even after the junk is supposedly removed.

4wd:
If you can find a DVD with Win7 Pro x64, then I'd say just boot from it, do a complete install to the HDD, (wiping what was there, ie. Dell's auto-install), and enter your CD key off the sticker.-4wd (September 02, 2010, 11:47 PM)
--- End quote ---
Won't necessarily work - at least not if you haven't gotten a clean OEM DVD. I tried doing this with XP, and found out that OEM keys, at least then, were tied to OEM install discs (apart from just BIOS strings, meaning they won't work for non-vendor machines either).-f0dder (September 03, 2010, 03:06 PM)
--- End quote ---

That's why I put 'assuming Win7' in my original post ;)  I read somewhere, (but can't remember - hey, it was more than 60 minutes ago!), that Microsoft no longer used the oembios stuff they used in XP for Win7.

Also, since barney has a complete set of recovery CDs for the Dell - nothing is lost except a little time.  IMHO, the benefit of having a really 'clean' system outweighs the effort of trying to strip it all out of a pre-installed system and the little time lost.

A little bit more reading around turns up: Can I use OEM Windows 7 HP product key to install 64-bit OS off of retail disc?
NOTE: Original post in that thread refers to going from x86 to x64 - in that case I would expect you to have to reactivate via phone.  But reinstalling essentially the same OS you're licensed for should be easier.

So, technically possible providing you edit the ei.cfg which links in my first post refer too and is also described in the second post in the thread.

Addendum: Here's the \sources\ei.cfg from my W7HP x64 Family Pack DVD:

[EditionID]
HomePremium
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0

Changing the Retail to OEM should turn it into an OEM version which on first activation locks it to my current hardware - as per OEM licensing.

EDIT: My grammar is suffering - too many American TV shows methinks :)

f0dder:
NOTE: Original post in that thread refers to going from x86 to x64 - in that case I would expect you to have to reactivate via phone.  But reinstalling essentially the same OS you're licensed for should be easier.-4wd (September 03, 2010, 09:04 PM)
--- End quote ---
Don't be too sure of that - for regular keys, x86 and x64 are interchangeable. My laptop runs win7-x64 with a win7-x86 key :)

4wd:
Don't be too sure of that - for regular keys, x86 and x64 are interchangeable. My laptop runs win7-x64 with a win7-x86 key :)
-f0dder (September 04, 2010, 07:19 AM)
--- End quote ---

Even more reason to just try it. :)

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