Windows 7 Questions - Serious Replies Only [Please]

2/19/12 | self

[Lmo56]

I am going to be getting my Mom an Acer Windows 7 PC since her current PC is about at the end of its useful life.

My problem is that when I buy a new PC, I normally erase the hard drive by using DBAN and then load a clean image of the OS as well as the drivers.

That way, I get rid of all of the crapware that comes with the new PC.

However, with Windows 7, it seems that MOST OEMs do not provide the OS anymore.

I have looked on the Net, but have not been able to determine if Acer provides a Windows 7 OEM OS disc [they do have the driver downloads].

Does anyone know if they do?

Other than that, all I can see to do is burn a restore disc [with ALL OEM-supplied software on it] immediately upon initial out-of-the-box set-up, THEN removing ALL of the unwanted programs, THEN burning a second restore disc.

That way, I have the modified restore disk [in addition to the OEM restore disk] in case something bad happens ...

Any help is appreciated.

[KC Burke]

I just generally use the old breach action 410. Two shells, little data on that hard disc is easily retrievable except by that wierd chick with the goth hair on CSI.

I do have sympathy for the thread starter however. PCs are going the route of the airlines. Miserable experience each and every time — count on it.

[Lmo56]

I purposefully purchase the Acer Veriton (business) models. They cost a bit more, but seem to have better power supplies and come with a 3 year warranty.

It doesn’t come with a Windows OEM disc, but the bloatware is at a minimum, and most doesn’t install unless you tell it too. Just make sure you don’t allow evil McAfee to install.

Please respond - love to hear back from you. You say that the bloatware WILL NOT install unless you specify it? WHERE do you purchase your Acers?

I am actually looking at the Veriton X498 Series - not because my Mom needs the horsepower, but because it comes w/ Intel Dual-Core i3-540 processor, 4Gb of DDR3 SDRAM and a 500 GB HD, and is loaded with Win 7 Pro [which allows it to run legacy programs the Grandkids like to play]. ALSO, it has a small form factor case.

Walmart has it for about $450.

BUT, it comes with Windows Live Essentials, Bing Toolbar, and Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition [in addition to God knows what OTHER bloatware] ...

I would just like a clean OS install and drivers on the system. Then, I can put Microsoft Office 2003 Professional Edition on it [I have the full license] and other programs that my Mom currently has on her old computer.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“Serious Replies Only [Please]”

Why?
That takes all the fun out of it.

[Mycroft Holmes]

Have you considered just moving her disk to the new machine? That way she doesn’t have to learn Windows 7, and as an XP user who has to fix my relative’s Win 7 machines I can tell you that she will hate the switch.

[cynwoody]

It's best to buy a machine with no OS included. Then purchase an OEM copy of Windows separately and install that. No crapware! And you will have installation media, should you need to reinstall.

I did that with Windows XP and encountered no problems.

One thing to watch out for when shopping for the OEM version: the cheapest alternatives will likely be pirates, and, if you get a pirate version, you will likely end up having to buy a license from MS in order to activate successfully.

[cynwoody]

I want to wipe the disc CLEAN with a 35-pass gutmann erasure.

That will probably take a weekend.

This is a new machine, right? What could possibly be on its disk that would need more than an ordinary repartition and format to get rid of? All anyone looking at it with forensic software would see would be scattered remnants of the crapware. And not even that after a full, one-pass format.

[Lmo56]

Once you have the key, you can use ANY OTHER Windows 7 DVD (read that: borrowed from a friend, or your own personal copy) to load a new, crap-ware free version of the OS from an OEM disk.

I currently use Belarc Advisor - it shows software product keys in its PC Audit. Guess I will have to load on the new system [assuming I get it], run the audit, and get the key before erasing the HD.

NEXT problem is that I don't know anyone [currently] that has Win 7 Pro - I'll have to ask around. BUT, there are a couple of people at work interested in it.

I might have to purchase Win 7 Pro myself, erase and load my PC - then charge my co-workers $50 a pop to use your trick. That way, I would re-coup at LEAST some of my loss !!!

[Lmo56]

Have you considered just moving her disk to the new machine? That way she doesn’t have to learn Windows 7, and as an XP user who has to fix my relative’s Win 7 machines I can tell you that she will hate the switch.

You DO realize that Win XP has a drop-dead date for Update Support in 2013? After that, ALL exploit holes found in the OS WILL NOT be fixed ...

[rabidralph]

If you live in a town with a mom and pop computer repair shop, ask them if they can wipe it clean and re-install without the bloat and then give you a clean restore disc. Or maybe they can provide you with a clean disc, once you prove to them you have the OEM software.

[Dr. Sivana]

I have purchased two Acer Veritons, the first at CDW’s store in Vernon Hills (an SFF model) for myself, and more recently a tower Acer Veriton PS.VC503.001 Desktop Computer - Core i5 i5-2400 3.10 GHz for a friend from ANTOnline (via Amazon.com). CDW forfeited their place on my list with their higher prices and new-found aversion to UPS Store boxes (which I use exclusively).

I find the business units quiet, and like the Acers because they are as close to a generic desktop as I can get and still have a nationwide manufacturer’s warranty and new need to put the thing together (Asus made one junky board too many).

Now even if you don’t install the optional software, the installer for the software might still be there as an installed program itself. Easily gotten rid of. Also, there would be some spare icons that just point to web pages. Not perfect, but much better than a Pavilion. I understand that the budget Dell business desktops (Brio?) are also light on bloat. I prefer the Acers.

Office 2003 is an excellent choice. I hate the ribbon.

“BUT, it comes with Windows Live Essentials, Bing Toolbar, and Microsoft Office 2010 Starter Edition [in addition to God knows what OTHER bloatware] ...”

The three of those take about 2 min. to uninstall, and they uninstall clean (the Office 2010 doesn’t fully install until you tell it to) and the Bing toolbar is trivial. The main thing is to say no to the options to install McAfee anything (which includes some things that don’t sound like they belong with McAfee).

In any event, the Veriton is a much better system than the ubiquitous Aspires.

The option to generate recovery DVDs is easily accessed, and requires 3 DVDs apiece for both 32 and 64 bit versions of Win 7 Pro.

Good features on my model: eSata port, 10 USB connectors (USB2 only), memory can be upgraded to (I think 16 GB), QUIET.

Oh, and if you don’t know this already, right click on “My Computer” select Properties, select Advanced, and select “Adjust for Best Performance”. That unchecks all of the AERO crap, making the machine look more like a Win2000 interface.

[Lmo56]

“I want to wipe the disc CLEAN with a 35-pass gutmann erasure.”

A little anal, aren’t you?

Just like to be sure ...

I worked at MCI a long time ago. They did an upgrade to all of their switches - via CD sent to each site [a couple of hundred switches].

They used a custom CD replicator business to make the CDs from a master. BUT, unknown to them, an employee at the business MODIFIED the code on the master CD to include a virus.

EVER SINCE then, when I purchase a new PC, I COMPLETELY erase the HD and re-load with a clean OS!

[Mycroft Holmes]

You DO realize that Win XP has a drop-dead date for Update Support in 2013? After that, ALL exploit holes found in the OS WILL NOT be fixed ...

Yes, I do understand, quite well. Microsoft has used FUD as a major marketing tool for a long time. It works. You might want to look at: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9026940/How_to_make_Windows_XP_last_for_the_next_seven_years for another perspective. Or not.

[Lmo56]

Yes, I do understand, quite well. Microsoft has used FUD as a major marketing tool for a long time. It works. You might want to look at:

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9026940/How_to_make_Windows_XP_last_for_the_next_seven_years for another perspective. Or not.

And you DO realize that the article was written in 2007?

2007 + 7 = 2014 ...

BTW: I regularly purge my temporary Internet files from IE, then run CCleaner [both registry and file cleaning], then run Auslogics Registry Cleaner to pick up strays that CCleaner misses, then run Windows Cleanup [including removing all but the most recent Restore Point], and finally defragment using Diskeeper ...

[SamAdams76]

I've had a similar Mac experience. The Apple fanboys have always annoyed me but finally I purchased a MacBook Pro about a year ago and it is still as pristine as the day I took it home last April. Like you said, it's like driving a luxury automobile. Zero crapware and I've only added a handful of applications as I prefer to run mean and lean with no clutter.

Yes, on a Windows system, you can laboriously remove all the crapware but I doubt you are able to get all the remnants completely out of the system unless you purchase a clean copy of the OS and wipe the hard drive completely.

I'm a bit anal like the guy who started this thread - I don't want any crappy applications on my system that I'll never use. Apple is the way to go if you want a completely clean system.