The HP Laptop Out-Of-The-Box Guide 2.0 for Windows 7

[IdontexistM8]

Just speaking from experience with multiple laptops and clean installs, the thing needs much less maintenance than you would expect. It's not like the laptop isn't going to boot without the correct drivers, and with modern OS's like Windows 7 it will automatically detect most of the essential ones for you.

I'm currently running Windows 7 on a Dell Vostro 1500. It's a few years old now, but whenever I do a fresh install the only thing I really worry about is the graphics drivers. Sometimes I screw with the audio, but for almost everything else it's automatically detected and working great after a few reboots. I plan to do the same when my Envy 15 arrives.

Yep that's the way I'm headed now. Shortly to buy an SSD, so I'm holding back on the install until that's here.

I have managed to get some recovery discs (1 OS, 1 Drivers/Software) out of HP in addition to the OS discs that came with the machine. They'll turn up in the next fortnight, so I'm set fair.

[motlking]

I just did a clean install of Win7 Ultimate x64 on my Envy 14 but when restoring with abr beta although restore is successful when I I check Control Panel>System Windows activation status info is not available.

On the bottom right of the desktop it says "This copy of Windows is not genuine" and I also got a pop up saying "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting."

Anyone experienced the same? or know what has gone wrong?

I downloaded Win7 from these instructions:
LEGAL Windows 7 Download Links (Just like Vista before!!!)

EDIT: Ahh, I re-read the instructions again and I think the problem is I should be reinstalling the Home Premium not Ultimate. Dammit!

[v3loc1ty2.0]

I just did a clean install of Win7 Ultimate x64 on my Envy 14 but when restoring with abr beta although restore is successful when I I check Control Panel>System Windows activation status info is not available.

On the bottom right of the desktop it says "This copy of Windows is not genuine" and I also got a pop up saying "You may be a victim of software counterfeiting."

Anyone experienced the same? or know what has gone wrong?

I downloaded Win7 from these instructions:
LEGAL Windows 7 Download Links (Just like Vista before!!!)

EDIT: Ahh, I re-read the instructions again and I think the problem is I should be reinstalling the Home Premium not Ultimate. Dammit!

Yep, you have to install the version your notebook came with, you can't upgrade versions (ult/hm prem/enterprise) but you can change 32/64 bit if you want

[jokerman01]

I'm planning on doing a clean install of 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium on my Envy 14. I noticed that on my hard drive there are three partitions: The Local Disk (C: ), one named Recovery (D: ), and one named HP Tools (E: ). I think that the HP Tools partition contains HP's quickweb that allows you to access the internet without booting windows. I don't ever intend on using this so is it alright If I erase this partition? Also, sense I burned the recovery disks, do I need to keep the Recovery partition? Thanks.

[cheztoche]

This is an awesome guide. It is still up to date and relevant as of August 2010. To answer jokerman01 above and others: yes, as far as I'm concerned, after imaging all your partitions, go ahead and format Recovery and HP_Tools. I'm no computer expert and I survived the clean install. So will you.

So let me throw in my 2 cents/pennies:


Clean Install. What has worked for me. Notes to myself distributed without any guarantee. I have no special competence.

I did the following on an HP-DV6-3048TX. I have Windows 7 Pro 64 bits. Many other models will work likewise, e.g. the HP-Envy-15, etc.


1. Create HP Recovery Disks (6 of them, HP in HK refused to sell them to me, I'm furious).

2. Back up the SwSetup folder (C:\SwSetup) for original software and drivers. Download model-specific updates from from 24/7 Online support for HP's Home and Home Office Products - HP Customer Care (United States - English).

3. Create an image of the entire computer with e.g. Macrium Reflect Freeware. Be sure to save the xml file created by Macrium. Edit: Naturally, save all of this on an external drive! I did look into saving the image on a blu-ray DVD, but it was too large.

4. Download the ABR software from http://directedge.us/files/abr/ABRbeta.exe.

5. Run ABR in backup mode to save your windows credentials.

6. Create Windows 7 Discs.

6a. Download a fixed version iso of Windows 7 32 bits or 64 bits.

6b. Download the configuration tool.

6c. Run the configuration tool as administrator in the same folder as the Windows 7 iso. This will remove the ei.cfg file from it to allow for all version installation.

6d. Burn the resulting "tweaked" iso to disk.

7. Optimize your partitions. I kept the SYSTEM partition (199MB) untouched. I deleted both the HP_TOOLS and RECOVERY volumes. Then, I shrank the C: partition to 100GB for my Windows OS, and created a D: partition of about 200GB to store my Windows documents and backups. I then left about 150GB of disc unassigned and unformatted, to be used later to install my linux OS. Remember that you are allowed to have a maximum of 4 primary partitions -- to have more than 4, you must use extended partitions (not primary).

8. Run the Windows 7 DVD and install windows on the C: partition.

9. Run ABR in restore mode to authenticate your version of windows.

10. Install the latest drivers from the SwSetup folder and/or from 24/7 Online support for HP's Home and Home Office Products - HP Customer Care (United States - English). I installed the drivers as needed, starting with the wireless drivers. For what I need I'm set to go with very few additional drivers. I did install the synaptics touchpad driver too. Setting it up was a nightmare, but that's true whether you keep your original install or go for a clean one.

11. Install an antivirus. I use Avira Antivir. I have also used Avast in the past. I also use Spybot and Threatfire. I have also used Malwarebytes and Superantispyware in the past. I am probably overprotected. Whatever works for you.

12. Update Windows.

13. Optimize your computer. In particular, defragment the drives with, e.g. Perfect Disk Professional 30-day trial or Auslogics Disk Defrag freeware, and clean it with freeware such as CCleaner and Glary utilities.

14.

14a. Optimize your keyboard. First, go into the BIOS (Press ESC on startup) and disable the ACTIONS KEYS MODE. This re-establishes the standard position of the F1-F12 keys, which HP in their master-of-the-world paranoia have inverted.

14b. You may also want to remap the Caps-Lock key and the special HP keys to be found on the left-hand side. I remap the F1 key (assigned to Help by default) into the Context key (which is next to the right-control key by default and can be pressed accidentally) and remap the default Context key into another right-Control key. I use Sharpkeys 3.0 a freeware that does pretty much all the job for you. Use the "type key" mode rather than scrolling down the key names. To save the registry file, do the following:

(i) Type regedit in start menu search box,
(ii) Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout
(iii) Go to File -> Export and save the registry entry as OriginalKeyboardLayout.reg
(iv) Apply the changes implemented with Sharpkeys.
(v) Go to File -> Export and save the registry entry as ModifiedKeyboardLayout.reg


To revert to the original keyboard, run OriginalKeyboardLayout.reg

To apply your customization to several machines, without Sharpkeys, run ModifiedKeyboardLayout.reg

15. Create an image of the partition containing Windows.

16. You may want to install another OS on your laptop to run in parallel with Windows7. To install k/ubuntu or some other linux OS in a dual boot with windows, I recommend the following: leave enough unassigned/unformatted disc space on the right-hand side of your existing three (or no more than three) primary partition. I have 150GB. After you mount the iso of the kubuntu-intall-disc, you reboot on the DVD (press ESC at the boot, then F9 to select DVD as the boot drive) and let kubuntu handle the creation of the partitions (home, swap, whatever they are). In its immense wisdom, kubuntu 10.4 will create a primary partition and several extended partitions within this large empty space, and all will be done with the default setup options -- they work great for me. If you are picky about the layout of your boot menu, you will need to research how to tweak your Grub2 boot loader.

References:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/hp-c...ndows-7-a.html


LEGAL Windows 7 Download Links (Just like Vista before!!!)

References on Grub2 for linux, just in case you're a dual-booter:

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2
How to: Create a Customized GRUB2 Screen that is Maintenance Free. - Ubuntu Forums


Enjoy your laptop now!

[idaou]

Guys I justed posted this on the drivers forum too, just in case someone is in need of it.

I was one of the lucky individuals who did not backup the swsetup folder prior to a fresh install, which contains the HP drivers and special software (i.e digital persona fingerprint reader software). So I just googled "digital persona software HP" and found it on hp website for download from another HP pavilion laptop. Follow the link if you were in my position and need this software and don't want to re-do everything :

Digital Persona Fingerprint Reader Software HP Pavilion dv3500ea Entertainment Notebook PC - HP Customer Care (United States - English)

[GillyG]

I got the Envy 14 with windows 7 Home

I'm upgrading it to a professional. It was cheaper for me to get it from my school than upgrading it on the hp website. What are the steps I need to take since I am not making a clean sweep of my laptop by reinstalling the same os but rather simply upgrading to a new os?

[tabletop4]

Thank you for this great guide! It was a good reference to make sure I got everything. Luckily I did not need most of it though
When booting into the hp recovery manager (by pressing ESC at boot) on my Envy 14, I saw an option marked ""Minimized Image Recovery"" I gave it a try and it took about an hour. It wiped my computer clean, then automatically installed the basic drivers and software needed to make everything work in the computer and nothing else. The only thing on your bloat guide that is in it is the Hp Mediasmart series of applications.
The only thing I have to do is install the application I want
From what I can tell this option exists on more than just the envy, there's one thread about it on the TM2

Does the minimized image install reinstall any of the original bloatware? I inadvertently did this and it seems to have gotten rid of a lot of the crap while also saving me the hassle of reinstalling all the misc. HP-specific drivers, which seems to be the ideal situation. Not sure if I should just roll with this, or if there's a benefit to a "pure" clean install.

[krugoh]

"Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation."

Click Ok.

Setup will continue after restarting you computer.

(endless loop)

If I boot from CD, it loads up and doesn't do anything after that. What have I done here?

[v3loc1ty2.0]

"Windows could not complete the installation. To install windows on this computer, restart the installation."

Click Ok.

Setup will continue after restarting you computer.

(endless loop)

If I boot from CD, it loads up and doesn't do anything after that. What have I done here?

But you could get it to boot from the DVD initially?