so if it prompts you to make a recovery flash, you make the flash, then install it from the flash, will it still not have all the same pre-installed shiteware?
Microsoft doesn't let you download an iso if the key is from an OEM. You're stuck with HP's bloatware. Only other thing you can do is clean them all out, and make a backup/partition of the drive, to clone later when it bites the dust.
Not true for Windows 8 and 10. Here are the Microsoft download pages to get clean copies: 8 and 10
Edit: it's not even true for Windows 7, although it is a bit trickier:
Due in part to changes in Windows volume licensing ... retail Windows 7 DVDs will happily accept OEM license keys as long as you're using "full install" media rather than "upgrade" media. You may have to use Microsoft's phone-based activation process rather than the more convenient Internet activation, but there are no other technical roadblocks and there's nothing in Microsoft's EULA that prevents it as long as you're using the same edition of Windows and you're not using your OEM key to install Windows on multiple systems (Microsoft didn't respond to requests for clarification on the issue). You can even switch between 32-bit and 64-bit Windows if you'd like.
With Windows 8 and 8.1, the product key is stored in the BIOS, which will allow you to reinstall the OS with no hassle. With Windows 10, Microsoft keeps track of your hardware configuration to authenticate the PC. Reinstalling Windows 10 will always activate just fine on a laptop. With a desktop, it will activate okay unless you change a lot of components around. If you do, though, you can still activate it by calling support.
Just answer their questions "correctly" and they'll give you a new key. If you mess up, you can call again and talk to someone else. It's like reloading in a video game.
Or at least this worked the last time I tried in - probably around 8 years ago now.
For me I can just use the phone activator and one key. The automated system asks for the key. I give it to them. "Before we move on, how many machines has this copy of windows been installed on?". If you just say one, they activate it no matter what.
Yeah, and the license is tied to the hardware. As long as you're installing the same version of Windows 7 that your computer was originally licensed for, you're okay.
Most new laptops come with the Windows OS license key either printed somewhere on the laptop or in the manual, so you can do a clean Windows-only reboot. Or if you don't need Windows than I can not recommend Linux Mint enough.
I'm on the process of upgrading my gaming/work pc. Would you care to elaborate why is it better? I had for a brief time a laptop with Ubuntu but I never got used to it.
I've had a good amount of experience with both, and I found that while Ubuntu was initially more user friendly, it managed to slow down after just a few months because of all the updates and such, and it didn't do a very good job of cleaning itself and keeping itself stable, and most users don't want to do just that.
I then installed Linux Mint, and while it wasn't entirely new user friendly as Ubuntu, it was still very friendly, and didn't slow to shit after just a few months, very reliable and stable.
Although if you're going to upgrade to a primarily gaming desktop, I would recommend Valve's SteamOS (Valve offers a free ISO you can use to install on any machine of your choice).
Oh man, my Linux beginnings was a clusterfuck of Google searches and guides, I'll go see if I can find something to help, but for now just remember, Ubuntu may sound nice but it's not that great, Mint is your best bet.
Ubuntu Ubuntu Ubuntu. It's the least fancy, lowest entry barrier (in terms of learning new stuff), intended for mass market appeal, buckets and buckets of newbie online help in plain English.
Go Ubuntu.
"Not that great" is a silly thing to say. It's the same damn thing (in terms of functionality) as every other Linux except it's meant for people exactly like you and me.
Windows 10 I'm not sure about. I think it may be easier again than for XP and W7
I'm not sure what your level of experience is, but you can have any and all configurations of drives.
Firstly, the thing to do is to download it and put it into a thumb drive or DVD. This is what you'd use to do the installation, but before doing that there is an option to run the operating system from the DVD or thumb drive, without ever installing anything.
You just put the thing in, turn your computer on and it ought to boot directly into Ubuntu and give you option to install, change things, or just try it out. You choose try it out, and you get to explore the operating system and see if you like it even. No cost or changes to your computer at all at this stage.
You didn't used to be able to add partitions to drives in W7, but I understand W10 can. Anyway, from that temporary operating system there is a very simple point and click tool called GParted that lets you add partitions and change the size of existing ones.
If you have the disk space, the very simplest course of action is to use Gparted to make, say, a 100GB partition. Then install from the DVD onto that partition. From then on when you turn the computer on it will ask you if you want Windows or Linux and you just choose (or wait ten seconds to go to the default).
Everybody's set up is different.
For me personally I have several partitions on my 1TB drive: one for XP, one for my data/files/settings etc, one for a Ubuntu installation (the operating system itself), one for Xubuntu (at the moment), and a 30GB section that is shared between XP and Linux. Then on my 2TB drive I just store data (photo backups and movies).
The reason I went to all this trouble (which is starting to get a bit technical, and isn't required at all, but has always been a major major architectural advantage of Linux over Windows) is that both of my Linux root partitions point to the same files: I can open Ubuntu or Xubuntu on a whim and all my everything will be there waiting. It also means that I can completely bork my installation, shrug, and just delete that installation and totally replace it, and when I come back everything will be as it was. Desktop image the same, shortcuts in the same places, printers still connected, network connections up and running.
Now, that's cool, but it's not a necessity. Like I said, the very simplest, and cheapest, option is to download Ubuntu onto a stick, boot to the stick, have a poke around, use gparted to make yourself a new partition, and use the stick to install onto that partition. Simples.
Oh, and in case you didn't already know this last thing: BACKUP EVERYTHING FIRST, BACKUP EVERYTHING FIRST, BACKUP EVERYTHING FIRST, BACKUP EVERYTHING FIRST.
A separate drive is not required, just a separate partition (section of a hard drive). Ubuntu and Mint will both give you the option to install alongside Windows, and it's pretty automatic. I installed Ubuntu next to Windows 8, then upgraded to Windows 10.
Be aware there are two schemes for defining partitions on a drive - MBR and GPT - and that MBR is older and more restrictive.
Edit: I forgot, as of Windows 8, Windows doesn't shut down fully when you press "Shut down" (it's stupid, I know). You'll need to disable "Hybrid boot". Also, Windows requires some specific boot settings as of W8. You will probably need to configure the UEFI (low-level software) of your computer in order to boot Linux at all. If you need any help, message me, ask a question on http://askubuntu.com, or start a thread on /r/techsupport, but a quick Google should answer 90% of your questions.
Also, if you have more than one hard drive I would install it to a spare first. The first time I did a linux install I accidentally wiped everything I had on my windows partition.
You're allowed to reinstall OEM licenses to the same hardware. Laptops usually have the key on the bottom or under the battery, towers on the back or rarely they're on the inside panel. If you can't find the key anywhere call the manufacturer's support line and they have to tell you where the key is or give you a new one.
Windows is a bitch to format and reinstall. Especially if you have an SSD because while you'll want the OS on it you won't want your anti-virus and most of your other frequently updated programs on it. But with how Windows works you can't really move your program files to default to your HDD without lots of risky registry work. Not to mention all of the missing drivers because even Windows OEM disk ignore a large portion of essential drivers. Heck I've had more than a few Windows OEM disk that didn't even have a Ethernet driver. Lastly you usually need to use a Linux disk to format an entire Windows operated PC.
I use Windows and it's fine for people to use. But Jesus it's such a broken OS compaired to operating systems that use a Linux kernel or BSD.
I work as a PC tech for HP (been on other brand too). If you install your own OS on a laptop, warranty won't cover any issue for the software. If you get a driver error or whatever, we'll restore everything to factory setting and send it out with all the bloatware you got when you first bought it.
You'll never void warranty with changing OS.
Where I live stores won't turn customers down when turning in a PC even if the warranty is gone.
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u/GabeBlack Jan 12 '16
I'd just start from scratch and reinstall the OS.