Clean Install of Win XP or just remove the bloatware

I just bought a new SL510 with Win XPpro factory pre-installed and cd's of Win 7 32-bit. I've read that a Clean Install of Win XP is best, but the instructions here and elsewhere seem above my ability along with 173 pages of comments of others for whom clean install hasn't worked easily. A couple beginner questions....
1. If I try a fresh install of Win XP, can I use the restore disk I burned when I first bought the system and just NOT load the applications CD's ? Or do I have to buy or request a fresh disk of Win XP from Lenovo because the restore disk will just get me back to the factory install which included all the bloatware.

2.It seems a lot easier/safer just to remove the bloatware with Nero. I've been careful not to activate/use Norton or Microsoft Office.

Thanks in advance for your response



So, again, can I use the restore disk I burned when I first bought the system and just NOT load the applications CD's ? Or do I have to buy or request a fresh disk of Win XP from Lenovo.

or is removing the bloatware good enough?

Thanks.

 

No, you can't use the restore or you will not have a clean install. I will tell you what has saved my life twice. That's to make a Windows backup when a system is how I like it. Then the whole system disk is laid out and bootable.
Renee

 

As Renee said you can't extract the original Windows XP operating system out of the Restore CD's. The easiest way would be uninstalling the unwanted apps on the OS but it will still leave all kind of traces in the registry and the hard drive unfortunately.

Normally I would recommend a full clean install if possible, you don't necessary need to purchase the Windows XP OS from Lenovo (plus chances they have any are quite slim). Since you already have an OEM key on your SL510 you can purchase an Genuine OEM Windows XP disc from auction sites such as eBay and just input your key during installation. I personally use Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to find the serial key on the system.

But even if you have the Windows XP disc you'll need to do a lot of work before being able to install properly. Most likely you'll need to "slipstream" the disc first which essentially is updating the Windows XP disc itself. This is necessary if you have a SATA based notebook as typically it can't find the hard drive to install on without the right drivers! For this job you need nLite which makes slipstreaming easy, update to SP3 if necessary and attach the required drivers including the Intel Rapid Storage Technology SATA drivers so that you can install XP on the hard drive.

 

LOL Hearst remember he said he's a beginner, don't know if he's willing to do all of that.

Hey OP I would make a backup of your OS as others suggested so you always have a fall back in case things go awry. Download this program and it does a real good job of finding leftover registry entries and leftover files on your hard drive. You will have to run it in advanced mode so the above will work.

Get the free version: Download Revo Uninstaller Freeware - Free and Full Download - Uninstall software, remove programs, solve uninstall problems

 

why dont you install windows 7 ? just wondering.

 

I'm staying with XP for the moment, as I don't think 22 year old Lotus Improv spreadsheet will run on Win 7, and I've got some important database work to do using old Lotus/IBM Approach which again may be quirky on 32 bit Win7.