New R580-What should I do first? Clean install, backup, etc?

Just got a new R580 laptop, and was wondering what you guys suggest I do before going to town on this thing?

I've read here about wiping the HDD, and doing a clean install - Should I do this? There doesn't seem like much stuff came on here besides McCaffe and some Best Buy Software.

Also, my PC didn't come with any Windows discs - Is there a way to create them, and should I?

Is there anything else I should do prior to exposing the system to the internet, i.e. Set up Windows Firewall, etc?

Thanks a bunch - I can't wait to use this thing!!

 

Samsung will have provided a backup program so that you can create a recovery DVD for re-installation of Windows (many notebook manufacturers are doing the same and no longer providing discs). There is, most likely, a recovery image on a hidden partition which you can load by pressing one of the Fn keys when the BIOS screen is showing.

See my comments here about other aspects of configuration. Also, once you have connected to the internet then let Windows Update get to work.

John

 

Yes I agree. There is an option to burn backup copies and will remind you to do so. Sometimes there's preinstalled programs that's built in for special functions and when you clean install it'll delete it.

 

Delete......................

 

There's probably a hidden partition or two, but a 500GB HDD is 500GB in name only. It is actually about 470MB. The problem lies with the storage manufacturers thinking that k = 1000 whereas with anything to do with computing k = 1024.

John

 

Delete..............

 

I'm not sure how easy it is to delete the hidden partition and I wouldn't do so unless desperate for space (and then I buy a bigger HDD and clone the old one). You definitely want to burn a set of recovery discs if these were not provided.

John

 

Delete..................

 

Will Windows disk management let you shrink D: and enlarge C:?

However, Samsung assume that backup images of C: go onto D: and I also recommend that you put your user files on D:. If there is a need to restore a backup onto C: then the contents will be wiped.

John

 

Don't delete anything until you really need more space. Weird but these hidden partitions (restore) can't be cloned as I've tried to do it. You can probably delete it under disk management, format that partition then expand the drive afterwards.

 

In my experience Casper is good at handling hidden partitions, but it is not very cheap.

John

 

Delete yourself...
stop hating you dell fan boy.

 

Did a clean install.
I now have one big HD, not four different partitions.
(yes, when I was formating, there were 4 partitions)
And Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.