49 replies to this topic 2 votes

[Technique]

I know - "whatever you wont use".

Thing is, i don't know what some of this stuff does. Never heard of it. Doesn't mean it's useless though.

Just wondering what some of this stuff is & whether it's needed or helpful.

[willard27]

Oh my God, you have a ton of crap you don't need. I just start listing, I'll probably miss something. If it was me I would reformat the hard drive and reinstall OS, but they probably didn't give you actual disk. don't need CCcleaner, corel, evernote, google, jasc, mozilla, norton, sugarsync, superantispyware, adobe Air, Java

[ashpowell]

Personally, I'd do a fresh install, always do.

But this is what I'd remove:

All Corel stuff
Create Recovery Media
evernote
Google Toolbar
Jasc PSP9
All Lenovo stuff
Message Center Plus
Norton Internet Security - Install MSE
On Screen Display
Power Manager
SugarSync Manager
Super Antispyware
System Update
VIP Access
Windows Live Mesh


Again - Those are my choices on what I wouldn't use/want

With all new computers/laptops though, I do a fresh install, then run updates and install drivers, then the apps I want

[Detection]

To make it easy, pre-installed software is 99% all crap

Personally I would wipe and install a nice clean OS

An example, I bought my laptop, it came pre-installed with Vista basic, it also came pre-installed with such a load of crapware that it was completely unusable, when I say completely, it took minutes to open anything

I wiped and installed Win 7 pre-release and it was like a different laptop, it actually worked, my advice, wipe it

[Technique]

I always prefer a clean install

But the problem is - How do i do a clean install when they didn't provide a Win7 disc (& i'm not interested in Windows 8 before anyone mentions it).

SuperAntiSpyware - i installed that. Does nobody here use an AntiSpyware program? How do you deal with when you do online banking & such?
Jasc - use this program to resize photos without distorting the image.
Java - seriously? What about when you open websites & it states "you must have Java installed to view this site"? How do you get around it?


Don't think i'm challenging the suggestions as i'm not - those are the 3 that stood out to me as ... why? (More the AS & Java). Then the clean install - it'd be preferred, but i have no disc. Well i do, but it's installed on my PC - so the key is tied to my PC.

[ashpowell]

Technique, on 17 December 2012 - 21:11, said:

I always prefer a clean install

But the problem is - How do i do a clean install when they didn't provide a Win7 disc (& i'm not interested in Windows 8 before anyone mentions it).

SuperAntiSpyware - i installed that. Does nobody here use an AntiSpyware program? How do you deal with when you do online banking & such?
Jasc - use this program to resize photos without distorting the image.
Java - seriously? What about when you open websites & it states "you must have Java installed to view this site"? How do you get around it?


Don't think i'm challenging the suggestions as i'm not - those are the 3 that stood out to me as ... why? (More the AS & Java). Then the clean install - it'd be preferred, but i have no disc. Well i do, but it's installed on my PC - so the key is tied to my PC.

Java you do need.
Jasc, if its something you use thats fine too
Super Anti Spyware, I only mentioned it as I never heard of it before, and I know a lot actually are spyware themselves. I use malwarebytes, if you know it's legit then thats fine.

You can legally download Windows 7 SP1 here - English x86: X17-59463.iso and English x64: X17-59465.iso & use the key on the bottom of your laptop.

[xorangekiller]

While most of the preinstalled software is indeed useless, I would leave the Lenovo utilities. The ThinkVantage and ThinkPad utilities generally provide useful services; removing them will make some things not work, such as advanced power management and on-screen display for system hotkeys like brightness and volume. That said, if this were my machine I would remove the following:

Adobe Shockwave Player
Corel Burn
Corel DVD MovieFactory
Corel WinDVD
Create Recovery Media
Evernote
Google Chrome
Google Toolbar for Internet Explorer
Jasc Paint Shop Pro 9
Lenovo Registration
Message Center Plus
Norton Internet Security
SugarSync Manager
SUPERAntiSpyware
VIP Access
Windows Live Essentials
Windows Live Mesh

Since you may have installed some of that software yourself - I'm fairly sure that Lenovo would not preinstall such an archaic version of Paint Shop Pro - you may choose to leave some of the software in my list installed. I did not mark any of the runtimes for removal because they are often used by other software and are generally useful to have installed. Some of the Lenovo utilities, for example, rely on the Microsoft Visual C++ runtime.

[+sc302]

if you like superantispyware that is fine, I use it to clean computers myself.

most use mse, avira, avast, or pay programs like kaspersky or eset.

[xorangekiller]

I agree with ashpowell; it would probably be best to download the 64-bit Windows 7 SP1 ISO from DigitalRiver (an official distribution source) and reinstall Windows. However, you can activate Windows the same way Lenovo did (without using the product key underneath your battery) as I noted in this thread. Also, I recommend that you install ThinkVantage System Update immediately after you reinstall Windows, and use it to install the latest drivers, and optionally system utilities, directly from Lenovo. It is one of the best support services provided by Lenovo for their computers in my opinion.

[+GreenMartian]

ashpowell, on 17 December 2012 - 21:17, said:

Super Anti Spyware, I only mentioned it as I never heard of it before, and I know a lot actually are spyware themselves. I use malwarebytes, if you know it's legit then thats fine.

Both Super and Malwarebytes are probably two of the better anti-malware out there. I usually install both when a family member asks me to "look at their computers to see why it's so slow". One usually catches stuff the other one misses.

ashpowell, on 17 December 2012 - 21:00, said:

Norton Internet Security - Install MSE

If it's the latest NIS, and it's licensed, leave it be for now. They're actually not too bad these days.
MSE hasn't been doing so well lately. http://www.av-test.o...-7/sepoct-2012/

[Technique]

Regards the downloads - x86 & x64? I've heard of 32bit & 64bit, but 84bit? I haven't heard of this. Mine is 64bit however.

I've also heard of retail & OEM versions. I don't actually know what version of Win7 i have installed in my laptop. I do however know it's "Windows 7 Pro OA for Lenovo Singamore" which it states under the battery.

Also the model is 2481-2TG if it makes much difference.

I would prefer a clean install but xorangekiller makes a good point about the Lenovo Utilities (i wonder if these can be downloaded/installed after a clean install?)


Also, regarding your link xorangekiller, thanks, but i don't actually understand it. I'm very novice at this. It sounds like a good idea - not having to manually activate, but i don't understand how you're doing it, even with your link.

So would i be looking for OEM/retail download & are the above links OEM/retail? I assume i'll be requiring the x64 rather than x86.

[wrack]

Bought one for my wife and first thing I did after seeing a similar list, formatted it, got all the drivers installed and then only the programs I needed. Couldn't have been much better.

[ashpowell]

GreenMartian, on 17 December 2012 - 21:46, said:

If it's the latest NIS, and it's licensed, leave it be for now. They're actually not too bad these days.
MSE hasn't been doing so well lately. http://www.av-test.o...-7/sepoct-2012/

I thought it may be the trial you get sometimes with new computers.
Hmm maybe not the #1 choice to recommend to people from now on then I guess!

Technique, on 17 December 2012 - 21:57, said:

Regards the downloads - x86 & x64? I've heard of 32bit & 64bit, but 84bit? I haven't heard of this. Mine is 64bit however.

x86 is 32bit.

Heres the full list of downloads, I gave you the Ultimate by mistake, you'll probably need Home Premium

http://www.mydigital...-digital-river/

[+GreenMartian]

Technique, on 17 December 2012 - 21:57, said:

Regards the downloads - x86 & x64?

x86 is 32-bit.

Technique, on 17 December 2012 - 21:57, said:

(i wonder if these can be downloaded/installed after a clean install?)

Yes. http://support.lenov...ds/default.page - type in your model number in the "machine information" box. Download the LAN or Wireless driver (depending on your connection) to a USB, in case windows doesn't detect them after the clean install.

[The Teej]

GreenMartian, on 17 December 2012 - 22:12, said:

x86 is 32-bit.

This isn't a dig at you, but I do think for the sake of education, this should be clarified.

32-bit and 64-bit are both x86; x86 being the abbreviation for the Intel 8086 instruction set for CPUs (basically, a "langauge" that the CPU understands). Pretty much every Windows desktop and laptop on the planet (bar ones running Windows RT) uses an x86 CPU, regardless of whether it's 32bit or 64bit. 64bit simply allows for extra memory to be installed on a system (this is a gross and almost insulting simplification of 32bit vs. 64bit, but for the sake of brevity and ocassion, I'll leave it at that )

The "more official" abbreviation for 32/64bit is x86-32 and x86-64 respectively, but these are an absolutely pain to type out everytime. So, for the sake of simplicity, people colloquially refer to 32-bit systems as x86, and 64-bit systems as x64.