How to trim the fat off your laptop?

Yes I would like to know aswell. I mean I already know how to clean most of it off the normal way, but it takes forever and I never seem to get it all. I also run into the problem of oops I probably shouldn't have deleted that scenario here and there.

There are many threads on this topic at NBF. Try searching "clean install" "reinstall windows" etc. If you don't have any luck, I'll dig one up for you.

Yeah sorry I couldn't find one for the dv8000 series, which only contains the stupid recovery drive or the backup disks you create. I had this huge arguement with HP about giving me my Windows Media Center CD because I did pay for it after all, but no they don't give them out unless you dish out another $100. I was so mad with them I argued like crazy, but to no avail. So I said screw that because I might aswell hold out till vista comes out and I'll probably be paying the same price.

1: Search with my user name as a search term to narrow the search. I've posted numerous times on this subject on the dv8000t.

2: Call back and talk with someone else. You have (by purchasing the unit) indirectly paid the licesence fee for that copy of Windowz.... I told them I had made the "recovery disc(s)", and then to gain disc space deleted the recovery partition.... and then found out the disc's were corrupt (1st disc had a read error)... So I needed the OS install disc.

3: Point out to them that the OS install disc is only $10 extra at the time of the order.... (BTW... why didn't you pay the extra $10????) Regardless... point out to them you are documenting EVERYONE you talk with at HP (Get their rep id before you say all this BTW).... and your planning on going up the ladder... pointing out to the "higher" ups "who" denied your request.... and also pointing out unless they ship you the disc you may be inclined to either A: Return the unit (maybe buying something else)... B: Return the unit , send it in to have the "service" center "restore the hd..... Point out to them in both cases it would cost HP far in excess of shipping out the OS install disc + the QuickPlay Install dis... mentioning that their name will be on that report you plan to submit to the higher ups at HP... a report detailing they lost a customer, had to do a return (that go into the refurb pile)... Or had to pay the service center costs, shipping, etc....

(You might want to mention that allot fo people are having "problems" installing XP since the dv8000t uses SATA hard drives... that it's been reported that NON-HP versions of the OS install disc may not have the SATA drivers... If that's the case you HAVE to have a usb floppy drive to point the XP installer to the SATA drivers... at the VERY FIRST part of the OS install, the XP installer will say something like pressF6 if you have any raid /scsi drivers you need to install.... If your Xp install is a NON-HP OS disc... it may not have the drivers .... (I could NOT get several custom XP installs I have to install... Used the HP supplied Os intall disc (I paid $10 for)... and installed with NO problems.


Before you call them go here to get the PART numbers of the disc's you will need... While the rep can/may be able to "look it up"... it helps to verify (and speed up) the process. Give them an e-mail and they will send you a confirmation e-mail for each part ordered. http://www.partsurfer.hp.com/cgi-bin/spi/main

On Vista.. it's going to be a resource hog.... You might be better off to stick with a proven product (XP)... and snag a copy of the Vista wallpapers, etc...

Step by step? Review some of the posts I've made...

First step if I was you is to purchase a Apricorn EZ-BUS-DT*-kit external hard drive enclosure.... With it you can "back-up", IMAGE your hd.... I 've made several posts with links to it... the DT kit (USB 2.0) is only $24.99...

While your waiting... snag a copy of Arconis True Image... (The Apricorn comes with an OEM copy of Arconis, but the stripped out (1) very useful feature.... to be able to create your OWN RECOVERY partition...

Again search my previous posts...

What I'd do is source the OS, and QuickPlay install disc, make a copy of the C:\\SwSetup folder !!!, and download the latest SP's (Service packs=drivers for the hardware... Note that allot of the SP could be used in the C:\\SwSetup folder... but the may be an older version...

From here on in you have two choices... make an "image' of what is currently on the drive... or to just delete, wipe clean the entire hd. (that's what I did)

If you chose to back up everything:

Next step is to do a FULL scan of the hd checking for errors, do it via the OS, and via the bios as well (it has an option to check the hd).... After that DEFRAG the hd, run virus scan, confiqure everything.... then use that Apricron EZ-BUS-DT*-kit to image the hd....

Second option is to scan, defrag.... and then without backing anything up wipin the hd clean. You need to read the QuickPlay v2.0 thread for details on installing QP.

Basiclly you wipe the drive clean (You can leave the QP partition alone if you want.) Wipe the OS, Wipe the stupid (yes stupid) HP recovery partition clean.... Then creating a primary partition install the OS. after the OS no other partition can exist untill AFTER you install QP....

You hd should look like:

C:\\OS (Primary-active)
FREE space
Existing QP partition (Or free space)

Install the OS (25mb or so).... keeping enough free space to create your own version of the recovery partiton via Arconis True Image.. and partition(s) for your apps, your DATA....

After you install QP, you can create your APPS/ your DATA partition.... The create YOUR version of a recovery partition Via Arconis.... (You don't have to do this as Arconis can create /image the hd to CD/DVD. etc anytime you want...) You don't have to create a "recovery" partition on the hd itself... but it's nice to have if your somewhere, and the recovery disc's are somewhere else.

After you install QP, verify it works create the partitions you desire... (if you leave FREE , UNFORMATED space after the OS partition, the QP installer will "recreate" it...

C:\\OS -maybe 20-25 gig-primary-active
D:\\APPS -
E:\\DATA

QUICKPLAY- 1024mb

NOTE you can put the APPS and OS on the same partition... I've always put the OS seperate as most apps with "work" without having to be-reinstalled... This is when you DON"T have an external hd to image the hd to...Since you really need to re-install the OS about once per year... With putting the apps on a seperate partition from the OS they don't get deleted during a re-format /re-install of the OS....

With an Apricron / you could install the apps to the same partition.. and then just make a backup as needed... Restore EVERYTHING within minutes... instead of spending days re-installing, hunting down drivers, apps, keys, etc

Whatever you do the best thing is to keep your DATA seperate from the OS.... (and BTW you can backup, image the DATA partition as needed via the OEM copy of Arconis proved with the Apricron unit.) You only need the full version to create the Arconis SecureZone I think they call it. (Arconis SecureZone =On the hd "recovery partition)... Press F11 at bootup, just like the HP, press F11 at boot-up to access the recovery option.


Why creat your own? Simple... After doing a fresh install, you set everything up.... takes a while.... Say you have a problem later (virus, etc, OS won't boot).... Well if you use Arconis to create that onboard recovery partition, you just press F11... and 30 minutes later+/- your system is right back the way it was before something happened. Using the HP recovery option buts it back to as shipped condition with NONE of YOUR apps installed , or confiqured.


Hope the above has helped... hands are hurting from typing all this up...

Best of luck....

PS: Dv5000 series is pretty much the same when doing a re-install: http://forum.notebookreview.com/show....php?p=1318531

Thanks for the reply, but people keep on telling me I should have gotten this or that when I bought the notebook or that I should have looked into before I got it. Well I got it as a graduation present from my parents. I also have the the gpu challanged dv8000z with the stupid xpress 200m. I was having some gripes with HP already and I guess it got so high up that one day they called me saying it got so high up to him that he had to make the call. Of course at the time there was no problem, but later I found out the recovery screwed up for a second time. Ok sorry to get off topic, I'm probably going to ask for them to send my disk. I'm not so sure I'll do it your way, but if it comes down to it I'll tell them the truth about how their recovery isn't working right.

Hey, do it any way you chose...

Note to self... don't spend allot of time typing up step by step...

Tip for you... When someone does take allot to time trying to help you... word your "Thank You" like a real "Thank You"...

Instead of saying: "Thanks for the reply, but people keep on telling me I should have gotten this or that when I bought the notebook or that I should have looked into before I got it."


Is that a "Thank YOU" for all the info I posted, tips, etc?..
Thanks for the Reply, but...etc, etc


I guess you're the guy who was talking about being given a dv8000z... complaining about the GPU..... I guess I wasted my time replying to that thread as well....

http://www.notebookforums.com/thread160970.html

Well yes I guess you were right about the other post because I wasn't thinking and I forgot the different socket types. I did on the other hand remember that it was ddr2 so I figured right there I was screwed.


And to your reply about the thank you thing was not necessary. I mean I did thank you, but you took it the wrong way. I was just stating that because some people were treating me like a moron and telling me I made a bad decision etc. Well maybe I am stupid, but I don't need people telling me that I already know. I don't want to get in an agruement about this...Lets leave it at that.

After all the info I've given you and you say the above? http://www.notebookforums.com/thread159745.html http://www.notebookforums.com/thread160970.html Little tip: When you Thank someone... You should say Thank You and leave it at that... You don't say Thank You, "but" On the "decision" you are referencing.... In the other posts you've made complaining about the unit you have you said your parents /"Mommy and Daddy" bought you the thing.. as a gift... That you had no choice in the "decision". I don't think I ever told you that "you" had made a bad decsision... How could you have made a bad decision if you never had a say-so in the purchasing process? You said that your Mommy and Daddy bought it for you, it being presented to you as a grad gift. http://www.notebookforums.com/post2256075-6.html You need to learn how to thank people for trying to help you properly without adding the "but" part after you do a half-hearted "Thank you". You also need to realize that the persons here are not being paid for their time, that their time is valuable and that when someone takes allot of their time to try to help you that you need to give a "proper" Thank you to those persons. See post by Roger503 on how to word a thank you, him thanking both myself and BMWrob for the suggestions... Him saying "your info was a real help".... Notice he said Thank you, said the info was of help.. and did not add a "but" after his thank you. Re-read post #5 above and imagine YOU had written all that up and then got such a response back from the person you were trying to help.. Also read the other post(s) I have made trying to help you out... Imagining YOU had been the one that had taken time out of their busy day to try to help someone, addressing their concerns, trying to give them ideas... and then have someone do as you have done. Here's the link in case you can't find post #5 http://www.notebookforums.com/post2255737-5.html

Roger503,

Thanks for saying "Thanks".... on the dv8000t from Costco you will probally get an e-mail saying the order has shipped before the website gives an updated info.

To give you an idea on the ETA I placed an order later PM the 1st, it entered into the system the 2nd, it shipped the 7th on a Friday being picked up (after the Fed-Ex cut-off). by Fed-EX at 3:54pm from the HP factory in China..and was delievered the 10th, 8:30am (East Coast USA).

When I placed the order an estimated "ship" date being the 12th.... so it arrived two days before it was supposed to ship.

Umm I asked nicely or atleast tried if we could just leave it at that. You also just stated that this is valuable time and here you are posting about something I said let bygones be bygones. I do not understand why you need to drag this on when I get what your saying and I am sorry.

Hey I'm cool with that as long as you truly mean it.

So am I to take that as you're saying "Thanks for the info"... with no "but" attached? and that you can see how someone who had spent a bunch of time trying to help you out, giving you ideas would be insulted?

If so I accept your apology.

Yes, thank you.

See that wasn't hard "Thank you" with no "but" afterwards...

Do suggest you in the future when people do try to help you out that you thank them for their time in a more concise manner. (Read that as leave out the "but", etc when you do say "Thanks" to someone.)