Clean re-install of os - without pre-loaded "crapware&a

[dan_linder]

I originally signed up on the Thinkpads.com forum to ask about performing a clean re-install of the base OS (Windows XP in this case) but not installing all the extra free software. (My reasons? See note 1)

While waiting for my account to be activated, I decided to run the Advanced Recovery options and found my answer! So, if you're coming here wanting to do this, here are the steps that worked for me on this R61 laptop with Windows XP Professional pre-installed.

WARNING! These steps will COMPLETELY erase the data from the main partition of your hard drive. Please backup all important data before proceeding!

1: Boot into the Thinkpad utilities (the blue ThinkVantage button)
2: Go to the "Advanced Recovery" screen with the multiple options listed on the left side.
3: Choose "Restore Your System"
4: Choose "Restore my hard drive to the original factory state"
5: Select "I do not want to save any files"
6: At the Product Recovery main screen, press "Next>"
7: Accept the terms and conditions.
8: Choose "Custom factory recovery" (KEY STEP!)
9: Un-check all the tools you don't want to pre-install.
10: Choose "Next>" to start.

When it finally finished (about 20 minutes later), the system was very clean. The only tools that were installed that aren't part of the base Windows XP install were some of the Thinkpad special drivers for the fingerprint scanner and the trackpad/trackpoint. I had to manually load the Active Protection system but everything else was left off.

Hope this helps others who want to get a more pristine system without having to un-install things manually.

Note 1: Why did I do this? I'm setting this system up for a very apprehensive user. She's very (over?) sensitive to new things and having to assure her that all this "new" software that wasn't on her last computer was OK was going to be a challenge. Furthermore, there are some utilities I've installed for users that are incompatible with some of the special drivers some manufactures have for their custom hardware. For instance, a screen reader and special keyboard was incompatible with another manufacturers pre-installed "special keys" software. It wouldn't un-install because it had marked the driver as "required for boot". Our only option was to purchase an off-the-shelf copy of Windows XP and install it over the pre-loaded version so we could get the custom keyboard and software installed. (The vendor claimed they couldn't give me a "clean install" copy of XP, nor could they reimburse us for the added expense. We didn't have the time to discuss this in detail so we just bought a second copy.)

Hope this helps!

Dan