What is Digg?153 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+60I think I would rather just wipe the drive and install whatever I wanted/needed from the beginning.
- cr3ative, on 10/12/2007, -5/+44@orangutan: I love taking quotes out of context.
"im giving it to my sister."
Orangutan, Digg.com, April 2006 - commiecat, on 10/12/2007, -5/+42Good idea - although I can't imagine ever buying a retail computer without formatting & reinstalling the OS from the start.
-commiecat - RexKwando, on 10/12/2007, -2/+22It's a nice idea to use for family members who insist on getting a Dell.
- Orangutan, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17then this article is not directed at you. however, it may be useful to others. im giving it to my sister.
- dark_helmet, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16@seumas that exactly what i did as soon as i got mine. but the problem is that most of the CD images that you can find on bittorrent and such are retail and use a differnt keyset. Dell only ship a "recovery" cd now, unless you pay extra. That recovery CD installs all the crap again.
- Otto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14For the tech geek that inhabits these forums, owning a Dell is lunacy, unless it's a scavenged box. But for the non-geek user, Dell makes some decent hardware that does most of what they need it to do at better prices than the competitors in the field.
So before you go and bash Dell, realize that you're probably not the target market. When my parents wanted a computer, I searched for the latest Dell deal and had them pick up that one. I spent about an hour cleaning the crap off, and now it does what they need it to do without a lot of hassle. Simple, easy. Cost about $400. It's no powerhouse (unlike my $2200 monster), but they don't need a powerhouse. I couldn't have built a computer that cheap from parts alone. - Scopitone, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16Did you know Dell has a website?! http://digg.com/hardware/Dell_has_a_website
- cavanaughphoto, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14A fresh install is great for those of us who are technically adept . . . but my Dad? He would be totally intimidated . . . or he would screw it up . . . or both.
No offense Dad. - gekkokid, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15thanks, my parents always call me and say this box keeps popping up on their dell pc, i have never get round to sorting it out, dell is full of ***** software, and im not talking about the OS
- vertigoblue, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15or you can download the drivers from the website...
- zombie-m, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Good idea. As long as you're not stuck with the OEM's "System Recovery" or whatever they call it. Those usually just re-copy the original image, AFAIK. What then? Hope you already have a (legit) copy of Windows lying around?
- Konquest, on 10/12/2007, -0/+12Yes, but if you wipe the drive and reinstall with the dell CD, you get the same crap installed. This script is clearly intended for non-technical folks (as it's said somewhere in the article), so pirating windows, and do a format is not a choice for these users.
- scispaz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Why do you have to pay for a reinstall disk for software you already paid for? Is it just me that finds this insane?
- eadnams, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15hey, The new core Duo Dell Portables are prettymuch the same as a Macbook on the inside... Don't tell anyone tho, digg me on down now :)
- levi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11If you remove the $OEM$ folder form the Dell install CD it just installs Windows
- mrjeffery, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I probably install on average about 5 Dell machines a week at local primary schools...i'll give this a go and report back if anyones still interested.
- imtigger2, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10If you wipe the drive, be sure to repartition it as well. Most companies (like Sony) are now making recovery partitions instead of, and in addtion to, recovery discs. My 60Gig Sony Viao laptop drive (not much space!) had only about 45gigs available when I got it. After a couple "WTF!'s", I found the recovery partition, copied it to DVD, then wiped it and gained about 10gigs. :)
- superbnerd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9http://rapidshare.de/files/17777802/Dell_DeCrap.exe.html
Compiled .exe version. If you think it's a virus, don't download it. I don't want to hear you bitch about it. I don't care. - bigred, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Well the computers come with the windows licence, so there's nothing wrong with downloading the disc image, as you are not buying the software, you are buying the licence. It will have the key on the bottom or side of the computer, thats your licence.
- dosman711, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13Agreed. If I ever have to (God forbid) buy a retail computer, that's a definate step 1 before using. Probably won't even boot the OS, just start from a Windows install disc.
- dfunct, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Because you can build your own laptop easily ... ;)
- strtdusty, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12If you can't imagine buying one, how do you know that their support has gone downhill?
- flashdude, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Why do customers of these OEM pc's let them get away with that, People get their computers home and they barely run. Try decrapping an hp/compac media center pc, there are almost 30 extra process's running, A friend bought a 3ghz dual core and it would barely run office!!
- Agret, on 10/12/2007, -8/+16I've got a better idea, don't get a Dell
- lbeaty1981, on 10/12/2007, -2/+9Great software for the less technical end-user. Personally, I always wipe a new Dell first off when I get it, but this is a great alternative for those who don't want to go that route.
- ,,|,_, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8mrjeffery - Why not create a disk image, slap it on the network, and do all 5 at once?
- dnatural18, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8If you order over the phone (a sin, I know, but) you can tell them not to preinstall any of the software. They just install the drivers and a few Dell customizations like the "Phone Home and get help" program, but for the most part they do respect your wishes for a clean windows install.
- eadnams, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7 Agret:
Of course it costs more... you're paying for labor, software, testing, imaging and shipping. - aMillionAndNine, on 10/12/2007, -13/+19I can't vouch for the software since I haven't used it but great idea.
- theplop, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8My laptop (retail, as 99% of laptops are) came with oodles of crap on it.
I formatted it right away, suprisingly, the HP recovery cd actually lets you select what to install when you put the progs/drivers back on. It was very painless and easy, and still took care of the trial junk. - e3mw, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8My old high school used to order Dell's by the boatload, all of them would come with OEM CD's, but as soon as they set the machines up they would ghost them from a master image. It was awesome. Since I worked for the school I had access to literally thousands of legitamate OEM CD's and Keys.
- tsupersonic, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7It's a start, of course, it's probably better to reinstall the OS. I know with my Toshiba laptop, I did a clean install of XP Pro, and it definetly seemed faster for some reason than before, which I uninstalled all the crap. I like to install only programs I use to keep my system clean and optimized. I wish retail manufacturers would just offer no OS, and save us a few bucks and time :)
- matrox212, on 10/12/2007, -3/+9Great Idea!
I hope it works. Gateway actually needs one of these more than Dell. All you get is a restore CD so if you want your drivers installed you have to install of the other crap too. - JHawk24821, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Hope it works well, the community* needs this!
* - Not so much for the ones that know how to correctly use a Dell (eg. format/reinstall) - but for those that don't. That way, they don't call those that do and WORRY THE CRUD OUT OF THEM. :) - hootpie, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7I prefer a fresh install. Dell now offers genuine reinstall discs for XP Home/MCE/Pro at an $8-$10 charge.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+7Thanks for this, my xps laptop is still full of crap that this'll get rid of. Also, if you own a dell and are willing to do a little messing around with your partition table (at your own risk) then you'll find 2 hidden partitions, one which holds all the drivers and another which holds the $20 ghost image they try to sell.
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Come on diggers, help me out! Click this: http://gh.ffshrine.org?r=3654 [81/1000] - mcbesq, on 10/12/2007, -5/+10Dell is the Malay word for "poisonous landfill."
- dfunct, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9A computer is a computer, and anyway if your getting a dell surely its because it would make a cheap Linux box? =)
- eleven, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4LOL - when I worked at a computer repair shop this was one of the services we offered customers who came in with dell boxes. If we had to re-install them, we would just ditch all the crap that it came with. Most customers were so happy seeing there computer de-crapified that they would tip us or bring in beer for the techs.
- steal_apps01, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Dude, no offence but comeon theres more too it the going into the "remove apps in the contol panel" that nasty Dell software likes to bury itself into the registery and windows directory deep down into the bowls of bloddy hell or dell (pun intended).
I love getting rid of that crap it's so fun, no really it is for me. And for now my xp machine (custom) is spyware ridden (left it on with ie settings off by mistake) and now I have to fight it. But I also have a mac so I don't have to be with xp, go iBook w00t! I'm a loser.
In conclusion, Drath you need to lurn a little bit more about system (windows) before stuff.
Any flammers to: x.brendan@gmail.com - jamesey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4this is really nice in the office environment. our company uses Dell and at least one new comptuer arrives every week. This will speed up the implementation of getting a new computer into an employees environment.
- nstern2, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7If we didn't have a ghost image of a fresh PC on the network this would be a great Idea. New dells have google toolbar pre-installed. bleh!
- CygnusX1, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5For those who worry not about this information because you have a preassembled computer...thanks for your input. Now if you can kindly show me pictures of how you put together your own laptop, well then, that would be mighty nice.
- critic, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6HP is no different. My HP Pavillion Desktop came with a ton of Crap-ware, and to add insult to injury no nekkid pix of Fiona! Also no WinXP system disks. Restore is done from a disk partioned drive that re-installs all the crapware all over again. I had to call up and DEMAND the CDs. They eventually came, but guess what, they install all the Crapware all over again! I got Partion Magic with the idea of running XP on one partition and Red Hat on the other. Absolutely no can do. Well it could be done but would involve me buying another copy of XP home, and dat ain't gonna happen. Back-Web and all kinds of malware was installed on this machine. Never again will I buy from HP.
- insertnamehere, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Actually they'll send it free if you have the patience to call up customer service and ask.
- annihillation, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5------- 2 lines -------
c: Format C: /s/v
install windows xp pro - *blu*, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4We are forced to buy dell laptops at my university - it's part of tuition. This is a godsend - I'm going to spread it around here.
- foolfromhell, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6My Sony takes about 30GB of recovery partition
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Woah! Good story, better go digg that one. This whole new "website" concept is amazing.
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