Clean install of operating system on HP laptop

millhouse224

Distinguished
Jan 11, 2009
3
0
18,510
Hi,

Is it possible to do a clean install of Vista on the following laptop?:

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF06b/321957-321957-3329744-64354-64354-3744231-3758295.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_UKEN

Id like to do a fresh install but have a few questions.

It has vista 32 installed on it, however the box the laptop came in said it can have a 64bit operating system installed on it. I used to build deskptop PC's so know how to do a fresh install, but this is my first laptop and dont like all the crap thats included with the OS, so just want a clean install.

If i simply buy vista 64 OEM and do a fresh install, will i lose any functionality on the laptop, such as the sound card drivers, touchpad drivers, recovery partition, or anything like that? I see that all the drivers are available seperately on the HP website, but would there be like a complete package with all the ones i need in?

Do i need to download any additional motherboard drivers for the new OS as im currently on 32bit?

Can i use the new nvidia beta gpu drivers or do i need to use HP's own drivers?

Like i say this is my first laptop so i dont know what can and cant be changed.

I spose to sum up, can i simply install the OS in the same way that i would on a self built pc?

Also, what hardware can be upgraded on laptops?

Cheers.

 

frozenlead

Distinguished
An OS install on a notebook is largely the same as one on a desktop. You will need to find all the drivers for the notebook, which mainly include:

Graphics card
Chipset
Touchpad
Wireless card
Bluetooth (if included)
Sound
Any other interface (HDMI, IEEE1394, etc.)

And, no, they won't be packaged in one big file for you - they're all separated.

Motherboard drivers for a notebook are pretty much combined between GPU and Chipset drivers.

You can use any Nvidia MOBILE driver that's compatible with your hardware. Desktop drivers won't work. You can also get other drivers here: laptopvideo2go.com

Hardware upgrades on notebooks differ for every model. Generally all notebooks can have their HDDs, CPUs, and memory replaced. Very, very few notebooks can have their GPUs replaced, and if they can, finding a better card is difficult and often expensive.
 

millhouse224

Distinguished
Jan 11, 2009
3
0
18,510
Cheers for the help.

So there isnt really anything that could go majorly wrong then if i do a clean install, as in permanantly break or lose functionality of the laptop?

How do i go about installing the modem drivers? would i need to download them and put them on a cd before the clean install, or will the laptop still connect to the internet without them so i can download all of the required drivers?

Also, i have a vista 64 OEM disc that i used for my desktop pc, however the pc was taken in a burglary, hence the purchase of the laptop. Is there anyway i could install this on my laptop and activate it?

Finally, you say the CPU can be upgraded? could i put a desktop quad core processor in this then?

Thanks
 

frozenlead

Distinguished
Nope, not really anything that could go wrong, except if you don't have a driver.

If Windows doesn't automatically install your driver for your network card, yes, you will have to put those drivers on a CD.

You could install that copy of Vista on your PC. The worst that can happen is it'll say it's not legal, and you'll have to chance your CD key. If it'll actually work, I have no clue.

The CPU can be upgraded - but, first, it must have the same socket as the old one. Mobile CPUs do not use compatible sockets with desktop processors. Also, the new processor you put in must have the same, or near, the TDP of the original CPU, as notebook cooling systems aren't as robust as their desktop friends. Some notebooks (like the Sager NP9262) use desktop processors (and quad cores, at that!) however.
 

millhouse224

Distinguished
Jan 11, 2009
3
0
18,510
Ok, and what about my recovery partition? I take it that will just appear on the list of drives to install the operating system on, and can just be ignored, or will i have to create another one.

If all does go tits up could i just reload everything off of that, or does that not contain the OS?

All the drivers appear to be on the HP website so that should all be ok.
 

frozenlead

Distinguished
You can keep your recovery partition the way it is, but when you reformat your notebook will no longer be able to make new backups (as the software that did it will be gone). You will be able to restore the old way it was, however, either by using that partition or by using your recovery CDs, if you have any.

I'm sure it contains a copy of your OS, so you're fine. I don't know what else it would contain if it didn't. Users' file structures are too complex and too unpredictable to be able to backed up automatically with no additional configuring - which is the case for that partition.
 

cheaptofix

Distinguished
Dec 15, 2008
213
0
18,840
I wouldn't recommend 64bit unless this is going for a server or like. for home use just stick to 32bit. you'll find some applications won't work with 64bit also the laptop graphics..sound ect may not work either. 64bit needs about 6gb of ram and more to operate like a dream + costs money too
 

cheaptofix

Distinguished
Dec 15, 2008
213
0
18,840
oh sorry, yes it won't affect the laptop functions at all if the sticker says so, but some of your webcams or external devices won't work. again, are you willing to upgrade to 6gb or more? laptops won't anyway
 

frozenlead

Distinguished
64bit OSs operate fine with any amount of RAM (provided it meets the min specs for the OS), it's just they can address more if needed. I've installed it on machines with only 2GB and it's fine. I've installed it on machines with 8GB and it works just as well. I don't know where your 6GB value comes from, but if there is a difference, I doubt it's more than the performance increase of moving to DDR3 RAM.

Most webcams on notebooks are USB based and won't be affected by 64bit drivers.

Having installed 64bit Vista on every new machine (or upgraded to it) since about 4 months ago, I can say for sure neither I or any of the people I've made machines for have had difficulty with their machines because of 64bit driver needs. These include servers, workstations, home laptops and computers..on and on.

He did say he found all the drivers, so I'm thinking this is kind of a dead issue.