Laptop Owners: format new laptop?

[GTaudiophile]

I just received my HP ZT3000. Should I format it, put on XP PRO, and start off clean?

 

[Yomicron]

I got my T40 in June, I've never formatted it.

 

[MDE]

I didn't format my eMachines M6805, and probably won't until I screw it up somehow.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Well, if I don't format, I have a lot to uninstall. They put MS Works and Norton on it. I have Office XP and a "real" version of Norton I want to use.

 

[KevinH]

Why can't you just uninstall it?

 

[UltraWide]

Unless your laptop has a lot of obscure custom electronics, then it is better to format and start fresh.
This way you know exactly what is running in the background and will be able to install all the latest drivers and patches without cluttering or updating old ones.

I guess if you are lazy sometimes it doesn't really matter as long as it works.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

that's one thing I liked about ordering a laptop like my sager...is that I could save money by opting not to get it with any software and go ahead and install what I like myself.

 

[Abhi]

I did format my dell the first week i got it...

Felt faster..

 

[gpgofast]

I formatted and did a clean install on my X1000 and my boot times were cut in half. Machine seemed to run quicker and have no problems with it since. Since then I have installed a new 7200RPM drive(highly recomended) so my original reinstall was fairly useless, but I would still recomend it. Compaq/HP don't preinstall a LOT of junk, but there is still enough to warrant a format and clean install. GP

 

[Hellblast]

I got too old for formatting. Way too much work and no time. When I got my laptop I got rid of software I didn't want (not too much) but I immediately got rid of a second partition that had nothing on it and made the primary larger. Then I installed all my usual stuff and I was good to go.

Hellblast

 

[Slappy00]

I also got x1000 , i just uninstalled the preloaded stuff (works, msoffice 2003, norton, setup(hp),), defragged, and kept the rest. I had an urge to format and start clean, but if it aint broke dont fix it. MS XP Home is fine for me.

 

[thomsbrain]

my sager came with no OS, so yeah, i had to format it.