Best way to de-crap my new AA1

I will be picking up my AA1 on Sunday. I want EVERYTHING off of the thing besides windows XP. What is the best way to do this?

 

format -> install windows.

 

Could you provide a bit more details please?

How could I install Windows on the AA1? Will it come with a disc?

 

Oh sorry, I thought that sorta was informative enough.

In the windows section there are tutorials on how to either install windows with a USB stick, or with an ext dvd/cd reader/writer.

If you have no ext dvd/ram, you have to use a usb-stick, there is a turorial in the windows-section. If you have a dvd/cd-ram, you can use your windows cd (who hasn't one laying around?) to install windows. Just make sure, by pressing F12 in the boot menu to boot from the USB stick. You can also select this by entering BIOS by pressing F2, but the F12 method is recommended.

When you install windows, you will be prompted to format the disc.

 

Thanks a lot. Do you know where this tutorial is? Could you provide a link?

I have been looking over in the Windows section and haven't found it yet.

 

BTW unless you really know what you are doing, do not delete the second partition on the drive, it is used for recovery of the system.

 

Check the Guide-section. If you have an external dvd-reader, it's really like any other windows installation..

 

Uh sorry, but no it isn't. The 1GB partition is used by all Linux based systems as a swap area (virtual memory), if you run out of real memory. It's good to have if you keep the 512 stick in there, not necessary with more ram, and easily replaceable as a partition.

 

Err, it is if he has the Windows model.
I assumed the OP had bought an XP version.

I agree with you that the partition is not required on all systems, mine doesn't use it as there is plenty of memory when you add a 1gb stick

 

I have the XP 120 GB model and I also intended to decrap what comes factory installed.

The default installation has

Win XP Home SP3
60 day trial version Office 2007 Home and Student
Microsoft Works
WinDVD 6
McAffee security program
Yahoo toolbar

I ended up just using Add/Remove programs and uninstalling stuff I don't need because it's a pretty lean installation to begin with, once you just remove unnecessary apps.

The recovery partition mentioned is 15GB in size (not 1GB)--that is the one that you do not want to format if formatting is the route you choose to take

 

The recovery partition on the 120 GB HDD is actually less than 6 GB. The reason your C:\ drive shows up as only 105 GB in Windows is because of the difference between HDD manufacturers definition of a GB and the generally-accepted definition of GB. (Some people use GiB to mean 2^30 bytes now and GB to mean 10^9 bytes)

 

The simplest way to "de-crap" it is to go to add/remove programs in the control panel. Remove the items you dont want (DVD-software and office for instance), and then youre ready. Alot less time consuming than reinstalling windows and all drivers.

Can anyone make a convincing argument as to why reinstalling would be better?

 

I ran the uninstaller in CCleaner to remove the unwanted extras. The program is free and also has a built in registry error checker to fix any registry problems that deleted programs can often leave behind.
http://www.ccleaner.com/

 

http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/

 

Thanks great find!!!

 

You can use nLite to rip and unnecessary components off the XP install.

 

Agree! add/remove method is much easier.

 

Format > Install Linux

 

Format > Install Linux > Figure out how to use Linux - :lol:

 

Try Dustbuster XP, it is in Italian but very easy to use and removed over a GB from an installation I did with no side effects.

Al