[SOLVED] New computer, what do I eliminate and...

what should I install? I've taken all the advice here, but I had to strip this thing and take it back to factory specs, so it's once again loaded with a bunch o' crap that's useless to me. A lot of it is HP's bells & whistles, so once again, I'm here to ask for some serious handholding from a Windows wizard.

I've related before that I'm a writer, and now a publisher and though I've left all my gaming to work on my businesses, I'm still a gamer and eventually hope to have the time and expertise to enjoy some of the common rpg utilities (Ventrilo, Skype, MapTools, lots of others out there). I also have mapping software I need to re-install.

However, I've also gotten into internet marketing and that probably where I got into trouble with this Cadillac of a computer. I need to be able to experience audio and video and create such files. I'm really biting off more than I can personally handle, but the Manx and Arkie in me make me stubborn as all get-out, so I'm here for the long haul as painful as it might be.

I saved my data, but my bookmarks and programs are gone, so I need to rebuild, but I want to do it right this time. I'm essentially back at square one with this machine and there's a lot under the hood that I'm just not interested in, but I don't have the knowledge necessary to properly cull the excess. Who wants to tweak with me, just a foolish old man?

Install skype. Add elmer.befuddled to your friends.

Skype is installed, but that damned password crap is doing me in.

I'm in, but not sure I want to try and tackle this tonight. I've added you as a contact, so we just need to decided a time convenient to both of us across the pond.

Do yourself a favor, before you install any extra software do the following: 1. Run & re-run Windows Update until no updates are found. 2. Update all your drivers, by going to all the websites for your hardware in your pc. 3. Download PC Decrapifier from the following link and remove all the bloatware/trialware from your pc . http://www.pcdecrapifier.com/ 4. Oprn Windows Backup and let it run a full backup & system image, while your pc is barebones.5. Now install your security software.and run a full scan after letting it update it's definitions. 6. Now install any other software you want and configure it all (choose Custom install as you can avoid various bloatware). Now do another full backup & system image. From now on use the system image that Windows Backup made to restore your pc to a fresh state, instead of the manufacturer's restore partition/cd as that's where the bloatware is coming from.

OK, after much trial and error and another useless $30 (damn advertisements!), I'm in much the same boat as I was before, but I've regressed even more, uninstalling everything I had just painstakingly reinstalled and I'm presented with a program list in decrapifier that's essentially what's in my programs list from where I could uninstall w/o the use of this utility.

My big stumbling block here is ignorance. I'm really trying to learn, but I have so much going on right now and there's some much to learn that I'm really struggling with it. I need to know what to delete. In the meantime, I'm sitting at a virtually useless machine.

I'm supposed to do a backup once I'm rid of the bloatware, but I need to know what's bloatware and what's not or even essential stuff that looks like bloatware. Because of the backup, I'm reluctant to reinstall Skype or Teamviewer.

This is what I do with retail PC's, it comes at an addintional cost, some might not want to incur. After I played with the retail PC for awhile and reformatted several times only to be stuck with all the bloatware again and again, uninstalling it again and again. I finally just bought an OEM copy of windows and installed that. No more bloatware. Or and this is much much cheaper call or go online to your branded PC manufacturer and ask for a backup OS on a disc. They will send you out a copy of the OS and any factory bloatware sometimes and then give you a link to their site for the drivers you need for a fraction of the cost. I've done it with Dell and HP. I think it cost me $14.95 plus shipping for each PC brand. Just install the OS and then load drivers and then install what ever you want from that point on.

Dammit, just ran the decrapifier and now I can't find it!

I always try to do things the hard way, then I remember...

There's a nifty "Snip Tool" on this brick. So, here's what the decrapifier identified:

I messed up so badly before that I'm not going to move ahead until I can implement the advice I've been given here, but right now, it's getting late for me and though I don't really have a life, I try to act as if I do, so I guess I should go start acting.

The bloatware you want to remove is any of the trialware/demo's that the manufacturer's install on mpc's because they get paid from the software companies to install it. After you do that then download CCleaner from www.piriform.com and install it. Let CCleaner analyze your registry after leeting PC Decrapifier remove the bloatware and let it remove any error's it finds and restart your pc. After Windows and your drivers are updated, run Windows Backup and make sure to let it make a System Image. Then install whatever software you're going to be using. Configure the software and Windows to your liking's and then make anorher backup and system image.