Reinstalling Windows on Laptop

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NyteBlade

Weaksauce
Joined
May 25, 2007
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I bought an Asus laptop from newegg with Windows 7. Unfortunatly, as pre-built computers go, the thing has a ton of crap loaded on it by default. I'd like to just format and re-install with a fresh, unbloated windows install. I just have a few questions that some of you may know the answer to...

-If I completely re-install, outside of device drivers, is there anything I typically need for functionality in my laptop? Webcam? Speakers?
-My laptop has an 'Fn' key, with shortcuts associated with the F-keys. (ie. Fn-F10 is mute). There's little symbols on the keys associated with this. Is this built into Windows 7, or do I need manufacturer-specific drivers for this?
-My laptop came with Windows7 home premium. Am I okay just re-installing with a standard Windows 7, and using the serial number on the laptop to activate Windows?

Thanks!
 
- Drivers are needed for your graphics, sound, webcam etc, but other than that no, you don't need any other software. Windows 7 will probably find the drivers for you automatically through Windows Update though, so just let it do it's thing.
- Probably not, I didn't need to.
- This is exactly the question I asked in another thread - see here: http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1513121
 
Great, I'm in the same position, but with an HP laptop, and I'm wondering whether on a new install I'll be able to use my webcam. Other things I was worried about, though, were the multi-touch touchpad; would Windows support multi-touch like that right off the bat? And apparently my laptop has biometric logon functionality; would that work too?
 
NyteBlade said:
-If I completely re-install, outside of device drivers, is there anything I typically need for functionality in my laptop? Webcam? Speakers?
Click to expand...
That stuff will be detected by the OS and if it needs a driver it will let you know it's not installed.
-My laptop has an 'Fn' key, with shortcuts associated with the F-keys. (ie. Fn-F10 is mute). There's little symbols on the keys associated with this. Is this built into Windows 7, or do I need manufacturer-specific drivers for this?
Click to expand...
I can't say for Vista/7 but for all of the XP laptops I've done, I've never had to adjust anything. I'm pretty sure it's a hardware level feature.
-My laptop came with Windows7 home premium. Am I okay just re-installing with a standard Windows 7, and using the serial number on the laptop to activate Windows?
Click to expand...
You need to install Windows 7 Home Premium. If you have a copy of Windows 7, you can edit a file and 'open up' other versions to choose to install.
 
yes you can reinstall windows 7, you may or may not have to find drivers for the function keys. On my vostro 1400 they were seperate and did not require a driver, however on my studio 1558, they are shared with the function keys and a driver IS required otherwise they work as function keys only. with Dell, the Windows 7 cd only contains windows 7 an nothing else (not even drivers for my hardware)
 
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