Fresh install or not prebuilt computers?

[gjkrisa]

so I’m curious how many people still do fresh installs after they have bought a new pc or laptop that’s put together for you? 
 

I use to always do fresh installs but sometimes I would go back to the factory install and notice there is good paid software that came with the pc that I can not get free on a clean install of windows? 
 

also is there a way to yank those paid softwares so you can place them on a clean install? 

[KhakiHat]

Usually I just remove any bloatware that might have been installed at the factory of whatever PC brand I chose. You could maybe have taken the files with a simple copy and paste and just copy them into a folder to be dragged onto a USB of some sort, then once you've installed the non free software on the fresh install OS, delete all of its local files and put the old copy and pasted files in its place instead. I used to use that DIY method all the time for Minecraft back in the day when some of my buddies didn't have purchased copies. 

[gjkrisa]

3 hours ago, KhakiHat said:

Usually I just remove any bloatware that might have been installed at the factory of whatever PC brand I chose. You could maybe have taken the files with a simple copy and paste and just copy them into a folder to be dragged onto a USB of some sort, then once you've installed the non free software on the fresh install OS, delete all of its local files and put the old copy and pasted files in its place instead. I used to use that DIY method all the time for Minecraft back in the day when some of my buddies didn't have purchased copies. 

Use to not be able to just copy files from already activated product to a fresh install but I’ll give that a try. 
Myra I try to delete all the bloatware but I don’t know all the hooks so I still felt icky specially when I’d be digging threw files for something else and then still find things that I thought was removed already. Norton or mcafee use to be one of those hard to remove everything still can be. My wife’s Lenovo laptop had mcafee and I used a removal tool but after the license ended a task bar message came up saying it needed renewed. 

[v0id]

I almost always use a fresh image from Microsoft. I can't stand the sixteen partitions some manufacturers feel like they need to put on there, and a bunch of bundled software I'll never use. Give me the minimum and I'll build from there.

[wseaton]

I typically just remove the bloatware. Too much of a pain to reinstall. Used to be some pre-installed bloatware was pretty bad. HPs security and performance utilities really gimped their laptops. Not seeing those problems today.

 

Not aware of any paid software worth keeping. Its all trial-ware, or annoying Microsoft Office sign up junk.

 

In corporate we do have clean images.

[COAGULOPATH]

I clone my existing hard drive with Minitools.

[Hybris5112]

Scorched earth install. There is enough bloat from the stuff I do use that I don't need the extras thrown in by a manufacturer and 99.9% I don't expect to be able to use a warranty or manufacturer tech support so the extra diagnosic/spyware is also useless.