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Lenovo uses Microsoft Windows Platform Binary Table to install bloatware, which gets around any kind of clean install/reset. Clean install for Windows means no

Lenovo uses Microsoft Windows Platform Binary Table to install bloatware, which gets around any kind of clean install/reset. Clean install for Windows means nothing when you have shady vendors utilizing this mechanism.

_lce0 11y ago
What about installing an intermediate linux system? Like 1. start with window pre-installed 2. install any linux distro, fully overwriting the OEM 3. re-install windows, from microsoft I'd say just stop at step 2 ;) but I can understand that not everybody can do this (eg: work computer) but want a clean OS. will this method work to remove such bloatware?
- mikeash 11y ago
  It won't work unless you manage to flash the UEFI firmware.
- morcheeba 11y ago
  This won't work because the firmware will write a file to your hard drive with the bloatware. It's scary that firmware will modify my filesystem - lots of damage could happen here. Also, instead of step 2, it would make more sense to boot linux on a usb stick and use dd to erase the hard drive -- this is more complete than installing another OS... but still useless if the firmware is working against you.
  - lmz 11y ago
    In this case Windows will write to your filesystem, not the firmware. Of course there is nothing stopping a firmware from writing to the disk before it loads any OS, but that is true with any OS not just Windows.
mikeash 11y ago
I would change that last part to say "means nothing when you have shady OS makers building this mechanism." I mean, come on, Microsoft, what were you thinking? Vendors gonna vend, so you had to know how this "feature" was going to be used.
- gootdude 11y ago
  Microsoft created the feature so you'd actually have driver support when doing the reset. I'm sure we all love resetting a touch screen only machine to find out it has no touch support for the install.
  - thescriptkiddie 11y ago
    They could have just put the drivers on the CD like every linux distro ever.
    - r00fus 11y ago
      You mean the CD recovery image disk which would ostensibly have all the same bloat/spyware as the PC itself?
      - thescriptkiddie 11y ago
        No, I mean the official Windows CD (technically two DVD set now). New Windows versions are shipping frequently enough now that it would actually be possible.
      - j_h_s 11y ago
        Microsoft could maintain specific install mediums for each device, including the drivers necessary, but without allowing vendors to load crapware
  - mikeash 11y ago
    Perhaps this would encourage vendors to actually follow standards for their input devices so they didn't require custom drivers. Win-win!

_lce0 11y ago

What about installing an intermediate linux system? Like 1. start with window pre-installed 2. install any linux distro, fully overwriting the OEM 3. re-install windows, from microsoft I'd say just stop at step 2 ;) but I can understand that not everybody can do this (eg: work computer) but want a clean OS. will this method work to remove such bloatware?

mikeash 11y ago
It won't work unless you manage to flash the UEFI firmware.
morcheeba 11y ago
This won't work because the firmware will write a file to your hard drive with the bloatware. It's scary that firmware will modify my filesystem - lots of damage could happen here. Also, instead of step 2, it would make more sense to boot linux on a usb stick and use dd to erase the hard drive -- this is more complete than installing another OS... but still useless if the firmware is working against you.
- lmz 11y ago
  In this case Windows will write to your filesystem, not the firmware. Of course there is nothing stopping a firmware from writing to the disk before it loads any OS, but that is true with any OS not just Windows.

mikeash 11y ago

I would change that last part to say "means nothing when you have shady OS makers building this mechanism." I mean, come on, Microsoft, what were you thinking? Vendors gonna vend, so you had to know how this "feature" was going to be used.

gootdude 11y ago
Microsoft created the feature so you'd actually have driver support when doing the reset. I'm sure we all love resetting a touch screen only machine to find out it has no touch support for the install.
- thescriptkiddie 11y ago
  They could have just put the drivers on the CD like every linux distro ever.
  - r00fus 11y ago
    You mean the CD recovery image disk which would ostensibly have all the same bloat/spyware as the PC itself?
    - thescriptkiddie 11y ago
      No, I mean the official Windows CD (technically two DVD set now). New Windows versions are shipping frequently enough now that it would actually be possible.
    - j_h_s 11y ago
      Microsoft could maintain specific install mediums for each device, including the drivers necessary, but without allowing vendors to load crapware
- mikeash 11y ago
  Perhaps this would encourage vendors to actually follow standards for their input devices so they didn't require custom drivers. Win-win!