HP Pavilion G6 with linux advise (remove w7 bad idea?)

[Cobra26]

Hi all,

I was wondering the hp laptop comes with the included hdd with W7 and the recovery cd. However i want to either: switch to a brand new hdd i suppose this will give me no problems right? And install linux on it. If for whatever reason i want to switch back to the original hdd with w7 will the laptop still recognise the hdd and will it also accept the recovery cd ?

Or just erase the entire hdd that came with the laptop and then a clean install of linux. Are there any issues with installing a different OS?

Will both void my warranty? Hp has nothing to say about what OS i want to use they may say "we don't work with linux" i read somewhere that HP might be unwillingly to help if you installed linux hence the reinstall of the original hdd with w7 and recovery cd as above stated.

This is the laptop: HP Pavilion G6-1150SD, core i5 (2,3ghz) 4gb ram, AMD Radeon HD 6470M gpu. The gpu i suppose can handle all 720p mkv movies without any hickups correct? Is it true that some laptops with Intel HD gpu have problems playing 720p movies (freezes, laggy) if this is incorrect please tell me.

Looking for advice and help.
Thanks in advance

 

[2Tired2Tango]

Changing the OS shouldn't void your warranty but changing the hard disk might...

There should be a restore disk program (probably on the desktop) that will let you burn DVDs to return the computer to it's factory condition. If you make the disks you can re-create the system any time.

Installing linux should not cause problems so long as you check in advance that the linux distro you choose has the right drivers for your laptop.

 

[Cobra26]

Changing the OS shouldn't void your warranty but changing the hard disk might...

There should be a restore disk program (probably on the desktop) that will let you burn DVDs to return the computer to it's factory condition. If you make the disks you can re-create the system any time.

Installing linux should not cause problems so long as you check in advance that the linux distro you choose has the right drivers for your laptop.

Thank you for the reply.

Yes it might void the warranty if i swap the hdd for linux. So thats why if i have issues il reinstall the original hdd that came with the laptop, i suppose this will come with a recovery cd so this should work with the original hdd even if i removed it. And then reinstall it thats my main point, it wasnt clear what you have said... "but changing the hard disk might" sorry for that so the laptop after i remove the original hdd and then reinstall the original hdd will void the warranty, how come if it works or not? I returned the laptop with all of its original components...

 

[Rob Williams]

If there's a sticker found over top the screw that allows you to remove the hard drive, then chances are it -might- void your warranty. Likewise, if a Linux OS is being used, then chances are support will give you a hard time, since it's not the OS that came with it. However, neither of these things might be of much concern to you.

One question I have is, what's the purpose of changing the hard drive that's in there? Are you looking to have Windows on the hard drive it came with, and then Linux on the other? Is there something wrong with installing Linux to the hard drive that came with the notebook, installing alongside Windows or replacing it?

You might not need to haul the drive out is all, just not sure of what your ultimate goals are.

 

[OriginalJoeCool]

HP didn't complain about my Linux install when I sent my Envy in for repair. But you never know. I never asked them. I just sent it in and no one mentioned it.

 

[Cobra26]

If there's a sticker found over top the screw that allows you to remove the hard drive, then chances are it -might- void your warranty. Likewise, if a Linux OS is being used, then chances are support will give you a hard time, since it's not the OS that came with it. However, neither of these things might be of much concern to you.

One question I have is, what's the purpose of changing the hard drive that's in there? Are you looking to have Windows on the hard drive it came with, and then Linux on the other? Is there something wrong with installing Linux to the hard drive that came with the notebook, installing alongside Windows or replacing it?

You might not need to haul the drive out is all, just not sure of what your ultimate goals are.

Thanks for the reply,

No i do not have the laptop yet next week i hope.
The reason for swapping is this: If i use another hdd for linux and if i have issues which i cant resolve, and knowing that HP might not want to help since they will know i changed the hdd and changed the OS. So my viewpoint is to put back the original hdd that came with the laptop (wonder if the bios will recognise its own hdd after removal and if the recovery cd will still work) and send it back to HP to figure it out within my warranty period. That is if i encounter any problems at all.
I just like linux much more then MS, MS i only use for games on my desktop 2 ssd's dual boot linux and vista.

If however there is no issue with just installing linux on the existing hdd that came with the laptop without voiding warranty il chose that option. I will call HP service to clarify this for me.

 

[Cobra26]

HP didn't complain about my Linux install when I sent my Envy in for repair. But you never know. I never asked them. I just sent it in and no one mentioned it.

Thank you for your feedback,

I'm hoping this is normal that they wont complain or you where just lucky lol.
I'm kind of bugged when they force you to use an OS you dont want, to my knowledge nothing says in the warranty its forbidden to change an OS...and yet they might get pissed off...

 

[2Tired2Tango]

Thank you for the reply.

Yes it might void the warranty if i swap the hdd for linux. So thats why if i have issues il reinstall the original hdd that came with the laptop, i suppose this will come with a recovery cd so this should work with the original hdd even if i removed it. And then reinstall it thats my main point, it wasnt clear what you have said... "but changing the hard disk might" sorry for that so the laptop after i remove the original hdd and then reinstall the original hdd will void the warranty, how come if it works or not? I returned the laptop with all of its original components...

You can swap hard disks... If you have linux on one and windows on the other, the system won't even care... it'll just boot whatever's at the loader segment of the drive.

I was thinking that if you should accidentally damage the connector...

Rob's suggestion of Dual Booting is probably your best bet...

OR... since almost all computers now provide a boot-time menu you could put linux on an external hard disk (eSATA or USB) and boot from there...

 

[Kougar]

Dell doesn't care if you replace components, just that any components not replaced with authorized Dell labeled parts (that their service techs mailed you) won't be covered by the machine's warranty. It can pose an issue if you need to warranty the entire laptop as they will want the original hardware back.

HP didn't complain about my Linux install when I sent my Envy in for repair. But you never know. I never asked them. I just sent it in and no one mentioned it.

In most situations Dell asks that users remove the HDD before sending in the laptop to be serviced, so they would not even know what OS ya were using. At least, unless they suspected the HDD or OS install was the source of the issue, anyway.

What Tango suggests is a good idea, but you could even make a backup image of the current Windows install, and if you ever need to send the system in you can image it back if you wanted to be really safe about it.

 

[2Tired2Tango]

Dell doesn't care if you replace components, just that any components not replaced with authorized Dell labeled parts (that their service techs mailed you) won't be covered by the machine's warranty. It can pose an issue if you need to warranty the entire laptop as they will want the original hardware back.

One has to wonder how many computers (of all flavours) are purchased with the specific intent of replacing the operating systems... Does Dell even sell hardware with Linux or BSD installed?

I can't really see how they would have a basis for warranty negation because of a changed OS... Surely they must be aware that a significant part of their target market is not Windows based....

Also the "remove the hard disk" thing is good... at least you won't have their techs copying the pictures from your summer at the nudist camp!

 

[Kougar]

One has to wonder how many computers (of all flavours) are purchased with the specific intent of replacing the operating systems... Does Dell even sell hardware with Linux or BSD installed?

Dell used to sell systems with Linux as an option, but the return rates on said laptops/desktops were significantly higher than the identical Windows Vista counterparts, for whatever reason. So they discontinued the practice. I even checked recently to see if I could save on the cost of the OS since I have a couple spare keys, but Dell's current policy is they will not ship any machine without an OS, and the only OS they use anymore is Windows.

I can't really see how they would have a basis for warranty negation because of a changed OS... Surely they must be aware that a significant part of their target market is not Windows based....

I don't think it negates the warranty... it just complicates getting a warranty. And I'm not sure they do... again they tried selling with Linux preinstalled. Besides the returns issue, I do recall some people not liking the choice of distro, etc etc... I doubt Dell cares what OS people use, as long as people understand they only provide drivers for the OS's they ship on the machine in question. And their tech support guys probably aren't equipped to handle troubleshooting within a Linux environment.

 

[2Tired2Tango]

Good points Kougar....

That's why, when I bought my ASRock/ION box I was overjoyed to see that it shipped without an operating system... Since it was becomming a multimedia drone and with a dual core Atom, I wanted XP in there. (still the best for video and audio) So, I didn't end up discarding an OS I paid for...

I really do wish that was the defacto standard... Warrant the hardware, let the end user fuss with the software... 'Cause most of us are a lot better at it than they are. Even for total noobs installing an OS is now mostly childsplay...

 

[gsouthee]

Just my 2 cents, why don't you keep both the operating systems. It will give you an option which one you want to log in to when boot. In that way you'll keep original windows 7 too.

 

[OriginalJoeCool]

That's what I do, gsouthee. I'ts probably the best way to go about this. It's very convenient!