Install clean Win7 or HP Win7?

Trying to help a friend.
His HDD died and he lost everything (pictures were the most valuable). I've educated him on backup and he went on about it only being 2 years old. I sympothize, but the HDD has no regrets.
Anyway, moving on. He bought a new HDD and we tried to load the OS (Win7 Professional) from the backup discs his wife created when they first bought it. After loading for over an hour (3 DVDs) it's giving an error: "Windows could not continue with the installation. To install Windows on this computer, restart the installation."

I hate HP.

Since I was at his house and didn't want to sit for over another hour while it reloads, I suggested he call HP and get their input.

I haven't heard back from him yet, but was wondering if it would be better to load a clean version of Win7 (not the HP version, they backed up)?

I hate HP.
I have more friends bring me trashed HPs to help them fix than anything else. And HP doesn't make anything easy.

Suggestions / recommendations GREATLY appreciated.

If he actually got Win 7 Pro with that HP, then I would see what HP has to say about the issue. Win 7 Pro would be the OS of choice to install - XP Mode is available, if needed. The HP version is the same as the boxed retail version with the exception that it has the drivers for HP's hardware (which you need and would have to download with a retail version of Windows) and HP's included garbageware (which you can always remove later - pcdecrapifier).

This is a new install of the HP Win7 on a new HDD. I was asking about installing a non-HP version, with no HP crapware, understanding that drivers may be needed (but hoping that Win7 would find them for me?). We have a Win7 Pro version that can be installed.
I'm asking because we can't get past the HP backup version install.

He said their website said to clean the discs with distilled water and check for scratches. I think this is a wild goose chase. The discs looked fine to me.

Many a time I have found washing the disk using a dish soap , then rinsing real well, let air dry, has turn unsuable disk to ones that work. By the way, I use my finger tips to wash the soap in to clean the disk. With Win 7, it does not take much on the disk to ruin a install.

Be sure to use a cleaner cd on the lazers.

You should blow the dust out of the drive too....

Replacement dvd from HP is about $16.00

New Win 7 dvd cost a lot more.

I was going to suggest the disc cleaning thing to my friend, but he emailed me today and said he talked to HP and they told him the Backup discs he created would not work to configure a new drive. He would need buy the "HP Recovery" discs from HP to configure the new HDD! This makes sense, but I hate the way HP operates.

He also said the HP guy told him if the Recovery Discs don't work that he'd need to buy a new HDD from HP (this burns me that HP would use this as a sales opportunity!)

My concern with installing a new Win7 (not HP's version) is that I would not be able to load the drivers. It's a touchscreen model, so I know he'll need special (probably HP proprietary) drivers.

( I dislike HP even more now, been through these hoops a couple times just trying to install a new OS or HDD, HP is a PITA)

Check the HP website for driver(s) availability.

As with anything else, you get what you paid for.
Your friend likely purchased one of those HP consumer models as opposed to the business models.

The HP business models that I dealt with, shipped all with three options:
1. Recovery partition, self contained so no disc(s) required. All required files in hidden partition to set factory defaults.
2. Recovery disc set option. Used if user intentionally/unintentionally *#@$ the hidden partition. Resets to factory defaults.
3. Standard operating system disc. Used if user destroys/replaces/upgrades hard drive.

Correction, not a standard OS disc.
So long it was used on HP laptop shipped with, they did not require input of CD key during installation process.
With that exception, same as standard disc.