Wiping and reinstalling IS a drastic move per se, but it can fix a multitude of problems. And once you've gotten to the point where no fixes are working and you're just not satisfied, a clean install is always a good option. You DO need clean installation media (get it from this forum), a method to activate the OS (get it from this forum), all the necessary drivers (get from the OEM's website) and good help as you proceed if you need that. And on that last point, this forum's members are always more than willing to walk you through the process if you need or want it. In your case it might not be the best solution, that's for you to decide. But again, assuming you have all the needed "parts and pieces" even the re-installation on an Hp Touchsmart should not be a problem. It too started life with a blank disk and installation of the correct drivers will enable its functions including the touch screen. As to the recovery partition, you don't really need it. Get your installation done and make a system image. You can use 7's Backup and Restore, Acronis or others. And once you get the installation where you want it, you can make another image and essentially have a custom made "recovery image". Which IMO is better than an OEM recovery partition since it's your build with your tweaks and the programs you want installed. And it's simple, quick and [for me and many others] works perfectly. I think acrsn is dead on. Wipe and re-install and use this forum as a "living guide" if needed.
What you say simply isn't true for oem systems with a bunch of proprietary stuff in them. You simply CAN NOT download alot of the software that originally came with some of these HP computers off their site. They don't even have it up. Sure, it started with a blank drive and a disk, but that disk (or image) had a ton of proprietary hp stuff in it, and a very complicated BCD process that you simply can't replicate on your own. (there's a 100 page thread covering the hp bcd recovery process on another forum, because the installation process actually rewrites the bcd multiple during the install process.) All I'm saying, is that if you are going to wipe, be careful, save your recovery partition or recovery cd's, and be prepared for the drivers on the HP site to NO longer work on a fresh install. Even on a fresh install of vista! Hp recovery advisor simply won't have the serial number and model number if you don't install it using the restore cd's or partition and therefore won't even work. the BEST solution is to recover with the official hp image, then flash the slic to 2.1 or use daz loader, then do an upgrade install of whatever win7 os you want, install your keys and certs, then remove unwanted hp junk. Then drivers install correctly off the site and upgrade advisor still works.
By definition, all OEM computers have proprietary stuff on them. But I've done it with numerous OEM computers both laptop and desktop, and based on what people here have posted thay have also. I'm not saying it can ALWAYS be done. As I stated in my post, if you have the drivers you can enable the OEM functions. I've done it with Acer, Asus, Toshiba, Compaq, Dell, HP and more. But all the necessary drivers may not be available for your computer. If you can't get all the drivers for your machine then you do have a problem. But to claim it can't be done at all, on any OEM computer because you have been unsuccessful on a single computer model with a certain feature is a false assertion. It's logically equivalent to saying since you're unable to receive and watch Doctor Who , nobody can receive and watch Doctor Who. But no matter, you have your reality and I have mine and I won't take up any more space and time belaboring the point. That's just not helping anybody.