How to Clean Install Windows (Delete & Reinstall)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The computer will connect to the network automatically if it uses an Ethernet connection. Once you complete the steps, a clean installation will be performed using the local image. If this is a branded computer, the setup will restore all the original settings previously available with the device. This means manufacturer-specific settings, drivers, applications, and tools.

However, the difference is that when you select this option, the setup will download a fresh installation image from the Microsoft server. This option has been designed to reinstall Windows 10 when the recovery feature is not working with the local image or using a branded computer with a custom image.

If you choose this option, the setup will download the same version already installed on the device, which means you cannot use this method to upgrade the computer to a newer version. Also, if the device has a custom image from the manufacturer, this option will replace it with the one from Microsoft with all the standard settings and without custom drivers or trial software and tools. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually a security key may be required.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will take over and reset your device to the default settings by erasing and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 10 downloaded from the cloud. If the computer does not start correctly and you want to reinstall Windows 10 to resolve the problem, the Advanced startup options environment includes an option to perform a clean installation using the local or cloud image. Or when you cannot boot the system to access the Settings app.

Again, you can only use this option to reinstall the same operating system version already installed on the computer. Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice, and in the third restart, the operating system should enter the Windows Recovery Environment Windows RE. Click the Cloud download or Local reinstall option. Cloud download: Downloads a fresh image from the Microsoft servers and performs a fresh installation.

Local reinstall: Uses the locally available image to install a clean copy of Windows The All drives option will delete the data on all drives. This option is usually recommended only when you want to decommission the device. Click the Next button to allow OneDrive to automatically backup your Desktop, Pictures, and Documents folders to the cloud. However, if you’re about to upgrade a computer running Windows 7 or Windows 8. You can use these instructions to check the device technical specifications to confirm you can do a clean install of Windows It’s also important to ensure the computer can boot from a USB flash drive.

On computers already running Windows 10 or 8. After you complete the steps, the computer should now be able to start from a USB bootable media. Once you complete the steps, the device will start from a USB flash drive to proceed with the installation. Once you complete the steps, the computer can now start from the USB flash drive to upgrade to Windows Typically, peripherals are among the most common reason for problems during a Windows 10 installation.

If you have non-essential peripherals connected to the computer such as removable storage and other USB and Bluetooth devices, printers, scanners, cameras, and others , it’s recommended to disconnect them.

You only need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and internet connection. After the setup, you can reconnect the peripherals one at a time to ensure they don’t cause any issues. You will need a USB bootable media to perform a clean installation of Windows Once you complete the steps, the tool will download the files and create an installer with the latest installation files, which you can then use to start the device and configure a fresh copy of Windows Rufus is a free tool with many options to help you create a bootable media of Windows 10 faster.

However, it’s important to remember that it’s a third-party option, which Microsoft does not support. As a result, use it at your own risk. After you complete the steps, Rufus will download the ISO file from the Microsoft servers, and it’ll create the bootable media to perform a clean install of Windows The installation process of Windows 10 has two main parts, including the setup and out-of-box experience OOBE. In the setup process, that’s where you will select some of the basic settings, and you’ll find the options to erase the hard drive, configure the partitions, and install Windows The out-of-box experience happens after the setup is complete, and it’s the stage where you’ll configure your settings, such as region, network, account, privacy, and other settings.

Warning: This is another friendly reminder that this process will erase everything on the computer. Before proceeding, making a temporary full backup of your PC is always recommended. If you plan to decommission the computer, you do not need to continue with the out-of-box experience.

If this is an upgrade, continue with the instructions below. After the setup, you must continue with the out-of-box experience to configure your preferences and create a new account. After you complete the steps, the settings will apply to the clean installation of Windows 10, and you should be able to see the default desktop experience.

Once the installation is complete, it’s also good to check that Windows 10 isn’t missing any critical updates or drivers and is properly activated. Once you complete the steps, any available updates will automatically download and install.

Also, a restart may be required to complete the update process. If some hardware components have problems, you may need to manually install the latest drivers from your computer manufacturer’s support website. You can use this guide to install device drivers on Windows On Windows 10, drivers can also be part of the optional updates. If the computer doesn’t have all the required drivers, you may be able to download them from Windows Update. Once you complete the steps, the command will erase the partition from the hard drive you specified in the command.

Alternatively, you can also use the DiskPart command-line with Command Prompt to delete a storage partition in at least two different ways. Once you complete the steps, the partition will be erased from the drive, making available the space to create a new partition with a different file system or extend another volume.

Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies.

Windows Central Windows Central. Mauro Huculak. Topics Windows 10 Help. Windows Central Newsletter.

 
 

 

How to Delete Partition in Windows 10 During Installation？

 

I want to fully clean and remove all partitions on my Windows 10 computer and Windows 7 laptop to reinstall Windows OS. I’m having trouble clearing the system partition from my computer. Here on this page, you’ll learn three ways to remove all partitions from disk: automatically delete all partitions at a time with powerful partition manager software, remove all partitions using Disk Management, and delete all partitions on Windows 10 using Diskpart in Command Prompt.

If you are looking for an easy way to delete all partitions at a time on an HDD or SSD in Windows 10, 8, or 7, you’ll have three methods to try and remove all partitions on your own. Just follow to see how can you delete all partitions altogether with ease now. If you need a free guide, Method 2 with disk management tool and Method 3 with diskpart command lines can be your choices. EaseUS partition manager software allows you to delete all partitions from a hard drive at one time with its “Delete All” feature.

All you need is to install EaseUS Partition Master on your PC and activate it into a full version so to gain a smooth partition deleting process with the below guidelines:. Make sure that you’ve backed up the important data on the selected partition because this manner will compeletely remove data. Step 4.

Click ” Execute xx Operation ” on the top menu and then click ” Apply ” to save the change. After this, you’ll get an empty second hard disk or SSD on your PC, and you can create partitions on the disk to make full use of the space by them.

But this tool doesn’t let you delete all partitions at once, you can only remove all partitions one by one. After deletion, all the space on your hard disk drive will be unallocated space. You can create new partitions to start again. Type: select disk 2 and hit Enter. After this, you’ll get all partitions removed from the hard drive and you can re-partition the hard drive again by creating new partitions with the unallocated space.

As we all know the Windows system doesn’t allow users to delete system partition to ensure users can run the computer with a smooth experience. But if you are trying to reinstall a new Windows operating system like Windows 10 on your PC and re-manage your computer space, you’ll need to delete all Windows hard drive partitions together with the OS.

Then, how to delete all partitions on Windows 10, including the system partition? To save your time and energy, the best way to do this job is by applying the ultimate EaseUS Partition Master. Other benefits of registering an account are subscribing to topics and forums, creating a blog, and having no ads shown anywhere on the site.

Click here to Register a free account now! Please log in to reply. Posted 28 July – AM They give the same results. Posted 01 August – PM When Windows performs a clean install, it does a “quick format”, meaning that it creates an empty root directory for a volume.

Reply to quoted posts Clear. Site Changelog. Sign In Use Twitter. Need an account? Register now! I’ve forgotten my password. Remember me This is not recommended for shared computers. Still not getting windows 10 upgrade on my pc! Though i have reserved it and the get windows 10 notification appears. Help anybody? Please try our Windows 10 forums! You’ll get much better answers there, thanks! Appreciate your help! It means that some peripherals in your PC are not yet compatible with Win This is why they did the whole reservation and wave release.

If the validation tool detects something the will not work it prevents the windows 10 upgrade. You will have to wait untill they sort our the drivers and you’ll get your windows. If you force Win10 install you might end up with your PC not working. If it’s a camera the problem isn’t so big but if you have a SATA controller that is not yet supported you won’t even be able to install Win Seriosly, just wait untill you get it through Windows Update.

Just use the Microsoft upgrade tool I waited for a couple of days but my reserved invite still hasn’t come through so I manually updated as it mentioned in this article. I would recommend fully downloading as an ISO file first though as my install failed twice when directly installing from the website.

The ISO file did it perfectly. One more thing, make sure you disable any antivirus programs you have running. Now I have Windows 10 Pro working well although I had to update some drivers manually afterwards too. Hope this helps guys. The upgrade never asked for any key. Fresh installation will ask. If you’re upgrading your current operating system, the upgrade will take the licence key of the current version of Windows your upgrading from.

If you do a clean install as per the instructions in this article you will need to enter the key. Part of the clean install is formatting the hard drive, which will remove your current operating system.

Did you check the product key after the upgrade to 10? Are you sure out is not the generic key? It’s not a generic key, because all of my windows devices upgraded from the disc, all have a different product id.

Check the media creation tool. You will see the option to “Upgrade Now” I did that. Make sure that your windows update is set up to install updates automatically not download and warn you first or warn if there are updates available before download and install, just set it to install automatically.

Try this it worked for me. If those folders don’t exist, type this at the command line: wuauclt. If you have to hit Windows Update with a hammer, try this: 1. Uninstalled the KB In an elevated cmd prompt 1. We’re not upgrading any time soon.

Just use the upgrade tool on the ISO page. Search for “windows 10 ISO” and you’ll find the page with the downloads. You can run the upgrade from there. Good luck! Just download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, google it you’ll find it, and then choose upgrade once it has downloaded, after that you are free to do a clean install, this article should help Same process for Insiders?

Because, the key used to activate my Windows 10 seems to be a generic one as confirmed by many Reddit users. So, if I clean install Windows 10, would it get activated by itself? Have the same question here Even my other computer that didn’t have the insider version on it, got a generic product key after upgrading I too posted my query on the forums but no one knows about it I guess. Yup, I had already tried the “slmgr” command a few days ago.

It said my machine was permanently activated. I have been an Insider since the very first build was released. I had, then, upgraded from Windows 8. Finally, that means I am eligible for a clean install 😀 The Mail app doesn’t sync at all, the Start menu often crashes and the WiFi goes haywire all of a sudden without warning. This has compelled me to clean install Windows I went through the same, I just did a clean install and it let me use the generic key.

I haven’t checked whether my Windows is activated though lol. Tried a clean install in the surface pro 2 and failed to activate, the generic key stored in the bios didn’t worked. The key is a default key that is blocked from being activated in another machine. What gets registered in the server is your hardware ID so if you connect to the internet to activate, it will search for your Hardware ID. This also means that any major change on the machine’s hardware components will revoke your license for the free upgrade as a major hardware change will cause significant change on the hardware ID of the machine.

Geez 16 GB of ram! Hell of a machine! It’s a lot, but if you use virtual machines, it’s a bless : Also, in the Win10 case, helps you to monitor how agressive the OS is with the RAM. Yesterday Groove was using Hell if you have a discrete video card it will gobble ram. The most frustrating is the disk usage. RAM is cheap today. This is mainly because I also use Hyper-V.

I’ve installed the update through Windows update with no hassle. I’d recommend waiting to upgrade until some minor quirks are ironed out, though. Btw very helpful guide, WCentral team, thanks. I did a clean install, but my Windows 10 Pro was missing everything.

No Edge, no store, no calculator, no people, no mail, calendar, nothing Any ideas? Do a reinstall again. Try updating all the apps from the store.

They might be corrupted or hidden. There is no store in my Win10 version, not even one “metro” app You gotta download the apps separately. But edge should’ve been there. Don’t know what the actual problem is. As I said, there is not Store in mz Win10 version Try resetting your PC from recovery once. Did reset again, same thing Will try a clean upgrade from win 8.

I have the 32bit edition installed. Can i use this key to activate the 64bit edition? Maybe for Win7, after Windows 8 the x86 and x64 use the same key, you can choose. I haven’t tested it. My Windows isn’t activated anymore after doing a clean install on my venue 8 pro. I forget the error given, but apparently some keys don’t immediately get activated due to high server loads from Microsoft. It took my key a few hours to be activated.

I’d give it a few hours before contacting Microsoft. CC is the error code. I have the same. Clean install from Build TP. Bern waitin since the release and im yet to activate the bastard.

After the upgrade and your machine is activated you can then do a clean install as the next time around the MS servers already have the hardware ID logged. Also check for and do any BIOS upgrade that is available for the machine – it’s making a big difference in how well things work. If you did the upgrade first and activated it, then clean installed, just click the “go to store” button in the activation screen, then click “try again” from within the store app. I’ve upgraded my main Windows machine that means my Key will now activate Windows 10 if I clan install?

Your key is not converted You have to use the key finder tool to get your windows 10 key. However, the only catch is that you must upgrade your current operating system to Windows 10 via Windows Update first, before you can do a clean install. This is to ensure your current product key gets converted to a Windows 10 product key and that your copy of the operating system remains activated. I see two mistakes in the article. There’s no need to use the key during that install because you would have already validated Windows 10 during the “upgrade” process.

Two, I think the word converted should not be used. Maybe “aligned” or “associated” is a better way of looking at it. MS will not invalidate your use of the key with the pervious version of Windows you upgrade from. So if I ever wanted to go back to either Windows 7 or 8 which ever I have , I would be using the original key. Your Windows 8. But you can’t downgrade from a clean install.

You have to perform a clean Windows 8. You can only downgrade from a upgrade process although you have 30 days to do so. Warning downgrading back to 8. Some can get fixed by reinstalling them but some cant. They just force close after the splash screen. I had to do a PC refresh. Losing all my programs and updates. Spent 8 hours last night downloading 1. No such thing can be done. One will have to perform another clean install and use the original product key. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android.

Nope, if you upgrade to Windows 10 you can go back to 8. Not sure about Win7. I had the option. I tried using the key for a msi computer with Windows 7. The clean install of windows 10 did not accept the mass oem key from msi. So doing a clean install what would one use for the key to activate it. This article really fails to answer the most important question people have already asked me.

Note: sticker was completely worn out and so we pulled the product key using jellybean. W10 didnt accept the key. Updating via update failed numerous times. I see you never updated Windows 7 to Windows 10, you need to that first for key to get coverted to windows 10 before doing a clean install. Did you upgrade first before doing the clean install? Tried upgrading first but keeps reseting to a blank screen then it say restoring to previous version.

Regardless of your upgrade issues. The upgrade has to be performed first. Then if you want, you can do a clean install. You’ll have to try and work out the upgrade issues with MS.

The Microsoft forums hopefully can have your answers. Daniel Rubino commented on a comment about 20 minutes ago and now, question like yours which does make sense seems like being ignored. Very disappointing. And I hope that when they do reply, they wouldn’t sound rude e. Busy, check Windows 10 forum, etc. It’s not about being rude. Let me explain you, this person didn’t upgrade, this person just clean installed Windows 10 and thought by putting windows 7 key it would work.

Windows 10 will automatically activate you. Again, I am sure Daniel Rubino is a nice guy, but these kind of questions should be asked on a forum. AND if you are going to ask, you should just go back and read “what did I do wrong?? You first upgrade! Why wouldn’t Daniel Rubino ignore this? I did try updating it. It was clearly the easiest path for me but unfortunately the upgrade kept restoring. Even when a fresh format for windows 7. Im just asking what a resolution would be. For your info dude I have not installed win10 and am still running win7.

It’s not really a rudeness or being busy thing. The writers don’t have all the answers, they are writers with technical knowledge, not necessarily technical experts.

If you want to ensure that your question gets maximum exposure, it should be asked in the forums. Activate over the phone and then connect to the internet. Then run the Windows 10 update tool. I had multiple OS multi-boot on my laptop. Different versions.. How do I get my OS upgraded to get the new Windows 10 key??

No difference. Very frustrating You can also just do a reset for those that don’t want create the media or deal with partitioning. There is even the option to keep your personal files that get put into a folder called Windows. I’ve found it an easy and hassle free way to do it. I’d recommend it to anyone who did several preview upgrades as it cleared out all my issues that were inherited from prior builds. It’s just like hard resetting the phone.

This gave me a bluescreen on my Surface Pro 3. You can upgrade your windows 8. This ended up causing a blue screen just a day after upgrading.

Back on 8. Hi, quick question here, I’m still upgrading mine to Windows 10 using Download Tool, if sometimes in the future I want to do clean install, should I re-download the ISO file? Also, if I’m upgrading with this way, should I re-enter the product key? I haven’t been able to backup that yet.. Any response will be appreciated, thanks! Upgrading using download tool doesnt require a product key. If you want to perform a clean installation in future, you would need to use download tool for creating bootable DVD or USB.

You don’t need a product key to clean install. Your key is linked to your hardware. If you had an activated Windows 10, Windows will activate automatically after clean installing. What’s the difference between fresh install of windows 10 and resetting the already installed windows 10? I would like to know this as well.

After I upgraded to windows 10 I did a reset of the OS through settings. Reset might not work for some issues. I think reset and delete all files without wiping the disk is the best thing. I tried doing the “reset’ from within W10 twice.. Got a BSOD both times I used the dvd I made from the. I was prompted twice to enter a key, skipped both times.

Checked that W10 was activated when it was all done It was in fact. I upgraded from Windows 7 to 10 through Windows update. And this article mentions, the 7 product key will be changed to 10 product key. So can I still use that product key to activate 7 or will it only work with 10 now? Your key should work on 7 because it’s a win7 key.