How To Do Fresh Install Of Windows 10

windows 10 pc

The Windows 10 upgrade process drags old files, settings, and programs from your previous Windows organisation to your new i. Microsoft allows yous to become an entirely fresh system by performing a clean install.

This is particularly useful if you lot've purchased a new Windows 10 PC and information technology includes manufacturer-installed bloatware you don't want. Or, you may need to perform a clean install on a figurer without an existing Windows system after installing a new hard drive. Of grade, you lot'll miss out on the good pre-installed apps, similar the free DVD player program that comes with many PCs. However, yous can e'er install VLC to become DVD playback or employ 1 of the more fully featured Windows Media Heart alternatives.

RELATED: Windows 10 is Out Today: Should You Upgrade?

Previously, Microsoft forced users to upgrade to Windows 10 before they could showtime fresh and do a clean install–which was annoyingly complicated and time-consuming. At present, things are much easier, since you tin can activate Windows x with a Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 cardinal.

Pick I: Create Installation Media and Install Windows from Scratch

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The archetype method of performing a make clean install is still our go-to option with Windows 10. You just demand to download and create installation media, either on a DVD or a flash drive, and install it from in that location.

Download the Windows 10 media creation tool from Microsoft. This tool will download the correct Windows 10 installation files for your system, and help you create an installation DVD or wink drive. Get-go it upwardly and select the "Create installation media for some other PC" choice to create installation media.

Be certain to select the correct type of installation media for the re-create of Windows 10 that'southward licensed for your PC — Windows ten Home or Professional. (If "Windows 10" is the just option, you can safely utilize that and it will detect what version you want.) You should too choose your language and select whether you want the 32-bit or 64-scrap version of Windows here. Almost people will want the 64-bit version, but y'all tin create installation media that includes both, and the installer will automatically select the well-nigh appropriate ane when you apply it to install Windows on a computer.

Install Windows ten from the installation media like you would any other operating system. Restart your computer with the USB drive or DVD inserted, and kick from that device. This may require you change a setting in the BIOS, access a boot menu, or use the "Use a device" pick in the advanced startup options on a modern Windows 8 or ten device that includes UEFI firmware instead of the traditional BIOS. Select "Install Now" once the Windows installer starts.

Next, you'll run into the activation screen. What you do hither depends on your situation:

If you've never installed and activated Windows x on this reckoner before, you'll see the activation screen. Enter your Windows ten key here. If yous don't have ane, but you have a valid vii, 8, or 8.1 key, enter information technology here instead.
If yous've ever installed and activated Windows 10 on this computer before, click "I don't have a product fundamental". Windows will automatically actuate in one case it'south installed.

The 2d situation works because of how Windows 10 activates PCs. When you lot install and activate Windows 10 on a system for the kickoff time, the installer confirms that you have a "18-carat Windows" organisation installed and registers your hardware with Microsoft's servers. Later that, you shouldn't take to enter that central again on the same PC–Microsoft will recognize your hardware the adjacent time you lot install Windows 10 on that machine, ostend it's registered, and automatically actuate itself.

Get through the setup process usually until yous encounter the "Which type of installation do you want?" screen. Select the "Custom" option to ensure y'all're performing a clean install and not an upgrade install.

Segmentation your system bulldoze yet you lot similar. If you merely have a single Windows partitioning, you can tell the installer to overwrite it. If you have many partitions, you lot could delete them all and tell Windows 10 to install itself in the unallocated infinite.

After yous log into your new, cleanly installed Windows 10 system, it should automatically activate itself after y'all connect to the Internet.

To ensure it activated correctly, open the Showtime menu and click on Settings. click the Update & Security push, and become to the "Activation" tab.

Verify that yous see "Windows is activated" hither. Also, note the edition of Windows 10 you have installed — either Windows x Domicile or Windows 10 Pro. Most people volition receive the Home edition as office of the gratis upgrade from 7 or 8, only you'll get Windows 10 Pro if you previously had a Professional edition of Windows 7 or 8 installed.

When nosotros reinstalled Windows 10 Pro on our calculator, it activated immediately. But, if Microsoft'south activation servers are overloaded, and then it may accept some time earlier your system activates. If it's not activated, you may see information here that can assist y'all activate.

Some people written report having to reboot several times, while others take merely waited. The post-obit command tin can force an activation to occur if it's not happening automatically after going through the steps higher up. First, open an Administrator Command Prompt by right-clicking the Start push button or pressing Windows Key + 10 and selecting Command Prompt (Admin). Type the following control and press Enter:

slmgr.vbs /ato

Many people report having to run this command several times. if yous see an fault bulletin, effort rebooting and running information technology again, look and run it again, or just wait and permit Windows activate automatically. Microsoft'south servers may be overloaded at the moment yous're trying to actuate.

Pick Two: Perform a Reset and Remove Everything

If you've already upgraded to Windows ten and want a fresh install, there'south an easier method. You lot can use the Reset feature to reset your Windows 10 system back to a fresh land. If y'all installed Windows ten yourself, this should give you lot a fresh Windows system in no fourth dimension.

In that location are a few caveats, nonetheless: this method isn't ideal for every situation. If y'all purchased a computer that came with Windows 10, for example, this will likely bring back the bloatware that came with your Windows 10 PC. (In that location's a way around this, but we've yet to exam it ourselves.)

In improver, some people have reported that information technology won't set up some system corruption issues, in which case yous'd want to perform a real clean install using Choice One higher up.

To reset your Windows 10 PC, open the Settings app, select Update & security, select Recovery, and click the "Get started" button under Reset this PC. Select "Remove everything." This will wipe all your files, then be sure you have backups.

Microsoft'due south free upgrade offering depends on your PC'south hardware so it may non activate properly if you've swapped out hardware inside your PC. You may need to call Microsoft and complete the phone activation process, explaining what happened, if you changed the PC'southward hardware subsequently taking reward of the offer. The telephone support line can give you an activation code that volition permit you to actuate Windows ten, even if it won't activate automatically. Yet, y'all may take to provide additional information.

Technically, the free Windows 10 upgrade (too as OEM copies of Windows and pre-installed copies of Windows ten) aren't supposed to be transferred to a divide PC. Just often, the phone activation process volition let yous exercise it anyway, so information technology'due south worth a shot.

Image Credit: Brett Morrison on Flickr