Of course, that's unless you don't have anything important you want to keep.
On Windows 10, the install process deletes everything on the hard drive, which means that backing up the entire device (or at least your files) is crucial.
Then you can skip this part and jump to bootable media creation and a clean install process. The computer is configured to start from a USB flash drive, and non-essential peripherals are disconnected. If you already have a backup of the device and files.
How to prepare computer for clean install of Windows 10īefore proceeding with the clean installation of Windows 10, it's recommended to complete some essential tasks to minimize the chances of issues and data loss.
In this Windows 10 guide, we'll walk you through the complete process to perform a clean installation, whether you want to upgrade to Windows 10 October 2020 Update, or you're about to make the leap to Windows 8.1 or Windows 7.
It's also a good solution to start fresh with a new copy of Windows 10 on a new computer that may have come preloaded with bloatware, when you're readying a device for safely decommission, or when replacing a hard drive.įurthermore, if you had the same setup for a long time, a clean installation is the better option to upgrade to the latest version of Windows 10 or upgrade from an older version (such as Windows 7 and Windows 8.1), minimizing the risks of issues during and after the process. In addition, a fresh install can improve battery life, and it's perhaps the best approach to eliminating viruses and other types of malware. For instance, this method can resolve memory, startup, shut down, apps, and performance issues. Take advantage of an exclusive offer in our sampler today.On Windows 10, a clean installation defines the process to wipe out the hard drive and start from scratch with a new setup when the device is having problems.
Create a recovery CD or USB stick following the prompts, and next time you need to reinstall Windows, make sure your File History backup is up to date, then boot from your recovery media before restoring this drive image.Īll you'll need to do is bring Windows and your apps up to date, and reinstall new programs. Then, before you restore your File History backup, launch Macrium Reflect Free and take a new drive image. After reinstalling Windows and apps, reinstall your key programs and set them up as you like them. Reinstalling and setting up Windows again can be a chore, so speed up future reinstalls by creating a perfect recovery image. Get your perfect Windows setup quickly and easily next time you have to reinstall Speed up future Windows reinstalls Again, take the time to download the latest versions and set each one up. Of course, you'll need to reinstall your key desktop applications, too, after this has been done. The step-by-step walkthrough reveals everything you need to know. Once you’re done reinstalling Windows 10, you’ll have a brand new system at your disposal and it’s time to reinstall your apps, apply preferences and restore backed up data.
Finally, click 'Reset' and let your PC do the rest. You'll also be given an option to 'clean the drive fully' – again, skip this unless you're selling on your PC. Unless you're planning on disposing of the PC, select 'Only the drive where Windows is installed' to protect data files stored on other partitions or drives. The reset process is simple: your PC reboots, then after a pause while things are being prepared, you may be confronted by a screen asking you if you want to remove files from all of your drives, or just the drive that Windows is installed on. In practical terms this means you'll avoid a lengthy series of post-install updates to download and install in order to bring Windows itself back up to date. One of the benefits of this new approach is that Windows attempts to recover from a previously created system image or – failing that – using a special series of install files that download the latest version of Windows during the reinstall process.