How to do a clean install of Windows Which option is best for you? | ZDNet - How to prepare computer for clean install of Windows 10
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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.
But Windows 10 doesn't need a key, your key is your hardware, that's what Windows 10 searches, if it matches it will say "oh this hardware was activated before, so it will be activated" that's why you can just put your windows 10 dvd and clean install without upgrading after you did a first upgrade of course so it would activate your hardware from 7 to If your W10 is running slow I suggest doing a clean W10 install.
Windows upgrades impact your system performance. Tried resetting my pc. While it is better now, still not upto 7's smoothness.
A full clean install is not viable as I have a lot of data to transfer that too without an external hard drive. Well it seems it's easier just to Reset and delete all files no? Exactly my thought. Just upgrade to win10 and do a reset without keeping files and settings. That's no different than doing a clean install right? This technique doesn't work. The main issue is that if you use your windows 8. If you skip the product key, you'll have an un-activated version of windows installed.
After talking to Microsoft support, they basically want you to buy windows 10 if you truly want to do a clean installl. Otherwise it's an upgrade every time. My suggestion is to do a "fresh" install don't save any previous files and apps. This shoves your old drive into the windows. Then you can run disc cleanup and remove the windows. Then make an image of your drive for future recovery using your favorite imaging tool.
I've not found any other way that works - and i've spent well over 3 days now testing different methods. Also confirming what everyone else found - the 2 computers i have upgraded to 10 are showing the same generic key and that key will not work for install.
It does work. You tried to use your 8. You shouldn't enter any key at all at any point. If you upgraded to 10 from 7 or 8. During a clean install of Windows 10 later on the same machine, the request for Windows 10 product key must be skipped an option is available. Otherwise your machine can't be activated. Note: you do NOT need your Windows 8.
Click SKIP when it asks you for a key, and when you sign in on the PC with your Microsoft account same one you were already using , Windows 10 will activate automatically, no key required. Exactly, 8. After a true upgrade, MS stores your licence on their server along with your hardware info. If you do a clean installation after the upgrade, the whole activation process is automatic.
You just have to wait. No keys required. It seems that you don't need to sign in with your MSA as you said, a local account should work too. As Zapella said, your hardware info is what matters.
Well I didn't perform a clean installation, I just used the media creation tool to upgrade to windows 10, and everything is working like a charm, expect for my display adapter driver, which gave me a low resolution, but I solved it after many trials and finally used windows update to download the latest driver, after I uninstalled the previous one, and I even got two additional updates for windows 10 pro.
You actually don't need the product key. The clean install will activate it automatically, provided you don't change the hardware.
This makes sense Why would Microsoft expect users to extract their key with an archaic 3 rd party program, just to make use of their much advertised free upgrade for the entire populace? Should be easy right? And it is. Handy article, however I would say it would've been best not to suggest to delete all the partitions off the hard drive lol Just the partition they wish to install on unless they want to clean the hdd "completely".
That's the definition of a clean install: deleting absolutely everything, including partitions. Went the manual route for my laptop running Windows 8.
Downloaded the ISO - so I can back that up too for later use if needed - loaded onto a USB stick, and used that to do the in-place upgrade. By the time I made it into Windows 10 settings it was already activated. Then I turned around and did the the clean install - had already fully backed up and was ready, and I had been planning for a clean install anyway - which interestingly went much quicker than the upgrade. Again, activation was already done by the time I checked on it. Pretty good so far, though the system seems a bit sluggish at times.
Might just be initial shakedown happening, or maybe I need to verify the drivers are current. The mfr has drivers for 7 and 8.
ISO will work fine, just make sure you get your license upgraded to a Windows 10 license by first updating through Windows Update, as mentioned in the article. In my case, my desktop and laptop currently run W7 Pro 64 bit. Does the USB get tied to that specific machine which a clean install is performed on? Thanks J! In total my household has 5 pcs to upgrade, I'm glad I won't have to buy 5 separate USB drive for each pc.
And they have to be the same language if I'm not mistaken. Did it thanks! If you do everything right, you'll never need to use any key at all. You don't need to know your windows 10 key. Might as well buy Windows 10 Home. Clean install; all the way. Once I get it clean install only thru gimagex wonder if the media creation tool is like w8's where it'll decrypt the install esd as folder windows payload as I hate being bored with the long drawn out process that the setup app uses.
Hi All, I did a clean install in the same way as its mentioned in the post except taking the key with Magical Jelly Bean, but after the clean install my Windows is not getting activated. I contacted MS team and got the reply as its due to server slowness issue, but I'm not convinenced becuase its alredy two days my lap in this mode Anyone faced the same issue and got it resolved please post your comments below.
As long as you upgraded to W10 first and it showed as activated. If you tried straight clean install without first doing an upgrade, then the only way I've come across for it to work is to rebuild to a clean version of whatever the machine came with don't waste time on the updates for it either, literally bang on the upgrade from a USB as soon as it's activated , then upgrade, then clean install at which point it doesn't need a key as the hwid is registered with MS.
I get the same error code after doing an upgrade of my Windows 10 Developer Preview last night. It was fully updated and activated before I did the upgrade. I upgraded to my own language and it kept only my personal files.
The error code means that the key has been blocked. Same here. Did an upgrade from Win 8. This morning massage pops out that Windows is not activated. It's must be noted that the requirement to get Windows 10 through Windows Update is only if you want to perform a clean install. If you use the ISO tool to install it, you just skip the cd-key and upgrade the installed OS, then it activates itself from within Windows So it's safe and fast to just update it with the ISO tool.
Is there any way to recover the Insider activation or something? Exact same issue here. Same with DVDs, is it more than one disc? It does as it has the directories for both. Download it if you need both, and just check the size before dumping to a USB.
Upgrade to win 10 then do a reset Or, you can skip all this, go into the new recovery settings and do a full reset and reinstall Windows 10 automatically Does anyone know if I can upgrade to windows 10 from vista using a clean installation? You can, but your license won't be upgraded.
You will be running a non-Genuine copy of Windows unless you purchase a Windows 10 license key or sign up for the Windows Insider program. The licence wouldn't matter in this case anyway - it's Vista so doesn't get a free upgrade. So purchase a new licence key or have MSDN or go the insider path, and do a clean install from there. Doesn't Windows, since Windows 8, have built in Refresh and Restore options, the latter of which basically formats the hard drive and reinstall Windows automatically?
Correct me if I'm wrong. Definitely a fresh install for me. New components may be on the cards too. While this is closer to a clean install I don't consider it completely clean. I don't lik my OS drives to be quick formatted. I have not seen that anybody mentioned it, but for all students that have access to free Microsoft software via Dreamspark, you can download Win10 iso, put it on the USB or DVD and install clean copy on your system, like usually You will get a new serial key, independent of your previous downloads Win 7 or 8.
During clean install, we would definitely format the previous partition then why we need to first upgrade previous version to Windows 10? It means during clean install you don't need to give installation key and windows will be activated by itself.
First sorry for my english-I'm from Poland. I done clean installation exactly like you, but I don't downloaded Windows 10 twice, I only downloaded once and check prepare pendrive. Why did Edge disappear? Taskbar was unresponsive and I fixed that, but Edge disappeared? It looks like it just uninstalled. I can find the shortcut but it doesn't open anything.
Please help! So what if I have windows XP. Can't I install windows 10 by just purchasing windows 10 and installing it after a format of the hard drive. Does an upgrade write this over? Doesn't matter in my case, yet wondering. The product key is tied to the motherboard bios right?
So if I clean install Windows 10 on a new hard drive will it find the product key? How to download "get windows 10 app". I upgraded to Windows 10 via Windows update but I performed the reinstallation of windows 10 from the settings app and selecting the restore option, choosing to delete everything. Is this thing giving the same result of the formatting option said in the article?
Or maybe there is still some windows 8. Once i upgraded my network connection didn't work perfectly I try to install the new versions of the drivers for my mother board but it didn't work Officially I don have internet connection on Windows That's easy enough BUT what are you all doing about booting off of a thumb drive on a surface pro?
Mine isn't doing it. For devices with UEFI security you have to set up your usb stick in a different way. Have a look on Google. Even specific ones for the SP3.
Sent from mobile. Im interested to know how to clean install win 10 on surface 3 and pro 3. I called ms and they didnt really provide a solution. I'd like to of course have everything intact so when I do a reset it still works perfectly. More curious:. I got even another key which is neither my Win7 key nor the Insider Preview key. What key should I put in when I'm prompted to activate Windows 10 after the clean install?
Details required : characters remaining Cancel Submit 17 people found this comment helpful. What, when my hardware changes? Yes there's much information about that but only from 3rd-party.
Do I need to do the upgrade again? Do I still get the free upgrade? If not, can I at least use my 'old' Windows which I before used to upgrade to Win10 or is the license not valid anymore you say one can only 'go back' 30days lonng. How's all that with Germany: Here a hardware-change afaik cannot 'invalidate' the license.
Choose where you want to search below Search Search the Community. What is the Digital Entitlement or Digital License? Learn more here The Windows logo will appear on screen, this might be here for a while, as long as you see the animating dots, everything should be ok. Select your Language, Time and Keyboard method then click Next. Click Install now Windows 10 setup will prompt you for a product key during installation a couple times. The copy of Windows 10 you download and upgrade from will correspond with the edition of Windows you have installed, if it does not, this is why you might be experiencing problems activating: Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Windows 8.
Select the drive then click New NOTE : If you have multiple partitions listed, select each one starting at the bottom , then click delete until there is only a single one unallocated drive displayed in the window. Select the unallocated drive listed, click New , click Apply then OK This will split the drive into multiple partitions, select the Primary partition then click Next.
Wait while Windows installs When this phase of setup is complete, Windows will automatically restart then reboot into setup again. Out of Box Experience The Out of Box Experience page is where you get to configure detailed settings in Windows, which includes creating a user account, configure privacy, sync PC settings and install modern applications.
This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. How satisfied are you with this article? Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site. Previous Next. Andre, Fantastic article.
Is the media supposed to be removed prior to this final reboot? Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit. How satisfied are you with this comment?
Andre Da Costa Article Author. In reply to linear 2 's post on February 2, In reply to Andre Da Costa's post on February 3, Please see the Volume Licensing Service Center for more information.
Microsoft Office products. If you just purchased a new device that includes Office , we recommend redeeming installing Office before upgrading to Windows For more information, check How to upgrade to Windows 10 on new devices that include Office Select an edition from the drop down menu. Select edition Windows 10 multi-edition ISO. Confirm Privacy. I re-installed Windows 10 from Windows media creation tool, yet when its on, I can still see the manaf trash pre-installed apps such as Disney and SKype app.
Was this reply helpful? Yes No. Sorry this didn't help. Thanks for your feedback. I'm little confused. Disney does not have to be installed and is not part of Windows. This is a tutorial for a clean install Windows Need to remove and reinstall windows with Intel AC wireless adapter to resume Windows May have started with Windows 7, upgraded to 10 and finally
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