How To Install A Fresh Copy Of Windows 10

windows 10 pc

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

This is particularly useful if you've purchased a new Windows 10 PC and it includes manufacturer-installed bloatware you don't desire. Or, you may need to perform a clean install on a reckoner without an existing Windows organization after installing a new hard drive. Of grade, you'll miss out on the practiced pre-installed apps, like the free DVD actor plan that comes with many PCs. Even so, you lot can ever install VLC to become DVD playback or utilise one of the more fully featured Windows Media Middle alternatives.

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

Previously, Microsoft forced users to upgrade to Windows 10 earlier they could start fresh and practice a clean install–which was annoyingly complicated and fourth dimension-consuming. Now, things are much easier, since you can activate Windows 10 with a Windows seven, 8, or 8.1 primal.

Option One: Create Installation Media and Install Windows from Scratch

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The classic method of performing a clean install is still our go-to option with Windows x. You lot just need 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 volition download the correct Windows 10 installation files for your system, and help you create an installation DVD or flash drive. Kickoff it up and select the "Create installation media for some other PC" pick to create installation media.

Exist sure to select the correct type of installation media for the copy of Windows 10 that's licensed for your PC — Windows 10 Dwelling house or Professional. (If "Windows 10" is the just selection, y'all tin safely use that and it will detect what version you want.) You should also choose your language and select whether you lot want the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Windows here. Most people will want the 64-scrap version, only yous can create installation media that includes both, and the installer will automatically select the near appropriate i when you use it to install Windows on a computer.

Install Windows 10 from the installation media like yous would any other operating organisation. Restart your figurer with the USB drive or DVD inserted, and boot from that device. This may require yous change a setting in the BIOS, access a kicking menu, or use the "Employ a device" option in the advanced startup options on a modern Windows eight or ten device that includes UEFI firmware instead of the traditional BIOS. Select "Install Now" once the Windows installer starts.

Next, you'll run across the activation screen. What y'all do here depends on your situation:

If you've never installed and activated Windows 10 on this estimator earlier, you'll encounter the activation screen. Enter your Windows 10 central here. If you lot don't take one, simply y'all have a valid 7, 8, or 8.one key, enter information technology here instead.
If you've ever installed and activated Windows 10 on this reckoner before, click "I don't have a product key". Windows volition automatically activate once it's installed.

The second situation works because of how Windows 10 activates PCs. When you install and activate Windows 10 on a system for the offset time, the installer confirms that you accept a "genuine Windows" organisation installed and registers your hardware with Microsoft'southward servers. After that, you shouldn't have to enter that cardinal again on the same PC–Microsoft will recognize your hardware the next time you install Windows 10 on that machine, confirm information technology's registered, and automatically activate itself.

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

Partition your organization drive notwithstanding you like. If y'all just take a single Windows partition, yous can tell the installer to overwrite it. If yous have many partitions, you could delete them all and tell Windows 10 to install itself in the unallocated space.

After you log into your new, cleanly installed Windows 10 organisation, it should automatically activate itself later y'all connect to the Internet.

To ensure it activated correctly, open up the Start menu and click on Settings. click the Update & Security button, and go to the "Activation" tab.

Verify that you see "Windows is activated" here. Also, annotation the edition of Windows ten you have installed — either Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Almost people will receive the Home edition every bit part of the free upgrade from 7 or viii, but yous'll get Windows 10 Pro if you previously had a Professional person edition of Windows seven or 8 installed.

When nosotros reinstalled Windows x Pro on our computer, it activated immediately. But, if Microsoft'south activation servers are overloaded, and then it may take some time before your organization activates. If it'due south non activated, you may run into data here that can help you activate.

Some people report having to reboot several times, while others have but waited. The following command can force an activation to occur if information technology'due south not happening automatically afterwards going through the steps above. First, open up an Administrator Command Prompt by right-clicking the Start button or pressing Windows Central + X and selecting Command Prompt (Admin). Type the post-obit command and press Enter:

slmgr.vbs /ato

Many people report having to run this command several times. if y'all see an mistake message, try rebooting and running it again, wait and run it once again, or merely wait and let Windows activate automatically. Microsoft's servers may be overloaded at the moment you're trying to activate.

Pick 2: Perform a Reset and Remove Everything

If you've already upgraded to Windows 10 and desire a fresh install, in that location's an easier method. Y'all can utilise the Reset feature to reset your Windows ten organisation back to a fresh state. If you lot installed Windows 10 yourself, this should give you a fresh Windows system in no time.

In that location are a few caveats, even so: this method isn't platonic for every situation. If you purchased a computer that came with Windows x, for example, this will likely bring dorsum the bloatware that came with your Windows ten PC. (There'due south a way effectually this, but nosotros've yet to test it ourselves.)

In addition, some people have reported that it won't fix some arrangement corruption issues, in which case you'd want to perform a real clean install using Option I above.

To reset your Windows 10 PC, open the Settings app, select Update & security, select Recovery, and click the "Get started" push nether Reset this PC. Select "Remove everything." This volition wipe all your files, and then be certain yous have backups.

Microsoft's free upgrade offer depends on your PC'southward hardware and then it may not activate properly if you lot've swapped out hardware inside your PC. You may demand to call Microsoft and complete the telephone activation process, explaining what happened, if y'all changed the PC's hardware after taking advantage of the offer. The phone support line can give yous an activation code that will allow you to activate Windows x, even if it won't actuate automatically. However, you lot may have to provide additional data.

Technically, the complimentary Windows 10 upgrade (likewise as OEM copies of Windows and pre-installed copies of Windows 10) aren't supposed to be transferred to a carve up PC. Only ofttimes, the phone activation process volition let you lot do it anyhow, so it's worth a shot.

Image Credit: Brett Morrison on Flickr