Clean install of Windows 10

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Got a good question from MR: I’ve been reading Windows 10 for Dummies to bolster my nerves before installing Windows 10 on my on my Windows 8.1 Sony V
[See the full post at: Clean install of Windows 10]

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I did exactly the same on a laptop the other day. As much as it pains me to say it, it was the easiest install I’ve ever done. It sorted out the partitions, drivers and authenticated itself with no help from me.

However, what I would say is this: If you plan to shut down a lot of the intrusive elements of W10 -telemetry, spying, location services and Cortana, you will save hours of time if you choose ‘Custom Settings’ on the ‘Get going fast page’. It’s easy to miss because it is in tiny letters, at the bottom left of the screen. Whereas ‘Use Express Settings’ is a big button on the bottom right.

If you choose ‘Custom Settings’ you can turn most of the rubbish off before you even start using your shiny new W10.

A handy video, from an ex M$ programmer of 15 years:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1kGMCfb2xw&list=PLEbaEyM-xt9lDOWimRcUjcbvzcOqSFi6C

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“That first step is necessary to “validate” your copy of Windows.”

You have to clean install before you can clean install?

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Nope, you have to upgrade-in-place, and then clean install. The upgrade-in-place part validates your old Win7 or 8.1 license, then brands your machine as being a valid Win10 machine. From then on, you can install or re-install Win10 any way you like. Microsoft keeps a record saying that this particular machine has a valid Win10 license.

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I use multiple partitions inside an Extended Partition in a dual-boot, and for me, the Windows 10 upgrade made a mess of the partitions. It completely erased the Extended Partition and all the Logical Drives within it, then renumbered my Linux Primary Partition. I could not use Clonezilla Live to restore the Linux partitions, as their numbering had been messed with. And all my data partitions had been erased.

This was with the Windows 10 Pro installer created by the Media Creation Tool (MCT).

So you should not only back up data before attempting an upgrade, especially when intending to do a clean install over the upgrade, but you should make image backups or even make a full clone of the entire hard drive where the upgrade is to take place.

Also, it pays to check with your PC or device manufacturer to make very sure they have a complete Windows 10 drivers package available to download and apply as soon as possible after the Windows 10 upgrade — before MS Updates gets a chance to kick in and install the Microsoft versions of your drivers. For me, a NVidia graphics driver needed to be installed before MS Updates could install a know-bad driver.

Don’t forget — in Windows 10 these updates including drivers, take place automatically when doing the upgrade. The Clean Install also will not leave you with choices as to which updates and drivers will install the first time MS Updates runs after installation.

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I’m not following these steps to your process, but would really like to be able to do a clean install of 10 when the time comes.
Starting from the beginning this quote, (with step numbers) and [added questions] is confusing. What is the step necessary to validate your machine? And after doing steps 1-6, and validating your machine why are you wiping your machine out and starting over?

(1) You give this–go here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10 then you say:
“(2)Back up your data. (3)Download the file,[do you mean “to a USB drive”] put it on a USB drive, (4) and boot from the USB drive. You’ll end up with a completely clean machine. (5)You’ll have to re-install your programs and (6)copy back your data afterwards.
That first step is necessary to “validate” your copy of Windows. [What is the first step in the sequence above; is it step 1, just going to the link?] Once the machine’s been validated, [Where in this sequence is the machine validated} you can wipe it [what do you mean by wipe, and how do you wipe it?] out and start all over. [are you starting over after step 6?]”

I see b is confused also, and based on steps 1-6. You answer: upgrade-in-place, and then clean install doesn’t clarify it for me.

Does something not being stated happen between step (1), going to that link, which sounds like a download for your usb drive and (2) backing up your data or (3) downloading to a usb drive? It sounds as if it may be downloaded once and then again from the usb drive?

Is the boot from the USB drive what you are calling wipe out and start all over?

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Sometimes I’m more than a bit obtuse, especially when I’m writing too fast! Sorry about that.

If you have a Win7 or 8.1 machine with a valid license, you can perform an in-place upgrade to Windows 10 using the “Get Windows 10” icon that’s likely showing up in your system tray, or by going to

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

and following the steps to “Upgrade this computer.”

Doing that should knock out most – but not necessarily all – of the old crapware.

If you want a CLEAN install of Windows 10- re-format your hard drive, install Windows, then manually install your programs and data – you need to go through a specific set of steps, in a specific sequence, to make sure that Microsoft registers your computer as a valid Windows 10 computer. If you simply download and install Windows 10 the way we used to do clean installs, Microsoft won’t register your computer as a valid Windows 10 computer, and you may have to talk to a human being and convince them that you really do have a valid license.

The trick is to do an in-place upgrade first, to get your license ironed out, then do a clean install.

Details here: http://www.infoworld.com/article/2989972/microsoft-windows/windows-10-installation-problems-and-what-to-do-about-them.html

Think of it as two separate steps in order to perform a clean install: upgrade first, clean install later. That’s what Microsoft didn’t warn us about last July.

In other respects – backing up your data, reinstalling programs, etc – the clean install is just like any other clean install you’ve ever done.

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Thank you! I have been reading your material and so far you have saved me from windows 10. I have never been brave enough to comment. Everyone who does seems so knowledgeable. I have a few more questions and I must admit my complete ignorance.

I have never done a clean install before. Someone else reloaded Windows 7 Home Premium on my computer last summer from the Best Buy Disks provided, so I don’t even know if they reformatted the drive or not. It is full of Best Buy and Toshiba bloatware now.

My win 7 Home Premium is legit; I bought it pre-installed. I was never given the license number, and I do not know how to find it out. Apparently only MS and Toshiba know it. On the System Information screen I have a product ID with numbers and OEM in it, but was told this is not my license number. If Best Buy provided the license number by way of a sticker, they stuck it to the bottom of the laptop and of course it is all worn off—if that is what was there.

So will I have to have and know an original Windows 7 license number to be able to get 10?

For Windows 10, once you click that link provided you get Windows 10 on your computer by following the steps—do they give you a windows 10 license number, or is it hidden on your computer at this point?

After, you download 10 onto your computer, you also download it to a USB drive—I guess they allow that. Then you reformat your drive (I can look that one up, never having done it) and reinstall Windows 10 with the new license number they have given you, or is the new license now just hidden on your computer even after the reformatting of the drive?

As an aside, If I wanted to reload my windows 7 (and never get 10) with a clean install without all the Toshiba bloat ware, could I download it from the same site—going to the win 7 download, and then download it to a USB drive, reformat the hard drive and install win 7,or do I have to know my license number ahead of time?

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Actually it’s much easier than that. When you upgrade in place (which is what you normally do if you click through those “Get Windows 10” notices, or go to the Microsoft web site), your old license is transferred to Windows 10, and your new license is stored by Microsoft in its own servers. YOu won’t be asked for a key. You’ll never need a license or key again.

Once you’ve done the upgrade, if you really want to clean your machine, you can go through the hassle of booting using a USB drive (again, no key required if you first did an in-place upgrade), or you can try performing a Recovery: Click Start, Settings, Update & security. Choose Recovery, and click “Get started” under Reset this PC. Select “Remove everything.” That’ll wipe out your files completely, and you’ll have to reinstall them and your apps from scratch, just like in a clean install.

Re-installing Windows 7 without the crapware is considerably more difficult. Let me know if you really want to do that. It’ll take a couple of days.

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I think that now Windows 10 installation downloaded from the official Microsoft site is supposed to recognize valid Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license keys directly without doing the upgrade in place first.

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Thank you for all your advice!

Is it ever possible to get the license from MS. I can almost guarantee that if in some remote way one were to need the license I am most likely the one person for whom the key did not permanently register on their computer.

Does the upgrade in place require a MS account? Something within me doesn’t want one for a lot of reasons.

Now Black Tuesdays create horrific anxiety as do performing the updates. I am not alone. I am afraid I will not be able to do my work among other things. I found Windows 7 a good OS, and I don’t want to change to Windows 10 for many reasons.

Asking you to give the information on how to do a clean install of Windows 7 makes me feel selfish. I may be forced to go over to the dark side with 10, or I may wake up and found it done. How many other readers would want to know how to do it? Many people seem to want to stay with Windows 7, but does it warrant your valuable time?

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The key trick with re-installing a clean copy of win7 is finding a clean ISO. In general, the recovery partition you may have on your machine will be loaded with crapware.

If you can get a clean copy of Win7 SP1, and you know your Win7 key, the installation is just tedious and time consuming.

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It’s complicated.

If you upgrade in place, your machine is forever branded as “genuine” for Win10.

If you do a clean upgrade, you can enter any valid Win7 or Win 8.1 key and it’ll be accepted as a Win10 key.

But if you do a clean upgrade, and you don’t have your old Win7 or 8.1 key, you could be required to get on the phone and argue your way through it. Haven’t heard lately how easy (or hard) that is…

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How do you know the key if only Toshiba has it, or it is hidden in the partition, if it is there, and/or it is on the back-up disks Best Buy made?

Where does one locate a clean copy of Win 7 with SP1? Are they for sale, or downloadable from MS?

Thank you so much for your time!

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YOu may be able to retrieve the key using NirSoft’s ProduKey.

Microsoft has a site where you can download a clean copy of Win 7 – but it’ll only work if you can provide the product key for a retail version of Windows 7. (Most people got their PCs with Win7 pre-installed. Microsoft wants you to get installation CDs for those machines from the company that sold you the machine – a process that can be very expensive and time-consuming, if not impossible.)

There’s a German site that has gathered all of the (many!) versions of Win7 that were once available officially. You may feel comfortable downloading from that site. Maybe not.

If you decide you’re OK with downloading the software — Microsoft charges for the key, not for the bits — look for

32-bit home: en_windows_7_home_premium_with_sp1_x86_dvd_u_676701.iso
64-bit home: en_windows_7_home_premium_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676549.iso
32-bit pro: en_windows_7_professional_with_sp1_x86_dvd_u_677056.iso
64-bit pro: en_windows_7_professional_with_sp1_x64_dvd_u_676939.iso

Note that the version you install must match the version you currently have on your PC.

The owners of the site say it costs a fortune to keep the site going – easy to believe. Unfortunately, they don’t have a donation box – but they do have ads and it’ll help if you click through on them.

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That is a lot of valuable information! Thank you.

I thought I was done asking questions, but there is one thing I do not understand in your directions related to the German site.

You write: “There’s a German site that has gathered all of the (many!) versions of Win7 that were once available officially. You may feel comfortable downloading from that site. Maybe not.

If you decide you’re OK with downloading the software — Microsoft charges for the key, not for the bits”

So, once you obtain the key from either Produkey or your computer maker, you go to the German site to download your exact OS product using the key, and somewhere in there MS charges for the key, but not the bits? Or, is this last small paragraph about MS charging a fee a totally separate way to get a key from MS? I did not think MS would provide you a key based on a conversation I had with them this fall.

Can you download your OS version from the German site to a flash drive or CD’s?
Can you also download to a flash drive or disk Produkey? I think for someone like me Produkey would be best downloaded with full install/uninstall support.

If you are able to get your Key from Produkey then can I assume it would also be possible to download Windows 7 Home Premium from the Microsoft site?

This process is probably too advanced for me, but I could perhaps find someone to help me if necessary.

Thank you so much for your amazing patience and generosity with your time.

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Microsoft charges for the key, not for the bits. You can’t even buy the bits.

If you already have a working copy of Windows 7, you’ve already paid for the key. The trick is to find out what the key might be.

Once you get the key (from ProduKey, or printed on a CD, or wherever), you should try to download the bits from the Microsoft site. If that doesn’t work – Microsoft’s site refuses to give you a copy of Windows 7 – you can either beg, borrow or steal a copy from a friend, or use the German site to download a copy.

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Thank you! I am sure you have helped more people than just me.

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Let me know how it works out.

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This is no longer true. There is no need to upgrade in place, wipe and reinstall. W10 from the 1511 version takes your W7/8.x product key for activating directly. You can get the updates install media e.g. from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench

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Your clean copy of pretty much any Windows version starting with W7 SP1 is available here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/techbench

To get it, you need just a small piece of javascript pasted into your browser’s developer console: http://goo.gl/arq3L9

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This is a new one on me.

Why is the javascript necessary? Is it the Greasemonkey script from daveo76 on MDL?

This sure looks like a hack/crack to me.

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IF you have your Win7/8.1 product key and you’re absolutely sure it’s a valid key, you can install Win10 using the Media Creation Tool and a valid Win7/8.1 product key.

Paul has an overview here.

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That javascript is necessary *only*
– if you want older versions of the OS (W7 SP1, W8.1) and cannot locate the product key or it gets refused by respective the download page (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows7 is the “proper” one for W7 SP1
– if the edition you want is not offered for download by those MS download page.

Most of the W7 major OEM brands’ laptops used the SLIC method of activation via BIOS, I don’t have any W7 COA handy so I cannot test whether the COA key is accepted by that download page.)

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This related guide seems fairly comprehensive: “Clean Install Windows 10” – https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki/windows_10-windows_install/clean-install-windows-10/1c426bdf-79b1-4d42-be93-17378d93e587.

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