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Warning: This is another friendly reminder that this process will erase everything on the computer. Check the information on compatibility, upgrade, and available fixes from HP and Microsoft. If you’re in the market for an external drive to store file backups, look no читать далее than the Western Digital Elements Desktop Hard Drive. In this guideyou will learn six different ways to perform clean install windows 10 from usb download free download clean installation of Windows 10 on your computer, whether you plan to reinstall the same version or upgrade to a later release, including version clen, 21H1, or 20H2. Reliable storage. If you previously configured file backup with OneDrive, the data should frre be available insfall the OneDrive folder, but if the app didn’t configure automatically, you can use this guide. Format already installed Win10 4.
 
 

 

Clean install windows 10 from usb download free download.Install Windows from a USB Flash Drive

 

This means manufacturer-specific settings, drivers, applications, and tools. However, the difference is that when you select this option, the setup will download a fresh installation image from the Microsoft server. This option has been designed to reinstall Windows 10 when the recovery feature is not working with the local image or using a branded computer with a custom image.

If you choose this option, the setup will download the same version already installed on the device, which means you cannot use this method to upgrade the computer to a newer version. Also, if the device has a custom image from the manufacturer, this option will replace it with the one from Microsoft with all the standard settings and without custom drivers or trial software and tools. If you have a wireless connection, you must set up the connection manually a security key may be required.

Once you complete the steps, the feature will take over and reset your device to the default settings by erasing and reinstalling a fresh copy of Windows 10 downloaded from the cloud. If the computer does not start correctly and you want to reinstall Windows 10 to resolve the problem, the Advanced startup options environment includes an option to perform a clean installation using the local or cloud image.

Or when you cannot boot the system to access the Settings app. Again, you can only use this option to reinstall the same operating system version already installed on the computer. Repeat steps 1 and 2 twice, and in the third restart, the operating system should enter the Windows Recovery Environment Windows RE. Click the Cloud download or Local reinstall option. Cloud download: Downloads a fresh image from the Microsoft servers and performs a fresh installation.

Local reinstall: Uses the locally available image to install a clean copy of Windows The All drives option will delete the data on all drives.

This option is usually recommended only when you want to decommission the device. Click the Next button to allow OneDrive to automatically backup your Desktop, Pictures, and Documents folders to the cloud. Once you complete the steps, the process will take over and reset your computer to the default settings by erasing and reinstalling a clean copy of Windows The completion time will depend on your computer hardware configuration and selected reset configuration.

You can always mount the ISO in File Explorer to launch a clean install or in-place upgrade on a device with the operating system already installed. Once the new installation completes, the system will automatically reactivate when it connects to the internet.

After you complete the steps, Windows 10 should automatically reactivate after the clean installation if your current setup is activated. If you have to set up an installation on a computer that never had an activated version of Windows 10, or you plan to upgrade from Windows 8. Windows 10 can detect and install most drivers automatically. However, it’s usually recommended to download at least the essential drivers before the process such as for the network adapter and graphics card , as a precaution, in case the setup fails to add these drivers correctly, especially on custom computer builds.

You can use our guide to install device drivers on Windows If the device already has Windows 10, the following major update most likely will meet the minimum hardware requirements. However, if you’re about to upgrade a computer running Windows 7 or Windows 8. You can use these instructions to check the device technical specifications to confirm you can do a clean install of Windows It’s also important to make sure that the computer can boot from a USB flash drive.

On computers already running Windows 10 or 8. After you complete the steps, the computer should now be able to start from a USB bootable media.

Once you complete the steps, the device will start from a USB flash drive to proceed with the installation process. Once you complete the steps, the computer can now start from the USB flash drive to upgrade to Windows Typically, peripherals are among the most common reason for problems during a Windows 10 installation. If you have non-essential peripherals connected to the computer such as removable storage and other USB and Bluetooth devices, printers, scanners, cameras, and others , it’s recommended to disconnect them.

You only need a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and internet connection. After the setup, you can reconnect the peripherals one at a time to ensure they don’t cause any issues. You will need a USB bootable media to perform a clean installation of Windows Once you complete the steps, the tool will download the files and create an installer with the latest installation files, which you can then use to start the device and configure a fresh copy of Windows Rufus is a free tool with many options to help you create a bootable media of Windows 10 faster.

However, it’s important to remember that it’s a third-party option, which Microsoft does not support. As a result, use it at your own risk. After you complete the steps, Rufus will download the ISO file from the Microsoft servers, and it’ll create the bootable media to perform a clean install of Windows The installation process of Windows 10 has two main parts, including the setup and out-of-box experience OOBE.

In the setup process, that’s where you will select some of the basic settings, and you’ll find the options to erase the hard drive, configure the partitions, and clean install Windows The out-of-box experience happens after the setup is complete, and it’s the stage where you’ll configure your settings, such as region, network, account, privacy, and other settings. Warning: This is another friendly reminder that this process will erase everything on the computer. Before proceeding, it’s always recommended to make a temporary full backup of your PC.

If you plan to decommission the computer, you do not need to continue with the out-of-box experience. If this is an upgrade, continue with the instructions below. After the setup, you have to continue with the out-of-box experience to configure your preferences and create a new account. After you complete the steps, the settings will apply to the clean installation of Windows 10, and you should be able to see the default desktop experience. Once the installation is complete, it’s also good to check that Windows 10 isn’t missing any critical updates or drivers and is properly activated.

Once you complete the steps, any available updates will automatically download and install. Also, a restart may be required to complete the update process. If some hardware has problems, you may need to manually install the latest drivers from your computer manufacturer’s support website. You can use this guide to install device drivers on Windows On Windows 10, drivers can also be part of the optional updates.

If the computer doesn’t have all the required drivers, you may be able to download them from Windows Update. After you complete the steps, Windows Update will download and install the missing drivers automatically.

In case Windows 10 didn’t activate, the device will try to reactivate at a later time. If you’re still having issues after a couple of days, you can use the Activation Troubleshooter to activate.

It’s now time to reinstall the apps, including your preferred web browser, such as Google Chrome , Mozilla Firefox , or Opera to browse the web. If you use Spotify opens in new tab or iTunes opens in new tab to listen to tunes while working or surfing the internet, you can download these apps and others from the Microsoft Store.

Also, it’s now a good time to download and install the Microsoft Office apps opens in new tab to start working with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and managing your emails with Outlook. The last thing left to do is to restore your documents from backup.

If you previously configured file backup with OneDrive, the data should already be available inside the OneDrive folder, but if the app didn’t configure automatically, you can use this guide. If you have a backup of your files on an external drive, reconnect the storage to restore the data into the default folders Documents, Downloads, Pictures, etc.

Although you can start a clean installation using the Media Creation Tool without a USB media and even the “Reset this PC” option from the recovery settings, these methods have their limitations and do not always work as expected. The bootable media is the alternative if you want the best possible clean installation method.

For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:. Mauro Huculak is technical writer for WindowsCentral. His primary focus is to write comprehensive how-tos to help users get the most out of Windows 10 and its many related technologies. Windows Central Windows Central. Bulk storage If you’re in the market for an external drive to store file backups, look no further than the Western Digital Elements Desktop Hard Drive.

Mauro Huculak. Topics Windows 10 Help. See all comments Still not getting windows 10 upgrade on my pc! Though i have reserved it and the get windows 10 notification appears. Help anybody? Please try our Windows 10 forums! You’ll get much better answers there, thanks! Appreciate your help! It means that some peripherals in your PC are not yet compatible with Win This is why they did the whole reservation and wave release.

If the validation tool detects something the will not work it prevents the windows 10 upgrade. You will have to wait untill they sort our the drivers and you’ll get your windows.

If you force Win10 install you might end up with your PC not working. If it’s a camera the problem isn’t so big but if you have a SATA controller that is not yet supported you won’t even be able to install Win Seriosly, just wait untill you get it through Windows Update.

Just use the Microsoft upgrade tool I waited for a couple of days but my reserved invite still hasn’t come through so I manually updated as it mentioned in this article. I would recommend fully downloading as an ISO file first though as my install failed twice when directly installing from the website. The ISO file did it perfectly. One more thing, make sure you disable any antivirus programs you have running. Now I have Windows 10 Pro working well although I had to update some drivers manually afterwards too.

Hope this helps guys. The upgrade never asked for any key. Fresh installation will ask. If you’re upgrading your current operating system, the upgrade will take the licence key of the current version of Windows your upgrading from. If you do a clean install as per the instructions in this article you will need to enter the key.

Part of the clean install is formatting the hard drive, which will remove your current operating system. Did you check the product key after the upgrade to 10? Are you sure out is not the generic key? It’s not a generic key, because all of my windows devices upgraded from the disc, all have a different product id.

Check the media creation tool. You will see the option to “Upgrade Now” I did that. Make sure that your windows update is set up to install updates automatically not download and warn you first or warn if there are updates available before download and install, just set it to install automatically. Try this it worked for me. If those folders don’t exist, type this at the command line: wuauclt. If you have to hit Windows Update with a hammer, try this: 1.

Uninstalled the KB In an elevated cmd prompt 1. We’re not upgrading any time soon. Just use the upgrade tool on the ISO page.

Search for “windows 10 ISO” and you’ll find the page with the downloads. You can run the upgrade from there. Good luck! Just download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool, google it you’ll find it, and then choose upgrade once it has downloaded, after that you are free to do a clean install, this article should help Same process for Insiders?

Because, the key used to activate my Windows 10 seems to be a generic one as confirmed by many Reddit users. So, if I clean install Windows 10, would it get activated by itself?

Have the same question here Even my other computer that didn’t have the insider version on it, got a generic product key after upgrading I too posted my query on the forums but no one knows about it I guess. Yup, I had already tried the “slmgr” command a few days ago. It said my machine was permanently activated.

I have been an Insider since the very first build was released. I had, then, upgraded from Windows 8. Finally, that means I am eligible for a clean install 😀 The Mail app doesn’t sync at all, the Start menu often crashes and the WiFi goes haywire all of a sudden without warning. This has compelled me to clean install Windows I went through the same, I just did a clean install and it let me use the generic key.

I haven’t checked whether my Windows is activated though lol. Tried a clean install in the surface pro 2 and failed to activate, the generic key stored in the bios didn’t worked. The key is a default key that is blocked from being activated in another machine. What gets registered in the server is your hardware ID so if you connect to the internet to activate, it will search for your Hardware ID.

This also means that any major change on the machine’s hardware components will revoke your license for the free upgrade as a major hardware change will cause significant change on the hardware ID of the machine. Geez 16 GB of ram! Hell of a machine! It’s a lot, but if you use virtual machines, it’s a bless : Also, in the Win10 case, helps you to monitor how agressive the OS is with the RAM.

Yesterday Groove was using Hell if you have a discrete video card it will gobble ram. The most frustrating is the disk usage. RAM is cheap today. This is mainly because I also use Hyper-V. I’ve installed the update through Windows update with no hassle. I’d recommend waiting to upgrade until some minor quirks are ironed out, though.

Btw very helpful guide, WCentral team, thanks. I did a clean install, but my Windows 10 Pro was missing everything. No Edge, no store, no calculator, no people, no mail, calendar, nothing Any ideas? Do a reinstall again. Try updating all the apps from the store. They might be corrupted or hidden. There is no store in my Win10 version, not even one “metro” app You gotta download the apps separately. But edge should’ve been there. Don’t know what the actual problem is.

As I said, there is not Store in mz Win10 version Try resetting your PC from recovery once. Did reset again, same thing Will try a clean upgrade from win 8. I have the 32bit edition installed. Can i use this key to activate the 64bit edition? Maybe for Win7, after Windows 8 the x86 and x64 use the same key, you can choose. I haven’t tested it. My Windows isn’t activated anymore after doing a clean install on my venue 8 pro. I forget the error given, but apparently some keys don’t immediately get activated due to high server loads from Microsoft.

It took my key a few hours to be activated. I’d give it a few hours before contacting Microsoft. CC is the error code.

I have the same. Clean install from Build TP. Bern waitin since the release and im yet to activate the bastard. After the upgrade and your machine is activated you can then do a clean install as the next time around the MS servers already have the hardware ID logged. Also check for and do any BIOS upgrade that is available for the machine – it’s making a big difference in how well things work.

If you did the upgrade first and activated it, then clean installed, just click the “go to store” button in the activation screen, then click “try again” from within the store app. I’ve upgraded my main Windows machine that means my Key will now activate Windows 10 if I clan install? Your key is not converted You have to use the key finder tool to get your windows 10 key. However, the only catch is that you must upgrade your current operating system to Windows 10 via Windows Update first, before you can do a clean install.

This is to ensure your current product key gets converted to a Windows 10 product key and that your copy of the operating system remains activated.

I see two mistakes in the article. There’s no need to use the key during that install because you would have already validated Windows 10 during the “upgrade” process. Two, I think the word converted should not be used. Maybe “aligned” or “associated” is a better way of looking at it.

MS will not invalidate your use of the key with the pervious version of Windows you upgrade from. So if I ever wanted to go back to either Windows 7 or 8 which ever I have , I would be using the original key.

Your Windows 8. But you can’t downgrade from a clean install. You have to perform a clean Windows 8. You can only downgrade from a upgrade process although you have 30 days to do so.

Warning downgrading back to 8. Some can get fixed by reinstalling them but some cant. They just force close after the splash screen. I had to do a PC refresh. Losing all my programs and updates.

Spent 8 hours last night downloading 1. No such thing can be done. One will have to perform another clean install and use the original product key. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android. Nope, if you upgrade to Windows 10 you can go back to 8. Not sure about Win7. I had the option. I tried using the key for a msi computer with Windows 7. The clean install of windows 10 did not accept the mass oem key from msi. So doing a clean install what would one use for the key to activate it.

This article really fails to answer the most important question people have already asked me. Note: sticker was completely worn out and so we pulled the product key using jellybean. W10 didnt accept the key. Updating via update failed numerous times. I see you never updated Windows 7 to Windows 10, you need to that first for key to get coverted to windows 10 before doing a clean install.

Did you upgrade first before doing the clean install? Tried upgrading first but keeps reseting to a blank screen then it say restoring to previous version. Regardless of your upgrade issues. The upgrade has to be performed first.

Then if you want, you can do a clean install. You’ll have to try and work out the upgrade issues with MS. The Microsoft forums hopefully can have your answers. Ensure not to disrupt the process until the bootable USB drive is created. Here’s a summary to boot from a USB. Open the Microsoft Download Windows page in your web browser and click on the Download tool now button.

Save the tool to your computer. Launch the media creation tool when the download is finished and click Accept when prompted to agree to the launch. The download may take a long time, depending on your internet speed. Ensure not to disrupt the process until the creation tool has been created. How to boot from USB? Change your computer’s boot order After creating an installation media, you must know how to boot from USB.

You may be asked to press a key to boot from the USB. Choose your preferred language , timezone , currency , and keyboard settings. Note that these settings can be changed in the future after the Windows 10 installation is complete. Now click Next to start the installation process. Choose your installation type. You can either choose Upgrade , which will allow keeping your current files, settings, and apps; or do a fresh clean installation by picking Custom.

To install Windows, you need a partition on your hard drive for storing system files; this will become the main C: drive. You can either pick an existing partition and format it or delete everything and create new partitions.

You can either use one of the existing partitions on your hard drive by formatting it or you can delete the ones there and create new ones from fresh instead: To use one of the existing partitions, select it, and click Format.

To delete the existing partitions, select each one and click Delete , then OK. If you just formatted an existing partition, then skip to Step 7 now. To create new partitions: Click Drive options advanced.

Now click New and choose the size for your new partition, then click Next. Windows will now create a new partition for storing system files. Click OK to accept. Repeat this process if you wish to create more partitions. Select the partitions one by one and click Format , then OK when prompted. Now select the partition where you want to install Windows and click Next. The Windows 10 installation will begin.

Your computer may reboot a few times during the process. This is normal. After the installation is complete, your computer will automatically restart one last time. Finally, sign in to your Microsoft account to use some of the new features with Windows 10, such as password recovery, and to access One Drive.

 
 

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I rarely come to MS for help because I’ve found that they often publish confusing content and today was no different. In this case they conflate different use cases into one set of instructions making it confusing. Was this discussion helpful? Yes No. Sorry this didn’t help. Thanks for your feedback. After installing you need to activate the build. You have to have a retail purchased key with transfer rights or you need to purchase a Windows 10 key from Microsoft to do the activation. Was this reply helpful?

I already knew this is not MS. If you read my post you will see that I referred to them as “they”, which means I wasn’t writing to them. The link you posted is the same link I posted in my original post. Its the page I’m actually complaining about.

This was not posted as a question and no one can “fix” this issue, except maybe MS, but I doubt they will. I’m just venting, hence why this wasn’t a question. And my good will for you ran out, go and try and annoy someone else. I wont bother to respond to more of your posts. Choose where you want to search below Search Search the Community. Search the community and support articles Windows Windows 10 Search Community member. For example:. You should also choose the same edition of Windows.

This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit. How satisfied are you with this discussion? Thanks for your feedback, it helps us improve the site.

First this is not Microsoft but other users. To install you need to go to the Media Creation Tool and download. Follow the instructions. How satisfied are you with this reply? In reply to lacrumb’s post on October 4, Please note: 1. In reply to WinWoes’s post on October 4, This is not a place for venting.. If just venting I suggest that you delete the post. This is a legitimate topic and I’m sure others found that page confusing as well. You said you were venting. This is not a place to vent.

This site in other languages x.