How To Format Hard Drive For Clean Install Windows 10

How To Do A Clean Installation Of Windows 10

This tutorial was written by Tom's Hardware Customs member darkbreeze. You can find a list of all their tutorials here.

This tutorial is intended to help y'all, pace past footstep, perform a clean install of Windows ten (Build 1709 or newer). It tin be as applied to before installer versions that may merely lack some of the Cortana-assisted settings screens but should be like in all other regards.

Information regarding the minimum arrangement requirements for installing Windows x tin can be found on the Microsoft website and are located at the following link: Organization requirements and of import notes. (opens in new tab)

Note: In addition to the data at the link higher up, it is recommended that you lot disable both Secure Boot and Fast Boot in the BIOS/UEFI settings, because some systems may not support booting from USB or Wink drives with them enabled. Also, as a mensurate of protection against a failed installation, all of the following are highly recommended prior to start the clean install process.

Check that the software and hardware you more often than not use are compatible with Windows x and take drivers available, fifty-fifty if your system has already passed the compatibility check. Download and save these drivers to a suitable DVD, flash drive, or external deejay so that in the event yous need to install them later, you can do so without needing to go find them when it's no longer convenient.
Create a backup of any important files and folders to an external source or cloud service. A better option would be to additionally or alternatively create an entire system backup image using a utility like Acronis True Image or Macrium Reverberate and so you tin simply restore your previous installation to its exact self if something goes wrong or doesn't work out later.
If your only installation media for your current or previous operating organisation is a factory recovery partition, it might be a good idea to too re-create that paradigm to some other location. External or secondary drives would be good choices as locations to save these types of images.
Earlier you lot begin the installation process, it might likewise be a expert idea to ensure that your BIOS is set to UEFI or compatibility mode. Legacy modes that may take worked fine with Windows 7 may create installation or hardware issues during or after the installation of Windows ten.
Temporarily disconnect all other hard drives except the main drive onto which you'll install Windows. With the power turned off, but disconnect all other internal drives from the motherboard SATA headers or external drives from their USB ports, except the flash drive or optical drive to be used during the installation process. This footstep will prevent the possibility of accidentally deleting any files or partitions from those drives when preparing the primary drive for the Windows installation.
If you have partitions on the hard drive that will exist used for the new operating system and are being used for other, not-Os purposes, then dorsum up any information on at that place to another location because you'll be completely removing all existing partitions from the target drive. Practice not forget this step, because any existing partition data on the drive volition exist eradicated during this procedure.

Set? And then let's begin!

First, you will demand to create bootable media, either on a USB flash bulldoze or on optical media such every bit a DVD. You will need a blank DVD or USB flash/thumb drive. Any files on the bulldoze should be saved elsewhere, because they will exist erased during the creation of the installation media.

Go to the post-obit link and begin the process for the creation of the installation media: Windows x media creation tool (opens in new tab)

1. Clicking the link above will take you to the starting page for creating the Windows 10 installation media. Once there, ignore the commencement box, coil downwardly the page a bit, and click the "Download tool at present" push button.

2. Next, open the binder where y'all downloaded the Windows media creation tool executable file and click it.

iii. The tool will open, and the following dialogue volition be displayed. Click Accept.

iv. If you were going to just upgrade, so you would click "Upgrade this PC now," but because you lot're doing a make clean install, you lot should click "Create installation media" and and then click "Adjacent."

v. Verify the correct language, operating arrangement version (Windows 10), and whether or non you want to install the 32- or 64-bit version. If you accept 64-chip capable hardware, so we recommend always choosing 64-bit because 32-bit versions lack many of the features of the 64-bit version and practise not support more than 4GB of arrangement retentiveness. Then, click Next.

6. The next window will ask you if you want to create bootable flash media or create an ISO file. If you plan to install from a flash drive, and then of course you lot will select this option. If you need to install Windows from DVD optical media, and then you will cull the option to create an ISO file.

We volition assume the utilize of a flash bulldoze for the purpose of this tutorial, but if you choose ISO file, y'all will demand to burn it to disc afterwards. Brand your pick and click next. (Y'all tin discover information on how to do this here: How to burn Windows x ISO image. ) At this point, you should have bootable installation media, either on a USB flash bulldoze or DVD optical disk.

Installation

Before you lot proceed with the installation, information technology may be necessary to enter the BIOS and set your machine boot order to USB or DVD drive as the first bootable option. Otherwise, it will likely simply attempt to boot using the existing Windows boot segmentation on your current main drive, unless this is an installation to a drive that has not previously had any Windows installations on information technology--or unless you have previously removed all partitions from the primary drive in preparation for installation. Strictly speaking, that is not necessary considering yous'll do this a picayune further into the tutorial, equally role of the installation procedure.

ane. Get-go the computer, and after it completes the Postal service initialization process, information technology should identify and boot from the attached USB or optical drive containing the installation media and begin the installation. Verify that the linguistic communication, time/currency, and keyboard input fields are all correct. Click Adjacent.

2. Click Install Now.

3. Side by side, you should come across the Windows product activation screen.

If y'all exercise not accept a Windows ten production activation key, or if you have previously installed and activated Windows 10 and are reinstalling, so click below where it says "I don't have a product key."

Otherwise, enter your Windows product key and then click Next.

(In some cases, peculiarly if you are upgrading, you can apply your valid product central from Windows 7 or 8.i in identify of a valid Windows 10 production primal. We cannot guarantee this will piece of work in every situation or indefinitely, but currently this seems to still exist a valid method of activating Windows ten production installations. Alternatively, it seems some users accept determined through long-term testing that not activating at all seems to not have any effect on the extended usage of Windows x other than being constantly nagged to actuate.)

If you are doing a new installation due to a change of hardware or in the event you may accept a need to do so in the future, the post-obit links may comprise information that will be useful to you:

Reactivating Windows 10 after a hardware change (opens in new tab)

Windows build 1607 and activation after a hardware change

iv. Now select the Windows 10 version you lot wish to install. For most users this will, and is recommended to be, Home version. Educational and other users should select according to the type of license identified on your production packaging or information. Then, click Next.

5. Check the box indicating you lot hold to the license terms and click Side by side.

6. On the the next screen you see there will be ii options. One allows you to just upgrade your previous version of Windows if in that location is already one installed, and the other will let you to proceed with a new installation. Unless you are only upgrading, which we practise not recommend, so you must click Custom: Install Windows only (Advanced).

7. This is the step where you remove whatsoever previous Windows installations and all existing partitions on the drive so that there can be no hereafter conflicts regarding the Windows boot partition information. We recommend selecting, one at a fourth dimension, and deleting, all existing partitions on the chief bulldoze until no partitions remain and in that location is only unallocated space.

(Do non delete any partitions showing that are on the USB flash bulldoze you are using to install windows from, if it shows up in the listing of partition information. All others may be deleted unless you still have other drives connected.)

If yous accept non disconnected all secondary drives as was suggested at the beginning of the tutorial, then be very careful to not accidentally delete any partitions from those drives by mistake.

If you withal accept other drives connected other than the USB or optical drive and the target bulldoze for the Windows installation, we highly recommend stopping at present and starting over once more from the beginning afterwards shutting down and disconnecting those drives. If there are no other hard drives connected, then proceed with removing all of the existing partitions on the primary difficult bulldoze until simply unallocated space remains, and then click Next.

8. Windows installation will commence.

9. Later on the core installation files have finished installing, you will advance to the configuration portion of the installation and Cortana will make its introduction. Cortana is the Windows "digital agent" and is intended to help you become things done and make navigating the remainder of the Windows installation, and Windows in general, easier.

(Or and so says Microsoft. Some people cull not to use Cortana, disabling all of the relevant features, including a number of privacy related settings, whenever and wherever possible. You can assign settings as y'all encounter fit.)

Using Cortana means surrendering at least some measure out of privacy, so the conclusion whether to use Cortana or not is strictly upwards to you lot. Yous will come across the following screen once the main Windows installation has completed its process. Just wait until prompted.

10. Select your region and click Next.

11. Select your keyboard layout and click Side by side again.

12. The next screen asks nearly secondary keyboard layouts. Unless you utilise multiple keyboard layouts, only click Skip.

thirteen. The adjacent window will ask you to sign in with your Microsoft account. What you do here is largely up to you, and you may choose to create a local business relationship rather than creating i that attaches your Windows 10 installation and product activation to your Microsoft account. For about users, nosotros suggest creating a new Microsoft account/ID if y'all don't already currently have i.

This will make future installations of Windows 10 much easier, especially if you change hardware down the road, because your product cardinal volition and so be attached to yous rather than to your hardware, and y'all will not have to go through a lengthy phone activation if you make major upgrades to your PC at a afterward date. For the sake of this tutorial, we chose to enter an email address that of course showed that yes, nosotros practice take a valid Windows 10 production activation.

14. The next window asks if you want to attach a pin to your business relationship. You may make your ain conclusion either manner.

fifteen. The aforementioned goes for linking your phone number to your account. You can choose Do information technology later, but it makes no difference aside from identify verification whether or not yous exercise this.

16. Now information technology will ask you nearly whether you want Windows to salve and sync your information to the Onedrive cloud. We generally recommend not doing this, but some people like Microsoft having copies of all their files and settings, so this is up to you once again.

17. When y'all get to the next screen, you'll demand to make a determination equally to whether you wish to enable Cortana or not.

eighteen. If you lot chose to utilize Cortana, yous'll probably need to keep all of the options on the side by side screen turned on,or else some features volition non likely work (or won't work as expected).

At this point, you simply demand to await while Windows sets up the residuum of your hardware and configures whatsoever concluding settings information technology needs to configure.

Finally, the desktop. Congratulations, you did it. Enjoy!

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