How to Do a Clean Installation of Windows 10

Sometimes your PC might create issues due to the absence of reinstallation or update. This is where clean installation fits just fine. A clean installation means expelling everything from the hard drive and starting fresh. Doing this can fix a great deal of issues like PC performance, battery life, and so on.

It is advised to conduct a clean installation once in a while to boost your system’s performance. Also, try to keep a backup of everything before you remove it to abstain from losing any data.

Here is a guide about how to do a clean installation of Windows 10 and more, so let us get started!

How to get started with the Clean Installation of Windows 10?

There’s a lot of preparation to do before you get into the actual process of the clean installation of Windows 10. Things you must take care of before you start the process are:

• Backup your data

As mentioned above, you’ll have to erase everything from the hard drive, which means all the data will be lost if you don’t have a backup for the same.  ‘System Image Backup Tool’ is one of the most convenient tools to create a backup for your bulk of data. You can also backup your data to other apps such as One Drive, External Drive, etc.

• Download important Drivers

Windows 10 installs the device drivers by default. It is necessary to keep a check on other essential drivers required and download them before beginning with the process.

• Check Windows 10 activation

The steps to confirm the activation of Windows 10 is:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Tap on the ‘Update & Security’ tab from the list.
3. Select ‘Activation’ from the toolbar present on the left side of the screen.
4. Check the activation status under the ‘Windows’ section.
5. Check Windows requirements

Upgrading a Windows 10 PC to a newer version doesn’t require anything extra. However, if you’re upgrading Windows 7 or 8.1 to a Windows 10 version, some requirements need to be fulfilled such as Processor, Storage, Memory, etc.

• Change Boot order on Firmware

Boot order using UEFI

For Windows 10 or 8.1, you can change the boot settings if the device consists of UEFI firmware, and steps to do the same are:

1. Go to the ‘Settings’ app.
2. Tap on the ‘Update & Security’ tab from the list.
3. Select ‘Recovery’ from the left toolbar.
4. Click on the ‘Restart Now’ button below the ‘Advanced Startup’ section.
5. Click on the ‘Troubleshoot’ option on the next window.
6. Select ‘Advanced Options.’
7. The new advanced options window will appear. Select ‘UEFI Firmware Settings’ from the list.
8. Tap on the ‘Restart’ button.
9. Now, go to the ‘Boot’ settings.
10. Change the boot order to start from the USB media along with the installation.
11. Save the changes for confirmation.

Boot order using BIOS

The steps to change the boot settings using BIOS configure are:

• Start the device and press any function key while it is booting.

Note: F1, F2, F3, F10, F12, the ESC, the DELETE are the function keys.

• Locate the ‘Boot’ settings inside the BIOS.
• Change the boot order to start from the USB media along with the installation.
• Save the changes for confirmation.
• Disable the non-required external peripheral devices

External devices are the primary issue that occurs while working with the installation process. It Is advised to detach devices like printers, disable Bluetooth devices, etc.

How to perform a clean installation of Windows 10?

The installation process of Windows 10 works in two segments: Setup and Out-of-box experience. The setup segment deals with the basic settings, while the OOBE deals with personal settings such as privacy, language, and much more.

The steps to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 are:

1. Use the Windows 10 USB media to start the device.
2. Press any key on your Keyboard to boot.
3. The ‘Windows Setup’ dialog box appears. If the default settings on this window are accurate, click on the ‘Next’ option. Otherwise, you can change these settings and then move further.
4. Click on the ‘Install Now’ button on the next window.
5. If you’re conducting the installation process for the first time, enter the ‘Product Key.’ If you’ve done it before, mark the checkbox for ‘I don’t have a product key’ and click ‘Next.’
6. Make a selection of the Windows 10 edition that must match your product key and click ‘Next.’
7. Mark the checkbox for ‘I accept the license terms’ and click ‘Next.’
8. Select ‘Custom: Install Windows Only (Advanced) in the next window.
9. Click and select the partition on the next window and tap on the ‘Delete’ option to remove the same.
10. Once done, select the empty drive and click ‘Next.’

Following the steps mentioned above will install the Windows 10 version on your PC.

I’m Emma Justin . I’m a web developer living in USA. I am a fan of technology, entrepreneurship, and web development. I’m also interested in education and writing. You can visit my company website with a click on the button above.

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