Win 10 upgrade and clean install

Hello
I thought the upgrade and pursuant clean install would be smooth based upon my move from 7 to 8 to 8.1.
I have upgraded with my files to Win 10. I like it.
However, I downloaded Ccleaner and it showed quite a bit of clutter(2GB) .
I never use a registry cleaner as I feel only those who are skilled with it should do so. In the past anything that touched the registry like Ccleaner - even the Windows part, Revo program remover, IObit remover etc. etc., always ended up in a dropped file and was wore than keeping the orphans etc..
I have been reading and learned that a clean install removed the dvd player. So first it was the loss of media center and now the dvd player. I have also read that activation is very sketchy and that keys are unique to your pc.
I have a reinstallation disc but this is disturbing news. Although the pcs run well I would like to regain the 2 GB of space and allow the registry to run as it should. With the news I have read about, I am hesitant to go forward with the clean install. I tried VLC years ago and found it to be something you have to really get used to.
Do you have any comments that would help with my thoughts.
Thank you

maranna said:

However, I downloaded Ccleaner and it showed quite a bit of clutter(2GB) .
I never use a registry cleaner...

There are mixed reports about cc:cleaner. Some say it is safe; others say differently. Myself, I've never used a registry cleaner, and see no real purpose to use one. A large registry, which is really a collection of files, does not slow down your PC anymore than a small registry does.

I have also read that activation is very sketchy and that keys are unique to your pc.

For the most part, activation is behind the scenes and works fine. There are a few instances where it has not worked, primarily with OEM keys, but there's no consistency with those reports because some OEM upgrades activate just fine. Most reports of failed activations are when folks have done a clean install to a PC that never had Win10, or they did the upgrade but did the clean install before the Upgrade got activated. And, no, if you do it through the upgrade, you don't get a unique key -- the activation is based on the hardware hash of your PC, not a product key.

I would like to regain the 2 GB of space and allow the registry to run as it should.

Understand, but I seriously doubt the Registry is going to release that much space, even with a clean up.W

I tried VLC years ago and found it to be something you have to really get used to.

There are two very different versions of VLC now, the standalone version and the Windows Store version. Not surprisingly, the latter is the "Metro" version -- but I've read posts on other forums that it is not a full conversion of the standalone version.


You can recover a lot of space from C: if you remove Windows.old (if it's there) and the ESD file -- which can be used to make an ISO. The linked thread provides some details: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

I have done all the house keeping suggested except for running disk cleanup twice. I will attend to it now. The machines are working well and with your information I will run them as is until I hit snag. I feel more comfortable about the reinstallation, if and when, than before.
Thank you all for the help.
Peter

Ztruker said:

If you have not done the clean install yet and Windows 10 is running well, why would you want to do it? If 10 is already stable and has all your software and files, leave it and enjoy using it.

I've upgraded my 3 home computers, 1 desktop and two laptops and have no intention of doing clean installs on any of them as they are working perfectly.

I think the clean install fetish is mostly (not always as it does fix some problems) a waste of time and more of a feel good action than a necessary one.

Just my $.02 wort :)

>>I agree with leaving well enough alone. Thanks for that
The first time I installed Win 10 on my desktop I thought I created installation media so I could reinstall if I wanted to. It took 30 minutes to burn the dvd. I was not sure what I was doing and maybe during the installation I chose to create media. The installation and activation went well.
However, I just found the iso file for the laptop as a backup in case the 1st was damaged and not knowing if each pc needs its own disc. I downloaded it and burned the file and it only took 2 minutes.
Obviously I am confused about what I did so the question is, should the 2 minute disc or the 30 minute disc be used to install?