Wiping my Windows 10 pro PC.What Method should I use to wipe-Reinstall

mrje1 said:

Thank you NavyLCDR. Since I didn't buy Windows 10 retail version and I have made a disc via media creation tool will I be able to do the same thing?

Yes.

mrje1 said:

Just making sure here. It might sound stupid. By deleting and reinstalling windows 10 on my partition doesn't that not wipe out the old information to the way like a program DBAN would by writing all zeros?

Well, it deletes the markers to the information (Master File Table or File allocation Table). Until the old information is written over, it's still there - it just takes special software to retrieve it.

mrje1 said:

Doing it this way, since I don't own a full version of Windows 10, but the free upgrade that I got when Windows 10 first came out. Don't I need to have atleast a prior operating system first before able to install windows 10?

No. When you install Windows 10 on the same computer it will calculate the same Hardware ID as the previous installation of Windows 10 (calculation based on hardware installed [mostly the motherboard] not on information stored on the hard drive). The Hardware ID is sent to Microsoft activation servers, where the previous Hardware ID and activation was stored when you upgraded. When the activation server finds your matching stored Hardware ID, it will return the activation - if the version of Windows 10 also matches.

Thank you very much NavyLCDR and everyone.

NavyLCDR, in regards to the method you described earlier. You mentioned it will delete the markers to the information (Master File Table or File allocation Table), but will I get a very clean refreshed PC? Will this method you described remove viruses, bugs etc.?

mrje1 said:

Thank you very much NavyLCDR and everyone.

NavyLCDR, in regards to the method you described earlier. You mentioned it will delete the markers to the information (Master File Table or File allocation Table), but will I get a very clean refreshed PC? Will this method you described remove viruses, bugs etc.?

To the average user it will completely erase the hard drive and start over from absolutely nothing. Yes, you will get a very clean refreshed PC and it will remove viruses and malware. (Bugs are errors in the actual operating system). What it will not do is overwrite the entire contents of the hard drive so a forensics expert examining the hard drive bit-by-bit could reconstruct some of the old files that are have not been overwritten.

I am sorry if I am repeating myself or being redundant, but I want to make sure. Some confusion. I am getting there in my understanding. I am going to re-ask my original question in a different way.


I have the information on how to reinstall, but my confusion is which wiping or clean out my pc method I should use to save me the most time instead of my old method of wiping then install xp then install win 8 then upgrade to win 8.1 then countless number of updates etc etc.


When it comes to rebooting my computer so I can have a fresh start with my pc so I know there are no viruses, bugs etc old programs and files that might be causing me problems etc. Should I use:


Complete Wipe method like DBAN that writes all 0000000


or


From Windows 10 Options
Reset this PC
Refresh your PC
Bare metal recovery

or

Clean install by restarting your computer via bootable disc created from iso file.




Which of these mehtods will give me a fresh start, remove viruses, bugs, wipe out all old information etc etc. also that won't be recoverable


Thank you very much for your help and patience with me as I get this solved.

NavyLCDR said:

To the average user it will completely erase the hard drive and start over from absolutely nothing. Yes, you will get a very clean refreshed PC and it will remove viruses and malware. (Bugs are errors in the actual operating system). What it will not do is overwrite the entire contents of the hard drive so a forensics expert examining the hard drive bit-by-bit could reconstruct some of the old files that are have not been overwritten.

Thank you! I have another post after this one you answered just to finalize my mind. I am almost there.

I always wanted to understand this. To have unrecoverable data so the forensic experts can't get it. Is that possible?

mrje1 said:

Which of these mehtods will give me a fresh start, remove viruses, bugs, wipe out all old information etc etc. also that won't be recoverable

Thank you very much for your help and patience with me as I get this solved.

mrje1 said:

Thank you! I have another post after this one you answered just to finalize my mind. I am almost there.
I always wanted to understand this. To have unrecoverable data so the forensic experts can't get it. Is that possible?

If you want to absolutely securely erase the hard drive, DBAN free should do it with about 99% assurance nothing will be recoverable:
Darik's Boot And Nuke | Hard Drive Disk Wipe and Data Clearing

I have not used any secure erase software in the past, so I can't help with instructions on how to use it. I've always just deleted the partitions on a clean install and not worried about forensic recovery.

After you erase the hard drive with DBAN, there should be no partitions on it and you will have to boot from Windows 10 install media (either a USB flash drive or DVD) and then clean install Windows 10 to the erased hard drive. There is no need to make your own partitions, Windows 10 install will do it automatically.

There is no need to install a previous version like Windows XP or 8.1 first - just go straight to Windows 10.

NavyLCDR said:

After you erase the hard drive with DBAN, there should be no partitions on it and you will have to boot from Windows 10 install media (either a USB flash drive or DVD) and then clean install Windows 10 to the erased hard drive. There is no need to make your own partitions, Windows 10 install will do it automatically.

Thank you so much NavyLCDR. This could be my answer I am looking for. If I do the DBAN way, because of past experience I would have to do my old method I described above. If I skip my old method and do what you said by putting in the Windows 10 ISO DVD version 1511 or 10586.0 that I created. Will that be sufficient to install Windows 10 or will it give me any problems like requesting me to install a prior version of windows first?

mrje1 said:

If I skip my old method and do what you said by putting in the Windows 10 ISO DVD version 1511 or 10586.0 that I created. Will that be sufficient to install Windows 10 or will it give me any problems like requesting me to install a prior version of windows first?

If it asks you for a product key, click Skip or Do This Later. As long as you install the same version of Windows 10 the computer had on it before (such as Home or Pro), the first time the computer is connected to the internet it will retrieve the previous activation information from Microsoft activation servers and activate itself.

The activation information is stored on the Microsoft activation servers using a hardware ID generated by Windows 10 calculating a value based on the installed hardware of the computer (mostly the motherboard) and has nothing to do with anything stored on the hard drive.

Sorry NavyLCDR. For some reason I didn't see your last sentence. That is great news that I don't have to reinstall XP as well as Windows 8.1 anymore. The next step is to go with it. I will be rebooting either tonight or tomorrow and I will update everyone when complete.

Would this DVD I created the Windows 10 ISO DVD version 1511 or 10586.0 the correct version?

mrje1 said:

Would this DVD I created the Windows 10 ISO DVD version 1511 or 10586.0 the correct version?

Yes.