Clean Install

Nickynoo · 29 Mar 2016

Hello

I am going to do a clean install of windows 10 but I have a few questions. Im still busy making space on the computer's hard disk and also on an external drive (for backup purposes)

Since I belong to the insider program the latest build that I currently have is build 10586, this computer had windows 7 on (ultimate I think) Anyway I joined the insider program and upgraded windows 7 to 10 pro and my activated status says "windows is activated on this device with a digital entitlement" . I have no idea what this digital entitlement means but I assume everything is well and good. Now for my questions.
#I assume I install build 10586 - is this correct?
#Since I have read that somehow windows 10 is linked to a computer hardware configuration, I assume if I clean install then the new clean install will be activated?
#Before clean installing I intend to make an image backup - I dont want to restore the entire image - I want to restore certain parts into the new install, is this possible or will and easier option be to copy my user files to an eternal drive and then back to the hard disk (in the computer) when the install is done - also installing the programs that I use.?
#The reason I want to do a clean install is to sort out some these settings are managed by your organization messages that are appearing and I expect that if I restore the entire image backup it will restore those problems into my clean install. I have also read of putting the OS on a separate partition to the data and other files - what are the benefits of this - I will be installing on a normal hard disk not a SSD. Also what size must I make the OS partition and also how do I partition the disk?

Nick

NavyLCDR · 29 Mar 2016

Nickynoo said:

Since I belong to the insider program the latest build that I currently have is build 10586

That's interesting since build 10586 is the last build that was released to the public. Insider builds are on 14XXX or something like that now.

Nickynoo said:

#I assume I install build 10586 - is this correct?

Yes.

Nickynoo said:

#Since I have read that somehow windows 10 is linked to a computer hardware configuration, I assume if I clean install then the new clean install will be activated?

Yes. It should retrieve the digital entitlement stored on Microsoft activation servers and activate.

Nickynoo said:

#Before clean installing I intend to make an image backup - I dont want to restore the entire image - I want to restore certain parts into the new install, is this possible or will and easier option be to copy my user files to an eternal drive and then back to the hard disk (in the computer) when the install is done - also installing the programs that I use.?

It is possible if you use Macrium Reflect Free to make your image backup. I believe it might be possible if you use Windows built-in imaging backup if you mount the .vhdx file created by the backup, but not sure. I am sure about Macrium Reflect Free, though. Macrium has been proven, historically, to be more reliable and versatile than Windows built-in imaging.

Nickynoo said:

#The reason I want to do a clean install is to sort out some these settings are managed by your organization messages that are appearing and I expect that if I restore the entire image backup it will restore those problems into my clean install. I have also read of putting the OS on a separate partition to the data and other files - what are the benefits of this - I will be installing on a normal hard disk not a SSD. Also what size must I make the OS partition and also how do I partition the disk?

Nick

You don't need to, and shouldn't partition the disk. What you should do is boot from the Windows 10 installation media, select "I don't have a product key" if you are asked for a product key, select the same Windows 10 version you had before, then the custom install option. You will be presented with a list of partitions on the hard drive. Delete each partition. Then pick the resulting, big unallocated space to install Windows 10 to and click next. Let Windows 10 make the partitions it wants.'

After Windows 10 is installed, then you can shrink the C: drive Operating System partition to make room for a new data partition. I recommend using MiniTool Partition Wizard Free for that.

Nickynoo · 29 Mar 2016

Thank you Navy
On that slider bar for fast ring/slow ring/release preview Im on release preview I always used to be on slow ring but when microsoft changed that slider bar I changed to release preview - in all the time since 10586 has been installed (as an upgrade) Ive been checking and it seems that new builds are only released to the fast ring. So does release preview actually drop you out of the insider program? In trying to get rid of the "some settings are managed by your organization" problem
I pressed the button to leave the insider program went through all the steps and restarted, then I rejoined.
Next question, In your opinion is it worth the effort of using macrium reflect seeing though it would probably be easier to just normal copy the files to and external drive.
Next question, Do you think a clean install will wipe out the "some settings" problem, it suddenly popped up with me changing any setting or installing any programs - I have tried lots of suggestions but I cant get rid of it, its really getting me down now?
Next question, do you advise shrinking the C drive as you mentioned in your post?

NavyLCDR · 29 Mar 2016

Release preview does not drop you out of the insider program. You just wouldn't get an insider preview until just before it was scheduled to be released to the public.

I would just make the image backup of the hard drive with Macrium Reflect Free if you have the space on the external hard drive. It's easy to explore the image later to retrieve what you want, and with the entire image saved there won't be anything that you might forget to back up. If you don't have the space, then just backup your data files.

Yes, a clean install should fix the "some settings" problem. That is caused by settings being set in group policies. To change those settings that are giving those errors you will have to go into group policy and change the corresponding group policy. A clean install will have all those group policies set to default, which will allow a user logged in as administrator to change them using more normal methods then changing the group policy settings.

I typically don't shrink my C: drive to make a data partition - but I have a networked attached disk drive that holds my photos and movies and music. If you had a data partition and if it was the last partition on the hard drive, to do a clean install you would delete all the partitions on the drive except for the data partition and then clean install to the unallocated space in front of the data partition. You would not have to backup anything stored on the data partition - just be very careful not to delete it!

If the data partition was not at the end of the disk, then you would have to boot from something like Kyhi's recovery drive which contains a partition manager program like MiniTool Partition Wizard free. Delete all the partitions except for the data partition, move the data partition to the end of the disk, then do a clean install to the unallocated space in front of the data partition.

Nickynoo · 29 Mar 2016

Thankyou, Ill do a clean install hen I have the space for a full image backup with macrium, I will not bother with OS and DATA partitions, they only seem to complicate things.
Thankyou again

NavyLCDR · 29 Mar 2016

Nickynoo said:

I will not bother with OS and DATA partitions, they only seem to complicate things.
Thankyou again

It all depends on how much data you have. I would never keep my 2 TB+ of movies and thousands of photos on a C: drive partition. But my 10-20 miscellaneous documents....I don't create a separate partition for those.

Nickynoo · 29 Mar 2016

Perhaps you can help me with a problem that is getting the better of me, Ive just half solved it.
I often read posts on this site from any forum about whatever problem and the solution(s), anyway tonight I was reading a posts about windows automatically installing device drivers and how you can turn it off, although that isnt my problem in the post BRINK was talking about seeing what group policies are enabled, so I thought let me check mine. On local computer policy/computer configuration/administrative templates/all settings (like in brinks post) were all set to not configured except from one, this one was call Start Layout and it was set to enabled. I opened it up and set it to not configured and restarted - walla I can now pin and unpin, etc. on my start menu. See my thread in customization called start menu tiles. So I checked the various settings in the windows settings looking for the "some settings" message that has been appearing all over the place. It only appears in privacy/feedback and diagnostics but it has always been there. I decided to look at my windows update/advanced - that sometimes used to get the some settings" message - it wasnt there so I as very happy - thinking that I as back to normal. In the past I have been changing a registry key called AllowTelemetry from 0 to 3 when this update/advanced problem cropped up, it always sorted out the problem. So now Im looking at the registry, at the AllowTelemetry key and its 0, thats seems strange so I go back to settings/update/advance and sure enough the some settings" message is there. I changed the key to 3 as in the past and my advanced update settings are accessible again. It seems like when I open the registry or open the registry to that key that it changes to 0 and affects my advanced/update settings. How do I stop it doing this? Also in the past sometimes the key will change hen I reboot.

NavyLCDR · 29 Mar 2016

Sorry, but I have no clue about that.

Nickynoo · 29 Mar 2016

Thanks for your help anyway.