Professional cleaning: what's involved?

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  1. Posts : 26,406
    Windows 11 Pro 22631.3296
       #11

    RhinoCan said:
    Are you proposing doing this step before or after running DBAN? It makes sense to me to run DBAN to clean up any lingering traces of whatever crap they put on his computer but would running DBAN destroy the possibility of using the media creation tool? And if I created the media *before* scrubbing the hard drive, could I count on getting a clean copy of the OS from the media creation tool?

    By the way, I just spoke to him and he *may* have a license key but he isn't sure and is in the middle of something so won't look for it right now. Therefore, I want to understand what I should do for both cases. You've told me what to do if he doesn't have a key - although you're still helping me with some followup question - but I'm not sure what to do if he *does* have a key.
    I would do as @vram has suggested. You have nothing to lose. These people will not stop they have just about everything that was on the PC by now.
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  2. Posts : 209
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #12

    vram said:
    Assuming he has
    Nothing to backup....

    1.Run DBAN

    2. Create install media using a clean PC. Do not use infected PC to create the media.

    3. Proceed to install Windows.

    If he happens to have the key, you can put it in during the install or after you get to the desktop. Chances are, it’ll activate on its own, no key input required. The license is tied to a hardware signature on MS servers as I’m told.
    I asked him if he had any files he wanted to save and he assured me there was nothing important. I hadn't thought of creating the install media from a different PC; I assumed that wouldn't help because it would then expect *my* key and wouldn't run on his computer and mine at the same time. If it activates itself on a different computer without difficulty, I could use my laptop, which also runs Windows 10 to make the install media.

    That's very convenient - if it works as you describe! - and would save him having to find his current key, which is a dubious proposition given the way he files papers.
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  3. Posts : 284
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #13

    The purpose of the media creation tool is simply to create a Windows installation disc or a flash drive to reinstall the OS. You will not be prompted for a key to create the media. Just pick 64-bit Windows 10 :)

    Skip entering the key during the actual install.

    What make/model of PC is this? If it’s got UEFI BIOS, someone that’s better able to explain how to boot from external media may need assist in helping you boot from it. You may need to enter UEFI and disable secure boot and enable/disable an option here and there.
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  4. Posts : 209
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #14

    vram said:
    The purpose of the media creation tool is simply to create a Windows installation disc or a flash drive to reinstall the OS. You will not be prompted for a key to create the media. Just pick 64-bit Windows 10 :)

    Skip entering the key during the actual install.

    What make/model of PC is this? If it’s got UEFI BIOS, someone that’s better able to explain how to boot from external media may need assist in helping you boot from it. You may need to enter UEFI and disable secure boot and enable/disable an option here and there.
    My brother's PC is an Acer Aspire TC-105. It's a desktop that he bought from Best Buy. I have no idea if it has a UEFI BIOS; frankly, I'm not sure what that is myself since I don't keep up with all the details of Windows evolution. How do I determine if it is a UEFI BIOS?
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  5. Posts : 26,406
    Windows 11 Pro 22631.3296
       #15

    RhinoCan said:
    My brother's PC is an Acer Aspire TC-105. It's a desktop that he bought from Best Buy. I have no idea if it has a UEFI BIOS; frankly, I'm not sure what that is myself since I don't keep up with all the details of Windows evolution. How do I determine if it is a UEFI BIOS?
    How old is this PC?
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  6. Posts : 209
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #16

    Josey Wales said:
    How old is this PC?
    He says it's "three or four years old".
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 284
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #17

    looks to be UEFI and it originally had a Windows 8.1:

    Product support

    If you can successfully reinstall Windows 10, I’m confident you won’t need to install any drivers.

    Also take note of this thread regarding booting:

    https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/432502/aspire-tc-605-cant-get-it-to-boot-from-cd-or-usb
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 209
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #18

    vram said:
    looks to be UEFI and it originally had a Windows 8.1:

    Product support

    If you can successfully reinstall Windows 10, I’m confident you won’t need to install any drivers.

    Also take note of this thread regarding booting:

    Aspire TC-605 cant get it to boot from CD or Usb — Acer Community
    I don't quite understand what lesson I should take from the link about the booting issue. The solution found by the OP seems to involves booting from a Linux CD rather than a Windows CD. Is this really relevant though? The computer has Windows 10 on it now, even if it started out as a Windows 8.1 machine. Isn't it going to be using the install media I create to put on a fresh copy of Windows 10 and bypass 8.1? Or is it going to install 8.1 and then upgrade it to 10?
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 284
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #19

    I linked the that thread for general knowledge on booting from disc or USB. Seems to indicate that u you press F12 to enter boot menu.

    You will not be installing 8.1. You’re installing 10 directly. Since the PC originally came with 8.1 and it’s got a few years age on it, I was just commenting on the likelihood that Windows 10 will install all the required drivers for you.
      My Computers


  10. Posts : 209
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #20

    vram said:
    I linked the that thread for general knowledge on booting from disc or USB. Seems to indicate that u you press F12 to enter boot menu.

    You will not be installing 8.1. You’re installing 10 directly. Since the PC originally came with 8.1 and it’s got a few years age on it, I was just commenting on the likelihood that Windows 10 will install all the required drivers for you.
    Okay, fair enough. I thought you were trying to warn me of a trouble spot in the installation that I wouldn't necessarily anticipate
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