How do YOU clean install ? Do you follow a plan ?

Samuria said:

If I have read it write you hope to install on 20 gig which is never going to work Windows is closer to 30 gig and to do major updates it needs 30+ gig of free space

I always initially install onto a small partition, one which I create using the installation media, first having deleted all pre-existing partitions on the drive. So the clean install always begins with unallocated space. The reason for 20Gb is perhaps a carry over from when Windows would/could throw install files way out onto a drive, in some cases enough to limit shrinking the drive beyond a certain point.

As soon as the initial part of the install is done the partition is expanded to 70Gb (my chosen size).

A clean install for me, and with all the programs you see listed in the above procedure installed comes in at around 27Gb. This figure also includes all my personal files.

radiowaves said:

I noticed that you usually restart your system before making a backup image. I do that myself when making updates. The thing is, I’m not sure which updates require a restart (assuming it’s not forced) so I just restart anyway. Are there any rules/guidelines about when to restart?

I always feel happier restarting before making an image and would certainly do so after updates have been installed or after having run a full disk clean. I guess its a case of 'you just don't know' what files or processes are in limbo and waiting in the background for a restart.

Occasionally I have run a full disk clean and upon restarting had the 'Windows is configuring your PC....' message which confirms that some cleanup processes really do reconfigure things pretty drastically. Not often that happens... but it has.

ericnixmd said:

System image? How do you go about doing that? I'm assuming you make a USB or DVD that basically replaces everything as is?

I'll have to Google how to back up current configuration.

Well I switched to AOMEI sometime last year and really like it. Even the free version allows incremental backups (which I normally use day to day). Its really simple to use, for me it has been 100% good all the times I do call on it, and it also is a small installation size and not plagued by constant updates.

It probably hasn't as many bells and whistles as the much liked Macrium and I think it probably integrates itself less (which in my book is a good thing) with the operating system. That said, its still pretty comprehensive if you need it to be and it probably covers everything the vast majority of users require of a disk imaging program.

swarfega said:

Rather than put Windows on such a small partition, unplug secondary drives so there's no change of system files migrating. I realise that's no so practical on a laptop.

I just have a fast m.2 drive for Windows and software, user files go on my 850 Pro and games are on an 850 Evo.

I guess everyone will have their own methods and ultimately they will settle on what works for them.

There is no one single 'correct' method but I do think it important to have a plan and to write that down. Its so easy to miss and forget things along the way.

Of all the steps taken to clean install, my one pet hate is setting up Edge with all its passwords for the sites I use. Why oh why Edge lacks an export feature this is beyond me. It will accept passwords and cookies etc from other browser exports (even IE) but its flaky. Some are carried over correctly and some are not in my experience. So I usually go through the laborious task of re-entering them all on the clean install.

Thanks :)

This is how it looks when its all done.

I've never been a fan of over-partitioning. Anytime I do a clean install, I run DiskPart during the Windows 10 install to clean the C drive and convert it to GPT. Then, I let Windows 10 do it's thing, but I use the entire drive. No need to create small partitions or expand anything later on. Simplify!

I have all my necessary drivers and applications on a flash drive, so my reinstall routine is pretty straightforward. Once I log in for the first time, I run Windows Updates first, then start hitting the system with drivers/applications.