Using Reset PC to reinstall Windows

sportsfan148 · 09 Dec 2019

Going forward I intend to use Reset PC. Ive used it before but its been a while. The tutorial on here shows that Reset PC now has a new cloud download option which wasn't available then. I always used to use Reset PC and it just did a local reinstall. I selected Remove Everything and it just clean installed Windows 10 from existing Windows files.
What are the pro's and cons of using Reset PC with this new cloud download option?
It seems to me that the cloud download option would take a lot longer (For example, In my case when Ive clean installed using the Media Creation Tool USB method, just the download itself takes 2 hrs and 30 mins because my internet is quite slow). Im thinking that a clean installation would still be the end result whether I was to use Reset PC with the local install method or the new cloud download option. Is my thinking correct?
How exactly does Reset PC work nowadays using the local reinstall method? Lets say, for example, you originally clean installed Windows 10 using a USB flash drive with version 1709 and have added feature updates ever since when they became available right up to today's version 1909. Would a Reset PC performed today install version 1709 to begin with or do your existing Windows files get updated along with each subsequent feature update that gets installed while using your PC over time so version 1909 would get installed as this was the current working version running on the PC?

dalchina · 09 Dec 2019

Would a Reset PC performed today install version 1709 to begin with or do your existing Windows files get updated along with each subsequent feature update that gets installed while using your PC over time so version 1909 would get installed as this was the current working version running on the PC?

The tutorial states this:

The cloud download option will reinstall the same build, version, and edition, that is currently installed on your device. This new cloud download option is available to all Windows 10 devices and is different from the “Recover from the cloud” feature available on some earlier Windows 10 devices.

- which indeed you might question, I guess.

I doubt there's any record of the original build installed on your PC- no reason to go backwards first.

That's consistent with

Reset this PC was only able to do a local reinstall and would build a new Windows installation from existing Windows files.

Windows 10 Gets a Cloud Reset Feature, Here’s How it Works
This states the 'cloud' download is from MS servers (rather than from other Win 10 PCs, say).

NavyLCDR · 09 Dec 2019

I've never understood any advantage that reset this PC had over doing a clean install. I've done a reset once.... and in the time it took for the reset, I could have done multiple clean installs.

sygnus21 · 09 Dec 2019

The big advantage is it doesn't require the install media (disk or otherwise).

Megahertz · 09 Dec 2019

NavyLCDR said:

I've never understood any advantage that reset this PC had over doing a clean install. I've done a reset once.... and in the time it took for the reset, I could have done multiple clean installs.

It's always good to have around a Win 10 installation disk (for maintenance).
And a clean install does it with the version you desire (normally the last version)

zbook · 09 Dec 2019

Clean install has additional advantages compared to reset beginning with Windows 1903.

For example upgrades to 1903 or 1909 do not benefit from the new structure of clean installs.

This relates to reserved storage (7 GB) which can grow over time.

Reserved storage: Reserved storage sets aside disk space to be used by updates, apps, temporary files, and system caches. It improves the day-to-day function of your PC by ensuring critical OS functions always have access to disk space. Reserved storage will be enabled automatically on new PCs with Windows 10, version 1903 pre-installed, and for clean installs. It will not be enabled when updating from a previous version of Windows 10.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...ge/ba-p/428327

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...-storage-works

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...ge/ba-p/428327

sportsfan148 · 09 Dec 2019

dalchina said:

The tutorial states this:

The cloud download option will reinstall the same build, version, and edition, that is currently installed on your device. This new cloud download option is available to all Windows 10 devices and is different from the “Recover from the cloud” feature available on some earlier Windows 10 devices.
- which indeed you might question, I guess.

I doubt there's any record of the original build installed on your PC- no reason to go backwards first.

Yeah..What you show here describes clearly that the cloud download option will reinstall the same build, version, and edition, that is currently installed on your device.
It is less clear if the same thing applies with a local reinstall that use the existing Windows files. That is my main reason for asking the question

- - - Updated - - -

zbook said:

Clean install has additional advantages compared to reset beginning with Windows 1903.

For example upgrades to 1903 or 1909 do not benefit from the new structure of clean installs.

This relates to reserved storage (7 GB) which can grow over time.

Reserved storage: Reserved storage sets aside disk space to be used by updates, apps, temporary files, and system caches. It improves the day-to-day function of your PC by ensuring critical OS functions always have access to disk space. Reserved storage will be enabled automatically on new PCs with Windows 10, version 1903 pre-installed, and for clean installs. It will not be enabled when updating from a previous version of Windows 10.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...ge/ba-p/428327

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/...-storage-works

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/...ge/ba-p/428327

My current installation on one of my PC's began with a clean installation of version 1903. In Settings/System/Storage/System and Reserved I am currently seeing 6.30GB of Reserved storage. So does that mean that if I was to use the Reset PC option that this Reserved storage would still be set aside and enabled automatically again after completing the Reset of this PC?

sygnus21 · 09 Dec 2019

sportsfan148 said:

Yeah..What you show here describes clearly that the cloud download option will reinstall the same build, version, and edition, that is currently installed on your device.
It is less clear if the same thing applies with a local reinstall that use the existing Windows files. That is my main reason for asking the question

Personally whether clean install or PC reset I'd always check for updates. And honestly it wouldn't surprise me if the "cloud" reset required the same thing. That said the local files should download the current version you previously had installed. When I reset my daughter's laptop, it gave me the same version she had at the time... 1903. Checking Windows Update then offered me a few more updates and ultimately 1909.

At the end of the day, I'd always check Windows Update no matter which install option I used. That's me. I don't think this answered your question, but I don't think the answer you're looking for is cut and dry.

My two cents.

zbook · 09 Dec 2019

Once you have the new reserved storage by clean install it should remain after a reset.

In the link the reserved storage appears to by dynamic.......it can increase and decrease over time and may grow larger after future upgrades.

In the next major release of Windows (19H1), we anticipate that reserved storage will start at about 7GB, however the amount of reserved space will vary over time based on how you use your device. For example, temporary files that consume general free space today on your device may consume space from reserved storage in the future. Additionally, over the last several releases we’ve reduced the size of Windows for most customers. We may adjust the size of reserved storage in the future based on diagnostic data or feedback.

sportsfan148 · 09 Dec 2019

sygnus21 said:

Personally whether clean install or PC reset I'd always check for updates. And honestly it wouldn't surprise me if the "cloud" reset required the same thing. That said the local files should download the current version you previously had installed. When I reset my daughter's laptop, it gave me the same version she had at the time... 1903. Checking Windows Update then offered me a few more updates and ultimately 1909.

At the end of the day, I'd always check Windows Update no matter which install option I used. That's me. I don't think this answered your question, but I don't think the answer you're looking for is cut and dry.

My two cents.

Yeah I always check for updates straight away too. As you say, if you got the current version when you reset your daughters PC then I would expect that I will see the same...1903 installed first and then the update to 1909. I was more curious to know if that also applies if the initial installation on the PC came from several prior versions backwards (1703,1709 etc). I am guessing that that would probably make no difference but I was curious to know as I intend to use the Reset PC option from now on instead of doing clean installs from installation media on USB.
I only intend to use The Media Creation Tool method of clean installation if Reset PC ever fails me. There seems to be quite a lot of people who only use Reset PC nowadays and don't bother using Media Creation Tool created installation media...unless of course they encounter a problem and the Reset PC option fails for some reason.

BTW I tried to Thank You but you have helped me recently so it wasn't allowed so I'd like to say Thanks for your help mate

- - - Updated - - -

zbook said:

Once you have the new reserved storage by clean install it should remain after a reset.

Thanks for confirming this. I wasn't sure if you only got that Reserved storage set up after performing a clean installation using the Media Creation Tool and installation media.
I was hoping that using the Reset PC option wouldn't prevent the Reserved Storage automatically being set up again. You have confirmed that Reserved Storage will be automatically set up again so I now know that I can indeed use Reset PC. So there is definitely no need for me to create USB flash drive installation media again with the Media Creation Tool and then perform a full clean installation again.