Clean install win 10 Pro

Oscar Hotel · 15 Jun 2020

it was the software that came with the HD. Is that a bad thing ?

Caledon Ken · 15 Jun 2020

No. Just helps with understanding.

I don't use Seagate software. Could I ask do you know how to start restore from the external? Did their manual tell you what it was going to back up.

Was it a complete Image or was it user just data?

Oscar Hotel · 15 Jun 2020

DicsWizard

Caledon Ken · 15 Jun 2020

Here is how I would go about this.

Plug your external in. On it make the following folders, documents, Desktop, downloads, music, pictures and videos. ( I assume you are using the standard Windows locations / libraries.)

Use copy and paste to copy the contents of each of these folders from your laptop to external in the appropriate folder.

Since you said you want to do clean install follow the Clean Install tutorial I provided earlier. If you can, disconnect the second disk. (Resetting Windows is easier.)

Once Windows is installed connect your second drive. Then delete and format second drive.

Then use this series of tutorials to tell Windows to redirect your documents library to the D: drive. I say series as there is a tutorial for each library / location ( documents / desktop / downloads / music etc.) You will see links at bottom of tutorial.

Move Location of Documents Folder in Windows 10

Then copy the contents back from each folder.

This will leave your appdata folder on C:

Not sure what browser you are using, if FF or Chrome or Edge please sign in and sync data to cloud. On your new install sign in to the browser and your bookmarks / favorites / passwords will be restored.

In the clean install tutorial step 24 talks to using a local id rather than a MS Account.

Haven't used DicsWizard. After dinner I will look up.

Caledon Ken · 16 Jun 2020

DicsWizard looks pretty complete and they do talk to retrieving files.

I would still do as I outlined. No harm in having two copies of your data.

NavyLCDR mentioned Macrium as a backup agent and a large number of members here use it, me included. The trick with any backup / restore software is knowing how to use, especially the restore and testing some scenarios. I did notice in DicsWizard documentation that they have a process to create boot media which is essential.

The boot media, what Macrium calls Rescue media, allow you to boot a misbehaving / dead system to restore a working system image.

I should mention Macrium Free is all most people need. They also have a support forum and as members here use some support is available. If interested.

Backup and Restore with Macrium Reflect

pparks1 · 16 Jun 2020

This is how I would do it.

I would use a tool like Macrium Reflect Free to make an image of both of your internal drives as they are today. This gives you an exact copy that "could" be restored exactly as it is now in case your clean install and upgrade goes sideways.

The image can also be used to select files and folders you want to copy over. You would reinstall your operating system clean, and then install Macrium Reflect Free and then mount your image as a drive letter. So, for example, your backup could be mounted as F:\. Then, you could go into F:\whatever and find the files that you need and copy and paste them back into C:\whatever or D:\whatever. It's a manual process and you would have to know where your files are, but that's something you probably already have a pretty good idea of anyway.

Oscar Hotel · 18 Jun 2020

Is it possible to zero out both the C and D drives ? Format both ?

ignatzatsonic · 18 Jun 2020

Oscar Hotel said:

Is it possible to zero out both the C and D drives ? Format both ?

It's possible, but you normally wouldn't need to.

A clean install will do a format automatically as part of that process. You delete ALL partitions, leaving you with "unallocated space" which is useless until formatted. Windows does it during the clean install.

Oscar Hotel · 18 Jun 2020

Where does one find the Windows "Clean install" ?

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ignatzatsonic said:

It's possible, but you normally wouldn't need to.

A clean install will do a format automatically as part of that process. You delete ALL partitions, leaving you with "unallocated space" which is useless until formatted. Windows does it during the clean install.

"it's possible but you normally don't need too" ? Then "a clean install will do a FORMAT automatically" ?

Then you mention "leaving you with "unallocated space" which is useless until FORMATTED" ?

I'm lost.

ignatzatsonic · 18 Jun 2020

see comments

Oscar Hotel said:

Where does one find the Windows "Clean install" ?

The standard method would be to use the Media Creation Tool supplied by Microsoft. It will put all the install files on a USB flash drive that you supply. Tutorials on this site. I think it needs to be at least an 8 GB flash drive.

You would then boot from that USB flash drive and let it take over the installation process. If it won't boot, you didn't use the Media Creation Tool correctly.

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"it's possible but you normally don't need too" ? Then "a clean install will do a FORMAT automatically" ?

That's right.

Then you mention "leaving you with "unallocated space" which is useless until FORMATTED" ?

That's right. Drives are useless unless they have partitions and are formatted. You can make partitions and format them yourself whenever necessary. But you wouldn't need to in your case because Windows will make the necessary partitions and format them as part of the clean install process.

You can't format a drive with unallocated space. You need to have at least 1 partition. Partitions are what are actually formatted. The C partition. The D partition. The recovery partition. The system reserved partition. Whatever. Windows also makes the necessary partitions.

By definition: a clean install begins with unallocated space. Meaning all existing partitions are deleted. Leaving only unallocated space, with NO partitions. Anything else may be a Windows installation, but it isn't a clean install.