Confused about Windows 10 Reset Function

moondoggy · 08 Sep 2015

I'm confused about the Windows 10 reset function and need some enlightenment.

Today, I decided to do a Windows 10 reset and wipe out my existing HD of all of the old apps, files, etc. (I have it all backed up with Acronis backup). I thought the correct procedure was to burn an install DVD for the Windows 10 platform I currently have, boot from the DVD, select Repair and then fire off the reset that way. I did that but when it got to that step it failed saying that there was a problem (of course) and that the reset could not proceed. After that failure I went into Windows 10 and went into repair and successfully fired off the reset function there. So my question is this.....

If your intent was to get a complete, total, clean install of Windows 10, how is it that the reset only works from within Windows 10? If you specified in the reset that you wanted the C: drive completely cleared of everything, how is it that Windows 10 is still there to be reinstalled once the C: drive has been flushed?

Bottom line is this..... I've had so many problems with Windows 10 since the time I upgraded from Windows 7 it's not even funny. Now Windows 10 is being reinstalled on my PC from something that was put there during the upgrade and I'm concerned. Should I be? Can someone please enlighten me?

Joergi · 08 Sep 2015

The reset is kind of a refresh. It keeps te system as it is, but removes junk, checks files for being the correct ones and replaces those, which somehow have been modified although they should not have been.

A clean installation is something different: For a clean installation you would create a bootable medium, like an USB stick and boot from there. The clean installation will first of all empty the complete drive and then start installing Windows on it.

If you say that the problems after the reset still are "not funny", then you might try a clean install.

If all does not help, you might consider going back to your previous version of Windows (for which you have one month after you did the upgrade).

moondoggy · 08 Sep 2015

The option I choose when performing the reset was the completely flush the HD, which it did, and the current install of Windows 10 looks clean and new and, at this point, appears to be working well. My confusion comes from this.....

If the reset flushed my C: drive and reinstalled Windows 10, where were the installation files stored that were used to reinstall Windows 10?

Mark Phelps · 08 Sep 2015

I think you're interpreting "flushed my C: drive" to be something like "wiped" -- where the entire partition is removed and the contents overlayed with ones and zeroes. That is not what is done. Even when a partition is reformatted, the files are not actually removed; instead, the partition boot record is overwritten -- but the files remain intact. In addition, Win10 install often creates a Recovery partition, and perhaps it was this that was used to reinstall.

moondoggy · 08 Sep 2015

Mark Phelps said:

I think you're interpreting "flushed my C: drive" to be something like "wiped" -- where the entire partition is removed and the contents overlayed with ones and zeroes. That is not what is done. Even when a partition is reformatted, the files are not actually removed; instead, the partition boot record is overwritten -- but the files remain intact. In addition, Win10 install often creates a Recovery partition, and perhaps it was this that was used to reinstall.

OK. If Windows 10 created a recovery partition then that might explain how it went about the install because all of my application files, data files, music, pictures, everything is gone from my C: drive just as I wanted it to be.