Wiping my Windows 10 pro PC.What Method should I use to wipe-Reinstall

Hello Everyone,

Every so often I do a reboot of my computer. What I have done for years is use a program like DBAN to wipe my whole computer. Next, the only full version of Windows I own is XP, so I install that and that creates a partition that puts XP on it. Then I would install the current windows operating system I own and at the time of my last reboot I installed Windows 8 and then the upgrade to windows 8.1. Now I currently have Windows 10 pro that I installed by taking advantage of the free Windows 10 upgrade back when it first came out.

I am looking for a more easier method I can utilize instead of doing all that installing. What best method to get my computer rebooted again with Windows 10 pro that you guys would recommend?

Thank you very much for your help.

Once Windows 10 is activated you can just format the whole disk and clean-install Windows 10 directly (skip key when asked). When first connected to the internet it will find your registration on Microsoft servers and activate automatically, no key needed. Just make sure you install the same version (Home or Pro) or it won't activate. You can download the latest build ISO from Microsoft Tech Bench. Be careful to download the correct language to be able to upgrade older Windows to 10. "English" is English US and "English International" is English GB. Each one can only upgrade the same language Windows. Unless you have a specific restricted version, you are looking for "Windows 10", which contains both Home and Pro (depending or serial or previous Windows version). Others are special restricted versions and can only upgrade their respective Windows 7 and 8 versions.

Thank you spapakons. Doing this way you suggest will this method clean out completely like the department of defense DoD Short or something in that range? Also, is this method you suggest be safe enough or wipe out the drive enough to just give the computer away etc?

Thank you!

You could turn on bitlocker and encrypt the whole drive. If you want to give it away just clean install again - nothing earlier will be recoverable.

Or you can do a full format (not quick) at each partition before you delete them and install Windows 10 at the unallocated space. You could also fill the disk with zeros, but this is too far.

lx07 said:

You could turn on bitlocker and encrypt the whole drive. If you want to give it away just clean install again - nothing earlier will be recoverable.

This clean install you are recommending it sounds like the one I mentioned in my original post. Correct? If not, what clean install are you suggesting? Also, I have never used bitlocker, why and/or when should I use that feature?

Thank you!

spapakons said:

Or you can do a full format (not quick) at each partition before you delete them and install Windows 10 at the unallocated space. You could also fill the disk with zeros, but this is too far.

This is kind of my original method I mentioned in my original post.

I would boot from a Windows 10 Pro installation media, select custom install, delete all the partitions on the hard drive when you get the listing, then clean install to the unallocated space. It would take a forensics expert to recover any old information left on the hard drive not overwritten by the clean install.

Let Windows 10 create it's own partitions during the install by just selecting the unallocated space to install to.

NavyLCDR said:

I would boot from a Windows 10 Pro installation media, select custom install, delete all the partitions on the hard drive when you get the listing, then clean install to the unallocated space. It would take a forensics expert to recover any old information not overwritten by the clean install.

Let Windows 10 create it's own partitions during the install.

Thank you NavyLCDR. Since I didn't buy Windows 10 retail version and I have made a disc via media creation tool will I be able to do the same thing?

Just making sure here. It might sound stupid. By deleting and reinstalling windows 10 on my partition doesn't that not wipe out the old information to the way like a program DBAN would by writing all zeros?

Doing it this way, since I don't own a full version of Windows 10, but the free upgrade that I got when Windows 10 first came out. Don't I need to have atleast a prior operating system first before able to install windows 10?

If Windows 10 is activated, this information is stored in Microsoft Server. When first online after the new installation, it will detect this information and reactivate automatically (assuming of course you install the same version Home or Pro).