Clean Install Windows 10

Brink · 01 Nov 2020

Ztruker said:

Ah!!!!!! The light shines on the grey, empty expanse of despair

The Laptop was a Home install, not Pro. You nailed it @Bree, gracias.

I'm going to do a Home install on a VM just to verify I see the same things I saw on the Laptop.

My apologies to you again Shawn, two screw-ups in 6 days in the same thread. Is that a new record? Do I get a medal?

Don't sweat it.

I need to clean install Home 20H2 in a VM as well to test and update the tutorial with.

truelies · 07 Nov 2020

I believe after step 16, we need to remove the USB?

f14tomcat · 07 Nov 2020

truelies said:

I believe after step 16, we need to remove the USB?

Correct, @truelies. Anytime during this 10 seconds the thumb drive (USB) can be removed, else it may reboot to the thumb if the BIOS order is set as USB device 1st priority. With a DVD, it would not matter as much since the "Press any key to boot from DVD" message would time-out and proceed if left unattended.

Clean Install Windows 10-2020-11-07_16h18_03.png

robasso · 24 Nov 2020

I had never done a clean install before and was very hesitant to try. I found this thread, followed the tutorial and everything went smoothly. I just wanted to say thank you to Brink and anyone else that contributed their time and expertise-it is very much appreciated!

Brink · 24 Nov 2020

robasso said:

I had never done a clean install before and was very hesitant to try. I found this thread, followed the tutorial and everything went smoothly. I just wanted to say thank you to Brink and anyone else that contributed their time and expertise-it is very much appreciated!

I'm glad it could help robasso, and welcome to Ten Forums.

Pragnesh89 · 01 Dec 2020

Quick question,

When I bought the laptop I had windows 7 installed so I have the key for Windows 7 home premium. Then I upgraded my laptop to Windows 10 Pro. So how do I go about this?

ignatzatsonic · 01 Dec 2020

Pragnesh89 said:

Quick question,

When I bought the laptop I had windows 7 installed so I have the key for Windows 7 home premium. Then I upgraded my laptop to Windows 10 Pro. So how do I go about this?

What is "this"?

A clean install?

Refer to first post in this thread---making a USB flash drive installer for Windows 10 via Microsoft Media Creation Tool.

Create Bootable USB Flash Drive to Install Windows 10

Pragnesh89 · 01 Dec 2020

ignatzatsonic said:

What is "this"?

Sorry should have been more clearer. I meant how do I go about doing a clean install for Windows 10 Pro since the key I have is for Windows 7 Home Premium and I got a free install upgrade from Microsoft to upgrade to Windwos 10.

ignatzatsonic · 01 Dec 2020

If your current Windows 10 Pro install is activated, that info should be already stored on Microsoft's activation servers and you shouldn't have to worry about it. I'd expect any new Win 10 Pro clean install you did would activate without issue.

Bree · 01 Dec 2020

Pragnesh89 said:

....how do I go about doing a clean install for Windows 10 Pro since the key I have is for Windows 7 Home Premium and I got a free install upgrade from Microsoft to upgrade to Windows 10.

If you upgraded W7 Home Premium to Windows 10 on this PC it would have got a digital license for Windows 10 Home stored on Microsoft's activation servers. This means you could clean install Windows 10 Home without providing a key and it will activate automatically from the digital license as soon as it can contact the activation servers.

You could clean install W10 Pro, but it won't activate if the PC's digital license is only for Home.

Unless you have previously installed W10 Pro and activated it on this PC, then if you want to activate Pro, or to upgrade an activated Home to Pro, you'll need to purchase a key for Pro.

Clean Install Windows 10

Thank you!