Hello Ale, and welcome to Ten Forums. :)
Q1) Yes, you would need to clean install with the same edition, version, and language to avoid it possibly not getting automatically activated. When you clean install, be sure to "Skip" entering a product key during Windows Setup.
I find it easier to create a data partition after Windows has finished installing.
Q2) The recovery partition gets created during the installation.
Hello Brink, thank you for the fast answer.
How do you create a data partition after the installation?
I don't mean the Windows RE partition, but the optional recovery image partition, here is the scheme I found:
Sample: Configure UEFI/GPT-Based Hard Drive Partitions by Using Windows PE and DiskPart
Personally, I would just create a system image afterwards instead. It'll be more reliable, and you can keep it updated as needed.
Macrium Reflect is a good free program for doing such with.
Imaging with free Macrium - Windows 7 Help Forums
WIth an upgrade install almost anything can become a problem! To avoid any of that however I took another route and saw a clean install of 7 followed by only a few updates to go along with SP1 and then saw the upgrade to 10 only after several attempts however until getting back in here to look over this particular guide to find where the problem was.
My two storage drives since replaced note prevented 10 from completing the first upgrade! That was without VIPRE Internet Security used here even on since it was on the then second OS drive and finally 10 saw the clean install after the first week. The web installer was for the 2014 version of VIPRE that would not even go on with the initial upgrade which definitely needed a repair! I ran the 2016 beta for that software without any problems that first week before finally going for broke with the clean install and the 2015 version presently seen.
The most likely cause for these av and anti-malware program issues is simply compatibility with 10! The recommendation before being able to see a clean install would be to look up the latest if available to have ready for the upgrade first having removed the old and then onto the clean install later to get past those problems.
Other then seeing an issue on the second desktop regarding the usb WiFi adapter for the 7 install there popping up when booting into 10 so far 10 has been running quite stable on both systems plus a laptop upgraded. Most of everything I have running on 7 with only a few exceptions run on 10 as well being "Three Versions Newer"! Can't complain about that any!
Actually I am interested in doing the same thing to this new to me computer I just got yesterday. Already told Shawn I would be bending his ear on this. Anyhow, It has 2 drives, boot drive is an SSD Samsung, 2nd drive is a 1tb hard drive, both are GPT partitioned.
UEFI is turned on at the moment. MiniTool boot disk won't work, to change those partitions, already tried. I would like to change everything to MBR partitions. Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro. Which brings up another question, This computer when new was installed with Windows 8.1 Home, then the original owner upgraded this computer to Windows 10 Home, then, I bought it.
I have since upgraded the OS to Windows 10 Pro, with a key that I bought. It is activated now and running Windows 10 Pro.
If I do a clean install, I was told by a Microsoft tech, that I would have to call to re-activate windows 10 back to Pro. ?????
This confuses me because after I activated it to Pro, I would think the windows servers would know this, same as with a free upgrade?? What do you guys think?? Also, Not sure how the heck I am going to delete all the partitions which are GPT and change back to MBR. I am not that good with diskpart. :) Right now their in no AV or firewall installed except for Windows. No 3rd party AV or firewall installed......yet.... Sorry for this long post toooo. I can also post pics of the disks if you guys want.
Pic of the disks and partitions.
Hey Mike, :)
I haven't test yet, but I think the issue is that you may have an upgrade product key for Windows 10 Pro instead of a full retail.
That would be the only thing I can think of for why you would have a problem doing a clean install of Windows 10 Pro.
The steps in the tutorial on the first page show you how to delete all partitions on the Windows disk until it's unallocated. Windows Setup will take care of the rest for you.
You may be able to use the method in the tutorial below to do a clean install instead, but I would recommend to create an image backup using Macrium Reflect or what you like first to be safe.
Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First
Ok, I will read some more, the key thou is a retail key......just a pain to upgrade. Had to call them last nite after I upgrade to Pro, to get it activated. Phone activation will work, just don't know why I had to call.
Could have used that option here several times on a few desktops and a laptop! I'll likely be setting up a 7/10 for that friend I told you about where I had passed along the old case which saw 7 up a few years back and he simply bought someone else's 8.1 laptop and forgot all about it and still wants a chance to run 7.
I was under the impression that MS was now only seeing full install usb media type keys being sold since they were dumping optical media entirely. You should see results once a clean install is on when going to enter that key since it was purchased direct from MS.
If you were talking to me Night Hawk I did not buy the key from MS :) Too expensive buying keys from them!!! But I did have to call MS after upgrading to Pro using the key I bought. Then after giving them a VERY long activation number, think it was like 36 or more numbers, MS activated my Win Pro. Already have made changes to the 2nd drive, its all one partition now. Still GPT thou. and my boot drive is down to 20 gigs of hard drive space. :). This machine is so dam fast, scary, compared to my old computer.
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