How to Start Fresh with Clean up-to-date Installation of Windows 10


Using Fresh start lets you perform a clean reinstallation and update of Windows while keeping your personal data and most Windows settings intact. Fresh start will remove most of your apps from your device. In some cases, a clean installation may improve your device's startup and shutdown experience, memory usage, Store apps performance, browsing experience, and battery life.

See also: Track your device and performance health in Windows Security | Microsoft Support

This tutorial will show you how to use Fresh start to get a clean up-to-date reinstallation of Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to use Fresh start or run the Refresh Windows Tool.

You can reinstall your Windows Apps that are available in the Store using your Microsoft Account.

   Warning

Before you use Fresh start

Keep these important points in mind before you begin a Fresh start:

• Microsoft recommends that you back up your files before making changes like a clean installation of Windows to your device.
• Fresh start will remove all apps that don't come standard with Windows, including other Microsoft apps such as Office, third-party antivirus software, and desktop apps that came pre-installed on your device. It will also remove all other Windows Desktop apps installed by your device’s manufacturer, such as your manufacturer's apps, support apps, and drivers. It will keep only the Store apps installed by your manufacturer.
• You will not be able to recover removed apps and you will need to manually reinstall these apps later if you want to keep using them.
• Make sure that you have access to all reinstallation media (such as CDs), product keys, license or login information, or other materials needed to manually reinstall and reactivate the apps or app-related content you want to keep using.
• You may lose your digital licenses, digital content associated with apps, or other digital entitlements for apps, which may impact your ability to use apps or app-related content you paid for.
• Make sure you meet the system requirements. Learn more at Windows 10 Specifications.
• If you just purchased a new device that includes Office 365, please see Download and install Office 365 Home, Personal, or University on your PC for information about reinstalling Microsoft Office after the clean installation of Windows. If you have Office 2010 or earlier, you will need to locate your Office product key. For tips on locating your product key, check Find your Office 2010 product key or enter the product key for your Office 2007 program.

Contents

• Option One: Fresh Start Windows 10 using Windows Defender Security Center in Windows 10 version 1909 and lower
• Option Two: Fresh Start Windows 10 using Refresh Windows Tool

OPTION ONE

Fresh Start Windows 10 using Windows Defender Security Center in Windows 10 version 1909 and lower

Fresh start is available for Windows 10 versions prior to version 2004. For Windows 10 version 2004 and higher, Fresh start functionality has been moved to Reset this PC. To reset your PC, go to Start > Settings > Update & Security > Recovery > Reset this PC > Get Started. Then select Keep my files (aka: refresh Windows 10), choose cloud or local, change your settings, and set Restore preinstalled apps? to No.

If you don't see the option to Restore preinstalled apps, it means your PC doesn't have preinstalled apps configured and won't restore apps from your PC manufacurer.

Source: Track your device and performance health in Windows Security | Microsoft Support

1 Open Windows Security, and click/tap on the Device performance & health icon. (see screenshot below)

If you like, you can run the systemreset -cleanpc command instead, and go to step 4 below.

This command is still available to use in Windows 10 version 2004 and higher.

2 Click/tap on the Additional info link under Fresh start at the bottom. (see screenshot below)

3 Click/tap on Get started. (see screenshot below)

4 Click/tap on Yes when prompted by UAC. (see screenshot below)

5 Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

6 Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

7 Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

8 Click/tap on Start when ready to do a Fresh start. (see screenshot below)

9 It will now start refreshing your PC. This will take a while to finish, and your PC will restart a few times during the process. (see screenshots below)

10 When Fresh start has finished, you will be able to sign in to Windows 10. You will see Removed Apps.html file on your desktop to make it easier to know what apps to reinstall if wanted. (see screenshot below)

OPTION TWO

Fresh Start Windows 10 using Refresh Windows Tool

Before you begin

If you’re on an Enterprise or Education edition, the tool won’t work for a clean installation. Please see the Volume Licensing Service Center for more information.

Review the following important notes:

* Using this tool will remove all apps that do not come standard with Windows, including other Microsoft apps such as Office. It will also remove most apps installed by your PC’s manufacturer such as your manufacturer’s apps, support apps, and drivers. You will not be able to recover removed apps and will need to manually reinstall them later if you want to keep them.
* You may lose your digital licenses, digital content associated with applications, or other digital entitlements for applications as a result of using the tool, which may impact your ability to use apps you paid for or app-related content you paid for. For this reason, we don’t recommend using this tool on any PC where you wish to ensure all of your applications and application-related content (including Microsoft applications such as Office) remain properly installed and licensed.

Please make sure you have the following:

* An internet connection to download the tool and the Windows 10 image. Internet service provider fees may apply.
* Sufficient data storage available on the computer you are clean installing. Note that the download and image is over 3GB.

1 Click/tap on the Download tool now button at the Start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 10 Microsoft webpage, and save the RefreshWindowsTool.exe file to your desktop.

2 Run the RefreshWindowsTool.exe file, and click/tap on Yes in the UAC prompt. (see screenshot below)

3 Click/tap on Accept to agree to the license terms. (see screenshot below)

4 Select (dot) what you want to keep, and click/tap on Install when ready to start. (see screenshot below)

Keep personal files only - Your setting and apps will be deleted, but your files in will be kept. This would be the files in your "C:\Users\<username>" profile folder.

Nothing - Everything will be deleted, including your files, settings, and apps.

Regardless of your selection at this step, this tool will perform a clean installation of Windows. All applications that came with or were manually installed on your PC will be removed, including paid applications. Apps that come standard with Windows 10 (Mail and Edge for example) will be preserved.

This tool will only affect the partition that Windows 10 is installed on, and will not affect any other drive or partition.

5 The tool will now download Windows 10 and check to make sure your PC is ready. (see screenshots below)

6 The tool will now start installing Windows 10. This will take a while to finish, and your PC will restart a few times during the process. (see screenshots below)

7 When installation has finished, select your country/region, language, keyboard layout, and time zone, then click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

8 Perform the action below you want to do: (see screenshot below)

A) Click/tap on the Customize button, and go to step 9 below.

OR

B) Click/tap on the Use Express settings button, and go to step 12 below.

9 Turn on or off the Personalization and Location settings you want, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

10 Turn on or off the Connectivity and error reporting settings you want, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

11 Turn on or off the Browser, protection, and update settings you want, and click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)

12 You can now pick up at step 19 here to finish setting up Windows 10. (see screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

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• How to Clean Install Windows 10
• How to Custom Install Windows 10
• How to Clean Install Windows 10 without any External Installation Media
• How to Refresh Windows 10
• How to Reset Windows 10
• How to Reinstall Windows 10 with this media
• How to 'Recover from a drive' to Reset Windows 10
• Hide or Show Device Performance and Health in Windows Defender Security Center in Windows 10
• How to Download a Recovery Image for a Surface Device

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