how to tell if pc upgraded to windows 10 or clean install

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  1. Posts : 1,502
    windows 10 PRO
       #1

    how to tell if pc upgraded to windows 10 or clean install


    Is there any way to tell
    if a pc has been upgraded to windows 10 or clean install.
    thanks
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  2. Posts : 5,452
    windows 10 Pro ver 21H2 build 19044.1348
       #2

    At the search box type winver > Enter
    The popup box show s you what you have.
    The following is just one of many ways to tell if it is a clean install...........................
    If it is a clean install and you have not installed any programs afterwards, your Programs and Features will have nothing on it.
    If it is an in-place upgrade, Programs and Features will list all the programs you have had installed from your previous OS.
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  3. Posts : 1,502
    windows 10 PRO
    Thread Starter
       #3

    davidhk said:
    At the search box type winver > Enter
    The popup box show s you what you have.
    The following is just one of many ways to tell if it is a clean install...........................
    If it is a clean install and you have not installed any programs afterwards, your Programs and Features will have nothing on it.
    If it is an in-place upgrade, Programs and Features will list all the programs you have had installed from your previous OS.
    ran winver and got windows 10 - 10240
    wanted to know if this was an upgrade or clean install, not sure this tells me ...
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 2,662
    W10 Pro (desktop), W11 (laptop), W11Pro (tablet)
       #4

    An upgrade will have a folder called Windows.old on the C: drive, a clean install won't.

    This isn't fool proof, someone could have done the upgrade and then deleted the Windows.old folder. I also believe that the Windows.old folder gets deleted by the OS after 30 days.
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  5. Posts : 5,452
    windows 10 Pro ver 21H2 build 19044.1348
       #5

    reddwarf4ever said:
    ran winver and got windows 10 - 10240
    wanted to know if this was an upgrade or clean install, not sure this tells me ...
    Have you read the rest of my reply after " winver " ?

    P.S. You are a little behind on the Windows version.
    We are now currently running version 10586.
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  6. Posts : 2,297
    Windows 10 Pro (64 bit)
       #6

    Windows.old gets deleted after 30 days. That's good to hear. Hopefully mine will go soon. Mine was a clan install new PC that came with windows 10 already on it. The TH2 update dumped that Windows.old folder on the machine and it's gnawing at about 20 gb of space which is annoying. I cannot remember when TH2 landed on my desktop but I guess it must be around 3 or 4 weeks ago. Will be good to get that space back. I know Disk cleanup could of done it but it's nice it will do it automatically
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  7. Posts : 5,452
    windows 10 Pro ver 21H2 build 19044.1348
       #7

    Scottyboy99 said:
    Windows.old gets deleted after 30 days. That's good to hear. Hopefully mine will go soon. Mine was a clan install new PC that came with windows 10 already on it. The TH2 update dumped that Windows.old folder on the machine and it's gnawing at about 20 gb of space which is annoying. I cannot remember when TH2 landed on my desktop but I guess it must be around 3 or 4 weeks ago. Will be good to get that space back. I know Disk cleanup could of done it but it's nice it will do it automatically
    Please do wait to see if Windows.old will be deleted after 30 days.
    That has been my understanding too, but I never waited that long to find out. I just manually deleted it every time.
    I have read somewhere in this forum that it is not deleted automatically after 30 days.
    I'd love to know for sure.
    Thank you.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 2,297
    Windows 10 Pro (64 bit)
       #8

    Ok thanks, yes I will wait. I hope it does. I have always avoided manually doing it. I know highly unlikely but I worried deletion would unsettle something in the system so prefer windows does itself. I guess if it doesn't delete I can afford the 20 gb approx. that it takes up as I guess it gives a rollback option (although I do take regular images via Windows Backup). What would be sole destroying though is if everytime there is a threshold update it creates another windows.old. So you end up with Windows.old, Windows2.old, Windows3.old etc taking up loads of space and forcing the user to take action. Not a problem for those of us who know but for the benefit of many users who don't traverse forums and aren't computer literate it would be good to be sure of what happens. Trouble is Windows 10 hasn't been going long enough to know the pattern.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1,502
    windows 10 PRO
    Thread Starter
       #9

    davidhk said:
    Have you read the rest of my reply after " winver " ?

    P.S. You are a little behind on the Windows version.
    We are now currently running version 10586.
    yes I did, this has been used since windows 10 so dont know if was upgraded or new install, windows.old filder gone but might have been deleted.....thanks
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 5,452
    windows 10 Pro ver 21H2 build 19044.1348
       #10

    reddwarf4ever said:
    yes I did, this has been used since windows 10 so dont know if was upgraded or new install, windows.old filder gone but might have been deleted.....thanks
    OK. Thank you for replying back.
    If you view your Programs and Features, can you not tell which programs were installed long ago, before the current version ?

    Just curious. Why is it necessary to know if it was an upgrade or clean install ?

    Thank you.
      My Computer


 

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