![]() This option requires you to use an external storage device such as a USB drive, and will give you an option to choose what to keep during installation.īefore you begin, make sure you have the following:Īn external storage device such as a USB drive, SD card, or external hard drive with at least 8GB of available space.įirst, create the installation media that you'll use to reinstall Windows 11. This option will use a tool to create installation media which you can use to completely wipe the disk and install a fresh copy of Windows 11. Reinstall Windows 11 using installation media In this scenario, either free up additional space or use the steps in the next section to reinstall Windows 11. If your PC doesn’t have sufficient space available to reset Windows 11, you’ll receive a notification. For the steps to reset Windows 11, see Reset or reinstall Windows. You can reset your PC from Settings or the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE), which can be accessed through the sign-in screen. Resetting your device is less impactful than the clean install option, though it will require sufficient disk space. Windows will handle everything automatically, and you won’t need to use an external storage device. This option will take your device back to a state similar to when you turned it on for the first time, removing programs you have installed and removing personal files, depending on which option you select. (This reinstall option deletes and recreates all disk partitions.) Reinstall Windows 11 using installation mediaĬlean install of Windows 11 using installation media Reinstall Windows 11 using installation media What happens to data stored in other folders or drivesĪpps that didn't come with your PC are removed. What happens to your personal data stored under \Users For more info, see How reserved storage works in Windows. Reserved storage sets aside disk space to be used by updates, apps, temporary files, and system caches, thus improving the day-to-day function of your PC by ensuring that critical OS functions always have access to disk space.įor devices with reserved storage, a reset or reinstall will first use the reserved storage space before using other disk space. It's a little messy for Windows 10 testers, but it's the guaranteed way to ensure you don't lose activation.Reinstalling Windows 11 using installation media while choosing to ‘Keep nothing’ (a clean install) will automatically enable reserved storage if the partition you reinstall Windows to is 20GB or larger. ![]() I tried clean installing and I lost activation, but restoring to a Windows 8.1 install to upgrade to Windows 10 and then format and clean install worked. You can try going for a clean install using the ISO, but it's not guaranteed to work unless you've officially upgraded that machine to the final version of Windows 10 from a Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 install. This may have been overwritten by Windows 10, so if you're not able to restore then contact your PC maker. You can restore your PC using the DVD your PC maker supplied with your PC, or attempting the reset PC process on your machine. To be 100 percent sure you'll retain your product key you'll need to restore your PC back to Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 and then perform the upgrade process detailed above. First things first, backup everything you want to keep on your PC. If you've been testing Windows 10 and now you want to clean install it on your machine, things get a little tricky. ![]() Once you've installed Windows 10 it should automatically activate, but if it doesn't then you can run slmgr.vbs /ato from a command prompt to initiate activation. Ignore any product key prompts along the way by selecting the skip option. There will be a variety of setup prompts, but ensure you choose the custom installation to format your existing partition. Once your USB key or DVD is ready, reboot and use the BIOS options on your PC to boot from the USB or DVD. When you pick the version of Windows 10 ensure that it matches the version you noted down after the upgrade. You'll need a USB key that's at least 3GB in size or the ability to burn an ISO file to a DVD later. Write down the exact copy of Windows 10 you have installed, and then download the Windows 10 installer again on your machine and this time select the second option: create installation media for another PC. ![]() Check that your PC is activated and check the copy of Windows 10 you have installed from Settings > Update & Security> Activation. Once you're on Windows 10, ensure that you login with your Microsoft Account you intend to use. ![]()
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