Not-so-clean reinstall


pokeefe0001

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This posting will probably just indicate I can't follow directions, but I will forge ahead risking embarrassment.

I have rarely done clean installs of Windows, and the last 2 - one a week ago and one a couple years ago - did not go as expected. Each time I booted from an ESD flash drive built by the MCT. Each time I thought I requested a "save nothing" install, and both times non-Windows files were saved. That was actually a time-saver both times, but I'm about to do another "clean" reinstall, and this time I need to make sure I'm doing it correctly. I need to clean up some old garbage - deleted user profiles, clean ProgData, clean registry. (My data files are fine; they could stay if everything else was new.)

Those previous installs did a fine job of removing user profiles and giving me a new ProgData, but I'm not sure about the registry. I would have expected all the registry records to have a "Modified" date of the installation date or more recent, but last weeks install left a lot of records with dates of 6/5/2021 and 11/4/2021. Is that normal?
 
Windows Build/Version
Win11 Pro 21H2 build 22000.795

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
I had that tutorial next to me on a laptop as I was going through the process. I thought I was following it correctly (except maybe step 11) but, as I said, I had unexpected results. According to step 10 I would either keep files, setting, and applications or I would remove them. Instead, applications and settings were gone but files were still there (on the C drive).

But none of that matters much to me. My real concern is about the registry. Do those two options both rebuild the registry with just Windows-related stuff? If so, why do I have a bunch of Windows-related registry records (stuff relating to drivers, etc.) with old dates rather than the installation date? does that indicate that something went wrong?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
This posting will probably just indicate I can't follow directions, but I will forge ahead risking embarrassment.

I have rarely done clean installs of Windows, and the last 2 - one a week ago and one a couple years ago - did not go as expected. Each time I booted from an ESD flash drive built by the MCT. Each time I thought I requested a "save nothing" install, and both times non-Windows files were saved. That was actually a time-saver both times, but I'm about to do another "clean" reinstall, and this time I need to make sure I'm doing it correctly. I need to clean up some old garbage - deleted user profiles, clean ProgData, clean registry. (My data files are fine; they could stay if everything else was new.)

Those previous installs did a fine job of removing user profiles and giving me a new ProgData, but I'm not sure about the registry. I would have expected all the registry records to have a "Modified" date of the installation date or more recent, but last weeks install left a lot of records with dates of 6/5/2021 and 11/4/2021. Is that normal?
sadly sometimes people who dont have the experience dont know that when doing a clean install you need to delete every single partition on the main drive your going to reinstall. once they are all deleted you choose which drive you want to backup to and of course pick your main drive which now has nothing on it and then install from a USB. I always use Rufus to install a bootable iso but thats me and as said a million times theres many programs and ways to reinstall windows. So whatever that may be that works for you.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro Version 22H2(OS Build 22621.963)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    AMD
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5800X 8 Core
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte X570 Aorus Pro WiFi
    Memory
    32 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    PCI Express 3.0 x16: PowerColor RX Vega 56 Red Dragon
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220 and AMD Greenland - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 - 27 inch Westinghouse
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    2 SSD - 2 TB each
    1 HDD - 2 TB
    Keyboard
    logitech
    Mouse
    logitech
    Internet Speed
    1 GB
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Avast Premium
You are doing Reset if you were doing clean installation, you would delete partitions you don't need that will also delete data on those deleted partitions and install Windows 11 on unallocated space.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
sadly sometimes people who dont have the experience dont know that when doing a clean install you need to delete every single partition on the main drive your going to reinstall.
Well, I'm definitely one of those inexperienced people. So I didn't delete the partitions; I just pointed the installation process to the partition that had been my C: drive. Given that, what did the installation process do? Did it just overwrite all the Windows-specific directories and files and leave everything else on the drive untouched?

I don't really need to do a completely clean install. I think I just need AppData, ProgData, and the registry back to a pristine condition.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
1. Unhook all drives that you're NOT installing Windows on.
2. When you boot from the install media...there's an option to delete partitions.
3. Delete them... then point the installer to the now... unallocated space, when it asks where to install.

In the tutorial... choose: "Custom" in step #10
Then in step #11 you can delete all the existing Windows partitions.

That... is a clean install








/edit
When you do a clean install of Windows....the drive will end up looking like this...

00000 Default Disk Partitions.png

If you use the whole drive, only the Windows partition (BLUE), will grow to fill all the unused space on the drive.
So if you use the whole 1TB drive... the Windows partition (BLUE), will be approx. 930GB.
And the drive will still have those 4 partitions.


When doing a clean install, you need to delete all four of those partitions, from the drive you are installing Windows on.
When they are deleted, they will show as one big unallocated space.

When the installer asks where to install Windows... you point it to the unallocated space.
 
Last edited:

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling 750W Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
    Cooling
    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
    Keyboard
    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-100
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox (latest)
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
    PSU
    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
    Case
    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
I don't really need to do a completely clean install. I think I just need AppData, ProgData, and the registry back to a pristine condition.
In this video, i will show you how to reset Windows 11.

 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
Thanks to all of you, but this isn't really answering my questions
  1. What is the expected result of choosing "Custom: Install Windows only" but not deleting the partitions? Would this leave non-Windows files and folders on the C: drive even though the option says "The files, settings, and applications aren't moved to Windows". "Moved to" and "not moved to" are very vague terms.
  2. What is the state of the registry after either of the options in step 10? Are any records created by non-Windows programs still present after the install? (I assume not, but I need to know for sure.)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
If you install Windows 11 on a partition that has already had Windows 11 installed then Windows.old folder is created that contains previous Windows installation, program files and all the data of Users.

All Registries will be deleted.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
    Motherboard
    Erica6
    Memory
    Micron Technology DDR4-3200 16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC671
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster U28E590
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG MZVLQ1T0HALB-000H1
I frequently install Windows without format, so all old data go into Windows.old and any extra folder in C:\ (the root of Windows partition) remains as it was. I usually create a Drivers folder which I would not want to be deleted. After the installation is complete, I can browse the Windows.old folder to copy any old data needed. My old user files will be at C:\Windows.old\user\username for example. I know I could just do a backup and then delete all partitions, but the above method is failsafe in case I forget to backup anything.

Tip: To recover your Firefox data copy any "mozilla" folder from Windows.old to the respective folder in the new installation BEFORE reinstalling Firefox. This will prompt Firefox installer to "upgrade" the old version and once installation is complete you should have all your bookmarks, passwords and addons. Some folders are hidden, so make sure you enable to show the hidden folders as well. Look in Program Data, Program Files, Program Files (x86), users\username\AppData\Local (and LocalLow and Roaming). Make sure you copy ALL Mozilla data before installing. The same trick works for Google Chrome and Opera as well. Haven't done it for Microsoft Edge.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 64-bit (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Extensa 5630EZ
    CPU
    Mobile DualCore Intel Core 2 Duo T7250, 2000 MHz
    Motherboard
    Acer Extensa 5630
    Memory
    4GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Mobile Intel(R) GMA 4500M (Mobile 4 series)
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC268 @ Intel 82801IB ICH9 - High Definition Audio Controller
    Monitor(s) Displays
    1
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB SATA Device (250 GB, SATA-III)
    Internet Speed
    VDSL 50 Mbps
    Browser
    MICROSOFT EDGE
    Antivirus
    WINDOWS DEFENDER
    Other Info
    Legacy MBR installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, no WDDM 2.0 graphics drivers, cannot get more unsupported ;) This is only my test laptop. I had installed Windows 11 here before upgrading my main PC. For my main PC I use everyday see my 2nd system specs.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro v23H2 (build 22631.3235)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom-built PC
    CPU
    Intel Core-i7 3770 3.40GHz s1155 (3rd generation)
    Motherboard
    Asus P8H61 s1155 ATX
    Memory
    2x Kingston Hyper-X Blu 8GB DDR3-1600
    Graphics card(s)
    Gainward NE5105T018G1-1070F (nVidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5)
    Sound Card
    Realtek HD audio (ALC887)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Sony Bravia KDL-19L4000 19" LCD TV via VGA
    Screen Resolution
    1440x900 32-bit 60Hz
    Hard Drives
    Patriot Burst Elite 480GB SSD as system disk, Western Digital Caviar Purple 4TB SATA III (WD40PURZ) as second
    PSU
    Thermaltake Litepower RGB 550W Full Wired
    Case
    SUPERCASE MIDI-TOWER
    Cooling
    Stock Intel CPU Fan, 1x 8cm fan at the back
    Mouse
    Sunnyline OptiEye PS/2
    Keyboard
    Mitsumi 101-key PS/2
    Internet Speed
    100Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Legacy BIOS (MBR) installation, no TPM, no Secure Boot, WDDM 3.0 graphics drivers, WEI score 7.4
Thank you. That confirms that the files and folders left on the C: drive was normal.

I've actually done the FireFox (and Thunderbird) cloning a number of times unrelated to resinstallation of Windows. And I've just read that the Local AppData doesn't need to be copied - just Roaming. Local apparently contains things like caches. (I'll try it on my test PC before I trust that.)

Thank you for mentioning Windows.old. That's easier to access than data on backups.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort
Thanks to all of you, but this isn't really answering my questions
  1. What is the expected result of choosing "Custom: Install Windows only" but not deleting the partitions? Would this leave non-Windows files and folders on the C: drive even though the option says "The files, settings, and applications aren't moved to Windows". "Moved to" and "not moved to" are very vague terms.
  2. What is the state of the registry after either of the options in step 10? Are any records created by non-Windows programs still present after the install? (I assume not, but I need to know for sure.)
A Clean install demands that you install on a Clean drive. If you don't clean all partitions it isn't a clean install.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 7 HP 64 - Windows 11 Pro - Lubuntu
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    custom build
    CPU
    i5 6600K - 800MHz to 4400MHz
    Motherboard
    GA-Z170-HD3P
    Memory
    4+4G GSkill DDR4 3000
    Graphics Card(s)
    IG - Intel 530
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung 226BW
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    (1) -1 SM951 – 128GB M.2 AHCI PCIe SSD drive for Win 11
    (2) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for Data
    (3) -1 WD SATA 3 - 1T for backup
    (4) -1 BX500 SSD - 128G for Windows 7 and Lubuntu
    PSU
    Thermaltake 450W TR2 gold
    Keyboard
    Old and good Chicony mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech mX performance - 9 buttons (had to disable some)
    Internet Speed
    500 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
  • Operating System
    Windows 7 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Q550LF
    CPU
    i7-4500U 800- 3000MHz
    Motherboard
    Asus Q550LF
    Memory
    (4+4)G DDR3 1600
    Graphics card(s)
    IG intel 4400 + NVIDIA GeForce GT 745M
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG Display LP156WF4-SPH1
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    BX500 120G SSD for Windows and programs
    & 1T HDD for data
    Internet Speed
    350 Mb/s
    Browser
    Firefox 64
Thank you, but I'm not asking about a clean install, and I don't particularly want a clean install. I'm asking what is left when I do a "Remove everything" install but do not delete the old partitions. I now understand that non-Windows files and folders are left.

I'm specifically interested in the registry. I expected that the install would have cleaned it out and all records would have a "Modified" timestamp of the install but I found a bunch of records with a much older date. I think they were all device drivers. Is this to be expected?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Microsoft
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8400
    Motherboard
    ASUS PRIME H370-PLUS
    Memory
    16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    On board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung SyncMaster 2043BWX
    Screen Resolution
    1680 x 1050
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 256GB
    WDC 1TB NVMe
    WD 3TB external USB drive
    PSU
    I don't remember
    Case
    Corsair something-or-other
    Cooling
    Air CPU + 2 case fans
    Keyboard
    DAS S Pro (Cherry Brown)
    Mouse
    Logitech USB of some sort

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