Solved Preparing to image my computer, need help

I’m sorry, everyone.

I’m hoplessly lost trying to do what I believed to be a relatively simple disk clean/Windows reinstall. (Stuff people say they methodically do every year.) Pryor to this I had performed a number of Win10 reinstalls—both regular ones (which meant I had to contend with OneDrive) that only required installing software on a thumb drive and running the installer.

So finding out that I could accomplish a reinstall that would bypass the disaster of an automatic OneDrive install was thrilling. Now, after getting advice from everyone regarding how easy cleaning my drive and installing Win11 should be, I seem to be back at the beginning: finding out there’s work I need to do involving Dell and computer drivers (or not, since the computer is not the Pro edition) and possibly involving RegEdit and none of that is included in any of the Tutorials I was sent to or any user advice before just now.

Am I reading this all wrong?

Drivers updated...


And it seems I might be able to download, save, and install??? other drivers when the Win11 install is finished?

By the way

Why does Dell, based on my service number, list this computer as a Inspiron 16 7610 (requiring 59 drivers)
yet refer to "This Device B7J9FL3" as a computer requiring only 28 drivers?


A new whatever...

This is a crazy thread.

Backups;
Make an image of your drive (tutorial has been supplied)
For extra safety & precautions, copy your important files to an external.
/The end.

The reinstall;
Make a USB with the latest ISO & Rufus
Install/Upgrade
/The end.

jro11 said:

I’m hoplessly lost trying to do what I believed to be a relatively simple disk clean/Windows reinstall.

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I believe you are your worst enemy. Keep it simple…
If Macrium is too complicated, use something else.

When creating installation media, you have to be connected to the internet. The media can be downloaded and created using the troublesome computer (if it's operational and connected to the internet or can be created from any other computer.) Use option 1 or 2.
I really suggest you have a copy of the tutorial in front of you, checking off each step as you go.To create a local account use step 21 in the tutorial.

Please do not take this the wrong way. I do not know your level of expertise, but I feel from your posts that you may not fully understand all the necessary preparation and are confused about the procedure in general. May I suggest that, if you are not comfortable doing this, that you seek assistance from someone more experienced with it. Sometimes having 2 heads together can make things easier. It is an involved procedure but does require some familiarity.

glasskuter said:

Please do not take this the wrong way. I do not know your level of expertise, but I feel from your posts that you may not fully understand all the necessary preparation and are confused about the procedure in general. May I suggest that, if you are not comfortable doing this, that you seek assistance from someone more experienced with it.

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Closest help is to deliver the machine to a computer repair shop 3 hours away--pick it up in a week.

At this point, I'm not even sure how I would describe the problem or desired solution.

Maybe I need to look at it again
1) Reformat the drive.
2) Install Win11 on the drive any way I can.

jro11 said:

At this point, I'm not even sure how I would describe the problem or desired solution.

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Very simple. Tell a reputable repair person what data you want him to preserve, that you want a clean install using a local account and your backed up data imported into this account. Stress local account with no connection to OneDrive. Any repair person worth his salt will know what to do.

Otherwise, your only option is to tackle the issue yourself and accept whatever result you get. I do not say that facetiously, only to mean it sometimes requires a little experience to get the results we want. The procedure in the tutorial works...if you understand it. But if you don't, you can end up in a predicament. Best of luck in whatever you decide to do.

antspants said:

Make an image of your drive (tutorial has been supplied)
For extra safety & precautions, copy your important files to an external.

Click to expand...

An image of a drive does no good unless the drive is in good shape, correct?
Therefore why image a messy drive? If you install the image you just have your mess back.

glasskuter said:

Very simple. Tell a reputable repair person what data you want him to preserve, that you want a clean install using a local account and your backed up data imported into this account. Stress local account with no connection to OneDrive. Any repair person worth his salt will know what to do.

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Eventually I'm going to need to involve my Microsoft account, aren't I? In the long term, one can't operate a computer using a local account, right? For example, are System Updates available to systems operating using a local account?

Eventually I'm going to need to involve my Microsoft account, aren't I? No, a local account works just fine.

In the long term, one can't operate a computer using a local account, right? Wrong. The only limitations of using a local account is that some apps cannot be installed from the MS Store.

For example, are System Updates available to systems operating using a local account? Using a local account has no affect whatsoever on windows updates.

After instructing Dell to install the updated drivers my desktop was rearranged in such manner that all the shortcut icons were rearranged symmetrically. But that was not the unusual part, Each of the shortcut locations contained at least 4 (some the same; some different) icons superimposed upon each other!
I have never seen this behavior! I selected all icons on the desktop and attempted to move them to a folder. More than half the icons disappeared and a window came up speaking about Recycle Bin.
I can't imagine doing anything, or asking anyone to do anything on this computer before I completely reformat the disk! What I see bears no relationship to what was there before I instructed Dell to update the drivers.

jro11 said:

Why does Dell, based on my service number, list this computer as a Inspiron 16 7610 (requiring 59 drivers)
yet refer to "This Device B7J9FL3" as a computer requiring only 28 drivers?

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The 59 drivers are what is available to cover all 7610 devices that Dell made. The 28 drivers are specific to your particular 7610 with whatever configuration you have.

Some of those aren't drivers, but include Dell management utilities and BIOS updates. On the web page, you can filter them.
A lot of Dell utilities are meant for the corporate space, and the home user doesn't need them.

Some of the listed drivers will be older versions. They're provided in case you have compatibility problems. But normally the latest version is recommended.

glasskuter said:

Tell a reputable repair person what data you want him to preserve, that you want a clean install using a local account and your backed up data imported into this account. Stress local account with no connection to OneDrive. Any repair person worth his salt will know what to do.

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Ok. If I get a person to come here how do I tell him/her to configure disk partitions and the like? I want to end up with something better than the setup this computer started with and learn something in the process--since I will immediately will want to do the whole process again to my Win10 computer.

jro11 said:

how do I tell him/her to configure disk partitions and the like

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You don't manually configure partitions. During a clean install, all partitions should be deleted thus creating all unallocated space on the drive. You tell the installation process to install windows in the unallocated space. The installation process does the rest, creating all the partitions it requires automatically. It's in the tutorial.

antspants said:

This is a crazy thread.

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I just read the whole thread..., my head is still spinning!

glasskuter said:

You tell the installation process to install windows in the unallocated space. The installation process does the rest, creating all the partitions it requires automatically. It's in the tutorial.

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I know that. I was just thinking about the rest of the system (secondary internal and single external), e.g.,

jro11 said:

I was just thinking about the rest of the system (secondary internal and single external), e.g.,

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very important All additional drives (except your system drive and your windows installation usb) should be disconnected during a clean install. ( to not only prevent data loss but to make sure BCD data is written to proper drive. )Their data is not affected.

Edwin said:

I just read the whole thread..., my head is still spinning!

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Want your head to spin even more?

1) The screenshot key combination (Windows/Shift/s) does in fact capture a designated area on the screen. Only now it doesn't show that area on the bottom right corner of the screen (like, so that you can modify it. Can't display the problem since it no longer is there)

2) Now Edge is showing side/popups on its page:

jro11 said:

Windows/Shift/s

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jro11 said:

Edge is showing side/popups

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I don't use either of those, so, I wouldn't know!