Steps for Clean Install


J

janey6

Well-known member
Local time
10:35 PM
Posts
26
OS
Windows 11 Pro
I have just bought an HP All-in-One Desktop, Win 11 v21H2 (OS Build 22000.258).
I want to do a clean install to get rid of all the HP stuff.
I understand I need to back up the drivers but would like to know if I need a backup of the existing image.

I would also like to know the steps I need to take to carry out the clean install please. I have done this on a previous computer with Windows 10 but it’s a long time ago so I’m a bit nervous now.
I appreciate the help you guys gave me yesterday with a problem and I’m confident you can help again!

Thanks in advance.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ16 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP EliteDesk
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ
Memory
16 GB
There is a tutorial on here about the steps needed:

www.elevenforum.com

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

You dont need to back up the drivers, just put the model number in google and the first page should be the computer's landing page where you can download the latest drivers from there.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProRyzen 9 3900xCorsair Dominator Platinum 32Gb@3600MHzAsus Strix 3080 Ti OC
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 3900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Strix x570-E
    Memory
    Corsair Dominator Platinum 32Gb@3600MHz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Asus Strix 3080 Ti OC
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Samsung Odyssey G7 32" Curved Gaming Monitor, IIYAMA XUB2792QSU-W1 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440@240Hz, 2560x1440@70Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 980 Pro 1 Tb (OS), Samsung 970 Pro 1 Tb (games), Samsung 860 Evo 1Tb (data), Samsung 860 Evo 4 Tb (games), Crucial MX500 1Tb (photos), Synology DS920+ 32 Tb NAS.
    PSU
    Corsair RM850x
    Case
    Corsair Crystal 680x
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i Se Platinum, 8 Corsair QL120/140 fans
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB Mk 2 SE Rapid Fire
    Mouse
    Corsair M65 Elite
    Internet Speed
    58/12 Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender + Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    Astro a50 Headset, Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Tablet.
    Creative T6300 5.1 Speakers. TPM 2.0 Module.

  • At a glance

    Arch Linux KDERyzen 5600xCorsair Vengeance 32Gb@3200MHzGigabyte RTX2070 Super Gaming OC
    Operating System
    Arch Linux KDE
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self Built
    CPU
    Ryzen 5600x
    Motherboard
    Asus Strix B550-E
    Memory
    Corsair Vengeance 32Gb@3200MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Gigabyte RTX2070 Super Gaming OC
    Sound Card
    Creative Soundblaster AE-5
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus Strix XG43VQ 43" Ultrawide
    Screen Resolution
    3840x1200 @ 120Mhz
    Hard Drives
    Aorus Gen 4 NVMe 1 Tb (Windows Insider), Samsung 850 Pro 512Gb (data), Samsung 850 Evo 1Tb (backups), Samsung 860 Evo 2Tb (Home folder), Blu-ray player
    PSU
    Corsair RM750i
    Case
    Fractal Define R6
    Cooling
    Scythe Mugen 5 rev B and Corsair QL fans
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70 RGB MK.2 Low Profile Rapidfire
    Mouse
    Glorious Model D
    Internet Speed
    58/12 Mbps
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender + Malwarebytes
    Other Info
    Corsair Virtuoso Headset
@janey6

Just because that all in one has Windows 11 on it, doesn't necessarily mean that it's compatible with a "regular" clean install of Win 11.
Just to play it safe, I would run the WhyNotWin11 tool.

github.com

Releases · rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11

Detection Script to help identify why your PC is not Windows 11 Release Ready. Now Supporting Update Checks! - rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11
github.com github.com

I would also export the drivers as you mentioned.

www.tenforums.com

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10

How to Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10
www.tenforums.com www.tenforums.com



I doubt either of these is necessary, but it's a lot easier checking now, than fixing later.
Sometimes companies bend a few compatibility rules to be able to say their device is running the latest OS.

Lastly... if it was me, I'd make a backup too.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9445 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9445 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    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 Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    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
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
swarfega said:
There is a tutorial on here about the steps needed:

www.elevenforum.com

Clean Install Windows 11

This tutorial will show you step by step on how to clean install Windows 11 at boot on your PC with or without an Internet connection and setup with a local account or Microsoft account. Windows 11 has all the power and security of Windows 10 with a redesigned and refreshed look. It also comes...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

You dont need to back up the drivers, just put the model number in google and the first page should be the computer's landing page where you can download the latest drivers from there.
Click to expand...
Thank you.
On my post yesterday, it was suggested I back up the drivers in case I should need them. I’ve input the model number but the only option is for Windows 10 drivers.
Step 7 of the clean install instructions was issued before Windows 11 had been released so do I enter anything for the product key at that point, please?
J
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ16 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP EliteDesk
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ
Memory
16 GB
Ghot said:
@janey6

Just because that all in one has Windows 11 on it, doesn't necessarily mean that it's compatible with a "regular" clean install of Win 11.
Just to play it safe, I would run the WhyNotWin11 tool.

github.com

Releases · rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11

Detection Script to help identify why your PC is not Windows 11 Release Ready. Now Supporting Update Checks! - rcmaehl/WhyNotWin11
github.com github.com

I would also export the drivers as you mentioned.

www.tenforums.com

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10

How to Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 10
www.tenforums.com www.tenforums.com
Click to expand...
I’m afraid that WhyNotWin11 tool completely loses me. I’m no expert in any of this!
I’ve exported all the drivers I can. It said there were 130 drivers; it exported 65, then stopped. 😏
The PC came with Windows 10 installed, with the option to upgrade to Windows 11, which I did.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ16 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP EliteDesk
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ
Memory
16 GB
janey6 said:
I’m afraid that WhyNotWin11 tool completely loses me. I’m no expert in any of this!
I’ve exported all the drivers I can. It said there were 130 drivers; it exported 65, then stopped. 😏
The PC came with Windows 10 installed, with the option to upgrade to Windows 11, which I did.
Click to expand...



Just go to the WhyNotWin11 page I linked above, and scroll down, till you see this.
Download the one in the RED square, and save it to your desktop. Just double click it to run.
Wait till it finishes. The graphics part take about 2 mins to finish, the rest is really fast...


Image1.png






When it's done it will look like this... if there's any RED marks, post a screen shot.
If it's all GREEN, then you're good to go.


GitHub tool Results.jpg




If you DO get any RED marks, we know ways to get around that... but we need to know, so we can direct you to the correct clean install method.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9445 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9445 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    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 Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    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
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
All green!
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ16 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP EliteDesk
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ
Memory
16 GB
janey6 said:
All green!
Click to expand...


Ok, that means, that the computer will accept a normal clean install. You should be fine.
The method linked in post #2 should work.
You can skip step #3, in those directions. We just checked that with WhyNotWin11.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9445 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2AMD Ryzen 7 3700XG.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
    OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦26300.9445 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦26H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 5302)
    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 Total Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1

  • At a glance

    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    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
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 15 years?
For my "peace of mind" I installed the HP Support Assistant and Intel Driver Assist after doing a clean install on my HP laptop. I suspect that the MS update should identify the driver updates suggested by these two, but the possible duplication does not bother me.

After my clean install there were lots of drivers flags in Device Manager. I had backed up the drivers from the Win11 Insider Preview prior to the clean install and used that. I subsequently saw a post suggesting that the Windows Update process would have had them, but I was happy that I had the backup.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel Core Ultra16GBIntel(R) Arc Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED
CPU
Intel Core Ultra
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) Arc Graphics
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio(SST)
Screen Resolution
2880 x 1800
Hard Drives
500 GB NVMe SSD
Internet Speed
1,500Mbps
Browser
Firefox, Edge
Antivirus
Windows Defender
Thanks everyone. Clean Windows now!
Should I do anything before loading all my programs?
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ16 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP EliteDesk
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ
Memory
16 GB
janey6 said:
Thanks everyone. Clean Windows now!
Should I do anything before loading all my programs?
Click to expand...
Congrats and job well done.. :thumbsup: you can remove some of the junk you don't need but you can do that later on. I would just start installing your programs.

Oh and have fun.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home- RP - 26H2 -26300.9539AMD Ryzen 5 5600GG.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
OS
Windows 11 Home- RP - 26H2 -26300.9539
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Banana Junior 5600-G Series
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard
Asus ROG Strix B550-F
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
Monitor(s) Displays
28" ASUS VP28U 4k
Screen Resolution
4K
Hard Drives
Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
PSU
EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
Case
Zalman i3 NEO
Cooling
ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
Keyboard
Corsair
Mouse
Amazon Generic with Cord
Internet Speed
Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
Browser
Firefox and Edge
Antivirus
MS - Defender
Other Info
Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
I would also make a backup after you're done.. just in case.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Home- RP - 26H2 -26300.9539AMD Ryzen 5 5600GG.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
OS
Windows 11 Home- RP - 26H2 -26300.9539
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
Banana Junior 5600-G Series
CPU
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
Motherboard
Asus ROG Strix B550-F
Memory
G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
Graphics Card(s)
Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
Monitor(s) Displays
28" ASUS VP28U 4k
Screen Resolution
4K
Hard Drives
Primary SAMSUNG 970 EVO Plus
PSU
EVGA BQ 700w 80+ Bronze
Case
Zalman i3 NEO
Cooling
ARCTIC Freezer 7 X
Keyboard
Corsair
Mouse
Amazon Generic with Cord
Internet Speed
Download: 295.11 mbps Upload: 65.35 mbps T-Mobile Internet
Browser
Firefox and Edge
Antivirus
MS - Defender
Other Info
Speakers: Klipsch ProMedia 2.1
BunnyJ said:
I would also make a backup after you're done.. just in case.
Click to expand...
You can't beat backing up often, you never know when you will want it.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro13th Gen Core i9 13900HX32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GBGeforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro10th Gen i-9 10900 K32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHzNvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
janey6 said:
Thanks everyone. Clean Windows now!
Should I do anything before loading all my programs?
Click to expand...
Yes, use a tool like Macrium Reflect free and capture an image of your computer in it's clean vanilla state. This way when you want to start over, you can plop on this image and go from there.

Of course, by time I get to the point of wanting to reinstall, there is usually a newer version of Windows I want to be on, and numerous driver updates from vendors to then catch up on....so it's often just as easy to just reinstall windows and the drivers once again.
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel Core i5-8279u32GB DDR4 2666MhzIntel Iris Plus 655
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Beelink SEI8
    CPU
    Intel Core i5-8279u
    Motherboard
    AZW SEI
    Memory
    32GB DDR4 2666Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    Intel Iris Plus 655
    Sound Card
    Intel SST
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Asus ProArt PA278QV
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    512GB NVMe
    PSU
    NA
    Case
    NA
    Cooling
    NA
    Keyboard
    NA
    Mouse
    NA
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    Mini PC used for testing Windows 11.

  • At a glance

    Windows 10 ProRyzen 9 5900x64GB DDR4-3600EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Ryzen 9 5900x
    Motherboard
    Asus Rog Strix X570-E Gaming
    Memory
    64GB DDR4-3600
    Graphics card(s)
    EVGA GeForce 3080 FT3 Ultra
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ASUS TUF Gaming VG27AQ. ASUS ProArt Display PA278QV 27” WQHD
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    2TB WD SN850 PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe
    2TB Sandisk Ultra 2.5" SATA SSD
    PSU
    Seasonic Focus 850
    Case
    Fractal Meshify S2 in White
    Cooling
    Dark Rock Pro CPU cooler, 3 x 140mm case fans
    Keyboard
    Corsiar K65 RGB Lux
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    500/50
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Defender.
pparks1 said:
Yes, use a tool like Macrium Reflect free and capture an image of your computer in it's clean vanilla state. This way when you want to start over, you can plop on this image and go from there.
Click to expand...
I’ve downloaded and installed Macrium Reflect Free. Do I just create an image of the partitions shown and save to a USB drive? Not sure which options I should choose.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ16 GB
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
PC/Desktop
Manufacturer/Model
HP EliteDesk
CPU
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700 CPU@3.00GHZ
Memory
16 GB
I initially create an image backup of all partitions excluding the OS and Data partitions. Then I create an image partition of the OS, then other images of the data partition(s). The image of the OS is the important one if you need to do a restore. The ones of your data.. well there are other ways.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 ProIntel Core Ultra16GBIntel(R) Arc Graphics
OS
Windows 11 Pro
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED
CPU
Intel Core Ultra
Memory
16GB
Graphics Card(s)
Intel(R) Arc Graphics
Sound Card
Realtek High Definition Audio(SST)
Screen Resolution
2880 x 1800
Hard Drives
500 GB NVMe SSD
Internet Speed
1,500Mbps
Browser
Firefox, Edge
Antivirus
Windows Defender
janey6 said:
I’ve downloaded and installed Macrium Reflect Free. Do I just create an image of the partitions shown and save to a USB drive? Not sure which options I should choose.
Click to expand...
I assume you only have one ssd / hdd I would create an image of all partitions in one go.
Don't forget to make a recovery drive.
Here is a how to link:
www.howtogeek.com

How to Create a Full-Disk Backup of Your PC with Macrium Reflect

Microsoft announced that System Image Backups will be deprecated in Windows 10’s Fall Creators Update. The feature is still available, but it is no longer actively being developed and may be removed in a future release of Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft recommends you use a third-party tool to...
www.howtogeek.com www.howtogeek.com

I hope you find this helpful
 

My Computers My Computers

System One System Two

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro13th Gen Core i9 13900HX32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GBGeforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware M18 R1
    CPU
    13th Gen Core i9 13900HX
    Memory
    32GB DDR5 @4800MHz 2x16GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Geforce RTX 4090HX 16GB
    Sound Card
    Nvidia HD / Realtek ALC3254
    Monitor(s) Displays
    18" QHD+
    Screen Resolution
    25660 X 1600
    Hard Drives
    C: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    D: KIOXIA (Toshiba) 2TB KXG80ZNV2T04 NVMe PCIe M.2 SSD
    Case
    Dark Metallic Moon
    Keyboard
    Alienware M Series per-key AlienFX RGB
    Mouse
    Alienware AW610M
    Browser
    Chrome and Firefox
    Antivirus
    Norton
    Other Info
    Killer E3000 Ethernet Controller
    Killer Killer AX1690 Wi-Fi Network Adaptor Wi-Fi 6E
    Bluetooth 5.2
    Alienware Z01G Graphic Amplifier

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 Pro10th Gen i-9 10900 K32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHzNvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Alienware Area 51m R2
    CPU
    10th Gen i-9 10900 K
    Memory
    32Gb Dual Channel DDR4 @ 8843MHz
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia RTX 2080 Super
    Sound Card
    Nvidia
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Hard Drive C: Samsung 2TB SSD PM981a NVMe
    Hard Drive D:Samsung 2TB SSD 970 EVO Plus
    Mouse
    Alienware 610M
    Browser
    Chrome
    Antivirus
    Norton
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Clean install--EFI partition
Replies
9
Views
851
hsehestedt
hsehestedt
Solved Has anyone successfully performed a CLEAN INSTALL of preview release 26200.8728?
Replies
6
Views
587
IanMosley
IanMosley
Solved Windows will not clean install
Replies
11
Views
2K
pewa
pewa
Can't clean install W11 from usb on a new laptop
Replies
8
Views
4K
HarleyQuinn
HarleyQuinn
clean install reactivation
Replies
17
Views
2K
hAx0R
H

Latest Support Threads

Latest Tutorials

Back
Top Bottom