"Reinstalling" windows 10

Forums › Microsoft Windows › "Reinstalling" windows 10

mdf

3512 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#190918 16-Jan-2016 13:54

I have a Windows 10 notebook that has several niggles (bluetooth and network drivers) that I have tried and failed to resolve. I have now given up and am happy to try reinstalling Windows 10.

Does the "Reset this PC" function (swipe in --> All Settings --> Recovery) actually reinstall a fresh and sparkling clean version of windows, or something more limited? The description for resetting does include a reference to "re-installing".

This particular notebook was an upgrade from Win8.1, but I selected the clean install options (certainly all the settings, files and documents went).

If I do need to create a reinstall USB stick, what's the best way of ensuring a clean and (so far as possible) up to date version of Win10?

lNomNoml

1807 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

#1472727 16-Jan-2016 17:19

Use the reset this PC function, it will install a fresh install with nothing installed.

mattwnz

20141 posts

Uber Geek

#1472730 16-Jan-2016 17:25

lNomNoml: Use the reset this PC function, it will install a fresh install with nothing installed.

To piggyback on this, what if you are dual booting windows 10 with windows 8.1. Will resetting windows 10 on it, totally wipe the drive, so you only have windows 10, or will it keep windows 8.1 and just install a clean install of windows 10.

gzt

17104 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1472747 16-Jan-2016 17:43

Does windows 10 keep an updated image then restore exactly the same drivers on reset?

Juicytree

141 posts

Master Geek

#1472754 16-Jan-2016 18:12

In response to mattwnz, in my experience a reset (without retaining any data) of windows 10 did not wipe my dual boot of Linux.

Oriphix

523 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1472765 16-Jan-2016 18:19

gzt: Does windows 10 keep an updated image then restore exactly the same drivers on reset?

Here's what will happen:

All your personal files and apps will be removed.
All user accounts will be removed.
Your PC settings will be changed back to their defaults. (this part I believe will remove all your windows updates / drivers etc)
If you have more than one drive (partition) on the Windows disk, you will have the option to remove all files on only the Windows drive or all drives on the disk.

nathan

5695 posts

Uber Geek
Inactive user

#1472951 17-Jan-2016 05:17

by default we only remove the last 30 days of Windows Updates

gzt

17104 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#1473080 17-Jan-2016 11:39

Thanks Nathan. So all user installed drivers are effectively removed regardless of install date? Ie; only the windows update installed drivers (>30 days of course) will persist?

Edit. or is there no distinction between user installed and windows update installed.