How to Do a Clean Install of Windows 10
Before you Begin
This article will give you step by step instructions on doing a clean install of Windows 10. Before you start read these article completely. Make sure you are prepared and have time to complete this process to avoid a system down situation.
Software
1- The first step would be to buy Windows 10 Pro 64 bit software if you do not already have one.
Backup Your Data
2- Then backup all data, make sure you don’t forget your Favorites/Bookmarks, My Documents and anything that is on the desktop.
Your Programs
3- If you have proprietary programs like trading software, Quicken or Quickbooks or professional software. Contact your software vendor and ask them where that data is stored. It may be in a different location.
Get it Together
4- Gather all of your program software before you start. This includes proprietary software, Microsoft Office etc. If some of your programs have been downloaded find them and put on a USB stick to have ready. If you need to download them again, do this now before you start the new Windows 10 install. This includes Video Card Drivers if you have a separate video card.
5- Once you are double sure that you have backed up all of your data, you have all of your program software and ready to start,turn off your computer.
Do You have a Restore Drive?
At this point if you have an NTI QuadStation system and switching over to the Factory Restore Drive, stop here, open the side of the computer case and change cables from the SYSTEM drive to the RESTORE drive before proceeding. Instructions for that are on the link above.
Grab Your Win 10 CD
6- Take out your Windows 10 CD, boot the machine and right away pop the CD in the drive. Watch carefully on the black screen you will see “Press Any Key to Boot From CD“. Just keep hitting the space bar every 3 seconds until you see this message.
The system will boot from the Windows 10 CD and start to install. If you miss it and it boots to previous operating system, just shut it down and try again. When you see the Windows 10 logo and the lights flashing on the front of the DVD you know it is loading.
7- Follow the procedure to install Windows 10 completely. Note during the install it prompts you to create a Microsoft account. You do NOT have to do this, there is an option to create OFFLINE account (like you have now) choose that option. Once it is finished your system will reboot leaving you at the desktop. Your clean install is complete, you should see a plain Windows Desktop. Open the DVD and remove the windows 10 CD.
After Win 10 is Installed
8- Install Motherboard Drivers at this point. You should have a Driver CD that came with your computer. Put that in the drive and run that installer. This makes everything on your motherboard work correctly. once that is complete and the system is rebooted. Proceed to the next step.
9- If you have a separate video card, you will need to install the video card drivers at this point. Then reboot the computer after that is complete. If you have a Radeon video card you can get the drivers from the AMD.com website. If you have an nVidia card, go to nvidia.com website to get those drivers.
10- Reinstall all of your programs, then copy all of your data back to the system.
11- Windows 10 is pretty good about automatically finding drivers, but double check the Device Manager to see if any are missing. Test your printers and other peripherals to make sure everything is working and you are DONE.
