14.12.2019

Clean Install Windows 7 Pro

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As part of Windows 10’s November update, Microsoft changed the Windows 10 installer disc to also accept Windows 7 or 8.1 keys. This allowed users to perform a clean install Windows 10 and enter a valid Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key during installation. How to Reinstall Windows 7. Reinstalling Windows 7 every 6 to 12 months-as opposed to never reinstalling-can keep your computer running as smoothly as possible. For those who aren't very computer literate or tech-savvy, the reinstallation of an operating system like Windows 7 can seem like intimidating task. Start fresh with a clean installation of Windows 10 Use this tool to install a clean copy of the latest version of Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro, and remove apps that you installed or came pre-installed on your PC. Boot the Windows 7 installer, choose Custom Install, then at the Drive Selection screen access the Drive Options (Advanced) to Delete all partitions not needed, repartition and format as shown in Steps 7 and 8 of Clean Install Windows 7 which illustrated steps will guide you through actual install. Jun 03, 2019  If there is a direct upgrade path from Windows 7 Pro to Windows 10 Pro, is there a reason a clean install should be used instead of a direct upgrade? The outside consultants don't know what they are talking about (Or they are trying to get you to pay for the time to do full installs on everything, plus app installs and data copy. Windows 7 Forums is the largest help and support community, providing friendly help and advice for Microsoft Windows 7 Computers such as Dell, HP, Acer, Asus or a custom build.

Before you begin

Review the following important notes:
  • Using this tool will remove all apps that do not come standard with Windows, including other Microsoft apps such as Office. It will also remove most apps installed by your PC’s manufacturer such as your manufacturer’s apps, support apps, and drivers. You will not be able to recover removed apps and will need to manually reinstall them later if you want to keep them.
  • You may lose your digital licenses, digital content associated with applications, or other digital entitlements for applications as a result of using the tool, which may impact your ability to use apps you paid for or app-related content you paid for. For this reason, we don’t recommend using this tool on any PC where you wish to ensure all of your applications and application-related content (including Microsoft applications such as Office) remain properly installed and licensed.

Please make sure you have the following:
  • An internet connection to download the tool and the Windows 10 image. Internet service provider fees may apply.
  • Sufficient data storage available on the computer you are clean installing. Note that the download and image is over 3GB.

Check these things on the PC where you want to clean install Windows 10:
  • Make sure you meet the system requirements. Learn more at Windows 10 Specifications.
  • If you just purchased a new device that includes Office 365, please see Download and install Office 365 Home, Personal, or University on your PC for information on reinstalling Office after the clean installation of Windows. If you have Office 2010 or earlier, you will need to locate your Office product key. For tips on locating your product key, check Find your Office 2010 product key or Enter the product key for your Office 2007 program.

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Updated, July 31 @ 15:55 BST (10:55 EDT): This story has been updated with a few more details, and some other (quicker) ways of achieving an almost-clean installation of Windows 10.

Original story

Windows 10 is an unusual release for Microsoft: if you have a licensed version of Windows 7 or 8/8.1, it will very easily upgrade to Windows 10—you don't even need to enter a licence key. Clean installations, however, are a bit trickier: you do need to enter a licence key, and your Windows 7/8 key probably won't work.

Fortunately, if you're running Windows 7 or 8, and you really want to use your free Windows 10 licence key to perform a clean installation rather than upgrade, there is a solution. It's pretty convoluted, but it works.

Surface Pro 3 Clean Install Windows 7

First, you need to do an in-place upgrade to Windows 10. You can do this via Windows Update, or if Windows Update isn't playing ball you can use the direct download tool: English/American/German/French/Italian/Dutch. If you use the download tool, make sure you select 'Upgrade this PC now.' It goes without saying that, before you install any new operating system, you should back up any important data beforehand.

Once the upgrade has completed, make sure you've been activated by Microsoft. Open up the new Settings app, then head to Update & Security, Activation. It will say on the right whether you're activated or not (see image). Also note down what version of Windows 10 you have (Home, Pro).

If you haven't yet been activated, you can try forcing it via command prompt: run cmd.exe as an administrator, then type slmgr.vbs /ato. You may need to try a few times, as the activation servers were being hit quite hard.

This first step will convert your current Windows 7/8 key into a Windows 10 key.

Now you need to install Windows 10 again! Grab the Windows 10 download tool and run it. This time, select 'Create installation media for another PC.' Select the appropriate version (Home, Pro) and the tool will generate an ISO for you. Let the tool help you burn the ISO to a DVD or USB memory stick.

Now, proceed with a clean installation of Windows 10 (select 'Custom: Install Windows only' when prompted.) When it asks you for a product key, click Skip. If it asks you multiple times, just keep hitting Skip.

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Once you've installed Windows 10, it should activate normally. Again, you might need to manually slam the servers using slmgr.vbs /ato. Voilà: a clean installation of Windows 10.

In theory, you should be able to reinstall Windows 10 again in the future on the same PC, but if you make significant hardware changes you might need to use the manual telephone activation process. Currently, it isn't clear if you can take your freebie Windows 10 licence key and use it to install Windows 10 on another machine. Some users are reporting that ProduKey, Magic Jelly Bean, and other key-viewing tools have enabled them to get a new Windows 10 licence key that can be used on another machine, but some users are just getting a generic licence key that isn't transferable. Your mileage may vary.

Caveats and other gotchas

Clean Uninstall Of Windows 7

Obviously, it's crazy that you have to go through a full OS installation just to upgrade a licence key. It would be a lot easier and faster if Microsoft provided some kind of tool that converted Windows 7/8 keys to Windows 10.

If you bought a retail copy of Windows 10, this guide doesn't apply to you at all: you'll have a Windows 10 licence key that can be used directly during the installation process.

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Windows 7 Professional Clean Install Product Key

Another option, rather than installing Windows 10 twice, is to click the small 'change what to keep' button during installation, and then select 'nothing' from the following screen. This will delete all of your files, apps, and settings. This will be functionally the same as performing a clean installation, but there may be small underlying differences.

Another method is to upgrade to Windows 10, head into the new Settings app, and go to 'Update and recovery.' From there, you can click 'Reset this PC,' which gives you the option of reinstalling Windows 10 and either a) keeping your apps and files, or b) wiping everything clean. Again, this isn't quite the same as a clean installation, but it's very similar.

If you do opt for the upgrade-then-install method, one slightly faster route is to download and burn an ISO the first time you run the tool, and then upgrade from that ISO. You can then use the same installation media to do a clean installation, rather than downloading Windows 10 again using the tool.

Clean Install Windows 7 Without Losing Programs

If you get the following error when trying to activate Windows 10, don't panic: 'Error code: 0xC004C003. Activation server determined that the key has been blocked.' Some users are reporting that they are seeing that error, even with a legitimate key, perhaps due to the activation servers being overloaded. Of course, if you're not actually using a legitimate licence key, then.. well.. do panic.