Drivers
Drivers
For a full upgrade, it's best to reset your storage by wiping it clean before reinstalling Windows. Updating drivers only after booting is safer to avoid conflicts. Some settings or files might need a fresh start for optimal performance.
I keep important files on the C: disk and move them to another storage device. This helps me reset the drive, reinstall Windows, and avoid issues caused by old or new hardware drivers. You might need to delete existing drivers and transfer the drive to a different computer—whether it's switching from AMD to Intel or vice versa—and install the correct ones. Most often Windows will manage this during system updates, though it may still retain previous drivers.
I'm still trying to understand the phrasing here. If you're starting fresh with a new Windows installation, boot from the USB, and choose where to install on your drive, you can clear all existing partitions before proceeding. The process will then automatically create and format the drive. Drivers are handled separately. After launching Windows, you can access motherboard and GPU support pages for setup. Alternatively, you could prepare drivers and applications in advance so everything is ready once you're in Windows. I've had a 25-minute session wiping and reinstalling Windows with all drives and apps already set up.
I would update the drivers, and pull just the files. Also copy the documents and user folder. On your Windows 10, right-click Start and select Windows PowerShell (admin). Run the command Export-WindowsDriver -Online -Destination D:\Drivers. The folder at D:\Drivers contains all third-party drivers for your PC. Place that folder on your installation USB and load the drivers from there. ... but there are several roads to Rome