quick question
quick question
Use a clean installation media and wipe the entire partition during setup, avoiding any need for a recovery disk.
Other options include formatting the drive or applying a secure wipe on another machine. Make a Windows installation media, boot from it, access the recovery setup, and employ tools like FDISK or DISKPART to clear the data. Alternatively, run a Linux-based live environment to perform the erasure.
Consider using multiple drives with Windows on DVD/USB sticks or similar devices. Ensure there are options to format just one drive while leaving others untouched. For certainty, disconnect the connected drives to avoid any interference. Installing new software on them may render previous applications unusable since a clean installation will be performed.
Unless the program needs to be activated or you're using a different version of Windows than expected, it should generally operate smoothly from the installation.
I mainly rely on my programs portable, except for Adobe Creative Cloud and Sony Vegas.
When did this occur? For a long time, software would store files in Windows folders and/or registries.
I've handled this likely since Windows XP, though more consistently since Windows 7. The registry isn't essential beyond confirming the software is present (Windows and the app don't need it), where it's placed (most apps ignore hard paths), and whether it works with extensions (something you can recreate). Anything trying to write to C:\Windows should be a system component like drivers, or it should be left out. User programs have no incentive to install directly there. If they need a library, it should come with the installer or be installed locally, not system-wide. Most of my Steam games run without issues and don't require such setup.