Restarting Windows Issues
Restarting Windows Issues
So I've bought a New CPU and MOBO and gonna put them in a new case and put my current SSD, HDD, RAM and Graphics Card into it. But I want to do a fresh re-install of windows and clean my main ssd drive, I know it's not necessary but it I've heard it's recommended. But I'm a little confused with some things and would like some clarifying. So my I have the newest version of Windows 10, I've got my product key, linked it to my Microsoft Account, but I just realised it's an OEM version. This windows license is from a previous HP laptop I had years ago, i just chucked the SSD into my new build and didn't have any problems with it, installed all the drivers and stuff, but I never reinstalled windows. So I'm wondering if reinstalling windows would require me to buy a new license? And also when reinstalling it, would it be better to just click the reset thingy in settings or do it via a spare USB I have? I might add more later, I wanted to ask something else but I forgot . Thanks ahead of time
They said it was recommended, but that idea keeps coming up again. The same question appears nearby online.
It would also simplify the process of clearing everything out. However, I think I might be able to handle it more easily. I was mainly curious about whether this OEM license would allow it.
I wrote that if you have a linked Microsoft account, you should be okay. The best approach is to verify first before asking. It's just one boot on a new machine. Regarding "cleaning everything," do you think some data might be lost if you don't clean the drive? It's a hard drive, so don't worry about cleaning it. Your computer will remain the same "clean" whether you have additional unused programs or not—maybe you'll need them later. @PowerChaos: it seems you're unclear on what you're discussing, right? Because your answer doesn't make sense at all. The recovery partition isn't connected to Windows licensing, and Windows doesn't recognize a fresh installation (it only checks if your license is valid, not whether the install was new or old).
I’ve been clearing out old drivers and adding new ones, as you mentioned I don’t want that. There’s also a recurring freezing issue on my computer. My idea was to reset the SSD with a fresh install, but after removing MSI Afterburner it stopped working. I’m planning to go the longer route now, which should work. Appreciate the advice!
It's usually wiser to locate the issue rather than create a workaround. Use the Ghostbuster tool at https://bitbucket.org/wvd-vegt/ghostbuster to remove outdated drivers.
I installed a recovery drive on my HP Pavilion 7 and was able to boot into it for a clean setup. In another situation, I had a used NVMe SSD but didn’t install it. During the first boot, I encountered issues with a faulty driver installation. After a fresh setup, the hardware ID was used for verification, indicating the system was already running from XP. Why wouldn’t Windows 10 recognize it? It’s unclear how the system determines compatibility. If you’re not concerned about specifics, a fresh install on a new drive is quicker than cleaning up old partitions—similar to what I experienced with my 2 TB Windows disk. Best regards from PowerChaos
@PowerChaos: I don't understand most of your post (my english is not so good as I want), but I disagree that learn how to clean up something or how to fixing bugs is worse than mindless installing Windows every time there is any problem. After few years I have much better experience and can resolve many problems in really short time. Meanwhile you'll be always wasting the same amount of time by installing "fresh" Windows. And you'll still be the same unexperienced as at the beginning. Sorry, I prefer learn something and I prefer knowledge over guessing and myths. "Clean install" is something I made last time in Windows98 era (except first install of major version of course).