Complete re-install of Windows 10

Hi DARRELLTRENT

I am an independent advisor here to help

In your situation I would recommend that you perform a repair upgrade. This will allow you to reinstall Windows 10, fix any errors in the operating system and keep all of your files and applications intact

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

Hi Darrell, you can reinstall Windows 10 at any time and it will not cost you anything !

You should just clean install Windows 10 rather than upgrading from Windows 7. This will have 2 benefits, if you have to reset again, it will reset to Windows 10, not 7 and your system will be more responsive and reliable . . .

Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

Make sure you install the same Edition of Windows 10 (Home, Pro . . . etc.) you previously had installed to avoid Activation issues

Click this link:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-downlo...

to download the Media Creation Tool (Click on Download Tool Now), with that you can download the latest Windows 10 ISO (Select Create Installation Media for Another PC), you can create a bootable USB flash drive (min 8GB) using that tool

Then, Boot your PC from the Installation Media you just created (change Boot Order in your BIOS) to begin installing Windows 10

Thanks, I will give that a try by the end of this week if I get the time I will let you know how it goes.  Thanks again

If you have not cleaned it out copy the Download folder to another drive or to a USB flash drive and use it to install the downloaded programs rather than wandering all over the Internet to find those programs.

A clean install is, far and away, the best way to install any operating system. The truth is: A clean install, correctly performed, on supported hardware always succeeds.

Here are two more truths about a clean install:

1- It's a lot of work if you want everything to go perfectly on the first try. (And why would you settle for anything less?)

2- There's more than one way to do a clean install. Different people have different approaches. This is definitely not a "follow these three easy steps" deal.

Note: In a clean install, you will have to reinstall all your software applications and drivers. A clean install means starting from scratch.

Where you go from here depends on how meticulous you are. I will admit: I am extremely meticulous. For my clean install, I sweated every detail. My goal was to be completely in charge of the process, with no surprises. The result was a clean install that was nothing less than magnificent, if I do say so myself. I am convinced that one of the most important reasons why I don't suffer from the problems that people moan about in this forum, is because I started off with a carefully executed clean install.

Not everyone is as meticulous - fastidious, exacting, thorough, etc. - as I am. And that's okay; everyone has their own way. But if you are that meticulous, you can have a clean install that sings like Placido Domingo.