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Win 10 Clean install - delete partitions

Anonymous
2019-08-12T19:19:15+00:00

Clean install from flash drive. I'm just following instructions... All okay up until "...delete each Drive/Partition..." EXCEPT the "Unallocated Space". 

I do not see the term Unallocated Space. I have 5 partitions 1-5. 1(ESP/System) says don't delete as it's an EFI partition and not NTFS. 2, 4 & 5 are for MSR MS reserved partitions.  3 OS/Primary is apparently okay to delete. 

Instructions say I should be able to delete all and have just the one Drive 0/Unallocated space. 

Help!

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Windows update

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  1. DaveM121 842.5K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2019-08-12T19:32:20+00:00

    Hi Charles

    Yes, you need to delete all partitions on the system drive, until you have just 1 unallocated space

    If you have another drive in your PC, please make sure not to touch any partition on that drive also make sure not to delete the partition on the installation media . . .

    So look for the drive with the OS/Primary

    If that is Drive 0, then select each and every partition on that drive and delete it, if you are prompted not do delete a partition on that drive, go ahead and delete it anyway . . .

    You should then end up with just 1 unallocated space, select that and click Next to install Windows

    if there is any partition on that drive that will not delete, please provide the exact error you are seeing . . .

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-08-12T20:30:42+00:00

    You are doing this during the clean install, right?  On the partitions page, you can remove partitions.  

    Win 10 has four critical partitions.  You can remove those four and use that unallocated space.  In some cases, additional partitions have been added by earlier upgrades (Small Recovery), OEMs or you.  

    The four critical are the EFI System, Recovery, MSR and OS.  If you can get a picture showing the partitions, it might help.  If you had added a partition the drive was already in the GPT configuration and you don't need the space, you may not have to delete such a partition.

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