How to Install Windows 10

Although the process to start with a fresh copy of Windows 10 isn't complicated, it's recommended to perform several tasks before the installation to minimize the chances of issues and protect your data.

Backing up installation and personal files

The clean installation process will erase everything stored on the main hard drive, so it's a good idea to create a backup of all your files before proceeding.

You can do this in several ways. You can move your files to your OneDrive folder or cloud storage service that you prefer. You can use the backup option available on OneDrive to automatically sync your Documents, Pictures, and Desktop folders with these steps:

1. Click the OneDrive cloud icon in the taskbar.
2. Click the More option.
3. Click the Settings option.
   
4. Click the Backup tab.
5. Click the Manage backup button.
   
6. Select the folders that you want to backup online.
7. Click the Start backup button.
   

Or you can connect an external drive and manually make a copy of your account files using these steps:

If you don’t want to upgrade from an existing Windows installation, you can download the official Windows 10 installation media for free from Microsoft and perform a clean install. To do this, visit Microsoft’s Download Windows 10 page, click “Download Tool Now”, and run the downloaded file. Select “Create installation media for another PC”.

Be sure to select the language, edition, and architecture you want to install of Windows 10. If you’re installing it on a PC with a 64-bit CPU, you probably want the 64-bit version. If you’re installing it on a PC with a 32-bit CPU, you’ll need the 32-bit version. You can check what type of CPU your PC has if you don’t know off the top of your head.

If you’re installing Windows 10 on the current PC, just keep the “Use the recommended options for this PC” box checked and the tool will automatically download the correct version for your current PC.

The tool will allow you to copy the Windows 10 installation files to a USB drive or burn them to a DVD. If you’re using a USB drive, it must be 4 GB or larger in size. All files on the USB drive will be erased as part of this process.

If you want to install Windows 10 in a virtual machine, select the “ISO file” option here. The tool will download an ISO file, and you can then boot the downloaded ISO in a virtual machine to install Windows 10 inside it

RELATED: How to Boot Your Computer From a Disc or USB Drive

Once you’ve created installation media, you’ll need to insert it into the PC you want to install Windows 10 on. You then boot from the installation media. This may require modifying the boot order in your PC’s BIOS or UEFI firmware.

On the Windows Setup screen, select your language, time and currency format, and keyboard layout. Click “Next” to continue.

When you reach the installer screen, select “Install Now” and follow the instructions to install Windows 10 on your PC.

When you see the Activate Windows screen, you’ll need to either enter a key or skip it. You may not see this screen if Windows 10 automatically detects a key associated with your PC’s hardware.

• If you’ve never installed and activated Windows 10 on this computer before, enter your Windows 10 key here. If you don’t have one, but you have a valid Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 key, enter it here instead.
• If you’ve previously taken advantage of the free Windows 10 upgrade offer on this PC, click “I don’t have a product key”. Windows will automatically activate with a “digital license” associated with your PC’s hardware on Microsoft’s servers once it’s installed.

When you reach the “Which type of installation do you want?” screen, click “Custom” to perform a clean installation and remove everything on your PC. (If you’ve changed your mind and want to upgrade your existing installation, you can click “Upgrade”.)

On the next screen, select the hard drive you want to install Windows on and erase it. If you have multiple partitions on that drive, you may want to erase those as well.

Warning: When you delete a partition, you’re also deleting all the files on that partition. Be sure you have backups of any important files before doing this!

When you’re done erasing partitions, you should have a big block of “Unallocated Space”. Select that, click “New”, and once it’s formatted your drive, click Next.

Windows 10 will install itself, and may restart a few times during this process. When it’s done, you’ll see the normal setup interface you see when setting up Windows 10 on any new PC, where you can add user accounts and adjust various settings.

How to Reinstall Windows 10 on a PC That Already Has Windows 10

RELATED: How to Easily Reinstall Windows 10 Without the Bloatware

If you already have Windows 10 on your PC and want to perform a fresh install, you can also do that.

Windows 10’s Creators Update makes it much easier to install Windows 10 from scratch. You can use the “Fresh start” option in Windows Defender to get a completely fresh-from-Microsoft Windows 10 system. Unlike the standard Refresh and Reset options, which preserve any bloatware your PC manufacturer installed, this will wipe away all that manufacturer-installed stuff and just leave a fresh Windows 10 system.

If you don’t currently have Windows 10 installed or just prefer doing things the old-fashioned way, you can also use the Download Windows 10 application to create Windows 10 installation media and reinstall from scratch, if you prefer. Whether your PC came with a Windows 10 license or you previously took advantage of the free upgrade offer, you won’t need to enter a license key during this process. Your Windows 10 license will be automatically acquired from your PC’s hardware or via Microsoft’s servers.