Then right-click the ISO file and select Burn disc image. This will perform an upgrade of your current operating system to Windows Download Windows 10 Before updating, please refer to the Windows release information status for known issues to confirm your device is not impacted. To get started, click Update now. Update now Privacy. Create Windows 10 installation media To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows Download Now Privacy.

Select Download tool , and select Run. You need to be an administrator to run this tool. On the License terms page, if you accept the license terms, select Accept. On the What do you want to do? Your copy of Windows 10 will automatically activate later using your digital license. Select Change what to keep to set whether you would like to Keep personal files and apps , or Keep personal files only , or choose to keep Nothing during the upgrade.

It might take some time to install Windows 10, and your PC will restart a few times. Before you download the tool make sure you have: An internet connection internet service provider fees may apply. Sufficient data storage available on a computer, USB or external drive for the download. Well, you can use the Windows 10 Media Creation tool to do so.

Step 1: Head to the Windows 10 download page. Step 3: When the tool downloads, run it. From here, choose the Use the recommended options for this PC. You can also customize it and choose a different language or architecture to match the PC you plan to install Windows 10 on. Pick your USB drive from the list and click Next. The installer will download Windows 10 and write it to your USB drive. If installing on a different system, plug the USB drive in that system. Boot it up and hold down the F12 or Delete key on your keyboard.

If you're unsure how to do this, consult your PC maker for help. Once booted into the USB drive, follow the steps on your screen, and Windows 10 will install. Step 3: When ready, click Burn to start the process. You can use other software to burn your ISO, but the built-in software is simple enough to use. Warning downgrading back to 8. Some can get fixed by reinstalling them but some cant. They just force close after the splash screen.

I had to do a PC refresh. Losing all my programs and updates. Spent 8 hours last night downloading 1. No such thing can be done.

One will have to perform another clean install and use the original product key. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android. Nope, if you upgrade to Windows 10 you can go back to 8. Not sure about Win7. I had the option. I tried using the key for a msi computer with Windows 7. The clean install of windows 10 did not accept the mass oem key from msi. So doing a clean install what would one use for the key to activate it.

This article really fails to answer the most important question people have already asked me. Note: sticker was completely worn out and so we pulled the product key using jellybean. W10 didnt accept the key. Updating via update failed numerous times. I see you never updated Windows 7 to Windows 10, you need to that first for key to get coverted to windows 10 before doing a clean install.

Did you upgrade first before doing the clean install? Tried upgrading first but keeps reseting to a blank screen then it say restoring to previous version. Regardless of your upgrade issues. The upgrade has to be performed first. Then if you want, you can do a clean install. You'll have to try and work out the upgrade issues with MS.

The Microsoft forums hopefully can have your answers. Daniel Rubino commented on a comment about 20 minutes ago and now, question like yours which does make sense seems like being ignored. Very disappointing. And I hope that when they do reply, they wouldn't sound rude e. Busy, check Windows 10 forum, etc. It's not about being rude. Let me explain you, this person didn't upgrade, this person just clean installed Windows 10 and thought by putting windows 7 key it would work. Windows 10 will automatically activate you.

Again, I am sure Daniel Rubino is a nice guy, but these kind of questions should be asked on a forum. AND if you are going to ask, you should just go back and read "what did I do wrong?? You first upgrade! Why wouldn't Daniel Rubino ignore this? I did try updating it. It was clearly the easiest path for me but unfortunately the upgrade kept restoring. Even when a fresh format for windows 7. Im just asking what a resolution would be. For your info dude I have not installed win10 and am still running win7.

It's not really a rudeness or being busy thing. The writers don't have all the answers, they are writers with technical knowledge, not necessarily technical experts. If you want to ensure that your question gets maximum exposure, it should be asked in the forums. Activate over the phone and then connect to the internet.

Then run the Windows 10 update tool. I had multiple OS multi-boot on my laptop. Different versions.. How do I get my OS upgraded to get the new Windows 10 key?? No difference. Very frustrating You can also just do a reset for those that don't want create the media or deal with partitioning.

There is even the option to keep your personal files that get put into a folder called Windows. I've found it an easy and hassle free way to do it.

I'd recommend it to anyone who did several preview upgrades as it cleared out all my issues that were inherited from prior builds. It's just like hard resetting the phone.

This gave me a bluescreen on my Surface Pro 3. You can upgrade your windows 8. This ended up causing a blue screen just a day after upgrading. Back on 8. Hi, quick question here, I'm still upgrading mine to Windows 10 using Download Tool, if sometimes in the future I want to do clean install, should I re-download the ISO file?

Also, if I'm upgrading with this way, should I re-enter the product key? I haven't been able to backup that yet.. Any response will be appreciated, thanks!

Upgrading using download tool doesnt require a product key. If you want to perform a clean installation in future, you would need to use download tool for creating bootable DVD or USB. You don't need a product key to clean install. Your key is linked to your hardware. If you had an activated Windows 10, Windows will activate automatically after clean installing.

What's the difference between fresh install of windows 10 and resetting the already installed windows 10? I would like to know this as well. After I upgraded to windows 10 I did a reset of the OS through settings. Reset might not work for some issues.

I think reset and delete all files without wiping the disk is the best thing. I tried doing the "reset' from within W10 twice.. Got a BSOD both times I used the dvd I made from the. I was prompted twice to enter a key, skipped both times. Checked that W10 was activated when it was all done It was in fact.

I upgraded from Windows 7 to 10 through Windows update. And this article mentions, the 7 product key will be changed to 10 product key. So can I still use that product key to activate 7 or will it only work with 10 now?

Your key should work on 7 because it's a win7 key. But Windows 10 doesn't need a key, your key is your hardware, that's what Windows 10 searches, if it matches it will say "oh this hardware was activated before, so it will be activated" that's why you can just put your windows 10 dvd and clean install without upgrading after you did a first upgrade of course so it would activate your hardware from 7 to If your W10 is running slow I suggest doing a clean W10 install.

Windows upgrades impact your system performance. Tried resetting my pc. While it is better now, still not upto 7's smoothness. A full clean install is not viable as I have a lot of data to transfer that too without an external hard drive. Well it seems it's easier just to Reset and delete all files no? Exactly my thought. Just upgrade to win10 and do a reset without keeping files and settings.

That's no different than doing a clean install right? This technique doesn't work. The main issue is that if you use your windows 8.

If you skip the product key, you'll have an un-activated version of windows installed. After talking to Microsoft support, they basically want you to buy windows 10 if you truly want to do a clean installl. Otherwise it's an upgrade every time. My suggestion is to do a "fresh" install don't save any previous files and apps.

This shoves your old drive into the windows. Then you can run disc cleanup and remove the windows. Then make an image of your drive for future recovery using your favorite imaging tool.

I've not found any other way that works - and i've spent well over 3 days now testing different methods. Also confirming what everyone else found - the 2 computers i have upgraded to 10 are showing the same generic key and that key will not work for install. It does work. You tried to use your 8. You shouldn't enter any key at all at any point. If you upgraded to 10 from 7 or 8.

During a clean install of Windows 10 later on the same machine, the request for Windows 10 product key must be skipped an option is available.

Otherwise your machine can't be activated. Note: you do NOT need your Windows 8. Click SKIP when it asks you for a key, and when you sign in on the PC with your Microsoft account same one you were already using , Windows 10 will activate automatically, no key required.

Exactly, 8. After a true upgrade, MS stores your licence on their server along with your hardware info. If you do a clean installation after the upgrade, the whole activation process is automatic.

You just have to wait. No keys required. It seems that you don't need to sign in with your MSA as you said, a local account should work too. As Zapella said, your hardware info is what matters. Well I didn't perform a clean installation, I just used the media creation tool to upgrade to windows 10, and everything is working like a charm, expect for my display adapter driver, which gave me a low resolution, but I solved it after many trials and finally used windows update to download the latest driver, after I uninstalled the previous one, and I even got two additional updates for windows 10 pro.

You actually don't need the product key. The clean install will activate it automatically, provided you don't change the hardware. This makes sense Why would Microsoft expect users to extract their key with an archaic 3 rd party program, just to make use of their much advertised free upgrade for the entire populace?

Should be easy right? And it is. Handy article, however I would say it would've been best not to suggest to delete all the partitions off the hard drive lol Just the partition they wish to install on unless they want to clean the hdd "completely". That's the definition of a clean install: deleting absolutely everything, including partitions. Went the manual route for my laptop running Windows 8. Downloaded the ISO - so I can back that up too for later use if needed - loaded onto a USB stick, and used that to do the in-place upgrade.

By the time I made it into Windows 10 settings it was already activated. Then I turned around and did the the clean install - had already fully backed up and was ready, and I had been planning for a clean install anyway - which interestingly went much quicker than the upgrade. Again, activation was already done by the time I checked on it.

Pretty good so far, though the system seems a bit sluggish at times. Might just be initial shakedown happening, or maybe I need to verify the drivers are current. The mfr has drivers for 7 and 8. ISO will work fine, just make sure you get your license upgraded to a Windows 10 license by first updating through Windows Update, as mentioned in the article. In my case, my desktop and laptop currently run W7 Pro 64 bit.

Does the USB get tied to that specific machine which a clean install is performed on? Thanks J! In total my household has 5 pcs to upgrade, I'm glad I won't have to buy 5 separate USB drive for each pc.

And they have to be the same language if I'm not mistaken. Did it thanks! If you do everything right, you'll never need to use any key at all. You don't need to know your windows 10 key. Might as well buy Windows 10 Home. However, since these settings are different on most devices, you will have to check your manufacturer support website for more specific details.

Windows setup Click the Install now button. If Windows 10 was already activated after the installation, reactivation would happen automatically. Select edition Check the I accept the license terms option. Custom install option Select each partition in the hard drive you want to install Windows 10 and click the Delete button. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience OOBE.

Region settings Click the Yes button. Keyboard layout settings Click the Yes button. If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it will automatically connect to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the link manually a security key may be required. Select the Set up for personal use option for Windows 10 Pro.

Set up PC for personal use Click the Next button. Confirm your Microsoft account email, phone number, or Skype identification to create an account. Confirm your privacy settings that best suit your needs by turning on or off the toggle switch for each option. Customize device usage settings Click the Accept button to continue.

Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup. You can always do this from the Settings app. OneDrive setup Click the No, thanks button to skip the Microsoft setup. Skip Microsoft offer Click the Not now button to disable Cortana. Skip Cortana setup Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 will proceed to apply the settings and finish the setup. If you do not have or want to use a USB flash drive, you can also perform a clean installation using the Media Creation Tool with the option to keep nothing.

This option is available for devices already using Windows 10, Windows 8.

How to download a Windows 10 ISO file and install Windows 10 from it | Digital Trends - Select edition

A clean install of Windows 10 is the recommended approach to upgrade wundows the latest version of the operating system. The reason is that this method allows you to erase the hard drive and start with a fresh copy of Windows 10 without custom settings, drivers, apps, or files that may interfere with the upgrade process. If you have had the same installation for a long time, this process can also help fix performance issues, problems shutting down and starting up, memory, and apps.

Also, a clean installation is the process of choice to upgrade from an older version like Windows 7 or Windows 8. Or you can use this option to delete all preloaded bloatware from the manufacturer image on a new computer. You can use the Media Creation Tool to do a fresh install on a device already running Windows Or, if the computer fir not start, you can even use the Advanced startup options or mount the ISO file to File Explorer to complete a clean install.

In this guideyou will learn six different ways to perform a clean installation of Windows 10 on your computer, whether you plan to reinstall the same version or upgrade to a later release, including version 21H2, 21H1, or 20H2. The best way to complete a fresh installation of Windows 10 is to use a USB flash drive, which you must first create using the Media Creation Tool, Command Promptor third-party tools like Rufus.

However, since these settings are different on most devices, you will have to check your manufacturer support website for more specific details. Windows setup Click the Install now button. If Windows 10 was already activated after the installation, reactivation would happen automatically.

Select edition Check the I accept the license terms option. Custom install option Select each partition in the hard drive you want to install Windows 10 and click the Delete button. Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience OOBE.

Region settings Click the Yes button. Keyboard layout settings Click the Yes button. If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it will automatically connect to the network. If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the link manually a security key may be required. Select the Set up for personal use option for Windows 10 Pro. Set up PC for personal use Click download windows 10 for clean install Next button. Confirm your Microsoft account email, phone number, or Skype identification to create an account.

Confirm download windows 10 for clean install privacy settings that best suit your needs by turning on or off the toggle switch for each option. Customize device usage settings Click windosw Accept button to continue. Or click the Skip button to skip this part of the setup. You can always do this from the Settings app.

OneDrive setup Click insyall No, thanks button to skip the Microsoft setup. Skip Microsoft offer Click the Not now button to disable Windowx. Skip Cortana setup Once cor complete the steps, Windows clea will download windows 10 for clean install to apply the settings and finish the setup. If you do not have or want to use a USB flash drive, you can download windows 10 for clean install perform a install installation using the Media Creation Tool with the option to keep nothing.

This option is available for devices already using Windows 10, Windows 8. Open Microsoft support website. Media Creation Tool Click the Accept button again. Media Creation Tools settings Select the Nothing option.

Nothing option Click the Next button. Media Creation Tool clean install Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience OOBE. Inshall Cortana setup After you complete the steps, downloav setup will continue with the fresh installation of the operating system. Using the local image, you can also use the recovery settings to start fresh with a clean copy of Windows If you want to upgrade to a newer version, you will need to use one of the other alternative methods.

Erase download windows 10 for clean install Click the Local reinstall option. Local reinstall option Optional Click the Change download windows 10 for clean install option. Change reset settings Configure the reinstallation options:. Select reset settings Click the Next button.

Windows 10 clean install with Local reinstall option Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience OOBE. If the computer uses an Ethernet connection, it will connect to the network automatically. Skip Cortana setup Once you complete the steps, a clean installation will be performed using download windows 10 for clean install local image.

If this is a branded computer, the setup downlload restore all the original settings previously instalo with the device. This means manufacturer-specific settings, drivers, applications, and tools. However, the difference is that when you select nistall option, the setup will download a download windows 10 for clean install installation image from the Microsoft server.

This option has been designed to reinstall Windows 10 when the recovery feature is not working with the local image or using a branded computer with a custom image. If you choose this option, the setup will download the same version already installed on the device, which means you cannot use this method to upgrade the computer to clan newer ihstall.

Also, if the device has a custom image from the manufacturer, this option will replace it with the one from Microsoft with all the standard settings and without custom drivers or trial software and tools.

Erase options Click the Cloud Download option. Cloud download option Optional Click the Change settings option. Change settings for Cloud download Configure the reinstallation options: Clean data:. Select cloud download settings Click the Next button. Doownload 10 clean install with Cloud download Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience OOBE.

If you have a wireless connection, you will need to set up the connection manually a wihdows key may be required. Skip Cortana setup Once you complete the steps, the feature will take over and reset your device to the default settings by erasing and reinstalling iinstall fresh copy of Windows 10 downloaded from the cloud.

If the computer does not start correctly and you want to reinstall Windows 10 to resolve the problem, the Advanced startup options environment includes an option to perform a clean installation using the local or cloud image too. Or when you winxows boot the system to access the Settings app. Again, you can ffor use this option to reinstall the same operating system version already installed on the computer.

Repeat steps No. Advanced startup Click on Troubleshoot. Troubleshoot option Click on Reset this PC option. Reset this PC option Select the Remove everything option. Remove everything option Click the Cloud download or Local reinstall option. Cloud download: Downloads a fresh doenload from the Microsoft servers and performs download windows 10 for clean install fresh installation.

Local reinstall: Uses the locally available image to install a clean copy of Windows Advanced startup cloud download option Select the Only the drive where Windows winodws installed option. The All drives option will delete the data on all clran. This option is usually recommended only when you want to decommission the device. Delete drive data option Select the Just remove my files or Full clean the drive option.

Just remove files option Click the Reset button. Windows 10 clean install with the advanced startup option Select your region setting after the installation on the first page of the out-of-the-box experience OOBE.

Skip Cortana setup Once you complete the steps, the process will take over and reset your computer download windows 10 for clean install the default settings by erasing and reinstalling a clean copy of Windows The time of completion will depend on your computer hardware configuration and the reset configuration you selected.

You can always mount the ISO in File Explorer to launch a clean install windosw in-place upgrade on a device with the operating system already installed. Windows 10 setup update options Select the Not right now option. Disable updates during installation Click the Next button. Skip Cortana setup Once you complete the flean, the clean installation cleean will begin, like using the Media Creation Tools or USB flash drive to upgrade the system.

We windoows spam as much as you! Unsubscribe clwan time Powered by follow. Tweet Share Submit. Warning: When you delete a partition, it also deletes all data on the drive. Also, it is not required to delete the partitions from a secondary hard drive. Quick note: Windows wincows has multiple ways to open the Advanced startup settings. If you cannot access the recovery environment, you can use these other options. Seel all comments.

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