Installing Windows 10 while maintaining the license. Full system reset

Reinstalling the Windows 10 operating system can be done in two ways: by resetting to the factory version or completely. We discussed the first option in detail in a separate article. It involves rolling back the “ten” to its original state - essentially, a complete reinstallation, but with the ability to save user files if desired.

In this article we will look at a way to reinstall the system completely, with a complete formatting of the hard drive during the process, or also with the ability to save personal files on a separate partition. A clean installation of Windows 10, in our opinion, has some advantages over a rollback. The system does not save any personal settings, but at the same time it takes up less space than with a reset (since it does not save the previous installation in the Windows.Old folder), installs faster and, as a rule, works a little faster and more stable. In the same time setting "tens" completely involves creating a bootable USB flash drive. Fortunately, it’s not at all difficult to do - Microsoft has released a special program for this purpose that completely automates this process.

Before burning the installation USB drive, just in case, you need to clarify the parameters of your Windows 10 operating system: its version ( Home or Pro) and bit depth (32 or 64 bits). You can do it like this:

1. RIGHT click on the Start menu.
2. Select "System".
3. In the parameters window that opens, look at the release and system type.

This option is possible when you currently have a 32-bit Windows 10 operating system installed, but have an x64 processor. In this case, you can install a 64-bit system on your computer. This should be done if the size of the computer’s RAM (looks in the same window - the “Installed RAM” item) is 4 GB or more. If the RAM is less than 3GB, then you must install the x32 version.

There is no need to delete data from your hard drive or format it! All this can be done during the installation process, just like saving a separate existing partition with personal files.

Now let's move on to writing Windows 10 files to a USB flash drive. To do this, we need the USB drive itself with a capacity of at least 4GB. We insert it into the computer, and we ourselves go to Microsoft official website for the utility for creating installation media "tens". On the page indicated by the link, select the blue button “ Download the tool now", and then run the downloaded file MediaCretionTool.

At one time, when launching the MediaCreationTool utility, it was observed error 80072f76 0x20017. It was associated with “jambs” exclusively on the Microsoft side and arose everywhere around the world from September to December 2017. At the moment, the problem has been resolved, but in such cases, you can use a “crutch” to download the Windows 10 image from the official website. You can download the top ten directly by replacing the user agent in your browser with Apple Safari. Everything is simple there: press F12 in the Edge browser - then go to the “Emulation” tab - change the user agent string to “Apple Safari (iPad)” - download the necessary images from Microsoft official website(described in more detail here in English). If you don’t have access to the Edge browser due to the lack of Windows 10 anywhere and you decide to trust me (by the way, completely in vain - because you can’t trust anyone on the Internet), then here I have links to ISO files in the Mega cloud storage with the latest versions of Windows 10 as of December 2017: 32 bit and 64 bit. I will say right away that downloading from there will most likely be slow. It’s faster to use the method with the official website and changing the agent in the browser. After downloading an ISO image from Windows 10 using any of the described methods, you need to create a bootable USB flash drive from this installation image. This can be done using the utility Rufus.

After this, some time may pass before the Windows 10 Setup program starts. It will first do the preparation and then ask you to accept the terms of the license. At the next stage, the user is asked what he wants to do. We need " Create installation media" Next, select the language, architecture (32 or 64 bit) and release. If you plan to reinstall Windows on the same computer, then the most optimal option has already been selected by the program (check the box “Use recommended settings for this computer”). Then select the media - USB. Well, in the next step we need to indicate which flash drive we will use for recording. Please note that all information on it will be deleted!

After this, the download of Windows 10 begins. Depending on the speed of the Internet connection, this stage may be the longest - during it, an installation image of the operating system weighing about 3 GB is downloaded from Microsoft servers. Then the download is checked for a while and the creation of the Windows 10 media begins. Upon completion, the program informs us that the USB flash memory devices are ready, and then, having deleted no longer needed data, it closes.

The MediaCreationTool utility only runs, but is not installed on the computer, so there is no need to remove it after using it.

Clean installation of Windows 10

Now we are ready to completely reinstall Windows 10. Just in case, check that all the necessary personal files have been copied from the computer to removable media and reboot the system.

Booting your computer from installation media

Now our task is to prevent the machine from booting from the hard drive, but to force it to boot from our installation flash drive. To do this, at the moment when the system starts and reports the possibility of selecting boot methods, you need to press the button responsible for the Boot Menu (or Boot Agent, SetUp) - selecting boot options (it’s better to press several times for reliability). The image below indicates that in this particular case you need to press F12. The boot menu buttons vary depending on the manufacturer of the laptop or computer motherboard. Usually this is F12, but there are other options: F8, F9, F11, Esc and so on.

If everything was done correctly, the system will offer us an option from which media the computer should be booted. You need to select your flash drive and press Enter. The figures below show two possible options for the events described. Sometimes when you press a function button (for example, F9 on Asus laptops), booting from the flash drive immediately begins without a selection list appearing. Since there are many computer manufacturers, there are too many ways to start installing Windows 10 from a flash drive to demonstrate everything. If something remains unclear, do not hesitate to ask questions in the form of comments under the article.

Installing the Windows 10 operating system

After the computer boots from the installation flash drive, the Windows 10 logo appears on the screen and after a while the installation begins. If necessary, change the default language, time and currency format, as well as the keyboard layout. Then click “Install”.

Soon the Windows 10 activation window appears. Select the “I don’t have a product key” option. If your system has already been activated on this computer, it will automatically receive activation after installation.

Select the installation type “Custom: Windows installation only (for advanced users).”

A list of existing hard disk partitions appears before us. If you want to keep some section with personal files, leave it, we will delete the remaining sections. To do this, select the section with a mouse click and click “Delete”. At this stage, you can create two or three partitions of the required size (for example, one for Windows 10 and programs, the second for personal files), but we recommend leaving one partition, that is, deleting everything that is there. The fact is that for separate storage of personal files, it is better to use a second physical hard drive, rather than a separate volume on an existing one.

Go to “Unallocated disk space...” and click “Next”.

Begins reinstall Windows 10 completely. It has five stages: copying, preparation, installation of components, then updates, and finally completion.

After this, the computer reboots and the initial self-configuration of the installed operating system continues: services are started, devices are being prepared, etc.

Then the system prompts us to select the country where we are located and the keyboard layout.

It is proposed to add a second layout. Strictly speaking, this means third layout- English is always installed by default, we have already selected the second (Russian) at the previous stage, now you can install the third, for example, German, French or Finnish. If this is not necessary, skip this point.

After this, the system checks your Internet connection and updates. If your computer does not have a wired connection, but has a Wi-Fi adapter, you are prompted to connect to an existing wireless network.

You can then sign in to your Microsoft account to use it instead of your traditional local Windows account. If you don't have an account, you can create one. To do this you will need an email address and password. The benefit of logging in with a Microsoft account is that it automatically syncs some of your data and files. We will consider the option of creating offline account. Select the appropriate item at the bottom left.

Now enter the username, and then come up with a password (you can skip it - then there will be no password). If the login to the system is protected by a password, then in order not to enter it every time, you can come up with a 4-digit PIN code. Enter, confirm, click OK. This option is especially convenient for those who log into Windows 10 using a Microsoft account. You can skip this step ("Delay" button).

Now we need to select privacy options. Those who are afraid of surveillance by Microsoft (American authorities, the world behind the scenes, etc.) can turn off all the options. We recommend disabling only “Speech recognition” - this function still does not work in Russian yet.

After this, the system will talk to us a little more (“Hello”, “Preparing for you”, “This may take a few minutes”, “Let’s get started!”) and start - the desktop will appear.

It is quite possible that, like in the picture, you will see a message about searching for a video driver. It will be installed automatically, but until this time the screen resolution will look unusual: unclear, with large elements. Don't be afraid of this. You will immediately be asked whether to allow “other computers on this network to detect your PC.” If you are connected to the Internet at home or at work, feel free to answer “Yes,” if on a public network, then no. To make it easier to understand what we are talking about, we inform you that this question is an analogue of this installation message from the times of Windows 7.

Immediately after the first launch of a freshly installed Windows 10, we recommend checking for available operating system updates. To do this, go to the Settings tool (the gear icon in the Start menu), select Update and Security, and then click Check for Updates. Then, in parallel with the process of downloading OS updates, you can begin installing the necessary programs. By the way, this is very convenient to do using the Ninite.com website (this is not an advertisement - it’s just really convenient). There you can tick all the programs you need and download the installer at once (the “Get Your Ninite” button), which, after launch, will install them into the system without any unnecessary questions and, most importantly, without any spam add-ons.

This process can be difficult for many users. There are several methods for reinstalling the system, each of which has its own advantages. Let's look at the most common methods for reinstalling Windows 10.

How to back up your data

It is strongly recommended that you back up your data before reinstalling your system. Windows 10 has built-in tools that make this task much easier—you don't even need to install additional programs. All you need to do is follow the simple steps of the “File History” component.

Step 1: Type “Windows Updates” into the Windows search bar, select “Windows Update Options” from the results lists, and go to the “Backup” menu. You can also access your settings by going to Settings > Update & Security > Backup.

If the Automatically backup files switch is set to On, File History is already backing up files, including contacts, desktop items, and files in your OneDrive folder. This feature automatically creates copies of files in your Documents libraries. , Videos, Music, Pictures, so place the desired folders and files in these directories.

Step 2: If the “Automatic file backup” switch is set to “Off”, then the first step is to add a disk.

Click the Add Disk button and Windows 10 will automatically search for an external drive that you can use to store your backups.

Select the drive you want to use for File History, and Windows 10 will look for external hard drives for backup.

After selecting the drive, the archiving service will start automatically. You can click the “More options” link to change how often files are copied and how long the backups are retained. You can also configure in detail which folders and libraries need to be copied. Depending on the amount of original data, the backup process may take some time, but you can continue with your normal activities while the task completes.

You can check the current status of the backup service by clicking the “View advanced options” link on the “Backup Options” page. As a result, the “File History” window will open in the Control Panel, where you can view the service status and additional options.

If you prefer to store backups on an external drive or cloud storage, then you have that option! No matter which method you choose, make sure that all important files are included for copying.

How to restore Windows 10 to its previous state

Sometimes when solving computer problems, restoring the system to a certain point in the past can be a great help - say, resetting the OS to a few days or weeks ago. This is an ideal solution to get rid of errors associated with recently installed applications. Windows 10 offers several options to roll back the system to an earlier state.

Step 1: In the “Update and Security” window, go to the “Recovery” tab. On the page that opens, you will see the option “Return to a previous version of Windows 10.” Click the “Start” button and wait a bit.

Step 2: After briefly asking why you are reverting to a previous build and checking for updates that might fix the problem, Windows will begin analyzing the information available for recovery. Follow the onscreen instructions until the build selection screen appears. In some cases, the operating system cannot find the necessary files that are used to roll back to a previous version, especially if you have recently performed a disk cleanup. In such cases, it is better to look for another solution.

Step 3: If the preparatory operations were completed successfully, then you can roll back the system to the previous build. This measure will help get rid of problems caused by the recent system update. If possible, choose the most stable and working build of Windows 10. In some cases, you will have access to previous operating systems on your computer, such as Windows 8.1.

Using system restore points

You can restore the state of Windows 10 using a system restore point. This method is especially useful when you want to go back to previous versions of Windows 10, instead of skipping back all the builds.

Step 1: Go to Control Panel by typing "Control Panel" in Windows Search. Turn on “View > Large or Small Icons and select the “Recovery” section, and then click on the “Run System Restore” link. Then, confirm that you want to switch to this mode. Users can also create new restore points and configure the recovery procedure here .

Step 2: By default, the recommended restore point will be selected, with a description of what action was performed before the specific point was created. You can also select other restore points on this screen. Select the “Select a different recovery point” option and click “Next” if you want to see other recovery options.

Note that Windows typically creates a restore point after major changes, such as installing a new program, driver, or update. If you don't see any recovery options available, then system protection may be disabled. In this case, you will have to perform a complete reinstallation or look for another solution to the problem.

Step 3: Find the restore point that preceded the problem in the system. Then click “Next” and confirm to start the recovery operation by clicking “Finish”. Please note that this operation should not delete personal files.

How to reinstall Windows 10

Sometimes recovery operations may not solve problems that are too extensive and you may need to perform a full system reset to remove corrupted data or to prepare your computer for sale.

Step 1: Go back to the “Recovery” section in the “Update & Security” section of the “Settings” application and select the first available option – “Reset this computer to its original state.” Click the “Start” button to continue.

Step 2: You will be given several options that allow you to customize what data you want to clear. If you want to fix the problem while continuing to use your computer, then select the “Keep my files” option (and be prepared for the second option if the first doesn’t work). If you want to perform a full system reset and have already double-checked the integrity and safety of your backups, then select the “Delete everything” option. If you are selling your computer, you should perform a factory reset, which will return your computer to its original state. Please note that the latter option is not always available. In this case, the programs that were preinstalled when you purchased the computer will be reinstalled.

Step 3: Confirm your choice and wait for a while. If you are performing the reset on a laptop or mobile device, make sure it is connected to the network. The system will automatically reboot after the recovery is complete.

Typically, activation is automatic and does not cause difficulties, regardless of whether you reinstall or restore Windows 10. If you're using a local account, link your Windows 10 key to your Microsoft account for easier reactivation when you update your PC configuration.

If you have problems with activation, open the Update & Security section in the Settings app and go to the Activation tab. Here you can see your activation status or add another product key. Follow the onscreen prompts to reactivate your Windows 10 installation.

Found a typo? Highlight and press Ctrl + Enter

To avoid confusion, let's figure out how reinstallation using “Start over” differs from the previously available system rollback to its original state.

Since the introduction of Windows 10, it has had an option to “Reset your PC.” It is located in the “Settings” → “Update and Security” section under the “Recovery” item.

With its help, you can reset the system, leaving personal files intact. The procedure will return the originally installed version of Windows 10 and erase all programs you installed. But if your computer has software pre-installed by the manufacturer, it won't go away.

The Start Over feature added in the Creators Update works a little differently. It also resets (and essentially reinstalls) Windows 10 without damaging personal files. But at the same time, it immediately updates the system to the latest version and removes both the programs you installed and those preinstalled by the manufacturer (except for applications from the Windows Store).

So, if your goal is a fresh version of Windows 10 with your personal files intact, reset to default settings and completely cleaned of unnecessary software, then the Start Again option is for you. To activate it, use the instructions below.

Instructions for reinstalling Windows 10

1. Back up your most important files. Windows promises not to touch them, but it’s better to insure yourself against possible system failures.
2. Make sure you have all the necessary passwords and keys for programs that require authorization and activation. For example, if you use Office, it may require a product key after you reinstall it.
3. Connect your computer to the Internet.
4. Open Settings → Update & Security → Recovery.
5. Under “Advanced recovery options,” click “Learn how to start over with a clean installation of Windows” and confirm the action.
6. In the window that opens, click “Get Started” and follow the system prompts, carefully reading all notifications.

Windows will reinstall itself and install all the necessary drivers. If necessary, you can install them yourself by downloading from the PC manufacturer's website or using

This article is relevant for laptops and system units that come with licensed Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, updated under the free transition program to Windows 10.

Microsoft happily describes to us the advantages of Windows 10, but in this update utility, as well as during the update process itself, your new key is not shown. It seems that there are no problems here, the system is updated, everything is fine, everything works. But what if something suddenly went wrong? Let's say the system has gone to hell and needs to be reinstalled. And you don’t even have the key. Looking ahead, I will say that Microsoft will give you your new key for Windows 10 during the update, and we will extract it from the system using a simple method. Below I will describe how to completely reinstall Windows 10 received for free while maintaining the key, activation and legality status.

I understand that you most likely understand more or less, since you can reinstall the system yourself, but I still remind you that reinstalling in the described way will erase ALL data from the disk on which it will be installed.

Management

It is assumed that you have Windows 10 on your computer, updated for free from older versions, which needs to be reinstalled from scratch. The installation procedure itself is omitted; you must be able to do it yourself.

1. Find out the edition of your current Windows 10 system. Open “Start”, right-click on “This PC” - “Properties”. In the window that appears at the top it says “Windows 10 Home” or “Windows 10 Home for one language” or “Windows 10 Professional” or something else. The main thing is to remember or write down which one it is;

2. Download and run a clever program to extract the key - . In the line with the name of your current system and its edition, in the “Product Key” column the key we need will be indicated. We copy it to a safe place, or better yet, to several places. There is no way you can lose this key. After reinstalling your current Windows 10, you will no longer be able to find it if you lose it. Close the program;

3. Prepare in advance the media on which we will write the installation image. It is best if it is a flash drive, at least 8 GB;

4. First of all, we need to get the latest version of Windows 10 from the Microsoft website. We download not the image itself, but a program that will download it for you and write it to a flash drive for you - Media Creation Tool. Comfortable.

It is important to download the correct version of the utility for the bit size of the system from which the installation flash drive will be written. If you have an x32 system, then you need to download the x32 version, if x64, then x64. Looks in the same window as in step 1;

5. Insert the flash drive, remember its drive letter (D:/ or F:/ or G:/... whatever it is). Let's launch the utility. In the first window, select “Create installation media for another computer” and click “Next”. We select Language - “Russian”, edition - select what we wrote down from step 1, Architecture - if your computer has 6 or more gigabytes of RAM, choose x64, otherwise - x86. Click “Next”. Select “USB flash memory device”. Afterwards, select the letter of your flash drive, you remember, right? “Next” again. The process of downloading the installation image of the system and writing it to the flash drive should begin. At the end of the process, the program will notify you and you can close it. The flash drive is ready to install Windows 10 from it.

6. Start installing the system as you have done before. If you haven’t done it, too bad, Google it. The installation procedure for Windows 10 is practically no different from that in earlier versions.

7. At the stage when you are asked to enter the license key, enter the one you wrote down earlier.

Upon completion of the installation, provided you have access to the Internet, you will have an automatically activated licensed version of Windows 10.

Electronics stores are inundating us with offers to buy a laptop with Windows 10 pre-installed. This is a good bonus, but one day the computer will start to slow down and a clean installation of the OS will be necessary. So how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing your license? You will find the answer below.

There are two ways to use a PC as a “clean slate”. Let's look at each in detail.

Reinstalling Windows 10

So, in front of you is a laptop (computer) with licensed Windows 10. Naturally, there is no installation disk or key. And they are not needed.

In the Threshold 2 update, the developers implemented a useful feature: now, the first time an officially activated system is updated, the physical address of the PC is added to a single database of authenticated devices. Those. When reinstalling Windows 10, you need to skip the activation step and during the first update, your operating system will be activated automatically.

Attention! The key only applies to the same OS version. If you had Home Edition 32bit, then Professional 64bit version is not activated! Install only the one that was originally preinstalled. Also, the license only applies to the device from which the system was updated.

Now let’s write the image onto the media from which Windows 10 will be installed. You can find out how to create a bootable USB flash drive in the article: “Creating a Windows 10 installation flash drive in various ways.”

Attention! Before installing a “clean” system, create a backup copy of the boot and system partitions. Although the method works in 98% of cases, anything can happen. Backup has never hurt anyone.

Once the bootable media is ready, proceed with installing the OS. To reinstall Windows 10:

1. Boot from the flash drive. Restart your computer and enter the boot menu (on most laptops and PCs this is by holding down the F8 or F9 key at the start of boot). Select the USB storage device to boot.
   
   
2. Click the “Install” button, select the localization in the new form and click “Next”.
3. Skip the system activation window.
   
   
4. Format the system partition (mainly Drive C).
   
   
5. Select the same partition for installation and click “Next”.
6. Follow the installer's instructions.

After launch and the first update, your OS is automatically activated.

Windows 10 System Restore

If you have a laptop, then each manufacturer provides a function to restore the system to its original state without reinstallation (Recovery Mode). To do this, find out the hotkey with which you enter recovery mode. For example, for HP laptops it is F11, and for Samsung laptops it is F4. More detailed information about the device can be found on the official website of the computer manufacturer.

Attention! Keys from Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 are suitable for activating Windows 10.

I'll end here. Now you know how to reinstall Windows 10 without losing your license. And don’t forget to make backups, they will once again protect you from losing your license.