Reinstall Windows

Make your next Windows reinstall a better experience, with the help of Nick Peers.

Long bootup times and sluggish performance are just two of the tell-tale signs that your Windows installation is in need of a complete do-over – especially if you haven’t done so for a couple of years. That was certainly the case with one of the desktop PCs in the Windows Help & Advice office – despite having 16GB of RAM, a fast SSD boot drive and a quad-core processor on board, Windows took what seemed like an age to get going and its overall performance simply wasn’t what it was.

Unsurprising, really: Since we last wiped the drive, we’d installed three major Windows 10 updates – the Anniversary Edition, the Creators Update and the Fall Creators Update and Windows had ballooned to an immodest 90GB of drive space. It was obviously time for an overhaul, but experience has taught us a few lessons along the way. Some go back to the early days of Windows; others are peculiar to Windows 10.

And that’s where this feature comes in. We’re going to take you on the ultimate Windows reinstall tour, whether you’re installing Windows 7, 8.1, or 10. You’ll discover that the actual physical act of reinstalling is the simplest bit, so we’ll step you through everything you need to do to preserve all your data, transfer your settings across the reinstall divide, and ensure that nothing gets left behind – just in case.

We’ll show you how to prep for your reinstall by bringing all your key apps, drivers, and licenses into one place (oh, and don’t forget to uninstall apps that need deactivating prior to reinstalling). You’ll also discover how to source the latest version of your Windows install media for a cleaner, more up-to-date install out of the box. (We’ll also reveal a tool that gives you the power to craft your ultimate reinstall disc).