A Full, Destructive Reinstall

If you're looking to wipe the state clean, or need to recover from major issues, the nuclear option is always the best one

Reinstalling Windows from scratch – namely, wiping your system drive completely clean to install a brand, spanking new (and fresh) version of Windows on to it – is the ultimate choice for anyone looking to revive a slow PC or resolve a major, non-hardware issue. In this section of the feature we’ll step you through the entire process – if you’re looking to reinstall an older version of Windows, or explore other reinstall options, turn to page 22.

Before you begin, make sure your PC is fully backed up by following the advice in the first section of this feature. A full reinstall really is destructive – nothing left on your C drive will exist once you’ve finished. You should also follow the step-by-step guide on page 17 to ensure you have the latest installation media for your target version of Windows. This will ensure a cleaner, more up-to-date installation from the off, thus saving you time bringing it fully up to date once the installation has completed.

It’s also worth sourcing networking and graphics drivers now rather than relying on Windows to provide them for you – in most cases, they should be built in, but not always. Consult your PC or motherboard manufacturer’s website for these, or visit your Wi-Fi adapter or graphics card manufacturer’s site – download them to your backup drive.