Windows 10: Clean install on Windows 10 Tablet - UEFI

I have a Slide i701 which came with Windows 8.1 and I used the Media Creation Tool ISO to upgrade it to Windows 10 Home Single Language x86. Yesterday, I downloaded the 1511 Build for the same. I'd like to clean install the build using the ISO and by clean install I mean, I will be cleaning the whole disk with clean all (diskpart) to start fresh. The tablet uses GPT, and I have a USB with the ISO booted with Rufus using the GPT scheme for UEFI.
1. Can I directly clean install by booting the USB like on a PC and then clean the disk with clean all command or do I have to do some additional steps, for eg:- I read somewhere that I have to convert the disk to GPT after using clean all.
2. How to activate after clean install.

Please leave your suggestions, esp. if you have done the same as above on a UEFI Tablet. Thanks

:)

 

Windows - Clean install on EFI Tablet PC

I have an iBall Slide i701 which had Windows 8.1 Single language when I got it. I used Windows genuine ISO with Media Creation tool to upgrade it to Windows 10 Home Single Language. Now, since there's a new build - 1511 I have downloaded the ISO from Techbench
and want to clean install Windows 10 on my Tablet. And, by clean install, I mean I will be cleaning the drives with diskpart's clean all command. So, these are some questions I have:-

1. Can I clean install Windows like on a normal PC on this EFi Tablet. I found that it could boot off the Windows 10 USB I created. Are there any specific instructions for me to use on this UEFi tablet?

2. I can't find an option in the BIOs to switch to Legacy Boot, but can't find it. Any suggestions?

3. Since, I'll be using diskpart's clean all command, what about Activation after the clean install?

 

no installation media

Enter BIOS or UEFI Setup to Reset to Defaults, save changes and Exit.
Four Methods to Access UEFI BIOS Setup in Windows 8/10 PC/Laptop/Tablet

Then follow exactly these steps for
Clean Install Windows 10 including to create and boot the media as specified, delete all partitions down to Unallocated Space to get it cleanest, then click next to let it auto-format needed partitions and begin.

If any problem arises at any step please explain in detail and include pictures if possible.

 

The easiest way to do it is not mess with diskpart at all. Boot from the USB flash drive - select the custom install option - delete every partition on the "disk" - select the unallocated space to install to and click next to let Windows set up the "disk" the way it wants to.

It will activate based upon both the Windows 8 product key it finds in the UEFI firmware and the digital entitlement stored on Microsoft activation servers from the initial upgrade.

Before you do the clean install, I would highly recommend you export all the third party drivers using the dism /online /export-driver command.

 

Thanks for the quick reply & suggestion. So, do you recommend removing every drive, including the System Partition to create an unallocated space? If that's the case, it then exactly does what clean command does to the disk. Correct me if I am wrong, sorry.
BTW, I never installed any 3rd party drivers on the tab. All the drivers either came preinstalled with Windows 10 or updated with Device Manager online.
Anyways, if I were to clear all the partitions to create an unallocated space, won't I lose my Activation info.?

 

You may not have installed any third party hardware drivers, but are you absolutely sure the manufacturer did not?

Deleting all the partitions from Windows setup does exactly the same thing as the clean command.

The Windows 10 activation is now a digital entitlement stored on Microsoft activation servers based upon the unique hardware ID of that tablet. When you re-install Windows 10 - first it will retrieve the product key stored in UEFI firmware and should not ask you for a product key or version to install. Then it will send the hardware ID to the Microsoft activation servers which will match that to the digital entitlement stored there and return the code for Windows 10 to activate itself.

 

Anyways, I went ahead with the installation. This is what I did:-
1. Rufus - Fat32, GPT.
2. Booted the USB on Tablet.
3. Clicked Custom > diskpart > clean.
4. Clicked Unallocated Space and everything else was automated.
5. After install, as I had expected, Touch was lost and had to use a keyboard and mouse.

Still have to check the Activation.

 

Did you get the touch screen to work and Windows 10 activated OK?

 

I suppose you skipped the "backup all drivers" step... To make the touchscreen work you have to install the appropriate driver. Just hope the manufacturer has is available at their support site, or it could be difficult to find it. A utility that can tell you exactly which hardware you have is Aida64. You can use it to identify the hardware of the touchscreen, so you know what to Google for, in case the manufacturer doesn't have the driver.

 

FWIW, I have tried to install w10 off USB stick six times on machines varying from old core 2 to tablet and brand new i7 builds and I have NEVER managed to finish the installation. It does install but simply fails at some point after copying files and such and after a reboot, so there has been no file issues either. Tried several USB disks too and no go. Had to use an USB DVD drive and an image burnt to disk to install in every single case. I don't know why.