Windows 10: Does Upgrading to Win10 from WU have clean install option?

That's basically my question. I'm planning to upgrade my Win7 laptop to Win10 next week and I'd like to know if there is an option for clean install (Delete all files, fresh windows settings, old windows moved to "windows.old" folder) from Windows Update or do I have to download Windows 10 Media Creation tool?
Thanks!

:)

 

In Which day Releasing Windows 10 TH2

Was only expecting the november 2015 updates.

When I ran wu 10586 was in the list, no option

but to install, insider builds were stopped and

a clean install was done from media.

Had to fine tune things again after the upgrade.

On another pc that was upgraded from win8.1 to

win10,, none clean install, the update to 10586

is not available, insider builds never used.

So to what systems are 10586 going out to;

newer hardware, troubled systems, uefi based,

or clean installs first or only at this point.

I have run WU a number of times on the one machine

and not even widows defender is updating.

 

Is it possible to switch architecture from 32 to 64?

I have Win8.1 32 bit. Can I upgrade to win 10 64 bit?

I know that the free upgrade does not support switching architectures, but answers in this forum go on to say that switching architectures is supported from a custom install when booted from install media. What does this mean exactly?

I have seen it clarified that the free upgrade is not supported from a clean install ... at first. But after the initial free upgrade install (and activation), then clean install is supported.

So therefore, after the initial free update install (from win8.1 32 bit to win10 32 bit) and activation, can a clean install be done from win10 32 bit to win10 64bit using install media AND maintain the activation?

 

There is a special procedure for doing a clean install without having to go through the upgrade process. Is this what you are looking for?

Clean Install Windows 10 Directly without having to Upgrade First

 

A clean install, by definition, will not keep anything from the previous Windows and will not create a windows.old folder. It is impossible to do a clean install from Windows Update alone - you need to either download an ISO file or create an ISO file from the ESD file that Windows Update will download.

 

If it works the same as the Media Creation Tool, you will get a "keep nothing" option. That dumps everything into a Windows.old folder on the root of C, which can be removed later on.

 

The answer to the original question is no. As @NavyLCDR said a clean install by definition keeps nothing from a previous installation. It is not clear to me what the OP actually wants but I did offer the link in post #2 to show how a clean install can be done if that is what is wanted.

A good backup of all the personal files and a system image together with a recovery disk would all be worth taking from the current W7 so you can reload your files and even restore back to W7 if you ever want/need to in the future.

 

Well, by clean install I meant that "Keep Nothing" thingy, as @DeaconFrost said. I'd like to know if upgrading via Windows Update has that option. Simple

 

From my memory of the Windows Update route that I took for my W7 and W8.1 machines I did not get the option to "keep nothing". As part of the process the system creates a way for you to revert back to where you were which is active for 30 days after you upgrade. Hopefully others can confirm that my memory is right!

 

You could always use the Media Creation Tool instead of Windows Update to be sure.

 

Alright, I'll give Media Creation Tool a try, thanks!