Windows 10: Question before performing a clean installation

I will be clean installing Windows 10 and was looking to make sure that my Personal synced settings are backed up and reinstalled during the installation process. I'm just looking for some feedback from the rest of the guys on the forum. Are there other users who have PC or laptop devices showing up under Device Backups in OneDrive Online on Windows 10. The message I'm getting is that I dont have any devices backing up. In Windows 10..its always been empty for me!
Sync Settings has always been enabled. Ive had a conversation on the Microsoft Community forum with moderators and they say I should have backups there on Windows 10 just the same as I used to get with Windows 8 and 8.1. Confusing! I did see someone on here post that it only works in Windows 10 for phones. I quoted this to Microsoft Moderators and they told me that's not correct

:)

 

If performing clean installation of Windows 10, Do we have to again upgrade through Windows 10 older version?

Hi Lu,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I would like to inform that if you have successfully installed and upgrade to Windows 10 and your copy of Windows 10 is activated then you can go ahead and perform a clean installation of Windows 10. Neither It will not create any
issues nor you have to go back to the older version and then again follow the process.

If you Windows 10 is activated then you can directly perform a clean installation of Windows 10.

For reference: How to: Do a clean install of Windows
10

I would suggest you to first download an
ISO image of Windows 10 and try to perform Clean install using the Media Creation tool.

Download Windows 10

Installation Media tool:

Windows 10 herunterladen

Hope the above information was helpful. If you need further assistance, please do let us know and we would be happy to help you.

Thank you.

 

If performing clean installation of Windows 10, Do we have to again upgrade through Windows 10 older version?

Original Title:
Upgrading older versions to Windows 10

I decided to upgrade from an older version to Windows 10. Since it is free of charge and seems to be user friendly, i thought it's worth trying it. However i have a question. What happens if i want to
format my computer ? I guess i still need to install the old version of windows,which i currently have, revalidate them and again reupgrade to windows 10 ? If this is not the case then i guess i must somehow be given the software ( downloading it for instance
) so as to set it up by booting from a cd later and also a product key to validate ?

 

This tutorial may shed some light on the discussion.

Turn On or Off Sync Settings for Microsoft Account in Windows 10

Of course things like Firefox or Chrome are saved through your sign in to their products. If you use Thunderbird save your profile.

 

Hi Ken. No, the tutorial doesn't provide any info about the device backups or how the process is supposed to work in Windows 10. Like I said Ive always had those syncing options all enabled..and I always use the Edge browser. I don't use any other browsers at all

 

Agree it doesn't but it talks to how to sync your settings. (given you have a Microsoft account and in tutorial Shawn uses @Outlook.com account) At the bottom are other links to things like Syncing Favorites.

I don't used Edge at all. I use Chrome and the stuff I need sync'ed is within it.

I'll look see in the tutorials if Shawn has one on device backups.

 

So I did quick search and started here.

Enable or Disable OneDrive Integration

It mentions "Sync Settings" in the blue Note area which kicks you to the first tutorial I posted.

You will notice numerous links at bottom of tutorial that will take you to numerous subjects on Onedrive. None per say talk to device backups.

Of course devices backup has different meanings to different members. If you backup all your data to Onedrive and have synced settings "On" one could call this a device backup. I wouldn't. For me a device backup is the OS, drivers programs and data.

Is there any particular sync setting that you are wanting to backup that the tutorial does not talk mention?

 

The only reason I use it is so that my favourites in Edge and Internet Explorer are automatically backed up and automatically reinstalled again after a clean installation plus a few other individual general settings are done automatically as well. Its nice and handy and saves a lot of messing about

 

Oh I agree, having them in cloud makes it a whole lot easier.

As a backup to syncing there is this tutorial on Edge favorites and I'm sure you can find one on IE.

Backup and Restore Microsoft Edge Favorites in Windows 10

 

I've never seen device backups there myself. Settings are synced via Settings and Edge's settings (Favorites and saved passwords and form fills) via Edge sync: Click settings in Edge, and make sure that your account is correct, syncing is on and after check device syncing

 

Andre, I have a feeling that the device backup doesn't show in OneDrive on Windows 10. I haven't seen anyone say that a backup exists there anyway. I know it used to in Windows8, 8.1

 

Hi Ken, Ive used the import/export feature before..quite a while ago though. at that time I found that it left quite a few of my favourites behind. Several folder in my Edge favourites were missing when I imported them. Maybe the process works perfectly now. I haven't tried it for a while

 

Not sure about devices won't show. Edge's settings and favorites syncing is a different thing to device backup. System syncing is tied to you digital account, not Onedrive.

But there could be something else going on. One thing I admit, MS has produced quite a mystery of this.


My bookmarks were restored fine. My last clean install was less than a week ago (Windows Insider)

 

Hopefully when I clean install my favourites will be installed too as they were for you. I'll be backing them up just in case anyway

 

*Thumbs and make an Image with Macrium reflect, if anything goes wrong, just restore it.